Mike Adams

I think they should make all towpath moorings 48hrs only with exceptions for stoppages etc - It seems to work on the Wey and Basingstoke and then give everybody free say 4 scratch cards each year allowing for further stays of up to 14 days with additional cards available at extra cost on a scale. Of course this could all be done electronically as seems to be happening with parking.

Run the washing machine with the engine off. I think you will find that the inverter will cut out at about 10v so if the batteries can't hold it above 10v then they are not up to it.

You didn't say if it was 12v or 24v. If its 12v more like 200A given the efficiency of the inverter, shape of the waveform, voltage drops so the alternator is working almost into a short circuit. It won't last long! I don't think 300Ah is enough for that set up.

Doing up an old boat is usually a loss making and frustrating activity unless you have something special or historic. Lifeboats do not make for good conversions and you would still spend the same amount of money as fitting out a new purpose built narrowboat shell and probably more because of the complex shape. GRP cruisers such as Broom and Princess can be found at reasonable prices if you fancy going to sea otherwise ex broads grp cruisers say 36ft by 10 ft are the best bet for a project with enough room to live on and unlikely to have the problems of an old steel boat.

You are about 20 years too late! We had a great time in France on the canals and rivers, friendly people, low costs and uncrowded. It can get very cold in the winter and we never lived on board for more than 6 weeks at a time. Alas like Wandering Snail we knew our time was up due to that catastrophe in 2016. I'm too embarrassed to go anywhere in Europe flying a red duster now but if you really want to do it learn French get residency and buy a French registered boat but its going to cost you - I believe you even pay tax on the ownership of a boat.

I would say it hasn't helped but I blame weak CaRT and previous BW management for the current situation where there are far too many boats not using the canals for navigation but as a place to live without proper facilities and control. If I ever wanted to live on a boat then the first thing I would have done is found a proper residential mooring either by preferably purchasing one or renting. I know people say they need cheap housing but the extent and growth of larger boats, totally unnecessary for the purposes of cruising has gone a long way to spoiling the character of the canals. We seem to be reaching a point where many moored boats are a detriment to the character of the canals for all users including walkers, fishermen, canoeists and leisure boaters and exerting their newly acquired 'rights' over other users by obstructing the towpath and being abusive to other canal users. As one who have been involved with canal restoration for the last fifty years I am beginning to think that some of them were preferable in the derelict state.

Why not try Gallion Marine at Odiham on the Basingstoke Canal, they do short breaks and it is easy for the beginner as ther are few other boats, good pubs and countryside and an easy trip from London.

All very sad but unsuripsing. When we finaly left the French canals in 2018 partly because of the brexit vote and things had been getting quieter for a number of years especially if you were doing long distance loops. The Dutch boats seem to have stopped doing longer trips and the canals were getting quite weedy in places. On our last trip along the Canal de Bourgogne in 2014 I was told that it cost about 60,000euros for each boat that passed through the summit.

It will be interesting to see how it goes this time. I have never had a boat fail before and have found examiners comments extremely variable. I think the latest version of the regulations comes into force on the 1st April - perhaps they will lead to a more consistent approach. I shall need to read through them again carefully as there are some changes.

Thanks I have found a local one but I did note that the costs are going up on the last one! When I was on the BSS website I see that they were inviting applications to become BSS examiners but it seems the requirements for the course have gone up as well as the costs. Given the entry requirements, course fees etc maybe there is going to be a shortage of examiners.

He did mine last time but I don't think he is still working.

Both the previous BSC examiners I have used over the past few years seem to have packed it in. Any suggestions?

I think there was a previous thread about this where the boat didn't have a mooring or if it did there was no requirement to use it. after all any hire boat is likely to travel more than any other CCr.

I wonder how much you can charge for an Airbnb in London? Say £200 a night x200 nights is £40K. Pay £50k for an ex hire boat. Looks like a good business proposition especially if your not paying for a mooring.

I have never noticed if the winter moorings are residential or not. I assume that they are not since it would require planning permission which I don't think has been obtained by CaRT. So can you technically live on your boat at a winter mooring? I assumed they were just to leave your CC boat while you went off and did something else. If you take a winter mooring you are technically no longer CCing so the requirement is removed.

I don't know why CaRT put up with all this continuous cruising nonsense. Navigation is either for commercial use or Pleasure. I am sure that when the Idea arose CCing was invented for a group of people who could afford to go pleasure cruising continuously. When I started cruising some 50 years ago the idea that you would stay in one place more than 24 hours unless there was a stoppage or a Rally seemed unusual. You generally wanted to explore as much of the system as you could and a 9 hour day was normal and I remember working down from Farmers Bridge to below Hatton in one long day. You were always on a journey. Of course working around London was two days as the only safe mooring was Little Venice. If CaRT want to turn the canals into low cost housing they might as well get on with it, provide proper facilities and charge for moorings and give houseboats some security.

