Laurie St Lyon

Sorry Smelly but, it is if you do not have the skip owners permission. Section1 1968 Act "Appropriating property belonging to another with the intention to permanently deprive..." The case law is clear that even in a skip the owner has not given up his rights. Only when the skip is taken away is it no longer his and then ownership passes to the skip company. Always ask. Most of the time you get a yes. Better safe than sorry. To really get the most out of your fuel get a rocket stove heater. Uses 1/3 to 1/2 less fuel. Allows the fire to put out 75% of the fuels calorific value.

This is a great link. Thanks Tony. They have helped me settle this which was actually puzzling me.

While I am not quite in the "Veg is what you feed TO your food" party That SOUNDS Horrible! Soory it seems ....just wrong!

Thanks JDR.

Did look at it. Was actually after a 60x10. Half them dont come back to you about specifics and there not enough in it by the time I did the math! Kind of looking for circa 25k as my top line figure keeps reducing! Once again I am working on a shoestring! I have penchant for old things and kind of like the idea of a boat with some history. I also prefer the older steel and as she has worked this long without falling apart I think she is probably sounder than some of the new ones where they seem to buy in the hulls. It has been suggested to gut and completely refurb. But I like the aged wood and my idea is more to move things around layout wise. I want the lounge at the stern, then Kitchen, bathroom, toilet, Single cabin, double bunks, then fixed double at bow. Toss up between taking the cabinright to the bow or simply enclosing it in triplewall to make a conservatory on my bedroom. In my mind if I want an outdoor party then that is what towpaths are for! Besides the great british weather means I will probably be inside more than out. Global warming or not! lol! But will get a hull survey. Have found a full boat survey is £500 but a hull only is £300.So will get that. Oh by the way JDR ...Do you pay more insurance wise for an older boat?

I plan to build a "Rocket heater Stove" with oven & a back boiler. I am seriously thinking of doing away with gas altogether. (see Discussion "All Electric" on here) Any boat I get will need work not just because of my price but because I am creating my home for the next 20+years. But I can chippy, plumb and wire. Have renovated two houses before. Most in this range that I have seen all have something that make me go "err maybe not". Age is less important that upkeep if properly made. Defo want to negotiate but am not unreasonable. The fact they say they are happy to operate this boat for a group says they have faith in it. Trying hard to be logical but "I'm all excited Tommy!" Thanks my thinking exactly. Aha. That was my thought! Have you reseated/sealed you window frames to cure that? Will ask Norbury about the hull when I get there. (Out of curiousity did yours have a shoreline connection? That appears to have a significant effect on the hull) Would rather put £450 into the fit out than a survey if poss. Cash is tight. But may haave to bite the bullet and get one if only to save the prospect of a big cost later. What do you pay in insurance for your boat? Is there a premium due to age/ex-hire?

I am no expert but my immedediate thought (from having had campers/caravans) is the alternator. As already said above get a meter and see if it charges when you get the starter back. I also think you need to check the wiring. Not only for bad conections but also for whether there is a diode or other device fitted that stops you drawing power from the starter battery for the Domestic side and vice versa. Better you have a flat domestic bank than a flat starter battery IMHO.

I also keep bees. The only reason I know of for honey to firment is it is taken from the bees before its capped. (they evaporate the water from the "nector" they make that turns into honey. In the pyramids in Egypt they found honey circa 3000 years old and still good. Use a mix of honey and beeswax as a seal on jam jars. The cappings are good for that. Although I like to eat them on toast. Gave up making ordinary bread in my machine I just did not like the taste. However, it makes wonderful teabreads, (Sultanas, Mixed fruit, peanut butter-very moist just add jam no need to butter, Bannana, etc) Just that bit of sweet with a cuppa!

Slow cookers are marvelous. I roast pork in mine on a sunday. To stop the meat being soggy I have a re-usable oven chip grid (that you just pop your chips on and they come up crisp so you dont have to cremate them-buy from Poundland) that is folded in 4 and put on the bottom of the pot. It lifts the meat off the bottom and leaves juices for gravy. I use mine for curry. (chicken thighs x4, diced onion, curry paste to taste, tin of chopped tomatoes. Small amount of added water if leaving to cook unnnatended or if you are about dont add water but 10 mins before serving add cream (no sooner or it curdles). Alternatively use coconut milk instead which can be put in at the start because cocnuts don't go MOOO ! Oh, and I found a 12v Slow cooker here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roadpro-12V-Slow-Cooker-Black/dp/B0013IR88A and Here: http://www.the12voltshop.co.uk/Shop/slow-cooker-rpr-c1417-.html I wonder if anyone has used one?

I too enjoyed the blog. been thinking of making my own cider. I have a couple of apple trees on my allotment that should be capable of producing a proper crop if I move them. Unfortuately once I move onto the boat I lose the allotment because I will no longer be a council tax payer! Still, I can practice aquaponics with unlimited water! YAY! Did so remind me of my 21st Birthday (Loongg ago!) when I had the raging flu so hunkered down with a roaring fire (think Scotland, mid january, horizontal snow!) and bottle of my Mum's homemade wine! (I come from a long line of home brewers- Dads beer was [in]famous) Not sure Mum cured the flu but I was feeling no pain! lol! Thanks for the chuckle and trip down memory lane.

As the time draws closer for my ex to sell the house and let me have some dosh comes closer I have gone from purposeful browsing and and info gathering to "Could I live on this boat?". Am seriously looking at an ex hire boat called Sphynx http://www.norburywharfltd.co.uk/boats-for-sale/ I would hav to move the inside about a bit to get it as I want it but can do that in stages. My immediate concern is that it says "Insulation: Unknown" in the brochure. I am only mildly concerned about the hull as it appears to have been very well cared for by the company. Does anyone know anything about this boat or Dartline boats in general? I want to go an have a look at her at some point soon. But she is the first Narrow boat where I could actually "see" myself owning her. That's why I am being cautious. My "professional" instincts are normally spot on. Otherwise....well...I married the ex!!! lol! Info, Thoughts, Opinion and the normal abuse welcome! lol!

Thats one way to keep vandals at bay! LOL!

Excuse me Chum! I use a freezer on shore and will have one in my boat if at all possible. Not because I use ready meals (foul things) or because as you claim I am a "greedy pigs and love gloating over and stocking up masses of food" but because it is cost effective. I can buy four steaks and freeze them seperately. I like to buy my meat from the butchers whenever possible and discounts on say chicken thighs means I can often get 3 0r 4 meals for the price of 1. With food prices continuing to rise while incomes either remain flat or decline You need to be canny on these matters rather than knee jerk! Apart from which this site is for sharing INFORMATION of Canal living rather than IDEOLOGICAL OPINION and insults! So wind it in!!

Did wonder about 12v Din Sockets. I thought most folk used the two pin plugs. But I agree that they provide a solid connection. Came across this place for all things 12v. Prices appear competative abd at any rate it has a broad range of 12v kit. http://www.the12voltshop.co.uk/Shop/ Just looked through their cooking section. They have a 12v Slow cooker! Now I use my mains one 225W (plus inverter overhead, hmm?!) all the time so this goes on my wish list!