magnetman

I still do think that the CRT data loggers might be collecting more than just location and number data. I actually think there might be a box which says 'does the boat look occupied' it would just be a tap on the screen for the data collector. I don't see why this would call for any extra resources but maybe it contravenes some sort of privacy law.

My logical brain was unable to understand how I could become homeless when the letter was sent to me at a CRT residential mooring which I was paying for yearly and had another boat on it. It must be cockup as Captain Pegg suggested. Maybe it did say 'if' but I am sure it said 'as'. i suppose an address is just an address and the fact it was a CRT mooring is just a coincidence and not relevant.

It was quite funny that they said in the letter something to the effect of 'As you live on the boat you will need to find alternative accomodation if we remove it from our waterways'. This letter was sent to me at a CRT residential mooring which was fully paid up and had a different boat on it which is where I was living. I am unsure as to why they thought I was living on the other boat. The only explanation my logical hyper-systemising brain could come up with is that they made an assumption based on observation as it did look like a lived on boat. All my boats look lived on whether I am there or not. Maybe all cc boats are assumed to be lived on and it is a standard practice.

£9 is a lot for a 10kg bag.. I tried Ecoal didn't really get on with it. If I have coal it is stored outside so gets a bit damp due to holes in the bags. I found it a bit sticky. Like it has some sort of oil on it. One fuel I have found is very nice for a mild fire in the absence of wood is Union lignite briquettes. Its low energy surface mined coal but this can be an advantage if you don't want the Boat to get too hot. Not sure if the Union briquettes are still available as it is sometimes classed as not smokeless authorised.

No I knew I owned it just had other things to do. At the time I was paying silly money for a CRT owned residential mooring but had a spare boat so kept it nearby. What was funny was the CRT told me I was living on the towpath boat when their address for me was one of their own moorings. 1. Right hand not knowing what left hand is doing. 2. They are spying or making assumptions about what boats are lived on.

They are all coming out of the woodwork. I once got to cc2 on one of my boats. God this confessional is Good.

I'd use an Anderson SB50. Get the one with the right size terminals as there are several different ones.. You need a heavy duty crimper or a hammer crimper. I use a hammer crimper. I've done quite a few SB50 terminals with this crimper

It is an interesting topic. Apparently the EA are decommissioning the floating bin store above Shiplake lock because it always has too much random shite in there from all the local squatter boats. So one wonders what will happen to the rubbish. Similar with the CRT they are closing some services. The side effect must be more fly tipping. Sad but I suppose an inevitable outcome when there are people who pay nothing to dispose of as much rubbish as they want. Waterways bins being used for what is actually trade waste is a real problem. It is somewhere in the byelaws that you don't do major refurb works to boats on towpaths. You need to be using a commercial site with commercial bins for this sort of work.

its an interesting one. If it is in the bin and the bin is provided for public use then it must be legal but if it is piled up around the bin...

Paddington arm ?

I know of several places on the Thames where it happens. It is just laziness and yes it really does wind up the locals.

Council tips are often awkward and the CRT is closing quite a lot of services. Same now beginning to happen on the Thames because of overloading of bins by residential boat owners.

'Remote spot' implies distance from services. People will end up using public bins for convenience and this will irritate locals. I know it is just a bin but people do get upset by this. I've seen bags of what seemed to be some sort of shitcompost by dog bins close to where boats were moored. Nobody wants this these dog bins are for locals who need to dispose of their waste dogs.

I mean if you stay at a remote spot all the time. Just because you are not inconveniencing other boaters does not mean you aren't upsetting someone. Canals are public.

Where do you put the rubbish?

Yes ships lifeboats are great it was the freefall type I was referring to as single use.

We like the duck song. Some brilliant rude versions of this with swearing. the girls like the one where the duck goes into the liquor store and asks the douchebag running the store 'hey, got any grapes?'. After three tries he gets his gun out and the douchebag finds some grapes. Brilliant ! There is also the suicide bomber duck version which is quite funny.

In some cases 'causing no bother' can refer to locals rather than other boaters. People who live in an area and use the towpath as part of their daily life maybe take the dog for a walk do often care about it. Seemingly little things like boaters filling bins which are obviously provided for people out walking to put small litter into can really wind people up. It is the locals you need to pacify not other boaters.