Prof

You're right about the Droitwich moorings, just up from the basin but I can't recall seeing any at Salwape bridge, but you may be right, memory isn't what it use to be!

We'll Ditchcrawler, You're right there are good moorings 2 locks up from the river. We use them often, even when we are just passing up or down river. (Then reverse back down fthe 2 locks to the river)! Having come down the Droitwich a couple of months ago, I failed to see any new moorings, the only places I saw the reeds cut back were where the fishermen had cut them in order to see the water! It's a lovely canal and a great way to cut through to the Worcs. & Birmingham. The mooring basin in Droitwich is great, if you get there early enough to get a mooring; and I would recommend people to use it, but it could be so much better!

Well Alan and Dave, if you think that things are bad on the Monty, come down my way and have a cruise on the recently restored Doritwich Canal, LOTS of hard work done rebuilding locks, bridges, and dredging, BUT only after vast new reed beds were created etc etc. THEN the reeds grew back to the extent that there is now barely enough room for ONE boat down the middle! (baring in mind this is a wide canal for half it's length! PLUS the only moorings are at Droitwich, so you tend to find boats moored over night on the lock moorings, you can't even SEE the towpath for most of the canal; very annoying when trying to work through! As you would say, the "tree hungers" etc have more say than the boaters! EQUAL RIGHTS FOR BOATERS!!

I'm afraid you're CORRECT in your assessment Allan!

Your a braver man than I am Dave, referring to "Tree huggers" but I feel you have hit the nail right on it's proverbial head with all 3 points; NON of which are insurmountable, given the will amongst the powers that be at CaRT!!

Please don't patronise, I may not post much on the site, but have been a member for some years, and as a boater of 55 years, and boat owner for many of those years, I do have SOME understanding of what goes on, I have also worked as a lock keeper and in the hire boat industry. I obviously have a different opinion regarding how restored canals should be used, bearing in mind that much of the restoration is funded to a greater of lesser extent by BW/CaRT. I also reiterate that I was under the impression that we were all entitled to an opinion, which you are welcome to disagree with, but I don't see that it is necessary to denigrate me just because I have a different opinion to you, or because I used another site which you disapprove of!

"Corrective feedback"? Surely that suggests incorrect statements?! And I was thinking we were all entitled to our own views? Obviously you don't agree!!

Yep! I don't remember how long ago, after 55 years of cruising it's difficult to get timings correct! My first trip up the Llangollen was over 40 years ago, but at some point I seem to remember access am and pm!

As we intend to revisit Llanllogen again this summer, I thought it would be good to finally go down the locks at Frankton and have a couple of days on the connected section of the Montgomery Canal. As we've passed over the years, I have seen the locks progress from dereliction, to a fully restored, working flight, and thought how nice it would be to go down them and explore at last. I knew there used to be a system of booking for a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the afternoon, but on enquiring I find that now the booking restriction is 12:00 until 14:00 everyday! This would mean adding a minimum of3 days to our trip, instead of the 2 I had anticipated! Time I would love to spend there but unfortunately cannot afford. Why oh why do CaRT seem to be determined to put people off using the Montgomery, when so much time and effort has been spent on it's restoration?! Surly boats arriving at 9:00 are no more likely to disturb the newts than at 12:00? But the idea of making life convenient for boaters seems to be alien to CaRT!! As someone who volunteers myself, I am aware that it would cost very little more to man the locks morning AND afternoon than just at lunchtime, if manning is indeed necessary! and it would be so much more convenient for boaters! I do believe CaRT have lost sight of the fact that their prime role (after maintenance!), is supposed to be "customer service"! Am I alone in these thoughts, or do others feel forgotten by those with the responsibility to organise these things at CaRT? Get Outlook for Android

We have a standard domestic thermostatic shower mixer on our boat, and it's a great improvement over the hot/cold tap version it replaced. it does not have a bath outlet as we have shower only, but is very similar to the one below which HAS a bath outlet. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Modern-Thermostatic-Bath-Shower-Mixer-Tap-Deck-Mounted-Shower-Valve-Shower-Kit-/221764146837

I'm glad to say the garage (Turners Garage) in Wheaton Aston is most definitely NOT closed! I spoke to the owner today, and "rumours of the garages death have been greatly exaggerated" - in fact totally fabricated; he says that this happens occasionally, allegedly generated by a jealous competitor! So, the source of cheap diesel is still available.

