manxmike

We've now booked for a week next year on the Lancaster Canal, with Forget Me Not Hire, on board "Poppy". This is the company we originally booked this year who had the sinking feeling! This time we hope to get a bit further (fallen trees permitting)

I think someone forgot to tighten up the weed hatch!

Well, we had our week on the Lancaster Canal, courtesy of Kyle Oram at Bluebell Narrowboat Holidays, on board "Cornflower". The boat was well prepared, excellent condition and comfortable. Down side - no TV and the radio didn't work, however we had our own 12 volt TV and a portable radio so all was well. Some things to realise about the Lancaster Canal - the Canal is a "V" shape, rather than a "U", so mooring can be a bit of a problem as you can't get close to the bank, it's also quite shallow in places so the risk of running aground is always present. We had a problem in that a tree came down, completely blocking the canal so we lost about three days of the weeks holiday. Canal and River Trust, when I reported the blockage, said they already knew about it and had told their contractor. When I asked when the contractor might get to it they said "sorry, don't know", I then asked how long it might take to clear, once the contractor did get to it, they replied "sorry, don't know", which I suppose was fair enough. Kyle was excellent, he made sure we knew what we were doing, explained everything about the boat, took us for a half mile cruise to familiarise ourselves with the boat, then professed himself happy and left us to it. When we encountered the fallen tree we were faced with the possibility of staying where we were, reversing for about half a mile (!) or trying to turn where we were (no winding hole). With the help of strangers we managed to turn the boat in the mouth of a bridge, it's wonderful that complete strangers stopped their walks and runs to assist - faith in humanity restored! We will cruise the Lancaster Canal again, possibly next year, hopefully getting a bit further (fallen trees permitting). The scenery is lovely, the bucolic landscape well worth a visit, watch out for "aqua cows" knee deep in the canal where the bank has been collapsed by livestock.

Well, I got a phone call from Sylvia at Lancaster Narrowboat Hire, with whom we were hiring, to say that the boat had been sunk! But all is not lost - she managed to transfer our booking to Bluebell Narrowboat Holidays, so we are still going, now on "Cornflower". I have to admit I feel really sorry for poor Sylvia, the boat "Rose" is being examined to see just how much damage has been done. The other slight fly in the ointment is that I understand that water levels on the Lancaster Canal are currently very low. The lovely weather does have some drawbacks, however the forecast is for rain in the next week or so, just in time for TT week on the Isle of Man.

This year my wife and I (both disabled to a degree, she more than me) are hiring a boat on the Lancaster Canal. We decided that whilst we both still love Narrow Boats and Canals a plethoria of locks would not be do-able. Apart from MS, my wife is fairly seriously dyslectic and if she wants the boat to go right, she pushes the tiller to the right, no matter what I do or say she is unable to work out that the opposite works better! This means that she always operated the locks whilst I steered. Alas no more. The MS has robbed her of most of her strength and balance, so operating a lock is not possible - therefore the Lancaster Canal, no locks. I'll post an update after we have cruised in June, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well. In the meantime any suggestions for good canal side pubs and restaurants would be welcome plus advice on ladies hairdressers in the close vicinity to the Canal (don't ask!).

When we owned a boat moored at Venetian, this was one of my favourite watering holes at weekends, a lovely gentle cruise up from Venetian, evening meal and a couple of pints at Barbridge - providing I could find a mooring close to the pub (disabled wife). Always loved the food and good beer, I hope the new owners keep up the standards

When we sold our boat "Cobweb", and after an abortive venture into plastic boating, we looked at shared ownership. From our point of view the downside was the inability to be able to choose the weeks we would be cruising. We used to make snap decisions based on family, work, health and a welter of other reasons. We now hire every so often. My wife's MS has progressed to the point where she is unable to operate locks and her dyslexia stops her steering - she pushes the tiller right to go right - oops! We even borrowed a boat with a wheel - she still couldn't get her head around the operation of steering being behind her - again oops! Next year we are cruising the Lancaster Canal - no locks!

The OP says the boat is 2013

The traveller community (for the most part) get around that by not bothering to tax and insure vehicles, most of which are un-roadworthy anyway. They also tend to steal anything that isn't nailed down, and some things that are nailed down (DAMHIK)

Year ago we did the four counties and the Cheshire ring in 10 days. Myself and my wife, my friend Ian and his wife. We didn't feel we were rushing, we took turns at operating the locks and steering the hire boat. As we reached the end of our trip we coincided with a water shortage and were being followed by a chap padlocking lock gates. We chatted to him and said we were returning the boat to the hire base. He very kindly didn't padlock the gates until we had been through the lock. At the last lock before the base we dragged him (kicking and screaming) into the lockside pub and plied him with beer.

