larryjc

The Rylard spec sheet quotes curing times down to 10 degrees but I take your point about condensation. Oh well, another job I can put off until next year.

I get that but there's rust there now yet I don't get any coming through - maybe because I never let it get more than half empty. Of course this begs the question as to whether I need to do it at all!! If I do do it over the winter I'll use a hot air gun to dry it and once painted can afford to leave it empty for weeks even a few months to cure.

Actually I think blacking bitumen and bitumen paint are different things but that said I think I'll stick with it. I always drink from these tanks in the UK. When I was abroad that was another matter. A few Aquatabs don't do any harm though. I gess as ex RN for 30 years (but not from the time of half a pint of rum and a bonk on the head) my digestive system is reasonably tough.

Did something similar with an electric kettle. Left the marina and took off shore power. Normally turned the inverter on with the engine but forgot. After a few minutes motoring I asked SWMBO to turn it on. Luckily I had a NASA BM2 mounted where I could see it from the steering position. When I saw how many amps were dissapearing I soon worked out what it was. Mind you all sorts of thoughts of short circuits and major charging issues shot through my head first. Have to say the NASA is crap at SOC etc but brilliant at real time monitoring.

Sort of done that trip already in reverse. Didn't particularly like the Severn, loved the Avon but was travelling down current. Liked the Straford with the exception of the ridiculously stiff locks in places. My current plan is to come out via Tardebigge and a short hop on the Severn back to Stourport before heading north probably on the Shroppie. As we have 3-4 months I might even nip over to the T&M and try to get down Anderton - we went past it this spring on the only weekend it was fully booked.

I know this has been discussed earlier this year but I have a slightly different question and didn't want to tag onto the end of an old thread. My water tank needs repainting - I think. I have a large hinged cover so can see inside easily and there are rust streaks and it looks quite manky. Mind you the water tastes fine. I don't want the hassle of stripping back to bare metal and using an epoxy because despite the large cover, my foredeck is tiny and access will be a B***ch. As I understand it until EU rules changed, a bitumen paint was classed as OK. One product - Rylard - states that its still Ok to use on tanks that have already had a bitumen paint applied. I've also spoken to International Yach paints who have 'Intertuf 016' and they say the same thing. Quote one chandlery - 'its easy to apply with a roller - clear off the loose paint/ rust and slap a coat or two over the top.' Does anyone have experience of these products?

Also worth investing in a couple of cheap CB radios. We use them all the time but for the last bit of this canal they are invaluable. The long narrow single width section has a blind bend half way and you really don't want to meet someone coming the other way. Someone is going to have to reverse quite a long way. Also, there are moorings just before you come into Llangollen itself. Worth stopping there if there's space although you will still have to go all the way into the village to turn around.

Been there done that - coming the other way. Went down the Stratford then up the Severn to Stourport and then the Staffs but turned up the Shroppie. Love Stourport and agree its pretty. The only issue we had was that it was August when we did it and I've never seen a towpath so overgrown to the extent that it was almost impossible to get alongside for long stretches. I've heard its better now.

Thanks guys - I'll plot your comments on the map!!!

I know there's thread running about Birmingham elsewhere but my question is slightly different. We are planning a 3 - 4 month trip next year and having always gone around Brirmingham in the past but having thoroughly enjoyed Liverpool this year, realised we really must have a looksee. We will be coming down the T&M and there seem to be a number of choices - turn off and come down the Staffs and Worcs and in at Wolverhampton, carry on to Fradley and Fazely and come in on the Birmingham and Fazely, we might even consider going all the way down to Braunston and use the Grand Onion back up but this means one could also use the Stratford. Choices choices!! We're in no rush so maybe the answer is to do them all but do you experienced Brummies out there have any suggestions? We tend not to travel for too long in a day so are there plenty of places to stop or avoid for that matter? (we had some issues going into Liverpool and would not stop on the last stretch for example). My current idea is to leave via tardebigge and probably head back north up the Shroppie. Ta

Did the whole thing this year including a fabulous trip into Liverpool. However, we had some scrotes throw stones down on us from a disused railway brdige just outside Liverpool. Reported to the police and I think they sorted it as all was Ok when we came out. Have to say its not my favorite, a bit of a Curate's egg: Wigan to Liverpool - lovely. Wigan Flight very hard work, Burnley was revolting in places and then there were the endless swing bridges but it was very pretty in places and very preaceful compared to others.

