cuthound

Hmm, sounds like you are well on the way to becoming a canalcoholic...

Prices have definitely softened a bit in the last two years from the post covid peak.

That is my point, in pound terms, as opposed to true inflation adjust values, boats do not depreciate in the longer term, unlike most other things. £20k seems over optimistic for anything but a perfect example of an old Springer in the current climate.

Traditionally yes, but can easily be adapted to hold the tiller over to one side or other.

If you look at the actual price paid (in pounds) for a boat when new, and look again decades later it is often similar. For example Springers were around £10k when new in the late 70's and early 80's and go for similar values today.

I did the same, after I had the last two BSS inspections, and the inspector (who is also a surveyor) suggested my insured value was too low. Being over insured will only cost you a higher premium, but being under insured is likely to result in any claim being reduced by the percentage that the boat was under valued.

Tiller strings?

I live in a village on the outskirts of Tamworth. a 2 minute walk to miles of open countryside.

I don't think so. My postcode begins B for Birmingham, car crime capital of the UK, yet my premiums are very low, because I live in a quiet village.

That'll teach you not to take photos when you should be steering...

On the rare occasions I give hand signals I point to myself, then put an arm out in the direction I intend to go and if that isn't sufficient I point to them and then give an arm signal pointing in the direction I want them to go. Still doesn't work every time though.

I'm surprised that Fogstar don't specify the torque setting for these bolts.

Perhgaps the lock has narrowed? I did the entire flight breasted to another boat in 2001 and nothing went "horribly wrong".

We traversed the Cain Hill flight by tying our boat to another, thus allowing one person to steer both and releasing more crew to go ahead setting the locks as well as operating the one the boats were in.

Yet the water companies receive income from these new connections which should be used to invest in more infrastructure.

Build more reservoirs and water treatment plants?

Talking of playing "chicken", yesterday as I was approaching a bridge, there was a canoe quite a bit further away from the other side of the bridge. The canoeist moved to the left side of the canal and out of my sight, so I assumed he was giving way to me. As I was about a boat length from the bridge I caught a glimpse of a paddle down the side of my boat. The canoeist had accelerated to nip through the bridge ahead of me and I hadn't seen him because he was in the blind spot directly ahead of my boat. I slammed the boat into reverse and managed to avoid squashing him against the bridge by inches. The canoeist then started to shout at me to look where I was going and seemed more than a bit surprised when I said there is a huge blind spot directly ahead of a narrow boat, that he should give way to other boats when they are clearly closer to the bridge than him and who did he think would come of worst in the event of him colliding with a 16 tonne steel boat? Perhaps it is time for all boaters to have to pass a competence test before being given a licence for their boat?

Interesting, before the advent of 6 yearly oil changes (unless the manufacturers recommended oil changes hours had been reached) based on oil analysis, BT used to change the oil annually but not the filter, again unless the manufacturers recommended oil changes hours had been reached, because most engines took years to reach the number of hours that the manufacturer recommended oil and filter changes. However one big difference between a BT standby generator diesel engine and a boat diesel engine was that the BT engines used thermostatic crankcase heaters to maintain the coolant and lube oil at temperatures close to the normal operating temperatures, to allow the generator to pick up.to 100% rated load within 30 seconds of receiving a start signal.

This is my hearth for my Kabola Old Dutch oil stove. The base is a cut down shower tray, edged in ash and covered with slate. It acts as a bund should the stove ever leak oil.

No problem.

I knew that. I was making a poor attempt at humour.

The Kraken Wakes?

Can't remember the name of the other pub at Hartshill. @David Floyd has included the Sammy Barlow on his map already.

From memory a few more canalside pubs on the Coventry: The Anchor at Hartshill. The Kings Head Atherstone The Three Tuns Fazeley Junction The Plough Huddlesford.