magnetman

Thats not an FM&C stern. Odd boat. Wrong bow and wrong stern. Maybe the bit in the middle is original?

No. He wants ID of the blue L&L boat moored between Packet boat Marina and The Shovel pub at Uxbridge. Its on the houseboat moorings not the towpath. Blue steel cabin with folded plating rather than welds along the top edge. Really nice boat. Also has a raised wooden extension cabin on the end. It is an "unidentified" craft which may be a boat formerly believed to have been scrapped. The boat in question is here 51.522204106720245, -0.4847683308528439 I actually think it might be a Long Boat not a short boat and there was a previous suggestion it could be the ATTRACTIVE. May be getting mixed up though.

Thread on Thunderboat about these craft https://thunderboat.boards.net/thread/1604/leeds-liverpool-shortboats?page=1 This thread has a LOT of information by some people with in-depth knowledge. ETA I know who you are now ! Bit slow on the uptake there. I don't go past Cowley any more but last time I did I had a close look and couldn't see anything. The boat has a lot of repair plates on the sides which I believe shows it was previously unloaded by a grab.

I've always assumed it is where the yellow circle is. Have done it several times in canoes and dinghies over the years but never noticed enough structure on the other stream (red) to indicate the remains of a lock. There is significant stonework exactly the right shape for a pound lock near where you have put the yellow circle. It is now a weir. I think it is more likely that there are remains of a separate weir where the red circle is. That channel doesn't seem to be a very useful shape for maneouvering barges into. Too many bends. The purple line is much better.

There is a floating bridge with an outboard motor for opening it at La Vilette in Paris. Not been recently so it might have gone but there is a webpage about it Pont flottant de La Villette https://www.eutouring.com/pont_flottant_de_la_villette.html

Oops.

Wey navigations there are several examples of this. I suppose the reaches are longer though. Also the bit between Copper Mill and Black Jacks on the GU is similar in a way with the Colne (?) going in and out but not sure if it follows the original course of the river.

I'd go the other way personally. Having done Teddington to Limehouse and verce visa quite a few times I must admit I prefer the latter! No reason not to reverse the journey then if possible get an early exit from LH onto the River and plan for Brentford but carry on to Teddington if it all goes swimmingly. Much better than the waiting pontoon at Limehouse. You don't want to go there don't ask me how I know but no it is not comfortable at all. A trip through the upper pool is enjoyable but I always worry a bit so inward bound on a rising tide knowing the River is going to get more and more calm as you progress is really a lot more pleasant, especially when there are restrictions on Limehouse lock. Was there a particular reason for going to Limehouse first? I think Brentford (not Brentwood) needs booking 48hrs in advance these days and it might be online. I'd go Teddington Brentford then stop somewhere like above Norwood top locks. A bit bleak but a little shop and a reasonably quiet part of the indian subcontinent. It might be full but should be okay. A bit further on there is Tesco Bulls bridge where you can stop a night if you want to or just under the bridge opposite the permanent moorings at the start of the paddington arm. Then the long haul across Paddington arm into central London (probably worth booking a mooring as suggested above) stay a day or two then run down to Limehouse. Loads of space on the cut just round corner from Limehouse Marina (don't leave valuables like bikes out as they will be taken). The wall in the marina is better and as it is 24 hours and patrolled it should be available. Then on the right day exit Limehouse preferably early and have a nice gentle cruise up with the tide to Teddington. If you do stay at Limehouse have a walk to canary wharf and find the Docklands museum. A brilliant free museum (part of Museum of London) with endless very high quality exhibitions about boats and east london docks. A clean wetherspoon next to it. Worth doing a "London ring" trip.

Some of the boathooks I have had out with the magnet have the inside of the crook part filed down to a blade. Also the part between the spike and the hook can be forged in such a way as to provide a cutter. You get both options. Pull it or push it. Of course yars ago one would not have seen much plastic around and one would not have had a weedhatch.

Thats one of the big ones. I have one of these. Someone once told me what they are called but I forgot. It was a specific name. Might be able to find it with a bit of googling. Snagging hook? I think it might have been @davemoore who knew the original name for these. Pics of boathooks always nice to see ! Oops those pesky wooden handles... Not sure if there is such a thing as "hoarding boathooks"

Yes but it would be no good for picking a rope up from above. You need something which can be slipped under the rope. I will always leave a little bight in a rope if intending to pick it up from lockside as boat is coming in (going up) but with the boat crook you can get one which is lying flat on the deck. I think they were issued to Thames lock keepers. The keeper who gave me mine was retiring and emptying his shed.

Boat Crook working end: Mine is blue plastic wrapped on the handle. I think they were made by Plastimo or Simpson Lawrence. They do come in other colours. If you are offered one take it.

