haggis

I think the ramps were originally installed to help horses which had fallen in. I don't see canal builders even thinking about mountjacs or sheep 😀.

I think we can only see details of our own boats but I expect if a boat is jointly owned both parties could have their own log in details and see sightings of the shared boat.

It is a long time ago and might have been on the Leeds and Liverpool that I saw ramps for animals getting out. They weren't however at right angles to the bank but parallel to it, in fact, there might have been bits removed from the towpath edge to ensure that none of the ramp was in the navigable channel. On the Union canal up here we have kicking stones to help prevent horses falling in and I have always thought that the canals down south didn't value their horses as much as we did in Scotland 🙂

From Kelpies records, Park farm Marina is checked every month

Just discovered that when you log into the C&RT web site, a new option has been added under BOATS. You can now check where your boat has been seen by one of the checkers. Sadly almost all of this years sightings of KELPIE have been in the marina.

It was in the sales brochure.

as said earlier, the broker did not own the boat

I opened it in Office

You must have been luckier than me! Often/usually you have to fish around in the long grass to find the bolt in the Armco to put the pin/chain behind. But there again, you probably have much longer arms than me 🙂 . In all my years canal boating, I don't think I have seen many instances of the boat being moored without someone stepping off. Apart from an elderly lady I saw who deftly brought her cruiser stern in and dropped a mooring pin attached to a short rope behind the Armco to give her time to moor the boat properly. A method which suited her limited mobility admirably.

I think on a canal boat you would be most unlikely standing on the gunwales while you inserted the nappy pin or goat chain. 🙂

Nope. When we go back to the boat the lines are exactly as we left them, even if it has been months between visits. Maybe your ropes are more stretchy than ours 😀

Just reading the October Canal Boat magazine and there is an interesting article on boat insurance - both third party and comprehensive. The article explains the various stages of a claim but more importantly there are a couple of charts telling you what the main insurers cover.

Ah , we have never had to leave the boat all by itself apart from in a marina which might explain why we don't have this problem 😀

Put the nappy pin behind a bolt in the Armco to stop it sliding along and tie your rope tight and you shouldn't get any clanking. I don't like goat chains as I have to get down on my hands and knees to get hold of the chain below the Armco. Then I have to get up again 😀

I have come across similar fittings in a blue material and they don't fit properly. Best to stick to Hozelock which seem to fit most things

If your dog could be encouraged to lie under your van (on a long lead if necessary) he might find it cooler there as the ground won't have had sun rays since you parked. Just a thought.

Hope you find out where the water is coming from. Just a thought, but if you applied a lot of reverse to get rid of the weed, did water come up beside the tiller base (sorry, can't remember the right name) ? If so, could it have found its way down into the engine hole? I know you have a trad stern but often there is a hinged plate there which might allow water past the edges. Sorry to hear you are not continuing your journey onto the lovely narrow lowland canals.

You doing it yourselves? I must admit we have always taken the easy option and had matt do it 🙂

Emily Anne was in Northwich dry dock at the same time as kelpie, the first time we went there. We had the high powered pressure wash followed by two pack and when we were in the dry dock again after three years, it was still in good condition. Had it done again and plan to go back in late next year as we are also having a repaint in the other dock.

I don't think this is normal for hire boats and I can't think of any of the big companies sending a boat out in that condition..

it does in the comments

But you just said that you timed your arrival for a C&RT guy to work you through the lock . Is that not assistance ? 😄

Just as well all single handers don't do this or C&RT employees would never get time to do any other work 😄. The locks on the Chesterfield are narrow and as you are not in a rush why not take the opportunity to hone your lock working skills ?

He was excellent and his personal touch made the evening more enjoyable. Another loss to canal side catering was the chef who used to be at the pub at Branston. He lived on a boat called the Poisson Dwarf . That is going back a few years though 🙂