TheBiscuits
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Posts posted by TheBiscuits
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The Rochdale one has the advantage that cars do stop for it.
For some odd reason a couple of feet thickness of concrete and steel lifting up in front of them gets more respect than a plastic red and white tube slowly descending ...
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9 hours ago, MtB said:
Yes it must be beyond irritating to be spotted when about to set off on a 100 mile cruise then be spotted three weeks later in the same place on your return and get a Warning Letter!
Why would you do a hundred mile cruise in a fortnight and then return to the same place you started?
If it's a home mooring then that pattern is reasonable, but in that case you wouldn't be getting a warning letter.
If it's not a home mooring, then you should be getting a warning for this pattern - it's given as an example of what not to do in the guidance.
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6 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:
Another case of some examiners making up or miss understanding the requirements
If they can't read the A for advisory or R for requirements on the checklist I'm not sure how they read all the rest of the thing!
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4 hours ago, Gybe Ho said:
Can clocking day be predicted for a year without insider information?
Yes. Easily.
Whether or not the prediction turns out to be correct is the gamble you'd be taking with the enforcement process ...
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1 hour ago, Heartland said:
The long term use of the river as a supply for two independent waterways would have had parliamentary approval when each received their act, so how can a greedy privatised water company keen to get as much as possible for its shareholders change that state of affairs!
Because:
On 20/05/2025 at 09:28, Alan de Enfield said:it is using an emergency water supply, owing to a change in legislation that restricts the amount that can be funnelled from the River Usk and its tributaries for environmental reasons.
(My bold)
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40 minutes ago, Naartjie AKA Duck Hatch said:
I'm busy upgrading my solar system with bigger panels and controller.
I want to sell my old system, how much should I ask and where online should I post it.
I flogged my old system to a mate for exactly half of what it was then available for at retail.
Suited him and suited me at the time. If flogging it on eBay or Facebook marketplace I'd probably have asked a bit more (2/3rds?)
36 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:with no detail of what you intend selling, how can anyone value it?
True, that's why I started out by seeing what the equivalent bits were available for brand new as a good starting point. That does of course require exact makes, models and specifications of the panels and the controller, and a list of what extras if any are included.
I just sold the panels and the controller, but threw in free the resettable circuit breaker as it would have been too small for my new system. Helped him install it too, but then he is a mate.
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23 minutes ago, Ian221 said:
My boat has a frozen rudder and a non-working engine. There also seems to be an issue getting to Wigan due to water levels (I think).
Wigan dry dock for a proper fix, engine can probably be sorted while afloat. Either free the rudder up with a sledgehammer and some plus gas or a blowtorch , or get a tow from someone to Wigan.
As mentioned above, working on boats out of water is a pain in the backside but for some jobs it has to be done.
Have you spoken to a good boat fettler or are you just assuming it needs craning out to sort it?
Try Dan at RDE Narrowboat Services 07405 996310 see if he can help - he's mobile and covers the North West.
Add a bit: you can get to Wigan Dry Dock, it's the flight itself that's shut and today there was an issue with the junction pound.
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14 hours ago, jonathanA said:
Interesting. I've not dealt with them for a while so why are you no longer recommending them? (PM if you prefer)
Personnel changes mainly. In the last five years a couple of those who were there have passed away and others have left to go elsewhere.
For some jobs I recommend Wheelton boatyard, but they are very limited on space so can't/won't have a boat on hardstanding for a few months, which the OP was asking about.
Hesford marine is another place that might work, but due to the breach you can't get there from Lathom either!
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19 minutes ago, Jonny P said:
I sense that anti-singlehander attitude sometimes. Until I actually share a lock with somebody.
I get a regular look of misery from crewed boats when I'm single handing. Until we start working the lock and I'm doing three quarters of the work ...
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24 minutes ago, jonathanA said:
Have you tried Crooke marina?. I've no idea if they have hard standing but worth a try.
Otherwise botany Bay at chorley springs to mind.
No hard standing at Crooke Marina, but the storage site and new moorings the other side of the bridge used to have a crane so may be worth an ask.
I've stopped recommending Botany in recent years, despite it having used to be my first suggestion. Also, even if it seems a good idea the boat can't get there with the locks shut.