Thanks Alex Looks like a much better bet than the Aqua(NOT)filta AND its more cost effective!! Cheers Mate Graham

Having had a situation where silt in my water tank was stirred up and then come through the tap at the galley, which is fed via an Aqua Filta (Jabsco), I contacted Jabsco to ask whether I had installed the filter incorrectly. I was ASTONISHED to discover that according to Jabsco the Aqua Filta is NOT a FILTER! They say: "The Aquafilta is NOT a purification device, it is designed to improve the taste quality of the water, effectively it is to freshen the water when it has been in the tank for some time to remove any stale taste. We would NOT expect the Aquafilta to remove silt from the water." On their website they state "For bright, CLEAN, fresh tasting drinking water" surely to "CLEAN" it insinuates FILTERING? When is a filta not a FILTER - When it's made by JABSCO!!! I thought I should bring this to the attention of those who read this forum, as many of you may be under the impression that you have a filter fitted in your water system when in fact it's just a "freshener"

The BM-2 has the same display format, it just has BM2 in the top right corner instead of BM1! I agree entirely about the accuracy, but for me the ability to see changes and trends where state of charge, and times to charge and discharge are concerned are more important for spotting problems with batterys and charging systems, than accuracy. - It's also useful to be able to monitor the engine battery, even though its only volts!

NASA has bought out a new version of the BM-1 battery monitor - the BM-2! It has a capacity to handle up to 200amps as opposed to 100amps for the old one; it also has the ability to monitor the voltage of the engine battery, two very useful improvements in my view. I am aware that many people think that the "SmartGuage" is a superior unit from the point of view of monitoring the battery, which, if you need an ACCURATE assessment of the battery's state of charge is true, BUT the BM-2 has a number of other useful features well worth having; not only volts but amps, time to charge, time to discharge, engine battery monitoring etc. ANYWAY, I've decided to try a BM-2, ordered it Monday, it came today and I'm hoping to fit it at the week-end. Will up-date when the job's done. We'll see how things go? Prof

The stoppage at Diglis is the river locks, below Worcester, so it won't affect the Worc & Birm canal entrance; dispite the various stories on Narrowboatworld! The only people affected are those navigating between Worcester and Tewksbury.

Yes BUT the original nut WAS a hexagonal nut NOT a Vetus style unit, until the loss I had not realised that it was incorrect. I DID put a LARGE spanner on the nut, jammed it up against the side of the weed hatch then used a VERY long bar to turn the propshaft to tighten the nut before locking with the lock washer.

We have a 2004 Liverpool Boat and two years ago when we were moored at the Anchor in Wire Piddle, I checked the weed hatch and was surprised to see a nice shiny thread behind the prop!! NO NUT!!! Long story short, Liverpool Boats had ORIGINALLY fitted an ordinary nut on the prop shaft and as there is no split pin hole, no split pin! I had to go down to Wargrave on Thames to the Vetus dealer to get the correct nut/anode/ locking tab and fit it through the weed hatch - GREAT fun!! The nut is round with two flats on to take a spanner for tightening. There is a locking tab that fits between the prop and the nut, with an insert that fits into the keyway, and when the nut is TIGHT you bend the outer part of the tab over one of the flats of the nut. You then screw the anode onto the end of the shaft using the hexagon (allen) screw provided. All good fun through the weed hatch!!! Have had no problem since then but DID check and re-tightn the nut wnen in the drydock for blacking.

We also cruise all year round (or TRY to - ice permitting!) but drain the water system down each time we leave the boat. Over the years I've devised a quick & easy method - I have fitted a "T" piece just after the tank isolator valve, with a vertical pipe that goes above tank level, with a tap / valve in it, the end of the pipe is open. To drain the system :- 1) Turn off the water pump. 2) Turn off the tank isolator valve. 3) Turn on the tap in the vertical pipe. 4) Turn on the water pump. 5) Open each tap (hot & cold) around the boat, in turn, until there is air being blown out with little or no water. The water pump will pump air through the system and empty all the pipes, taps, showers etc. (These pumps are designed to run "dry") 6) Once ALL taps etc. have blown air through, turn off the water pump. 7) Turn off the valve in the vertical pipe. This takes longer to explain than to do, and the only water left is in the hot water tank (if you have one) and in the many years I've been doing this (including THIS year) that has not been a problem. When you return to the boat, just turn the tank isolator on and remove the air (some spluttering) then carry on as usual! Good luck.

