Bacchus

They must really be scratching their heads wondering why the cycle-tracks are called "towpaths"

I am not aware of any specific Dutch steel forums (would be interested to hear if you come across one), and I don't know how the admins here feel about mentioning other sites, but the forums at, what my son used to call Y Bother Working (Yachting and Boating World) cover a lot of inland and coastal stuff. It's easy enough to see that some members here are members there too...

I would probably be looking for at least a hundred horses for that sort of use. I had the Ford that @Alan de Enfield mentioned above in my last Dutch steel cruiser (a 36' De Groot) which was very well balanced for that sort of usage. I have just bought a Linssen with a 100 horse Volvo (TMD31) which is a very sweet unit. I cruise mainly tidal and non-tidal Thames, but am planning on going a bit further in the Linssen. Engine make isn't the be-all and end-all choice, most well maintained diesels will give fairly good service, but some seem to be better reputed than others. Personally I would try to avoid early mercruisers or Mercedes, but you can still get excellent examples of either. If you find something you are interested in, I am fairly certain that there will be someone on this forum who can give you specific advice, but I would say look for the boat you like first. "10 to 15m" covers a VERY wide range of boats, from pocket cruisers like my Linssen to sizeable little ships.

I would say that a suitable mooring can be harder to find than a decent boat, especially in the small cruiser market. Leeds and Liverpool is a "broad" canal, so you would have plenty of choice of vessel, and you will get some good advice on this forum, and in the marina, and I know plenty of single females who can handle a boat (likewise males). It's one of those things - when you can't do it, you can't do it. When you can, you can. There's a bit in between where there is a fairly steep learning curve, but even when you've been doing it for years there's always something to learn, and always plenty of opportunities to make a fool of yourself. Go for it. It's a wonderful lifestyle choice, IMHO.

What are you going to use the boat for? Pumping around in fast tidal streams would suit a different engine from footling around on inland waterways in the summer. twin Lehmans? Terrific engine (especially if they've had the injector sump conversion...)

Surely we can beat these AI beggars at their own game? I asked ChatGPT “How would a moderator detect generated content on an internet forum” The response was:- Detecting generated content on an internet forum, such as content generated by automated bots or AI models like GPT-3, can be challenging but important for maintaining the integrity and quality of the forum. Here are some techniques and strategies a moderator can use to identify generated content: Review User Profiles: Check the user profile for suspicious activity, such as a high volume of posts in a short amount of time or a lack of personal information. Look for signs of automation, like generic usernames or profile pictures. Check for Repetitive Patterns: Analyze the content for repetitive or formulaic patterns. Generated content often follows a template or lacks the nuances of human language. Unusual Behavior: Look for unusual behavior, such as posting at odd hours consistently or posting the same content across multiple threads or forums. Inconsistent Responses: Ask questions or engage the user in a way that requires a deeper understanding of the topic. Automated responses may struggle to provide coherent or contextually appropriate answers. Language and Grammar: Evaluate the quality of language and grammar in posts. AI-generated content might have occasional grammatical errors, unusual phrasing, or overly complex language. Content Quality: Assess the quality of the content. If it's excessively generic, vague, or doesn't contribute meaningfully to the discussion, it could be generated content. Reverse Image Search: If the user is posting images, perform a reverse image search to check if the images have been reused from the internet. Check for Plagiarism: Use plagiarism detection tools to see if the content has been copied from other sources, including AI-generated text. Monitor Posting Frequency: Keep an eye on how frequently a user is posting. Bots and AI models can post at a much higher rate than humans. Use AI Detection Tools: There are AI-based tools and services available that can help moderators identify generated content. These tools can analyze text and patterns to flag potentially automated posts. Community Reporting: Encourage forum members to report suspicious content. Users can often spot generated content based on their experience. Compare Against Known Models: Some moderators may be familiar with common AI models used for content generation, like GPT-3.5. They can compare content against the output of these models to identify similarities. Manual Review: Ultimately, a moderator may need to manually review content that is suspected to be generated. This can be time-consuming but is often necessary for accurate detection. Remember that while these techniques can help detect generated content, no method is foolproof. A combination of human judgment and automated tools is often the most effective approach to maintain the quality and authenticity of an internet forum. Additionally, it's essential to have clear forum rules and guidelines in place to discourage the use of automated content generation and ensure a healthy online community. Am I now part of the problem???

He couldn't find it in the manual. He had to phone home to the BSS central, but they're obviously going to err on the side of caution. He only questioned it because he saw a for-sale sign on the boat and was worried that a surveyor might not agree. The annoying thing is that there is no cock at the bottom of the fuel tank (which, personally, I would say is more of a safety issue?), so I will have to find someone who can drain the fuel turning a ten-pound job into a two-hundred pound job. C'est la vie. "Bring Out Another Thousand".