These pumps were originally manufactured by VOAC(Volvo) but now by Parker Hydraulics Ltd. Look for a label on the pump such as F11 -39 or F12 -60. The second figure is the cc's of fluid per revolution of the shaft. So for example if you want the propshaft to turn at 1000rpm you need a flow rate of say 1000 x 39cc which is 39 litres a minute - quite a lot! Do you have any of the other hydraulic components such as the pump to go on the engine, oil tank or control valve? If not you may be best sticking with the outboard. New F11 type pumps are about £2k depending on size but you can pick them up on ebay from time to time. These systems were often fitted by a company called ARS who are still operating. Sometimes complete systems appear for sale as they were widely used on hire craft on the Broads or Thames.

Yes it is possible but likely to be extremely expensive and inefficient. You have a Parker fixed displacement pump on the propshaft so the only alternative to reinstating a diesel engine and Parker pump might be to find a hydraulic power pack consisting of an engine and pump if you could find one of the right size. Looking at the arrangement of the boat I would consider working out if the original hydraulic system is usable(clean and not at all rusty). Almost any engine diesel or petrol/gas could drive the pump and be located anywhere. Remember these hydraulic components are very very expensive compared to a normal drive. It doesn't look like a normal engine/gearbox would fit but maybe you could use a v drive gearbox?

These are the type of lifts. 4 up for auction on bidspotter. Currently £1800. 7.2 tons each so would lift most narrowboats!

Yesterday saw the launch of the Canal and River Trust’s new Improper Mooring process. It will be applied where a boat is moored in a way that affects safety or impedes other boaters or waterway users. Incidents of improper mooring will be recorded by the Trust’s Licence Support Team. Initially, a letter will be sent to the boat owner highlighting the problem. The boater will also receive a booklet including extracts from the Trust’s boat licence terms & conditions, bye-laws, the Navigation Rules, and Boaters’ Handbook to help them understand how they can moor more appropriately. If a boater does not address their inappropriate mooring, the process will allow the Trust to take action that could ultimately result in the revocation of the boater’s licence. The charity regularly receives feedback from boaters about craft that are poorly moored, blocking facilities, or making it unsafe for boats to navigate. The Trust is addressing the problem by promoting more considerate mooring and shared use of the waterways, letting those who are moored inappropriately know there is a problem, and ultimately acting against persistent rule-breakers.

They have a fixed hoist which lifts the boat up and sideways onto a rather fancy remote controlled trailer which takes it into the shed. Inside they have a number of mobile lifts like half a car lift which can lift the boat up above the trailer and you can walk under the boat, the trailer can be removed and the lifts re positioned easily to allow all areas to be worked on and the height easily changed . Makes most yards look very out dated. Roller shutter doors can then be closed.

If you could I would book in at Debdale. They do an excellent job and my 62ft was about 5k including zinc spraying and some minor repairs. Takes a week when you will need to be off the boat but they keep the muck off the boat and as its done inside not weather dependant. I have not seen anywhere else where there is a proper setup and having it done outside means you are always subject the weather. Given the cost I would be cautious of some providers and Debdale give a guarantee. If you are fit a week should get you to Debdale from London. Ther is no public transport from Debdale so bikes or taxi is required.

I offer a few tips being based on the Basingstoke Canal for twenty five years. The canal in deep in the middle and generally shallow at the banks. It is possible to navigate normally with a draught of 3 feet without having any problems. So expect to have to use a plank except at wharfs. The main issue is working the locks. Ther are four flights on the canal and if you have any sort of draught make sure the pounds are full before you proceed going up. The cills are easily damaged and this has led to the BCA recommending a maximum draught of 2' 8". Any boat can damage a cill if the water level is too low. Do not stop or try to moor above or below a lock with the exception of the top and bottom of a flight. One person should steer the boat and another work the locks going straight from one to another when the next lock is ready. A bicycle is best. Watch out for low bridges some of which headroom varies from end to end. In summer keep a look out for paddleboards and wild swimmers at the far end

The Basingstoke is well worth a visit but be prepared to follow the published lock opening times which are neccessary due to water and lock control. Like the Wey they are nervous about liveaboard boaters and 48 hours in one location is the normal limit. Both waterways monitor your location so you are always on the radar! Spring is the best time to visit as weed can be a serious issue for some boats.

If you don't want to read through 160 pages it is 7.12.2 Guidance for owners - where, during a tightness test undertaken using a suitable pressure gauge (Appendix C), a regulator is found not to lock-up within industry recommended tolerances owners are guided to have the regulator tested by a Gas Safe registered LPG in boats installer. Replacement regulators should incorporate a means of protecting the downstream pipework and appliances from overpressure in the event of regulator malfunction. It is recommended that regulators over 10 years old should be replaced