Is it ME?! I've been cruising the inland waterways for 47 years, man and boy, and loved (more or less) every minute of it; but I'm / we're (my wife can only claim 36 years!) becoming more and more aware of a tendency for other boaters to come and "help" at locks without a word! No "would you like a hand", or "shall I lift this paddle", just jump straight in and get on with it, almost as though we don't exist, despite having 14 tonnes of boat sat in the lock! Now, like most of us, we pay quite a lot to go out boating, and one of the main reasons is that we like doing it - INCLUDING THE LOCKS! We even feel we're reasonably good at it, after all these years we've got quite a good system going; for example, on Friday (4th June) we came down the Wolverhampton 21 (Just the two of us) in about 2 hours 45 minutes, not too bad considering most of the locks were against us and we didn't bother with lock wheeling. (got down to the pub for lunch anyway!) Obviously there are times when it's nice to have some help from a friendly person, who asks before jumping in and you can have a pleasant chat at the same time; but to just arrive and get on with it, without a word just seems rude! - It's not as if either of us LOOKS incapable, I'm a 6ft 1in truck driver and my wife is ????? (also very capable!). We feel that if our boat's in it, it's OUR lock, if you want to help PLEASE ASK - as I said WE DO IT 'COS WE LIKE IT, please don't pinch our pleasure! Or, as I said, is it ME!?

We use to go into St Kath’s quite regularly, but most of the time we came UP from Limehouse, thus avoiding the need to hang around outside the lock for too long. Once we did go DOWN from Teddington on an early morning tide, having over-nighted on Kew pier (with PLA permission). This was a VERY uncomfortable trip being wing against tide, we had the prop out of the water quit a lot; and our eldest daughter hasn’t been on the boat since due to the fact that she fell out of bed half way down the tideway, in the rough conditions – BUT – on that occasion we did arrive at St Kath’s early and had to wait, and went to the INSIDE of St Kath’s pier; but if you do, DON’T go in WITH the tide or you’ll be swept into the sloping access walk-way. AND don’t stay there if the tide turns, or you’ll not get out again ‘till the tide turns again. Best of luck – it’s quite an experience to spend a few nights in St Kath’s and good fun locking in and out with a load of VERY nervous yachties with their nice white hulls which they don’t want black lines down!!

I was on the Avon this spring, and upon mooring at the Anchor at Wyre Piddle, decided to check the weed hatch. - It was a lovely sunny day and upon removing the weed hatch, looked down into the nice clear water to see a shiny length of thread behind the prop!! - no nut but still had the prop Following morning put a jubilee clip on the thread and VERY carefully (especially in reverse) went down to Wyre Marina. Folks there couldn't be more helpful; being a Vetus shaft had to get the non-standard threaded Vetus nut. One was found in Henley on Thames; luckily I only live 3 miles from Wyre Piddle so gent at marina took me home, got the wife's car, went to Henley, bought new nut / anode / locking washer; back to Wyre, fitted said nut etc. and away back towards Staffs & Worc. canal & home mooring that evening. Hate to think how much more hassle & expence it would have been if the prop had gone too! BUT it's the first time it's happened in 46 years of canal cruising; so on that time scale I should be dead before it happens again (happy thought)!

Sounds MOST unpleasant! As one who used to train agricultural workers in the joys of FEPA (Food and Environmental Protection Act) and COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) I can tell you that STRICTLEY speaking you are not supposed to allow ANY spray drift off the "target area". This is often difficult to achieve but allowing it to affect members of the public moored on an adjacent waterway (not to mention the waterway it's self!) is unacceptable. If you get no help / apology from the farmer I suggest you let him know you intend informing the HSE quoting FEPA and COSHH. The main thing is you seem to be OK but the farmer needs to be more careful in future. Good luck

Hi folks In the summer I'm off up the Shroppie to Chester and Ellesmere Port from the Staffs & Worcs. The last time I went up to Chester was in the Late 70s! things may have changed!! I'm planning on spending a night in Chester and a night at Ellesmere Port; as I recall both have a bit of a reputation for "problems". Can any one advise me on safe moorings in one or both locations. I realise that many of you consider such thoughts as "woosy" and "pathetic" but in over 46 years of cruising the inland waterways, the experience of many casting adrifts, bangings on roofs and worse, have taught me to have a cautious approach to urban moorings if a peaceful night is required. Many Thanks

Passed Turners at Wheaton Aston this afternoon and the boards say 60.9 ppl but it was Sunday and they're closed; leavw you to guess what will happen on Monday morning at 7.30!!