Up-Side-Down

We'd already noticed ............. and developed fears of a permanent solar eclipse ............

Here's hoping then! Although the dockside beer garden will undoubtedly loose some of its appeal if there are no longer any boats on the canal. Should we blame your arrival for jinxing the canal ......... ?

I heard but a garbled account today which I feel unable to recount with any degree of accuracy I'm afraid. There also used to be a restaurant (and possibly micro brewery?) beside the road, next to the the Lock 27 pub when the canal first re-opened. The building is pretty derelict now so I wonder what happened to that.

Sadly the pub closed before Christmas adding to the air of dereliction and decay that is already starting to creep in. At least come spring with the grass growing and some leaves on the trees things will look better although there may well be no boat movement.

I thought Grenfil was Polyisocyanurate – No? Which I must admit has been bothering me as I've fixed a lot of the stuff in black and white timber frame buildings as a replacement for time-served wattle and daub.

When I fitted out my own boat I followed received wisdom and used the self-extinguishing polystyrene which, btw, is distinguishable from it's combustable brethren by a faint red line across the sheet. As a builder at the time (20 odd years ago) I was very familiar with polyisocynurate/polyurethane type products but knew how easily they succumb to combustion. Tempting, at something around twice the insulation value per inch of thickness when compared with polystyrene or Rockwool .......... but a temptation I resisted purely on safety grounds!

Came out with a sealed version .......... and then went into liquidation as I understand it!

What makes me think that these batteries could just be the Elecsols of the Lithium world ..............

This was probably Morris's Ankorsol which describes itself as "A Fully Synthetic Corrosion Inhibitor for All Water Based Cooling and Heating Systems" and can be purchased from the Morris's Oils website – (01743 232200; www.morrislubricants.co.uk). It's sold in 1 litre bottles and mixed at a 2% concentration. As my skin tank is difficult to drain fully I add it to my engine coolant rather than replace the whole lot every four years or so. The whole lot should be replaced as per engine manufacturer's instructions which is usually listed in terms of hours of engine running.

Your perspective Peter X is refreshing and, in my opinion, bang on the money!

Typical cruising pattern for hirers is Union Canal to Edinburgh and back in the first half of the week and then head west on the Forth & Clyde to either Auchinstarry or Glasgow depending upon energy and inclination. The trip down the locks to the Kelpies is a lot of hard work for very little return in many hirer's eyes. Easier to hop on a bus!

Those on the Union Canal, and down at Grangemouth, could play on it to their hearts content Ronnie. And the trip boats, based at the wheel, upon which SC rely on for a chunk of their income might want to indulge in a regular whirl! If it stays closed then the trip boat franchise that SC has just taken on is dead in the water. It was looking pretty sick with the bridges closed, the implication being that effectively there was only half a week's cruising available to hirers: not something many people would want to pay the substantial hire fees for I suspect!

Is this serious 13-10? Have Ladbrokes really opened a book on this event (or rather lack of it)? Along with the three duff bridges, it does potentially represent the fourth nail in the SC coffin!

Correction: I've just had confirmation that it is in fact Ferry Dyke Bascule Bridge, between the bridge you refer to and the DropLock at Dalmuir. So nobody wanting to go east can leave Bowling for the foreseeable future. SC are keeping very quiet about this third failure which means that for a boater planning a trip, life has become even more difficult. We now have 3 boats at Bowling wanting to take up their booked moorings in Glasgow and Auchinstarry. But, yes, hot weather regularly puts Ferry Road Bridge (beside the Erskine Bridge) out of action in the heat of a summer's day (we do get them in Scotland!).

There is a proposal to open the canal around 14th March, possibly using a crane to lift the bridges. However, it is suggested that a third bridge is now inoperative (a swing bridge in Old Kilpatrick carrying Ferry Road) so nothing is definite. There are currently 3 boats trapped at Bowling that need to head east up the canal. There is an offer of a derisory reduction in the licence fee for those boaters actually trapped by the bridges – i.e. moorers at Auchinstarry. There is also a full page article in this month's Towpath Talk Ronnie – you can get a copy FOC from the office at Bowling.

Bump start?

Tell me about it ............and several dozen other boaters on SC waters as well! I even had the direct debit sum for my mooring fees/licence altered (upwards) mid-term without any explanation. Until then it was not something I would have expected to check monthly ........ but I do now!

I would second this. I remember you well Helterskelter! This event was not long after I moved myself and boat up to Scotland and it re-inforced the sense in my decision to move north of the border. The management took pride in the fact that this was a small, nimble organisation operated by a staff of 130 that were readily adaptable. This was also the turning point when SC decided that it was a regeneration agency first and foremost, progressively elevating its property activities over its navigational duties, to the point where its staffing is now totally bloated. It's not too hard to imagine that its wages bill now absorbs most of its grant in aid and income.

And that's it in a nutshell: the funding is generous, the management is incompetent.

On the contrary! We get them going by on the West Highland Line heading engineer's trains from time to time. About 50yds from my mooring and enough to get me up to enjoy the aural excellence whatever the time of day or night!!

These "Tractors" (running Preston – Barrow in Furness) really do make a beautiful sound though!

Bet he wishes he'd sign written the unit's doors rather than the somewhat unconventional rear of the cab!

Grantham Bridge Boat Services (near Rugby) offer long term hires and are flexible in accommodating needs such as yours. Telephone 01788 578661/07812 039110.

Taking account of 1) the uncertainty of a long boat trip north at this time of the year (and the inevitable cost implications) and 2) the cost of moving your boat by road (little or no change out of £1k) have you considered staying put and using the train to get back and forth to Newcastle. There are regular through trains from Cheltenham (hourly I believe) or, with a single change, you could catch a train from Gloucester. The costs that you will incur from either 1) or 2) above will buy a lot of train fares especially if you adopt a split ticketing strategy. For this https://new.trainsplit.com is your friend! Also I expect that we both know friendly, reliable people on the Glos & Sharpness who will keep an eye on your boat for you when you are away which is quite an important consideration for peeps in your situation. PM me if you want suggestions.

Me neither. Just happened to acquire this edition and it neatly answers the OP's original question as it relates to cruising the K&A.