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TheBiscuits

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Posts posted by TheBiscuits

  1. Canals and Water Shortage

    in General Boating

    Posted

    17 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

    Severn Trent surprisingly have announced they are not planning to introduce a hosepipe ban (8th May). The not planning to is possibly the notable phrase? 

     

    Not planning is something they're good at ...

  2. Grand Union from Birmingham to Stratford canal closed for navigation

    in Stoppages

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

    Sounds about right. It appears Todbrook delays were at least partly due to appearing the local yacht club.

     

    That's one way of looking at it.

     

    Another way is that CRT needed to break their side of the deal on a long lease and negotiated acceptable redress rather than be sued for breach of contract.

     

    I'm fairly sure an extended court case (years normally) before they could even begin work on repairing the dam would have suited you better ...

  3. Rochdale lock 1 - 24 closed

    in Stoppages

    Posted · Edited by TheBiscuits
    clarity

    50 minutes ago, Arnac said:

    Ha ha - we've just come that way. Across the Mersey and up the ship canal. Can't afford to go back the same way 😂 

     

    At least you have your surveyors paperwork sorted if you have to go back that way!

     

    Up the Leigh Arm of the Bridgewater feeds you on to the open bit of the L&L, Leigh to Liverpool via Wigan which is mostly open despite the badly phrased stoppage notices.  There's some very nice bits of the canal through West Lancashire, or you could just hang around Pennington Flash waiting for the Rochdale 9 to reopen.


    Add a bit:

     

    I seem to recall extending a week's pass on the Bridgewater was about £40 last time I did it but that was a few years ago so it might be more now.  Ring them tomorrow and ask if you want to stay in Manchester, but you can easily be back on CRT waters in less than a day from Castlefield Basin if that's better for you.

    • Greenie 1

  4. Rochdale lock 1 - 24 closed

    in Stoppages

    Posted

    1 minute ago, Arnac said:

    It's frustrating. Us and quite a few other boats now stuck in Castlefield Basin waiting to go to the Ashton/Macclesfield canals. Not sure what the Bridgewater Canal Co will think.

     

    They'll think you have to pay them money, or head back to Leigh ...

     

    More seriously, contact them directly and ask.  Closed with a review next week is slightly better than a review in a fortnight like the rest of the L&L got again, but you really don't want to be banned from the Bridgewater if you're trying to head for Marple.

     

    Your only other option at the moment would be the Manchester Ship Canal from Pomona Lock to Ellesmere Port.  This involves an approved surveyor, lots of paperwork, payment, and scheduling with three different organisations.

  6. Moving Boat by Road

    in General Boating

    Posted

    1 minute ago, haggis said:

    I think Ray Bowern does the complete package. Good idea to get one company to do everything as that means a one insurance company covers everything 

     

    Agreed. A B Tuckey are an alternative agent, but they often get Bowerns to do the actual job depending on availability and location.

    • Happy 1

  7. How real is the linseed oil sunlight combustion risk?

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted · Edited by TheBiscuits
    clarity

    1 hour ago, Bod said:

    I suggest an experiment, 2 sheets of linseed oil soaked kitchen paper, one left flat in the open, the other wrapped tightly with string, again left in the open.

    See the results in 24/48 hours.

     

    It's scrunched up ones that go - presumably the pockets of localised heat build up.

     

    I've seen it once, but fortunately the chap who caused it was throwing his balled up rags into a metal bucket on the hardstanding, not onto his boat.

     

    All the ones he did after the fire was put out got laid out flat, separated from each other.

     

    It wasn't a day later, it happened while he was still oiling his woodwork.

     

     

  9. CRT - Roaming Volunteers

    in Living Afloat

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Woody Too said:

    What could work would be a easy and simple way of reporting any issues sighted on boating travels that if any approved 'Roaming volunteers' could have a more direct contact to a local area team leader or supervisor and could liaise directly to report issues quickly for CRT to deal with rather than the usual process of banging your head against a brick wall with CRT customer services as is the normal starting point for the general public.

     

    I think that's partly the idea of the forthcoming CRT app.  From experience, direct email to the relevant region works much better than trying to explain to a call centre operator who doesn't even work for CRT.  Your actual report can be forwarded exactly as you sent it to the relevant person, rather than a rephrased message.

     

    The very best way involves getting the ambulance call centre operator to get the CRT out of hours duty manager to directly ring you at midnight, but I've only needed to do that once!

    • Greenie 1

  11. Should I repack the stern gland of a newly purchased secondhand boat?

    in New to Boating?

    Posted · Edited by TheBiscuits
    Stupid mobile phone

    1 hour ago, nb Innisfree said:

    I've never repacked while afloat but if I did I would first wrap lots of clingfilm around the shaft via the weed hatch to stop water ingress. 

     

    36 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

     

    I've never thought of that. What a good idea! 

     

    (Does it work?)

     

    A well greased rag wrapped tightly around the propshaft via the weed hatch is more traditional.  And sticks better than wet cling film.

     

    A bucket under the gland and a working bilge pump are soothing, an assistant on standby with a wet vac is luxurious.

     

     

    • Greenie 1

  15. Audlem pubs

    in General Boating

    Posted

    1 hour ago, lyndarra said:

    I was off beer for a while due to recent surgery (TURP - Google it) so I can't comment on that.

     

    I'm not sure drinking turps is any better than craft beer 😁

    • Happy 1

  20. How fast did flyboats go?

    in History & Heritage

    Posted

    47 minutes ago, booke23 said:

     

    Thanks for that, fascinating bit of film. The virtually complete lack of moored boats is quite a contrast to today. 

     

    Considering how much some people complain about passing boats, watching a soliton wave go past them would be entertaining!

     

     

    • Greenie 1
    • Haha 1

  21. Oh, the peace!

    in General Boating

    Posted

    19 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

     

     

    It would have been appropriate as the literal translation of bete noir is "black beast"...

     

    Betty (sic) Noir isn't the Prince of Darkness, that's Ozzy Osbourne ...

  22. There must be a story behind this ...

    in General Boating

    Posted

    7 hours ago, jonathanA said:

    Ive also heard they have bought Scarisbrick marina but haven't seen anything to confirm if Collingwood are the new owners. 

     

     

    I'd heard it was ABC leisure group taking Scarisbrick, but only on the towpath rumour mill.  Not seen any official announcements anywhere.

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