steaming floater

Very Helpful

Hi all Does anybody know about the regulations for taking your own Narrowboat on The Canal Du Midi. ( I hasten to add this is for a friend, I am staying put)

Finally moved aboard with chair, it wasnt such a big deal after all, especially once I found the instructions on how to take it apart!!!!!! Visitors are impressed with my lovely chair, I am glad I bothered to take the trouble to dismantle it now.

Squirrel definately, mine sends out a loop of rads all around the 57ft boat, towel rail,and on to the calorifier. Unfortunately I dont get free hot water from my Lister air cooled engine, so it works fine. My latest idea is to fit flap valves on the system and link it to the alde boiler so that when the stove goes under temperature the aldi will fire up untill the stove gets hotter etc.. Dont ask me what a flap valve is I have an electrician who is my source of all things mystical.

Just Do It, I did, and its fine, in fact I have never ever been so content. Alternatively you could - Just Do It - in a house, it still costs and its crap!!!!!!!!!! Weigh up your argument, its not dumb, or are you just suggesting that I am?

nice flange

I think I get your drift, but as to my own circumstances, I cannot afford to live on land, I dont own a property, my ex saw to that, so its never clear cut who wants what from life aboard. No amount of future planning will detract from my last 3 years worth of expenditure on rent of £500 a month, all from savings. The remainder of my savings have bought a boat and even doing some simple sums about 5 years worth of boat life is equivalent to the future rent outlay. Hopefully my boat will still be worth something then, or I can capitalize by still living on it rent free. JUST DO IT

Ditto "Willow Wren", a very calm and exact science, I was soaked from start to finish but never lost the plot, Andy Newman is a very knowledgable fellow, he wrote the book more or less, and started his life aboard a boat dare I say about 45 years ago (not sure of his age) You wont be dissapointed Quote from Andy - Narrowboating is a contact sport. (mainly from day trippers etc....we didnt collide once much to my amazement !!!! )

I have a 21 inch opening at the stern, which is a bit of a problem for my Stressless Recliner, however after an inordinate amount of phone work to the makers I managed to take it apart, just waiting to take it up and put it back together!!!!! Dont compromise on cr*p furniture, after all you could be "relaxing" on it a lot.

Rufford in Lancs or Notts

Hi Just done my Helmsmans course at Rugby with Willow Wren. It was very good, I have genuinly learnt and feel much more confident about the trivialities of boating now. Well worth your time and effort. People who go on a boat holiday can sometimes take 2 or 3 days to become familiar with things, and then they are only doing it thier way. Better to learn correctly from the start and enjoy your holiday. Good luck

You are certainly knowledgable on this subject, too much detail for my liking though. For my own experience I am planning on a 7 year forecast, then my forces pension will increase substantially. The next point of interest after that is pension age 65 for yet another cash injection. Should I still be "aboard" I guess I have my finances sorted even with inflatiion. All this is well and good but, I could get run over or move back on land or many other things, too numerous to dwell on. So I think one should really consider short term implications of the thing and not get too caught up in the future. Ask yourself where you expected to be now from the point of view of 5 or 10 years ago, I suspect you would be a country mile out, I know I would. I have moved approx every 2 years since I was 20 and lived in countless locations, I have a serious case of wanderlust which is the reason I am now going to liveaboard 300 miles from my current home. Mostly my moving was due to the nature of military life but I still continue the tradition having moved 3 times in the last 4 years. My hope is that having a boat I can satisfy this by just upping sticks every time I feel the urge. Factor in my other land based expenses:- Cost of setting up and closing down letting agents fees plus a silly fee every 6 months. Moving furniture Selling furniture that wont fit in Buying it back when the next place doesnt have it Redirection of mail Mid term adjustments to car insurance Cost to inform all relevant utility suppliers Having to front 6 months rent because I have retired early and dont have a job as security (therefore loss of earnings on savings) Dare I say TV licence and Council tax.sticky subject!!!! I just hope I have got it right but concede that it doesnt really matter, its all just a path on the road of life, another adventure to behold. To sum up, dont put it off JUST DO IT, worry about it later, if you aint got enough wedge, get another job, ebay your assetts meet a rich person, the options are endless, I am rabbitting on Keep it real.

