Faraday Mike

You can also launch it at Pencelli (public launch point for smaller boats so yours should be OK) , Heron's Rest (they would charge I suspect) and at Beacon Park Boats at LLangattock (again they would probably charge you). Likewise Cambrian Cruisers can launch smaller boats but again charge. Cambrian might also be able to offer you a short term mooring? Also there seems to be lots of vacancies at Roberts Farm, but it is remote with few facilities? As someone else said, Goytre Wharf is the largest marina and there seems to be many vacancies and they can launch boats.

Right, that was a Redline very hard-working hire boat and they were then all sold off when the company was bought by ABC about 8 years ago and they brought in all new boats. I would strongly urge you to have a full survey before you make an offer!!!!

Given the date it could well be my old boat - if it is, I know it very well having done the mods and maintenance for about 10 years! Happy to advise - I have also helped sort out problems with many other of similar boats.

Most of the early Cambrian Cruisers boats were built by Celtic, including my first boat, also 42 ft, which I sold about 7 years ago, to buy a slighly larger ex-Cambrian. They were very well built and extremely well looked after by Cambrian. If you let me know the name I might know more about the boat you are looking at?

I had my diesel nicked so fitted a Dipstop cap - see http://www.dipstop.co.uk/boat.html Expensive but easy to fit and and use, and so far, no more problems,

Going through Blackburn some years ago with a hire boat - prop firmely jammed up by a mailbag full of undelivered mail!! Called the cops who then found 5 more bags...

Having measured mine I got them from Marine Scene Chandlery in South Wales - each then about £17. Teleflex 33C Midrange Control Cables - 6 Foot and Teleflex 33C Midrange Control Cables - 8 Foot One of mine had failed by the one end-piece coming adrift from the cable. First time i have had a cable fail in 18 years but I do regularly run oil into the cable.

Murflynn, I have my boat on this lovely canal but am not aware of any public charging points, There are only the private Castle Boats ones - I guess all you can do is to ask at the various marinas or at the hire boat operators' bases - they are all most cooperative.

Yes, you will need a standard windlass for the locks and a BWB key for the showers, pumpouts and the automated lift bridge at Talybont.

I have bought and sold my boat(s) there over a period of about 20 years, and watched many being sold. There are a few considerations - the main one being that there are some (but limited) lovely, reasonably-priced moorings with good support. So, if you can offer the boat with one of these moorings (of course the operator has to have agreed) then you can ask an above going price. Many folk selling their boat, who can afford to wait a while, thus tend to offer above normal and then hold tight until a really good offer comes along. Also, given the lack of depth and the distinct saucer shape, a vee-bottomed boat is preferable. Be careful about the width - 8ft 6" is really about the limit but even that will result in many scrapes - you spend a lot of time doing touch-up painting! Also check the state of the bottom - such a shallow canal does appear to cause more wear and so an out-of-water survey is absolutely essential if the boat is more than, say, 20 years old.

I have had a 50 ft boat on the Mon & Brec for some 20 years and know it pretty well – and love it! But it is very shallow almost everywhere and also is (very) saucer-shaped, so even if you are clear in the centre, as soon as you go near then side, you normally end up stuck! Not sure but I would guess anywhere beyound about a 2 foot draft can be a problem, hence many of the boats are vee-bottomed. The locks are 60ft (by 10ft) but anything over 55ft can be a problem as many of the very sharp bends are tight. A couple of the hire boats are 60 ft but their hirers tend to battle. And yes, some of the bridges are very low – my boat is a pretty typical Colecraft and there is little space above me and some of the bridges. The tunnel is the real problem – I guess i have about 4 inches to spare, provided I am right in the centre. Most hire boats show the result!! The problem is that the tunnel has partially collapsed at one point – don’t try to go into the tunnel even if you are only a few inches above the indictor boards at the entrances. I met a newcomer last week who has just moved his boat from the K&A and got stuck in the tunnel – had to remove part of his cratch to get through. Mike

Late last year I exchanged my ageing narrowboat on the Mon & Brec for a younger one and had to fit a multifuel stove from scratch. Being aware of new Code of Practice for the installation of solid fuel heating in canal boats (BS8511:2010), I found there were few fully compliant systems available. I opted for the Chilli Penguin system and this was one of the best decisions I have made. One of their recommended installers, The Fire and Stove Shop (Brecon & Cardiff)) installed it last December and did a great job. I am as delighted with the efficient performance of the stove as I was with the installation. The stove uses about 20% less fuel (I use Homefire Ovals) than my previous Arrow stove - and it is much easier to keep going. Overnight I stack it up and can leave it quietly burning for up to 8 hours - and it takes little effort to get it back up to full operation in the morning. I recently noticed that the brass on the chimney had become a rather black and I could not polish it up. I contacted the excellent boss of Chilli, Steve, and he embarrassed me by suggesting that maybe the protective plastic covering on the brass had not been removed! Yip, and with a long and hard rub with steel wool, the muck finally came off. I also mentioned that some of the paint on the straps holding the hat onto the base of the rain hat had lost their black paint. Turns out it is all stainless steel so painting can be a problem. No problem to Steve –a day later a replacement rain hat arrived on my front door.