Capt.Golightly

I clicked "post" and it did so three times apologies for this...

Maybe if I buy a boat of this age I should get myself some kit and learn and prepare to spot weld every time I do a diy blacking?

If you will insist on reading that silly made up rag don't be surprised when it upsets you over silly made up things. with respect I fully intend to continue to limit my concerns to my own boat (except in lending assistance) as we don't have enough clipboards for everyone otherwise.

I am in exactly the same situation and however much research you have done the reality may sometimes seem suddenly daunting for no particular reason, particular in the wee worrying hours after midnight. The thing is to bear in mind that you will be joining a community of people who are far more cohesive and friendly than is generally encountered, and it isn't the Heart of Darkness, it is just the Inland Waterways of England full of some similar minds and friendly faces and small Dogs. Make a point of always looking at pictures of your boat again in the optimism of a morning coffee, under a blue sky, and you will smile at your sudden terrors.....it's worth a go anyway ..you' ll love it!! If you are the sort of person who has taken it to the point of pushing the button, you'll push the button anyway as you never really had a choice, so you may as well relax and enjoy the ride...thats what I tell myself anyway, hope it helps.

Television companies have lots of money so I'm sure everyone was happy in the end...or we would have heard?

Me too brill link thanks

Thanks to bobbybass for the environment agency link, the requirements don't seem too onerous and are mostly about the protection of other wildlife which is ok by me...reckon I'd use a dropnet anyway as I wouldn't want to drown a Vole or trap a native Crayfish in with his nemesis...

Maybe they wanted to remove them for their anti social behaviour but as they aren't allowed to they went after the party cruise business they were probably running instead?

Thanks to Mr Ditch Crawler for this... brilliantly useful!...

I anticipate that once on the Cut Google Earth will actually become a very useful tool rather than simply a novelty for looking at friends houses from the air. I have done a few practise dry runs on it and it is incredibly useful for finding temporary mooring spots close to Supermarkets etc...when it is even possible to trace access footpaths through the fields..https://maps.google.co.uk/

Cheers folks..that is excellent news...more storage is always great.

I can see that roof boxes offer an excellent opportunity for additional outdoor storage but wonder how long they will last before a bridge carries them away?

People like that are sadly out there to be encountered I'm afraid but they are a tiny minority which is why we tend to remember them for far too long. Its difficult to advise others what they should do, I suppose that just behoves those of us who feel able to do so to report them all the more.

A ships Dog is handy.. a safe welded under the bed seems popular, though a safe welded anywhere seems pretty secure unless they have a good deal of time...

Thanks Mike, it seems I'm a little off in my understanding of them but it matters little at that kind of doe! I'll content myself with chopping up things which I pass instead..thanks mate I'll enjoy sticking a pan on the stove for water most of the time anyway. It will be a positive treat to boil water without waiting for the clatter of the letterbox announcing yet another spanking from the leccy board. I fully expect my wood gathering sorte's to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of boat life..so long as I have plenty by winter that is....tho' I anticipate some tough times with space at a premium and getting through a fair amount of wood, coal. I guess a morco is a good option for instant hot water aside from the lpg use, though I haven't used one for years so I'm probably over estimating its consumption.

How much would you expect to pay to fit a calorifier to this boat at a boatyard and would it cost a great deal more to have it heating the radiators as well?....in ball park terms of course and trusting there were no skin tank size issues thrown up in a survey. Engine: BMC diesel 1.5 skin tank cooled inboard engine. http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=307404

If you can move then I would move to shade somewhere...a motorway bridge or similar?...or much more preferably a wooded area? Though if it were possible I guess you would have done it so I'm not really of any help at all.

Remove your own stuff before taking the picture as its very difficult see how a space would work in your life when its already full of someone elses'. I would probably have a full survey done by a very reputable person and be willing to disclose it to the purchaser hence my price would be my price but at least they could make a clear judgement on whether they were willing to pay it or not. I reckon more people would commit at least to the journey to see it on that basis and they could still have a new survey if they wished. I realise that surveys rapidly lose their validity but I would be hoping for a reasonably quick sale on the basis of this very much clearer and purchaser friendly approach. But that wouldn't appeal to those who may wish to sell holes held together by pieces of boat of course.

That's more like the proper business CarlT!! excellent mate.

I agree Rick, the more the merrier in my book (to an extent) and how they enjoy their boat is their own business and all to the good of the general picture. I am not one for creating artificial distinctions and we all have the same thing in common...boats. Alan fincher makes a good point as I intend to spend at least as much time fishing as actually in transit as I will have all the time in the World to move around

My boat was the cheapest fibre glass hire boat available, running with the tide heading back was very hairy as I had to keep one third of power back for steering as the gusting force 8 headwind wind was trying to spin her round beam on and I couldn't afford to let her bow be turned even 10 degrees off or the wind would just snatch her away. Hence sometimes the waves were overtaking us..I had my pal watching the after deck gunwale as I fully expected it to be over topped at any moment whereupon I fully intended to open up and head obliquely for the beach..if I still had an engine that is as I figured she would swamp and sink should I attempt to turn back against the sea.....exciting stuff ..I wouldn't have done it had I not had to get the boat back a couple of days hence. I remember thinking what a total prannet I was possibly going to look too if I had to put out a shout as a member of the Coastguard at the time.

I know very little, which is why I keep asking very similar questions on here myself...to me its looks huge and potentially very expensive to maintain indeed with haul outs, surveys, blacking, berthing, insurance, license etc. and as others much more knowledgeable than me have said where could you go on it? etc etc....my mindset in picking a boat is very much to think whether I could make my life fit into it rather than it fitting into my life. With something that size on the Thames I would take a boat handling course too before I untied it from the mooring I think.

It is a shame the build quality looks so crappy, the pressure component of the operation would make it more effective than hand washing (if it really works) and certainly easier...but it isn't cheap to find out....I need a solution which involves as little hard work as possible for myself and my batteries, though I guess if I ran the engine whilst washing this wouldn't be an issue? Thanks for all the comments.

http://tinychoices.com/2007/08/20/washing-clothes-by-hand/ This tiny washer/ dryer solution item drifted through my attention recently, I quite like the idea personally..it may be a solution for the single person but heavier loads would involve quite a lot of cranking I reckon? It could easily be driven by a rechargeable cordless drill with a little ingenuity instead of all the cranking too? it could be mounted in a wooden box or crate instead of using the plastic frame. It would keep you warm and trim too...

My caution is based upon my recent seven year experience as a member of a Coastguard initial response and recovery team here in the N.E where I saw the results of both arrogance and stupidity hence I have enormous respect for the power of all types of marine environment and consider it no shame to ask the advice of those more experienced than myself...that all sounded a bit showboaty., most sound advice thanks to all of you for your replies. Andrew.