Thankyou all for your comments, keep me in mind if you are up my way and email narrowbarge@hotmail.co Look forward to seeing you When I last lived up north I heard a good saying Dont do owt for nowt, and if tha does, do it for thisen Tight these northerners are, but hearty folk.

Hi all just about to go full time as of Nov 1st, I will be back and forth for the next month from Dorset To Lancs ( 5hrs each way bah) I have found the posts interesting but would like to add my thoughts For the last 4 years I have been renting a small house, currently over £500 a month (£24000) , this has all come out of my savings as my pension does not cover it. I should have bought a £24000 boat then shouldnt I!!!! Nevertheless I am learning slowly and have spent my remaining savings on a boat, so at least I wont be paying any rent as such. I am not sure how everybody is calculating the annual cost but my forecast is £8000, with no repayment fees for a boat, I expect some people have a loan etc. This includes running a car. I am sure I have included most things but will report in 12 months on the actualities of it all. I have no debts and some back up savings, I dont have a lavish lifestyle and am already living on my own and understand the difficulties especially during the long winter months. The mooring I will be staying at untill the foreseeable future (contemplating cc'ing) has free electric in the reasonable monthly cost. An added bonus. I have also made a mental note that you could consider £3000 for alcohol (4 pints at £2 per night on average - just numbers not a reality), I am currently a non drinker. Mmmmm must get a job. Any thoughts

You may also have hit on a good business idea! Why don't we have these things on cars? The number of times I've crawled under cars & dropped the sump nut in a bowl of hot oil... or missed the bowl altogether! When I lived in Germany it was possible to have a similar thing done to your car . A fella with a portable machine plugged into the top up hole and extracted the oil to be cleaned and returned, any discrepancy was topped up. It wasnt instead of an oil change just an imbetween affair to ensure engine longevity.

Is that coloquial for good food or do they just sell crackers? Looking forward to it already, roll on xmas lets have some nuts

Came across this USA site, very interesting if not a bit pricey. Having been out in torrential rain I can definately see a place on my boat, easy stowage for bridges etc Cant quite work out how to use it without the tiller getting in the way. Any ideas would be good. Alternatively what do you do, apart from the obvious Get wet Wear a hat Let someone else drive Hold umbrella etc..... http://www.yachtsee.com/mantis1intro.htm

I hope the problems were canal based not human interference guess the lock keeper is in for a shout then cheers

Hi all, I am about to embark on my first single handed cruise next week ( 3 Oct 06 ) . I am moving to a life afloat aboard my Hancock and Lane 55ft cruiser stern, moored near Foulridge Tunnel. I have just complted a Helmsmans course at Willow Wren in Rugby and found it very worthwhile. The only thing is that the single locks down there are unlike the Leeds and Liverpool canal, with thier diversity of styles and types. Is anyone planning to be around the area? Maybe we could pair up to help me get some experience. Any other advise will be appreciated.

good to know, i will keep you in mind

Anodes will wear out quicker the more electical charge builds up in your hull. More gizmos more wear to anodes and therefore the shell. I met an "anorak" who knew about these things, its his idea not mine. Sounds reasonable though.

the kids tell me that if i give the eel firm strokes down its length it will stay still and calm while i de-hook it. lots of anglers kill them as a matter of course. Didnt mean to be rude, sorry About unhooking them, if you turn them upside down they go quiet too, because the air sack leaks and they will eventuaslly pass out, so be careful, if you are going to return it. Best to leave them on a wet cloth for a while, try not to touch the skin too much, defo not newspaper. The Eeel breathes through its skin and the loss of the slime will render it to infection and sure death. Eeels often die from heart attack when rough handled, bear in mind that a 3lb eel is likely to be 25-30 yrs old. An old trick was to cut a small channel out in the turf, 3 inch x 3 ft and lay them in it. To despatch quickly put a blade across the back of the neck, you might find it will wriggle for a while after. As for jellied eels, they are a strange foodstuff indeed, up there with marmite. Fried sections (cutlets) in butter is simple and tasty, the only thing you must do is ensur that whatever method is used it is higher than 60 degrees to kill off the poison serum in the blood. Theres another subject EEL BLOOD!!

I was impressed at the following thread on boat site, for all sorts of unbelievable reasons http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1646