[Advice on living around Marlow area on wide beam.]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

Biffa bin. The red ones. 

Is that a statement of fact or supposition?

 

Assuming it is fact is it permitted?

[Advice on living around Marlow area on wide beam.]

10 hours ago, IanD said:

 

Nobody is saying that a composting toilet used properly -- like you do, or Peter -- is a bad idea. The issue is that it takes space, time and some effort (and nose-holding) to do this, and when bag'n'binning was allowed this was a much easier option, which it seems that many boaters took -- and why wouldn't you, much easier than all that storage/hot-box bother?

 

If a boater is continually moving and doesn't have a garden like Peter has what is done with the composted waste when the process is finished?

[Troubled Waters – The Many Struggles Of The Canal And River Trust]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Yes, I am no longer on the canals, but having spent some 40 years 'on the canals', I think I am in a position to make suggestions.

 

With regard to holiday makers / boat hire, then there are many alternatives on waterways just as nice.

(If you cannot get a holiday booked to your choice of location in Spain, you can always consider one of the many alternatives.)

You assume it is just looking for a holiday not an ambition of "one day I will...."

 

I have come across boaters who have hired to go on canals they can't reach by their own boat and also ones that intend to at some point in the future.

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

If this were to happen, then yes, it probably is the thin edge of the wedge and other hard decsions on peripheral waterways MAY need to be made.

I think it is naive to think the kick up would be from very few.

[Troubled Waters – The Many Struggles Of The Canal And River Trust]

9 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

So what ! - how many boats are licenced on the M&B (100 , 200 ?)

So 100/200  boaters boaters protest - if they want it to stay open remove the licence requiremenst and let them each pay £1000 per week for the benfit of using the waterway, or, get the local tourism providers, or Goverment, to subsidise them

Their tune would soon change.

 

C&RT need to firmly grasp the nettle and make unpopular decisions for the good of the majority of the system.

An interesting view from somebody who no longer uses the canals.

 

I think you need to have a figure higher than registered boats, any body who wishes to ever have a holiday on the canal might protest.  Other boaters knowing this is the thin end of the wedge would also I think need included in a list of those likely to protest.

 

I agree firm action is required on all sorts of things by CRT but I also feel the backlash shouldn't be under estimated.

[Mrsmelly - is he OK?]

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

Indeed. It's the loss of physical strength that is the most shocking. I have to get the wife to open such as sauce bottle tops for me know 😩 and knackered just climbing the stairs etc etc 😞

Just accept you have had a big physical change and recovery takes time.  Take life carefully and before you know it you will be back to normal.

[Water Tank Issues]

20 hours ago, LadyG said:

In a former life I inspected various water sources, and treatment centres and have come to the conclusion that I do not wish to drink UK tap water straight. I dont like the taste of it for a start. I remember once taking a sip of London Tap,  never again.

I drink a litre a day at this time of year, it's usually Evian. 

I try to avoid drinking water from untested sources like the CRT taps, worse still, it is then put in a tank, which is quite warm, never a good idea. 

I am aware that carrying water by lorry from France to Todmorden is not environmentally friendly, but neither is buying oranges and lemons from Turkey.

I try to buy organic when I can, I'm saving the planet that way, and keeping myself healthy at the same time.

At least the orange peel will biodegrade the bottle for any Evian water I have seen is plastic.  Recycling on the canal is doubtful so it will go on basically for ever.

[Canals and Water Shortage]

23 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Had to phone CRT today,

simple Q.

Im on the Rochdale. No services ahead of me.

 I took the opportunity to use the Guillotine lock behind me , it  was being surveyed by CRT, to transit in reverse back to Tod  Services.

So, this movement was no doubt observed by Mr Officious.

I stayed on the waterpoint. Then did 180 and passed Mr O who told me i was not allowed to move.

Im not convinced there is is a no movement notice. Just a no navigation .

I must be being thick today,what is the difference between navigation and moving?

 

CRT refer to continuous cruising as actively navigating the system surely that means moving.

[CRT - Roaming Volunteers]

A thought enters my head about roaming volunteers.  Say you come across the common heap of metal pulled out by magnet fishers and waiting for a passerby to throw it back in.  The obvious thing is to collect it up, but how do you dispose of it?  Similarly with branches etc.

 

I do however think it is a good idea.

[Collapsible Wagon Truck for heavy stuff.]

This one on line claims a weight of 10lbs and a load of 150lbs

 

[Collapsible Wagon Truck for heavy stuff.]

20 minutes ago, 5239 said:

I dunno if I’d trust it to carry a two pack roll of toilet paper 😃

It's sold by a gardening firm and claims 30Kg capacity.

[Collapsible Wagon Truck for heavy stuff.]

