Nick B

I believe that you have to apply to the county council in which you're ordinarily resident and pay council tax, and proof may be required. Where the school is over-subscribed they may use the distance from the school to decide which child is most eligible. Otherwise there are things like the travelers' education service or you can of course apply for Home Schooling - but it's a while since I looked at all this and it may vary between areas

Not sure that I'm 100% right on this, but it may be difficult to get children into a school if you're not a resident and paying council tax in that area, so a permanent mooring might be essential? We moved into a marina to have our soon-to-be-six years old at a local primary and be resident here

Thanks for you comments, the doc says it's 99% likely that she does have the bug and she has all the symptoms. If was just us we could take a chance, and even though it'll prob. be OK, its not work the risk with a toddler. Water flow rate is the problem with filters, so I think I'll flush through, put one in line for drinking, and maybe then use an inline filter to fill the tank, at least for a while - it won't hurt if it takes a few hours to fill. Cheers.

Well, it's clear that we do have it in our water tank and my wife is just starting get to better after 2 and a bit weeks. We can't return to the boat until the water is safe, especially as we have a 2 year old and I don't want her to get it. It's all very well being told to boil our water, but it's not just drinking water, it's for washing up, cleaning and everything else. And trying to prevent a toddler putting their hands in the washing or bath water and then transferring it to her mouth is near impossible, and not a chance I want to take. So I need to get our water system cleaned out, and can flush it and change filters and so-on, but am looking to add either a suitable filter or a UV lamp. UV seems to have advantages but would need a particle pre-filter and sounds more complicated and would rely on a power supply, so I'm more in favour of a filter. But where should it go in the system? Can a pump suck through the filter and it still work OK if I fit it at the supply from the tank, or will a filter still be effective with a supply that pulses (i.e. is a non-constant flow) pushed from the water pump? can it go after the pressure accumulator? Any advice or knowledge will be welcome! Thanks

We're in Garstang Marina and our water on board is contaminated following the problems with cryptosporidium in the supply. We definitely have the bug - my wife is still quite ill and we've had to leave our boat to stay with relatives until the water is safe, as we have a toddler who shouldn't really drink mineral water that's generally full of sodium. And anyway, boiling enough water all the time is just a pain in the whatsit. I asked United Utilities for their advice on cleaning our tank and water system once the main supply is OK, and they said: "‪We would suggest that you pump boiling water through the system‬". This may explain why they seem incapable of sorting out the problem - they're obviously completely bonkers.

Does anyone know of a toilet trainer seat for a toddler that will fit a Thetford C200 cassette toilet? We tried one made for a normal domestic toilet seat but it's nothing like the right size or shape.

Our first boat was a 1985 Teddesley ex-hire 40 footer with a fibreglass top, I think they built a fleet (well, a few) of them around that time, with a BMC Thorneycroft. We were lucky that the top had never been painted and buffed-up OK. I never dared stand on it but it was good and strong. Although it never leaked around the steel-fibreglass join, little bits of rusty metal would fall inside now and again. When we sold her for a larger, an all-steel, narrowboat the purchaser's surveyor was very impressed with the state of the hull. Another owner of a GRP-top boat said the same about his and his theory was that the lighter weight meant that the hull wasn't abraded as much as a comparable boat with a heavier, steel top. It was cooler in hot weather too but took a bit more to keep warm. we were very fond of her as our first boat, but more space was a priority.

Umm... ours gets a bit umpty when the battery charge drops, either because the battery's a few months old, or maybe because at this time of year the temperature's dropped and the battery is shivering in it's housing 'cos although it's September I haven't lit the stove yet..... I sometimes think it's a bit too clever, but then I'd rather buy an unnecessary battery than be roasted in my bed....

To answer your question: I'd say you should live aboard because you want to, and not because you have to or feel that it's a cheap way to make ends meet. I've found that on a little boat you have to be prepared to shop several times a week because the fridge is tiny and there's no cupboard space, you have to buy and lug gas bottles about for hot water and cooking, buy and lug sacks of coal around in winter, and keep the water tank full and the toilet empty. Just keeping on top of these the essentials can drain your time, and your emotion when it all goes wrong... Our boat, for example, was cheap with a sound hull and a good engine, but I've become an electrician, a carpenter, diesel mechanic, a painter, a sealer of leaky windows and flues, learned more about solar panels and batteries than I dreamed would be necessary or possible, and replaced a surprising number of chimneys (stainless next time!). And if you do want to, and are prepared to put in some quite hard work just for the essentials that house-dwellers take for granted, it's an enjoyable and rewarding lifestyle - I wish you the best of luck!

I made mine from some leftover Fireboard - make a circle, cut a flue-sized hole, chop the thing into two halves & screw it in place around the pipe. It's easy to cut & shape & of course, fireproof!

I fitted a Boatman stove - without boiler - the winter before last and can't fault it. We frequently keep it alight for more than a week and it ticks over at a low temp all night burning Pureheat. We cook on top (and occasionally inside). The newer versions have a top vent to give an airwash that keeps the glass clean - Eddie at Northern Fabrications just retro-fitted one to my older-style door and it works a treat. I've found Eddie to be very helpful, if you have any doubts or questions I would give him a call to discuss. Hope this helps! Nick