Dharl

To the OP, if earlier in the year would have recommended that before going boating, take a day out to go to a flight of locks and spend some time watching how other boaters tackle them as well as asking them questions as that’s a great way to learn. Most boaters will happily talk to goongoozlers and the offer to open and close gates is never refused!

yes "rope cutters" on blue water boats to great success! not sure how they would get on with rubble bags which is what i seemed to be wrestling with under spaghetti junction!

one of your fellow owners of the shareboat gave us a similar chat when we first joined in 2014...However on recent trip along the BCN Old MAin Line was a little enthusiastic with my "burst astern" and I ended up spending an hour down the weedhatch recovering various items we had collected from the canal bed.... (whilst drifting under the M5 as unable to get into the tow path!)

Looks a pretty substantial repair to me!

in a nut shell yes she is a challenge! In my day job she paid a visit to my neck of the woods. Planned to moor in the lock entrance to the docks, to achieve this she has to maintain half ahead until her bow is already in the entrance when she goes astern to stop within half a ships length! Nicely done but nerve racking when they are aiming for your real estate! Later calls I was on the bridge and even more nerve racking!! Leaving that berth they just let go the lines and rang down half astern and go until they had sufficient sea room to come ahead with the helm over and head the right way! We used a tug to help with the manoeuvre.

that was my comment about the lack of rings on the lower level......must have missed them

enjoyable watch - Roger Allam is a fav voice artist too.

I think in the 10 years i have been on the cut there has been a handful of times that I think to myself that a Bow Thruster would have been useful there! Normally it has been getting in/out of tight marina spots.

catch 22.....put in some VM and facilities and boaters will come, but without the boaters there is no need for the facilities.....

I saw mooring rings on the upper level, but couldn't see any on the lower, which I thought was odd as it was a canal museum and no where for canal users to stop and visit? We weren't overly disturbed and I would moor there again, however SWMBO prefers to moor at least where you can see other moored boats yes I think that if there was some more secure VMs along that section of the BCN then it would have been a much nicer cruising experience. As it was it was more of a case of getting on

we pulled just off the new main line under the bridge and managed to get the pins in there. We had come all the way from Alvechurch, originally planning for Tipton to overnight however reached the stage where we needed to stop and it looked the best place. Not in our top 10 of places to return to. The BCN is in need of some secure VMs along the main line which would encourage more boaters to use the system.

First time on the BCN, every day a school day! ( though it was also the Bank Holiday when we went from Gas Street to Gower Branch along the NML!)

Was fine in the bridge holes, picked up first lot by tiveton aqueduct and second under the M5. I was trying the old technique of giving the occasional burst astern to keep the prop clear and was too enthusiastic which caused us to collect the rubbish from the bottom…..

Completed Central Brum to W21 via New Main Line recently then reverse via Black Country Museum and Old Main last week. ( as per @davem399). in both cases Gas Street to Smethwick was good, New Main to Factory was full of algae, not too bad on rubbish but uninspiring from a boating perspective. Saw no boats, either moving or moored the whole way and moored overnight on the Gower Branch by the Temple. Local yofs driving their mopeds and trail bikes along the towpath…. Tipton to W21 was full of weed, however in both cases didn’t have to go down the hatch. On return again no real probs with the W21 to Tipton section, water very clear in place’s especially around the Fountain. Old Main line had several problems with sacks and clothes around the prob which involved a couple of visits down the hatch including 30mins drifting under the M5 trying to sort it. On reflection preferred the old main line, more interesting from a boating perspective though shame that some of the locals treated it like a dumping ground…..

prefer to moor against the armco if possible so step off with a nappy pin to hand, run the centre line through this and use it like a pulley to help bring your boat alongside. I then quickly loop this back up to my centre ring or fairlead whilst I sort out the bow and stern lines then remove the centre line. (if staying for a day or two remove and use it to rig spring lines for and aft so that I am moored securely.) If I need to use a mallet and pin I take those with me as I step ashore, once I have driven the pin into the ground then I drop a clove hitch on to the pin whilst sorting out the bow and stern lines.

getting picky on that, as @Athy (nice new avtar btw, though will miss the picture of old Trojan) those two bible verses are from from the New and Old testament respectively and in fact the New Testment verse is written stating that in the Old testament you should take an eye for an eye, however the new commandment is that you should love your neighbour and if struck turn the other cheek! Here endeth the lesson back to boating terms, most Vlockies i have encountered have been helpful and ask if we would like help...however always one who likes to take charge (thats MY job he he he) - providing they arnt doing anything dangerous then let them crack on, life is too short.

Most boats ( and all ships!) steer much better with some stern trim as mentioned above by other people of this parish. if level, or worse bow down, you will have to work harder to steer, this is called “griping” aka “steers like a pig”!

think that was the practice that brought down Ownerships and at least one other of the older Share boat companies and so is frowned upon by the industry BCBM don’t do this as far as I am aware, they do however commission the new builds and sell the shares, but they sell 100% of the shares to bets knowledge.