I have 500w (2x250) and one Tracer but I have the panels in parallel. I know this is less efficient but it was how they were wired with an older controller and I decided not to change them because when travelling you often find at least one gets shadows. That way at least one panel is giving full chat. If I was in a marina I would probably put them in series as long as my berth was not in any shade.

OK attempt No 2 to put a piccie of my pram on here. Simple, very quick to put up or down. Wouldn't be without it.

Hmm - obviously things ahve changed with the recent updates to the site. I've been all the way through my account and can't find any option about that. All I used to do was copy my photobucket link into the post - any ideas??????

That's weird because I can see it on my forum page - the post above the one with the gobbledygook entry.

I'm confused - I posted a piccie of my pram as the OP asked for ideas and I was trying to be helpful. Not used photobucket for a while and so copied the wrong link into my first reply. I edited within seconds and all I've now had is two silly replies. Why don't we just try to help the OP - isn't this what the forum's for?

Bloody hell you saw my error quickly!!! edited straight away - see above psot.

This came with the boat and we love it. As a semi it protects the cockpit especially when moored up. We tend not to use it when travelling as some bridges are a little marginal. In terms of dropping and putting up - its a matter of seconds as all you do is undo the side poppers from the inside and down it goes. We found out the hard way when we came across our first low bridge!!!

Well - I e-mailed CRT about it as there no signs of their own there. From my experience these charter companies are a law unto themselves and as a bona fide grumpy old git, maybe I might score one for the poor downtrodden people who has to manoevure passed their overcrowded sites. And sit alongside while their customers charge past at full bloody throttle because they haven't been briefed properly etc etc etc. I enjoyed that rant.

Yes but is it private? Personally I don't think it can be. There is another place, at the end of the moorings at Aynho on the Oxford where a farmer keeps putting up an illegal no mooring sign. One of the regulars there told me they occasionally take it down and he then puts it back up.

Just arrived at Middlewich from the north for the first time as in the past I've always turned into the link from the south. We moored just below the big lock and did some shopping then took the hound for a walk to look at the next 3 locks. Just before the first one is Andersen boats and a lovely looking, empty wharf just by a small park, perfect for the dog. Good - 'lets move up here so we are ready to go through tomorrow', we thought. it was then that we noticed that someone had painted 'private no mooring' in faded yellow paint all along the wharf which is on the towpath side. No one was on the wharf and there were no CRT signs anywhere. Also it wasn't part of the lock landing. Anyone know why? Do Andersen own it? I didn't think that was possible, mind you all the other charter companies we come to seem to think they own the canal. We've even seen them filling up a winding hole compeletely with moored boats in the past. I have to say I was tempted to move up anway just to see what would happen.

Briddge works are in progress. Two major concrete supports are up. If my computer skills were up to it I would post a photo of us going between them at 1205 today!! (will be on my blog later). The only problem was that when we approached there was a ruddy great barge blocking the bridge hole but they pulled it clear when we arrived. I warned them they would be doing that a lot as the day wore on.

Spoke to someone today who rang them on Friday and they said they 'thought it was still on time' but then got shirty and said they couldn't guarantee it as it wasn't their responsibility - I assume they mean its up to their contractors. I also think they are getting inundated with phone calls. Maybe if the silly buggers put some up to date info on thier web site people would be more likely to stop ringing!!!

Well here we are in Burscough getting ready to dash through the Bridgewater next week. We thought that we might wait a day of two to let the rush die down but everyone we've spoken to (and there are quite a few waiting) seem to have the same idea. So do we go for it on the 24th? That is the question. Whatever happens its going to be interesting.

Whats with this 'modern moorings' thing. We've been on the L&L for the last 6 weeks and have used pins nearly all the time.