tagulablue

Yes John I know what you mean about a set price for a set job. Once fell foul of the per hour rate when I went into (I won't name the boatyard) for a service The guy started and then he was called away to look at another job and this went on and on through the day. When I got the bill I had been charged for the time he started to the time he finished ....including all the time he spent looking at other problems on other boats. Yes I did pay but I never went back and I'd used them for years! I forgot to say on original post that it's the warning light with the picture of the battery that is lit up. Trouble is I'm from Yorkshire and we have a saying ...don't mind paying but I don't like being conned... I don't want a job done for tuppence...on manu occasions I have told workmen that they have under charged for a job and I've insisted on giving them more. I just can't understand why I pay £20 for a top class plumber at home and £54 for one on the boat. I had the boat serviced last month, new batteries and all parts likely to give me problems his season to be repaired or replaced.

in Stoke area heading for harecastle tunnel and then macclesfield canal... can anyone suggest a plumber in this area ? I spoke to a boatyard we will pass tomorrow and they wanted £54 per hour plus VAt to look at it. Is it me getting old or does that seem a lot? All I want is a new radiator fitting to replace leaking bedroom radiator. 1000m x 600m standard 1.5 radiator but the problem is both pipes are at the bottom right hand side. Also need engineer ... this morning I started engine .. alternator alarm went off but instead of going off when i increased revs it just louder but stopped when I reduced to tick over. Left it on tick over for a few minutes and then increased revs and everything was fine. I am wondering if I have a problem I ought to have seen to because the new batteries have not been lasting between charges anywhere near the expected time.

one way hire is dearer because they need to get car back to depot.If you have access to car at other end of journey work out whether it is cost/time effective to go back to hire depot to return car. Anything that includes Sat. or Sun. is cheaper because they do not want unused cars sat in depot over a weekend

i don't think he's in the tax paying bracket yet... it would seem he pays all his own bus and train fares to get to where ever he's wanted! He just seems like a vulnerable adult with a love for helping out and filling his days. And re CRT missing revenue stream ... I have already suggested that if I could pre book a volunteer for certain flights then I would gladly pay.... they told me if I asked for help then they would send someone free of charge!.. It must be me ....I would just rather pay for a service rather than expect something for free.

Rob the lock now has business cards and was happily taking bookings on his mobile when we met him. It seems he is happy to go anywhere!

the other day I met "Rob the Lock" helping a single handed boater from Stoke top lock into Stone. We got talking whilst the lock was filling and he gave me a card with his number on for if I ever needed his help. It would appear that with the help of trains, buses, bike and legs he will go anywhere to help with locks or steering. I asked how much this service cost and was told nothing but some people give him a tip! The boater he was helping seemed really pleased with his help and I wondered if anyone else had used him. He was based in Stoke but had been all over the country and even took his own tent with him if he had to overnight.

we had a jogger elbow better half out of his way.... he fell and it was only sheer luck he didn't end up in the canal. He didn't even stop to see if he was ok.

For all it is worth, every time we have planned or ventured on to tidal waters we do several checks ... 1. we check with insurers.... 2 we check if a pilot available and we listen to all advice given.....3, we have boat serviced and fuel checked and cleaned if necessary. IF everything checks out and weather is appropriate then we go. If not we change course and take safe route back.

We once picked up a family with a young autistic girl .... she was brilliant and fascinated with everything .... especially the loo .. which she flushed every 2 minutes. but they loved it and she gave the biggest hug when we dropped them off. Worth every pound for the pump out. Some friends once said we were not proper boaters because we didn't do 28 hours a day... I just asked her how many cows, ducks and sheep had they rescued and how many families, walkers, foreign tourists had she had on board .... she looked at me as if I was talking a strange language. .... The cow didn't need saving - Dolly the sheep was totally ungrateful despite involving police, fire brigade, rspca, a man with artificial knee and 2 kids out on a bike ride .. the lovely Irish family that came out with us for the day .... shame we hadn't noticed the young lad was missing... we found him 2 hours later locked in the loo .the lock had broken! Now with husbands health problems I can't do this but I miss it and something is now missing from my cruising days/

does anyone know what happened to this "invention" and whether you can still buy it. I once saw it work, the guy was not single handed but his wife had severe health issues.... it worked a treat in the right circumstances. From memory it could also be connected to the bow thruster and to cover all occasions he had long rope with him.

I use the free canalplan to plan a journey alongside Pearsons for the back of the boat whilst travelling. I love Pearson because it's clearer to read when you are juggling the tiller whilst trying to see where you are. I also like the stories and bits of history. Just my opinion and I know "proper" boaters prefer Nicholson's ....I have finally converted husband and he finally agrees it doesn't matter where North is!

Thanks for all your help and recommendations

I have had smartbank for 10 years.. our problems were due to size of alternators ... too much charge going into domestic bank and boiling batteries. we now have agm and all seems well. I was told they use smartbank on ambulances and military vechiles but that didn>t make me feel better when we had all our intial problems.

cheers for your suggestions . Going to follow up on the leads on Monday. Thanks again Ann

We always ring Viking boat hire ... the 1st night used to be be free and the 2nd night used to be £5... it was safe and central for all our needs. Couple of years since we were there but we never had to worry about whether we would find a good mooring and I considered it good value.

cheers will look him up ... do you know where he is based.

Would appreciate recommendations for make of solar panels - I think I would prefer the flexible ones that you stick to boat roof . Also installers on Coventry or Trent and Mersey (anywhere between Hawkesbury and Stoke on Trent area). Budget (give or take) £1000. Basically we are a 240v boat, with tv, fridge, Waeco freezer and 12v lighting. Many thanks Ann Edited budget should have said £1500 - Thanks

we bought one from Shire Cruisers but we never used it ,so you are welcome to it for the cost of postage(awful feeling it may cost more to post than to buy but when i get new bathroom scales tomorrow I can weigh and cost for you)

I wasn't complaining about asking for donations ...I was complaining that AFTER I had donated they seem to have used the money to provide me with FREE gifts I had not asked for. And if all money from donations goes to the charity and no money is taken from the donation for admin or the cost of the gifts who pays for them? I would have paid for the book and the quack snack plus postage but that didn't seem to be an option. It doesn't matter if it is CRT or any other charity, if I give money I want it to make a difference and that doesn't mean writing to me to ask for more!

that's what they all say.... you send the £20 and then next time you go home you can't get through the door for all the letters you've sent telling me why I should waste another £20...So to be on the save side I'll keep my £20's for myself.... sorry Mike

Last night I was daft enough to apply for a free Waterside Quest book and Quack Snacks from CRT .... stupid of me but I thought my grandson would like it. Within minutes I had a call from them asking if they could just take up my time trying to get money from me before they sent the free gift. What i object to is how they use donations ....when they first started the friends of CRT I joined, paid £20 for 1st year donation and received a book and then a set of canal postcards and the a calendar and then I got fed up and de - friended myself. My point is I joined to help the trust and not to have all my donation wasted on free gifts and postage. The guy last night tried to tell me not one penny of donations goes in admin or to pay for the 'gifts' .....SO who pays the guy that rang me ....who pays for the postage for the unwanted 'thank you gifts' and who pays for the give aways? Sorry rant over.

I think what she probably did was same as me.........altered mobile phone before going to bed and forgot it actually updates itself .... resulting in loss of 2 hours sleep!

I just ignored them until they didn't work! Hoping these new ones turn out to be just as easy and hope the saying you get what you pay for turns out to be wrong in this instance because they were £240 cheaper than the last ones. Thanks for all your help.