From Lathom Junction I'd be asking Tarleton boatyard about availability, it's just the other end of the Rufford Branch.
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On 29/05/2025 at 18:31, NB Alnwick said:
having noted from the CRT Boaters Report 2024 that £7.3m was spent on "Vegetation Management"
I think that's booked to certain staff salaries
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6 minutes ago, NB Saturn said:
When I want a brew I want it NOW! 😉
That's no excuse for instant tea ...
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2 hours ago, NB Saturn said:
My biggest gripe with gas on my current boat is that it’s so slow compared with Induction.
I have both a gas cooker and a standalone single plate induction hob. Making a brew or cooking a single pan meal with sunshine instead of propane just makes sense - I don't see any point using gas when my MPPT is shutting itself off before lunchtime because the battery banks are full. Especially when we still have another 9 or 10 hours of daylight left ...
A full 1.7 litre kettle takes 6 minutes to boil at the default 1200W setting, pulling just over 100A from the solar panels and battery bank (inverter efficiency losses).
By my reckoning that's 0.12 kWh, compared to a standard 2.2 KW electric kettle that uses nearly twice that (measured at 0.2 kWh but comes to the boil faster.) It's usually been replaced before I need another brew, even on a dull day.
The induction hob can be varied between 200W and 2000W in 9 200W steps so quite controllable, and has a built in timer function. It goes away in a locker when I have to start paying to make electricity!
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1 hour ago, Russ T said:
Do you want to drive or shall I?
Oh it's not you then. T'other rusty would have known the answer is "How do you drive this thing?"
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1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:
Wears rubber / leather suits ?
You're the one with the smutty photos, but yes, that's the one I suspect!
Hey @Russ T two fish in a tank, one says to the other ...
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3 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:
The mooring lines run at 90 degrees to the bank,
Mine don't. Am I doing it wrong?
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4 hours ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:
To not impressed @Russ T [...] not bothered👍
Fill your boots. I strongly suspect that @Russ T used to be around 69 ... Sense of humour, experience, familiarity with forum regulars, posting style.
If he is who I think he is, he's been both an offshore sailor and a liveaboard narrowboater for decades.
If he introduces Dr Bob's fish jokes again I'll be completely convinced.
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1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:
?
Morlock speak. It translates to "not going" in unmangled English ...
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47 minutes ago, smudgepuss said:
By a very narrow margin, Rebellion has a new decoration!
350.25 points to Tatty Lucy's 350.02.
Atlas and Malus won the Trolley Trophy.
Misty Blue were best decorated.
Congratulations Rebellion! I thought you preferred second place though 🤣
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21 minutes ago, magnetman said:
For a start some may object to the principle of the first verbal interaction starting with the word 'Hell'..
Well nobody seems to be recently complaining about high water!
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19 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:
I suspect he's gone past a lot of fishermen on a competition. They do tend to be grumpy, whatever speed you go at, and wherever you are in the canal.
It's odd, but north of about Middlewich most of them seem friendly with the odd exception. South of there the proportions switch round so there's only the odd friendly one and mostly grumpy ones.
16 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:Well that has given me a clue what we are all rambling about. he could have been running his engine at 11pm to watch TV, that could end up someone in your face, or whipping the paddles up on someone else's boat in a lock. Turning a lock in someone's face because you were there first.
Yeah, but all of those would be only occasional incidents and from what I can gather the OP seems to be getting a lot of different people shouting.
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The only thing I can think of that would cause that much aggro is going too fast.
@rhapsody blue, are you going as slowly as possible past moored boats? And are you cruising in the middle of the open water or are you keeping to the right even when there's no other boat coming towards you?
If your (new to you) boat is set up incorrectly then even at dead slow on the morse lever the boat might be going faster than you think. This is adjustable usually.
Watch carefully what happens to moored boats as you pass them - if they all seem to rock a lot or surge backwards and forwards as you pass them then you're going too fast, even if that's not what you're trying to do.
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3 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:
This is why I don't participate, I was just having my second wee then.
Yeah, but if you're up you could be boating!
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2 minutes ago, magnetman said:
None of my Victron MPPT controllers have fans.
Good for you. Mine isn't a Victron.
HDPE canal boat
in General Boating
Posted
You know the one about the wooden boat with a wooden engine ...