Mine told me £200 including VAT on the phone but has just invoiced me for £211. He was an hour late and took half an hour to fail it on a slightly kinked balance pipe between the fuel tanks...

I would happily pay that if the information was available online; paper guides have their place, but are out of date the minute they're printed, and are not as easily searched as a database

Ta, I will try that... Edit - reported my own post 🙂

Can this be merged with the 7-page thread we had on it recently? https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/119056-boating-etiquette

As one child of the sixties to another... I don't think you can put a number on age... I "semi-retired" a few years ago and have more time for exercise, more time for healthy eating, and less stress; I feel the youngest I have felt in twenty years. Quite happy to single hand my boat all day every day, but I am Thames based, I think it's easier than the canals (usually, obviously it has its own issues when in spate, but I know it fairly well) friends of mine have just gone off on their boat for a (Thames) cruise both aged 79. I was part of a small group which took a party of visiting Americans out last weekend. One of their number, a seemingly agile chap in his late sixties jumped from the quay --against the instructions of the skipper-- onto the swim platform of the small cruiser in front of me. Only a couple of feet, but he landed awkwardly and fell into the river. The screams of pain as they hoiked him out were because, as it turned out, he had broken a femur in two places. Proud of the NHS - the ambulance was there within minutes, and not, as they would stateside, asking for his credit card or medical insurance before treating him, but filling him with morphine and getting him to a hospital. Skipper says the screams will still haunt his waking hours... So how old is too old? Only you will know, but as you get more brittle, take fewer risks...!

HS2 link rated 'unachievable' So... nope.

It's Dawncraft of Wroxham - a completely different company from Dawncraft the narrow GRP builders, and the DC30 is certainly not a narrow-beam. Yes, Broom hull, and a very excellent one too - the DCs were fitted by Broom, Dawncraft, and Aquafibre, probably amongst the best of the single-level cruisers but the OP seems to know better.

Cheap Broads-style cruiser project on the Duck at the moment @W+T https://www.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/dawncraft-dc30-for-sale/739251 I quite like the DC30s, they have a cute "face". And the hull must be one of the most versatile ever moulded, used in the (ubiquitous) Broom 30, Broom Skipper, and the Dawncraft/Aquafibre/Broom DC30. One of my neighbours has a 30 which has crossed the channel a number of times as a support boat with the ADSL and navigated a huge portion of the French Canals. Don't know whether it has a weed-hatch though...

I was thinking more train - I had a contract in Swindon when I lived in Henley and did the journey for a year or so. Maybe an eBike to get to the station? Or something like a Brompton to take to use at the other end? Life is at the moment. I don't know many people who aren't suffering (apart from a handful of minted "boomers" who are relishing the interest rates on their vast savings...) There are also good ("blind eye"?) moorings at Lechlade - I looked at a barge there earlier in the year. which is only half an hour's drive from Swindon. I am not going to repeat all the "don't CC on the Thames or K&A" arguments, but I strongly feel that the OP would be better off looking at a mooring for living and then cruising for pleasure. The area and choice of craft are simply not conducive to the CC lifestyle, and anyway it isn't cruising - he already said it's to live and work in a fixed area

Reading to Swindon is an easy commute - somewhere like Thames and Kennet Marina might suit? A lot less hassle than trying to CC an aircraft carrier, but you could still take it out and annoy people at the weekends? Or for the whole summer?

You can see a hand pop out and give him a slap just before he comes off the scooter. good policing; I will wager they live for days like that.

Presumably so that if your fish struggle you can kick it.

I wouldn't want outdrives on a canal boat for the reasons already cited. My Bounty had a weed-hatch, so some of them definitely come with that option. Also - the sliding wheelhouses might be lovely in the summer (if they still work, a lot of them are quite old and knackered now) but the "big sunroof" versions will be easier to insulate

A friend of mine has lived on one of the single-level, Frank Wildes versions for years very comfortably. Mind you he is on a residential mooring with boats either side so he raised the roof by a foot for headroom and insulation, did away with all the side-windows, put a double-glazed panoramic window in the bow and stuck a double-glazed wheelhouse over the after-deck (with forward tilted windows, creating what he described as the world's first broads trawler 🤣) so probably not really relevant to a CCer, but I do see many live-aboard versions going up and down so it's do-able. I had a Bounty 44 which was very comfortable for cruising in winter, but not sure that I would like to have lived on it 24/7

True, but I had a lot of fun in Reading with a little Viking 20 at the end of the garden. If you live by the waterway, you only really need a day-boat or weekender for going shopping or to the pub...