49 minutes ago, 5239 said:

ahh…but do your gas bottles have wheels ?

suppose you could kick them like a beer barrel 

And bags of coal with wheels would be ace!

yep, wheelbarrow is the best,

is there a fold up version though?

Something like this?

 

[BSS examiners in short supply?]

53 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I am not suggesting that a boat on CRT waters should never be tested. Though I am pretty cynical..

 In my case i was happy to have the gas tested, but I think it's been like that for twenty years. If I had any doubt I would have called out a Boat Gas Safe lpg engineer  straight away.

You are assuming everybody is as sensible and responsible as yourself.  They aren't!  I have had hundreds (thousands) of individuals through my hands in the 40 years of my career believe me many aren't.

53 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Since testing has been introduced has there been any decrease in BSS related accidents, I doubt it.

There have been a few fires, possibly expect a few more if we see more lithium, but the BSC swerves electricity, and seems to have a two tier system for liveaboards, that's just a mess of potage.

I feel that it's essentially  a job for the boys, and there are fewer boys willing to fork out ridiculous fees for "training courses"  in the hope of getting a few hundred quid back every so often. There is no need for a training course, send applicants the course notes and then test them, this is how people get university degrees these days. It's technology.

How long since you took your degree?  Both my daughters have taken them recently (3 courses between them) and they weren't like you suggest.

53 minutes ago, LadyG said:

If the boys need all that training, and remember they don't all know about electrics,  dont need to know, the BSC course barely covers it., fewer still know much about lpg, what relevance is their surveying skill to a CRT based boat, if it sinks in a canal it won't go far, but it would likely pass its BSC the day before.

The same is true of the MOT.  So what relevance has the MOT.

53 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I paid £160 last time, there has been no significant change needing a re test,  the boat needed a new fire extinguisher, and that was it. I could have done the test if they had sent me a checklist. I have a working understanding of boats, and several Certificates related to boating.  I expect I could learn to fill in a form very slowly. I won't be applying to go on their  training course, though I have a sneaking suspicion I would qualify for entry if I came up with £5K!

Yet again you are basing your suggestions on what you as a sensible responsible mature person would do.  Rules and regulations can not function on such a level as not everybody is sensible, responsible and mature. 

53 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Any car involved in an accident that is not roadworthy may have invalidated the insurance, and the driver can end up in Court.

Now that there is a MOT true prior to the MOT there was no standard or check on road worthiness.  Just like boats before the BSSC.  The insurance on a boat might be invalidated but after the gas explosion and fire it might be difficult to prove it wasn't safe.  Unless of course you say every fire etc is owing to the boat being unsafe then what value in insurance.

[BSS examiners in short supply?]

3 hours ago, LadyG said:

Nothing to do with that, the boat must be insured to be on CRT waters,, the CRT demand, and it was not always so, that a BSC is held by every boat. The owner pays the insurance,  agreeing that his boat is Certified, and that the Certificate is valid.

if his BSC is invalid, his insurance is invalid, it does not matter if it becomes invalid two days or ten years after the Certificate is issued, it is still invalid.

And you don't think that through either lack of knowledge/understanding or dishonesty lots of boats would be "certified" under a self certification scheme.

 

If people don't tax and insure their cars then some thing as simple as self certification would be seen as a gift.  There are an estimated 1,000,000 uninsured vehicles on Uk roads.

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

If things break, that is a change, it needs to be made safe if there is a safety aspect.

If I hit a kerb, the car may be still driveable but it would not be safe , so I would take it and get it repaired. Nothing to do with having a certificate saying it passed an MOT  on  certain date, the vehicle is unroadworthy.

Yes you would, but there are many many drivers who wouldn't.  Comparing to cars before the MOT just two cases I have seen; a car where you could turn the steering wheel 15 cm (six inches) before the wheels started to turn and one where I got in the back for a lift and the driver said be careful where you put your feet.   There were two 10cm (4inch) diameter holes in the floor.

 

Both cars were taxed and insured.

[BSS examiners in short supply?]

16 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Yer - that'd work wouldn't it !

 

 

 

 

There could well be changes that are needed - things like gas pipes, regulators & fuel pipes etc go out of date.

How would any one know the changes had been done if the were not checked

Basically that is what I was querying.  A scheme with no policing would be worse than useless.

2 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Yes, why not, if there have been significant changes that affect insurance then the boat is no longer insured comprehensive. The BSS is supposed to refer to safety of passers-by rather than the crew. 

If any person is found guilty of manslaughter, for example, having a BSC will hardly affect the judgement.

The owner just needs to sign off the boat when he insures it. If the boat needs a new Certificate he needs to arrange it.

