Peter X

Looking at the document in Ditchcrawler's link quoted in the opening post, I see it says it's a consultation document about how to implement the CJEU judgment, with a deadline for comments of 9th September. HMRC go on to say: After the consultation: A summary of responses will be published after this consultation concludes. This consultation will inform when the changes will be brought into effect in legislation and whether any adjustment period is needed. So HMRC can't simply do it, it requires legislation. Given that Boris Johnson is near certain to become PM next week and has declared his intention to leave the EU by 31st October, and bearing in mind that Parliament takes a break for the party conference season and will be rather preoccupied with Brexit when it reconvenes, what are the chances of any legislation on red diesel getting passed by 31st October? I'm no expert on Parliamentary procedure, but my gut feeling is virtually zero! Therefore, unless the Remainers find a way to block Boris, and let's not clutter this topic up by debating whether they should, we'll arrive at 1st November out of the EU and with the law on red diesel unchanged. In which case I suppose HMRC will no longer be obliged to implement the CJEU judgment, the government will have more pressing matters to think about, and it's most unlikely to go ahead?

Ah yes, you may well be right Alan. I hadn't allowed for road moves being a lot cheaper for small boats.

Finding an overnight mooring on spec is always difficult from Kensal Green onwards, right through to about Hackney, but you might get lucky. I think there are some you can book in advance at Rembrandt Gardens at Little Venice, with CRT? Not sure what else there is further east, although I think a one night stay at Limehouse basin is usually possible because people use that if they're planning to go out onto the river in the morning. On the lower GU you should be able to find somewhere, and even on the Paddington Arm west of Kensal Green, particularly if you're not fussy about noise or the scenery outside your windows.

You may also wish to get a quote from a professional boat mover for moving it by water, my guess is that would work out cheaper. If you can get someone who's happy to take it on the tidal Trent of course! Don't ask me how I know this!

It was not a fun trip on the whole for any of us, it's fair to say. I won't be discussing details, it wouldn't be right, not least because Stephen is not on the forum and Lingy told me he's been banned. Lingy did appreciate me staying on to operate the locks (and do some steering) after Stephen went home from Saddleworth, but he was angry with me over various things, and in the end dropped me off by a bridge where there was a bus stop, which turned out to have a bus 30 minutes later into Lichfield, from where I got a train to Euston, so my journey home wasn't too bad. I think I've learned a few things from my part in this trip which I'll apply in the future (plus a basic understanding of the BMC 1800 raw water cooling system!), and I won't let all the trouble put me off doing other trips as crew for strangers off the forum, it's been my first bad experience. As for the boat, it's a project boat which he's now done enough to to get it near to home where he can easily work on it, but I get the impression he has the knowledge needed to do it up and make it pretty good. I won't identify it because he may not want me to.

For me, the trip has come to a sudden end near Rugeley. Lingy and I had a major argument, over various things that had been building up these last two weeks, and by mutual agreement I packed my things and am now on a bus into Lichfield to go home. As regulars on this forum will know, I've done quite a number of trips as crew for strangers and all the others have been pleased, or if not they've been too nice to say otherwise! In the end it all got too much and I'm relieved to be off away from Lingy; I think he'll feel likewise!

Great Haywood; finally on a canal I know. Home Saturday night all being well.

I reckon probably yes. It depends on the terms of their lease, but my guess would be that somewhere in there will be a clause allowing CRT to apply their licence fees subject to the same laws as their own canals. Leases normally delegate all sorts of rights to the tenant.

Me too, sort of. Not sure if it was Curdworth, but somewhere along the Birmingham & Fazeley as we approached a lock a bunch of youths threw a few lumps of brick off a derelict building at us. Fortunately their ranging was poor, their ammo fell short into the water. Then one of us got a camera out and they ran away, just as well as they outnumbered us. Never yet had stuff thrown at me anywhere else.

Done the Macclesfield (nice canal), now about to do Harecastle tunnel. Raw water cooling worries are just a thing of the past, Lingy's patched up the input filter and fettled the rest enough that we can now get on with the move.

Quick update: we've got a washer on that nut now, and since Lingy's last bit of fettling yesterday lunchtime the cooling's been running like a dream. Good reliable flow of water, temperature never gets to 80, just occasionally when something gets onto the inlet we stop the engine, start it again and on we go. Nuneaton here we come. Thanks everyone for the helpful advice, notably Tony Brooks.

This morning Steve did enough that we can go on, and we reached the bottom lock at Marple. Tomorrow we go up the 16 locks, pause at the top then press on along the Macclesfield. The Peak Forest canal has been OK. It has a certain amount of vegetation in it, with potential for getting round the prop or clogging the water intake, but that's only been a minor thing. This morning Steve did enough that we can go on, and we reached the bottom lock at Marple. Tomorrow we go up the 16 locks, pause at the top then press on along the Macclesfield. The Peak Forest canal has been OK. It has a certain amount of vegetation in it, with potential for getting round the prop or clogging the water intake, but that's only been a minor thing.

Uploaded photo twice, sorry. It's the water intake filter, featuring gasket seal, that red stuff. Having trouble finding someone who both has a new filter and is willing to get it to somewhere we can get it. Meanwhile soldiering on south with this one, not getting the good flow we'd like.

With hindsight after having done it all, I have revised my opinion of the HNC downwards. It's got some great scenery except the first and last few miles, but it needs a lot of maintenance doing, starting with dredging so that boats can get into the side in more places; doing the lock landings would be a good start, then making some more visitor moorings. The one next to Tesco's in Stalybridge was very useful. The pound between locks 3W and 4W just below Stalybridge was terrible; rubbish galore, silted up, impossible to get near the bank. CRT, please sort it out. We mostly had enough water coming down, and no doubt partly because .not a lot of boats use this canal. Because of the above problems, it has a bad reputation.