Enjoyed this thread immensely, but one word of warning - well, several words actually - be very careful what you wish for, you might actually get it!

Once, many years ago, at a friends house, he poured me a glass of Russian vodka he had been keeping in the deep freeze. It was sort of slushy and took the back of my head off. I have no idea what brand it was, I was unable to focus on the bottle after one small glass, thank goodness I was sitting down!

I would say good luck with that, it's a bit like buying a car, the second you put the key in and start the engine the value drops, unless it's second, third or fourth hand when you might be lucky and at least get your money back. But don't expect that and you won't be disappointed.

Absolutely, have done since I was 10 years old (my parents lived here since the 1940s) We live in Ballabeg now. Not here for the TT, (first time since 1962) but we'll be back for MGP so if you're in the deep south pop in for a cuppa

Wow, this is a prime example of personalities getting in the way of useful information. Looking through I feel I have learnt something.

Ha! Almost certainly it had completely run out of oil, or the oil was so full of gunge it wouldn't leak even if the sump was cracked, you have to love the old A series - almost as awful as the K series (why build an engine that the bolts holding on the head also hold on the sump?) A clean, painted engine, not only looks good, it's easier to work on without getting covered in centuries old oil and grime

Throwing in my two penneth, looking at the pitting and blistering I would (like the pig) get up and slowly walk away. That looks like it's going to need over plating sides and base plate before long. Unless of course you can get the price reduced by about £15k to cover the expected costs!

Started on the canals with my parents in the 50s, had a break when I was in my 20s, then bought my own boat after borrowing a friends boat when I was in my 40s and 50s. Sold the boat when in my 60s and, apart from hiring occasionally, I now drive a motorhome. The boss is now in a wheelchair a lot of the time (MS), so the idea of her doing locks has long gone. Her dyslexia meant that she could never get her head around using a tiller, so the Motorhome is the best we can now do. Yes I miss the canals, but at least we can still get around a lot of the country (more than in a narrowboat!) and she loves the MH.

Beware the cash buyer! We "sold our house" in March some years ago. The cash buyer then had a total of six surveys done - foundations, structure, electrical, plumbing, roof and even trees in the garden! Then they had a second roof survey. It took until the August to complete, by which time I had to do some very fancy footwork to ensure the bungalow we wanted didn't disappear. The buyer decided he could make more in interest from the cash than he would pay on a mortgage. He spent two years and vast amounts of cash doing the house up - re wiring, new plumbing, new roof, etc. Put it back on the market for over a million (no, we didn't get anything like that for it) and three years later it's still on the market. He's reduced the price by over twenty thousand and it's still not moving. Oh dear

OK, I can understand why some Springers have a deserved poor reputation, but like any manufacturer there are good boats and bad boats, same as cars. I had a Vauxhall Astra - the only brand new car I ever bought - it leaked like a sieve from the day I got it. The damn thing ended up in the dealership more than in my hands. I eventually sold it, the new owner discovered that the rear wheel arches had never been welded - no wonder it leaked. At the same time a friend bought the same model Astra and had absolutely no problems with it - he said it was a lovely car, nice to drive, comfy and economical.

Venetian Marina did some excellent work for me (yes - really!) I always found them helpful and ready to listen and then explain. The Marina at Wrenbury, on the Llangollen Canal, sorted out a problem with my battery bank - they spent over an hour and refused to charge me anything. I left some money so the guys could have a drink on me. They were helpful, explained what they were doing, why they were doing it and why it needed doing in the first place.

Quite a few of my friends are gay - do I care? I do a lot in the theatre - on stage and back-stage, the theatre seems to attract a lot of gay people - do I care? I am actually quite jealous of a lot of my gay friends, they usually have excellent taste, their homes are wonderfully decorated, their taste in furniture is amazing, their ability to make something drab appear attractive is excellentl - yes I do care, they are good friends and often have the most wonderful way of putting people in their place whilst seeming to be as polite as anything. They often have the most dreadful gossipy tales that are hysterical to listen to. To be honest I prefer their company to that of a lot of my "straight" friends who just want to talk about football and swill vast amounts of rather poor quality beer. Please don't get me started on black, female, labour, ex-politicians and whether they should be shot !

In answer to the queries about the "eating away" of the hull - I am no expert, I have a CSE in Chemistry (56 years ago) so I asked people with far more knowledge than I. Their view was that a combination of a boat either side permanently plugged in to the mains together with MIC in the water would in all probability produce something along the lines I described. Whatever the cause, over a period of six years the same surveyor found that 8mm had reduced to 2mm. To me that seemed a trifle excessive in a relatively short period of time.