I' ve got all different sorts of boathooks numbering around 12 including 2 thames hitcher poles. Very long with aluminium handles and forged iron insert boathooks at the end. I suppose lock keepers might think I lifted them but one is covered in loads of pittting and I pulled it out of the Thames nowhere near a lock by its iron end. The other I was given when the Nicholes boatyard near Staines closed down and was cleared. I was also given a "Boat Crook" by a Thames lock keeper some yars ago. Very handy little hook that is. No longer made but worth looking out in boat jumbles. about 5ft long plastic covered aluminium handle with a 8mm diameter stainless shepherds crook type hook on it. Among other boathooks there are several large old barge hooks and the extra big old one forgotten the name. Not sure what is available but one of the things I had out with the magnet was a normal forged iron hook someone had cut the spike off. Probably for getting ropes off deck. Lock keeper at shepperton has a length of broom handle with a inch wide strip of steel screwed to one end then bent into a hook shape. For picking up ropes off boats. Nice. ebay always worth searching for boat hooks. Usually collect in person of course but you might be lucky. Nice pair of old brass and hardwood ones on there at the moment £20 they are in Devon.

this webpage also useful although the levels data is not there for some reason. Rainfall figures are quite shocking https://thamesboating.info/levels.php

Gaugemap is good for flow rates. Kingston on Thames showing as 5 cumecs at the moment which is NOT A LOT https://www.gaugemap.co.uk/#!Map/Summary/1249/1382 Staines around 10 cumecs (up and down due to extraction) https://www.gaugemap.co.uk/#!Map/Summary/1192/1307 Maidenhead is more. There are extraction points at Datchet and Laleham which presumably account for the differences between these stations. The downstream level at Penton Hook lock is noticeably affected by the extraction at Laleham. It is getting a little naughty but some rain forecast next week. Reading on Thames 2.5 cumecs Sutton Courtenay (near Abingdon) 2.5 cumecs Farmoor (above Oxford) around 1.5 cumecs

We had similar recently on the Limehouse Cut towpath which is fully surfaced with some very minor weed growth at the edges. Man with big self propelling mower, followed by man with strimmer. On way back the mower did another pass and the man with the strimmer had a leaf blower. All petrol powered noisy equipment. Its rather silly but nothing new. I've seen them mowing puddles on granite shingle towpaths before now in mid winter.

I was in Marlow last Saturday in my electric canoe. Did stop by the church for a quick shop visit but no they won't let bigger boats moor there. Understandable as its a nice place to sit and watch the River without boats blocking the view. The little mooring below the lock is full of canal boats I think that may now have been "lost" as it "seems to be" an EA owned asset with no patrols. Or perhaps it is council owned I'm not sure. Same boats have been there a while now. A little bit upsetting to see a narrow boat on the bit in the start actual lock cut which was deliberately made with low edge and no mooring rings and picnic benches as a way for locals to access the water. Rather rude to block this sort of public facility. This is the type of thing which will piss people off. Also lock cuts should be No Mooring under the byelaws. Oh well we have what we have. The River has changed over the years. Still nice but it has changed. Overpopulation in the UK does have side effects. On the Thames forum someone suggested calling it the Thames Canal... ETA in Marlow there is often space on Higginson Park just above the Salters landing stage for a few hundred yeards then after the little brook there is a free bit but no rings there and very low piling. After that there is a long stretch of towpath and a ratty lady opposite in a big house who shouts that one is not allowed to moor there. Quite fun if you like hollering across the River "I have to get something for the baby from Sainsbury's love".

I'm sure they are good quality but at the end of the day you don't want a stove to crack. It's not interesting. Not everyone is in the position to repair something like that effectively. I do think it's likely that the faulty ones were limited in number. It is not impossible, given the popularity of the obviously well designed stove, that there were some ripoffs or perhaps MØRSO dropped the quality during lean times. They would not be the first company to do this. Think Mercedes.

When my mother was little she had a pony and one day there were some works taking place on the house which required awful pleb "builders" to gain access. Obviously being a real house there was a tradesmen's entrance and a route through the building to the gardens for things like horses and ponies. In case they need to graze. When she announced, aged around ten, to the builders "I am just taking my pony up the back passage" they may have been rather surprised. It's normal in a lot of cases but sometimes language is confusing for more ordinary people.

Snicket

I have heard from someone else about a problematic keeper at Molesey. There is sometimes an irritating woman part time keeper who lives on a boat but this one was a male. Probably the same person you encountered. Slightly different to Claydon locks though ! Claydon is one of the tamest set of locks around. Nicely laid out, pleasant little house at the top and no likelihood of problems apart from water level issues. First time I went up there in 1994 the house by the top lock was for sale. £35k no road access and a diesel generator in a brick shed.