You have a touching faith in the honesty of your fellow boaters.

[BSS examiners in short supply?]

1 minute ago, LadyG said:

These extra costs levied by the CRT may have been a reasonable idea when they started, but im not convinced that the scheme is anything other than an added expence. If a boat has a Certificate and there has been no change, why is a renewal necessary?

How is it shown there have been no changes?  Rely on the honesty of boat owners?

[Boat safety]

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

You also have to be aware that the deceased must have known that the boat was being driven dangerously at illegal speeds by someone drunk and did nothing about it except sit at the front and enjoy tte ride. I am always a little suspicious of reports that give the impression that someone who dies in an incident where other people are being condemned is always a totally innocent and faultless specimen of humanity.

Similarly with teenagers who die in knife attacks.  They have always be little angels.

[Mrsmelly - is he OK?]

5 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

MrSmelly, Tim, is fine and dandy. Enjoying his camper van breaks. I won’t say anything health wise as it’s not my position to do so. But he’s okay.

Thank you for the update.  Good to hear he is OK.

[Mrsmelly - is he OK?]

7 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Any news on how he is doing, we have just been in Annie's tea Room at Thrupp, dont tell him, but they take cards as well as cash now 

Are you trying to cause a relapse?

 

Joking aside news of his condition and hopefully progress would be welcome.

[CAT STOLEN FROM LL Todmorden]

I'm glad he is home.  My mind is still boggling at why anybody with two brain cells to rub together should think a cat in a carrier needed interfered with.

[CAT STOLEN FROM LL Todmorden]

2 hours ago, LadyG said:

No. I dont think I'll ever see him again.

Don't be too disheartened.  Back when we had cats we got a new adult in need of a home (its owners were too old/ill to cope).  It escaped on the first evening.  We thought being 30 miles from its old home we would never see it again.  We caught her in the garden a few days later.

[CAT STOLEN FROM LL Todmorden]

Hopefully Lady G has been moored there long enough for the cat to feel that is home.  Cats have been known to make their way home over long distances, in one case from france to Finland.

 

Hoping for good news soon.

[Boy, 13, dies after jumping into Exeter canal]

I wonder what caused him to fail to surface (always assuming this isn't news speak for some other aquatic tragedy).  I thought bodies even unconscious ones naturally floated.

[An echo of the CMer debate.]

3 hours ago, Wafi said:

Even if there were a way of artificially halving house prices without making any other changes, they'd bounce back quickly because the economic fundamentals, including the balance of supply & demand, wouldn't have changed.

 

A nationwide programme of house building, such as we saw in the 1950s and 1960s, would go some way towards improving the situation; if we build enough houses, the same economics that are currently keeping prices high will allow them to come down. This is where the politics get difficult:

• Anyone who obsesses about house prices, whether irrationally (single home owners with modest mortgages) or rationally (landlords with multiple properties) will see a reduction in housing scarcity as a threat to their net worth.
• Any Government-funded initiative will face claims that the money should be spent elsewhere. Regardless of who's actually going to be living in the new homes, people will latch onto far right claims such as "taxpayers money being spent on luxury housing for immigrants".
• At a local scale, NIMBYs will protest with claims that the area's roads/schools/hospitals/shops/pubs won't be able to cope (conveniently ignoring the fact that they can all be upgraded, that schools and hospitals employ lots of people who need somewhere to live, and that shops & pubs need customers to survive). 

Of course things can be upgraded but very often aren't.  Over the last couple of decades our local town has nearly doubled in size.  The schools have remained the same size as has the number of doctors.  We have no hospital.  Couple that with the growth of the villages in the school and doctors catchment areas and something has to give.

 

P.S.  In the year before I retired 30 kids were faced with the prospect of travelling between 30 and 40 miles to secondary school as both town schools were full.  WE managed to cram them in by having classes that were really too large.

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

So would the rest of the population - they are either 'disabled' or locked.

True

[An echo of the CMer debate.]

18 hours ago, magnetman said:

It seems a bit like accessible toilets. Whenever I see a sign indicating "accessible toilets" I always look for the other one which is inaccessible as I do like a challenge and I have self taught lock picking skills and a pocket disc cutter.  

 

I suspect this is all part of the great dumbing down protocol.

 

 

From the other point of view my brother who, is for much of the time a wheelchair user, says a disabled toilet is no use to him he wants one that works and hasn't been disabled.

[CRT Water Tap at Barbridge]

Things must get confusing for some.  In parts of Edinburgh where my daughter has lived there are a couple of big black wheelie bins every 100 yards or so.  The flats have to use these for their waste and recycling.

 

I expect if that is what you do at home then you are quite likely to use any black bins you see elsewhere.