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Hotspur

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Everything posted by Hotspur

  1. Apologies for reviving an old thread; I find it better that creating a new thread that follows a similar question. .….. On this basis, do syndicates tend to keep minutes of their AGMs? Usually, but access to them is likely to be limited to owners. Also, what is the policy about letting family members etc use the boat? The syndicate agreement will often require users to be named on a schedule as authorised users. Some may also require the owner to be onboard at all times and/or authorised users to show evidence of their experience of handling narrowboat. When the boat is handed from one owner to the other, in the way hire car companies do, do shareholders tend to do a visual inspection and note down any defects etc they find, reporting them before the weeks cruising begins? It is usually expected that the previous user leaves the boat clean and tidy inside and out, fuelled, watered and pumped out. Minor repairs/paint touch up etc. are often undertaken by the owners. Defects should be noted. Managed schemes have handover/turn around forms for this purpose. I have been an owner with two managed syndicates and it has worked for me with 4+ weeks each year. You must however accept that personal items/bedding have to be transported to and from the boat each time. When considering a share think about when you would like your weeks. One per season or two weeks in the summer and then one in spring/autumn and one winter? Can you be flexible? Also consider how weeks are allocated each year, list/draw/fixed or other system. Each syndicate can be different even with a management co. involved. More details of managed schemes can be found on the BCBM, Carefree Cruising and other websites.
  2. The two gents on it were Dutch on this occasion. I chatted to them as they came through Watford Locks on Monday. They are indeed father and son and Dutch nationals. Interestingly, they are both commercial ship masters.
  3. I was at Watford Locks on the Leicester Line today. The flight is clear and the canal above went from 1/2” of ice all the way across to clear over 5 hours. There are still some patches still to clear on the canal but I expect these to be clear by Tuesday morning.
  4. Hotspur

    1985

    I hired from Bijou Line in Penkridge circa 1980 and still have and use one of their souvenir mugs.
  5. It has been written into legislation for decades now that where a price for goods or services is displayed or quoted to consumers then the price displayed/quoted must include VAT. In a business to business transaction stating plus the appropriate rate of VAT is allowed and is standard practice.
  6. A few boats managed to get through today, Friday. Fully open again on Saturday 5th as planned. March hours are open at 9.30; last boat 14.45. Flight locked at 15.30. Arrive well before 14.45 if you need to get through on the same day
  7. All seems to be on time for the Saturday 5th opening. I’ll be up there on Friday and will update the @WatfordLocks Twitter account first if it is likely to change.
  8. The worst case scenario at this time of year, if you were unlucky to arrive at the bottom just as the direction swaps in the staircase with a boat going up, the wait would be circa 60 - 90 minutes. Having said that few boats are moving in Feb compared to Easter onwards so any wait is likely to be a lot less. There could be extra traffic on the 26th Feb as the flight reopens after a winter stoppage. Stoppage notice
  9. Update 27/10/2021 16:33 Emergency works are required to repair the excessive wear to the bottom gate heel post at Lock 14. The navigation will on be closed on the 3rd of November, to allow the affected gate to be removed and repaired off site. The navigation will remain closed until the 10th of November when the gates will be re-installed. During lifting operations, the towpath may need to be closed temporarily for safety. Please follow the instructions of the on-site personnel. We apologise for any inconvenience.
  10. Reopened with assisted passage. Update on 19/10/2021: Please note the lock flight is only open to narrowboats as only one gate is operational. Please see details below. Widebeam passage will not be available until a permanent fix to the other gate. Update on 19/10/2021: UPDATE The lock flight at Stoke Bruerne is open from 10am todaymanaged by our team of volunteers. Please be patient as operations will be slower than normal to protect the temporary arrangement for the lower gates. Please follow the guidance from the Lock keeping team, helping to keep the flight operational. Update on 18/10/2021: UPDATE The gate has now been secured in a closed position, which means with care the lock is now functional for narrowboats until a more permanent repair can be implemented. To protect the gate the lock will be manned 10am-3pm to facilitate passage. Customers ascending the flight will need to be past lock 15 before 2.45pm. The lock remains under review as safety for all is paramount.
  11. Update on 16/10/2021: We have attempted an assisted passage through the lock with a trade boat known to the Trust this morning with a view of assessing whether or not it would be safe to continue offering assisted passage through the rest of the weekend but unfortunately it has been deemed not safe to do so. The condition of the heel post has deteriorated to the point where the water turbulence coming through the gate makes passage to dangerous. Our engineers are looking for a temporary fix solution and we expect a further update during Monday 25th October.
  12. Due to a failure (excessive wear on the heel behind the collar on the lower gates at the Top Lock 14) the Stoke Bruerne flight has been closed ufn. CRT Notice here
  13. There are a number of stoppages scheduled for the Leicester Line starting 8th November which could have a bearing on your decision. Foxton and Watford are currently open between 10am and 4pm (last boat entry at 3.15)
  14. The chargeback facility, as I posted above, is much simpler and free.
  15. Adventurer, As the broker has in effect cancelled the agreement and no longer wishes to deal with you then IMO you are entitled to a refund of your deposit. If the broker is unwilling to do this then I suggest you contact your debit card issuer and ask them to commence a chargeback for the transaction. This facility is time limited so best to start it ASAP if you’re unable to get the refund direct from the broker. Chargeback info link
  16. Sounds like The Folly can be hit or miss. Pre COVID I enjoyed going there. Visited twice this month. Beer and service was good but I found the food poor and portions small for the price. I wasn’t impressed with the ‘take away’ box and plastic cutlery either. Unless you can get inside the marquee it can get cold in the evenings this time of year. By contrast my two visits to The Wharf at Fenny were better than expected based on past reports I have read. The hand pumped beers were well kept and good quality food served on plates! I think the Folly needs to up its game.
  17. An inflatable mattress is likely to be cold when the ambient temperature falls. A better solution for comfort is a good quality self inflating sleeping mat, at least 5cm thick. I have used an Alpkit one for 5+ years when camping and no longer get cold when the temperature falls. It can also be used as a spare bed if/when guests stop over. ETA: My mat is Similar to these
  18. If you cancel then you will lose your deposit and other monies as per the contract terms and conditions. If the hire company cancels then the situation is more complicated and the terms and conditions on cancellation will apply as well as UK law. This advice from Martin Lewis is pretty good. I guess you booked direct and, if so, you can ignore the package holiday section and scroll down to the section about holiday cottages which is appropriate in this instance.
  19. From the local paper Northampton Chronicles Report
  20. Shardlow to Stoke on BBC East Mids, Sowerby to Manchester on BBC N West
  21. My apologies, I jumped the gun by a day I think. It is indeed a return to summer hours. Foxton will still be locked overnight, Watford will be left unlocked.
  22. I have been informed that restrictions have been lifted and flights at Foxton and Watford will no longer be locked (until the next drought). I believe restrictions at Buckby and Braunston may also have been lifted.
  23. To answer your second question. The GDPR apply to businesses and organisations not to private individuals.
  24. At staircase locks it is one way traffic. Simplistically, assuming a passage is 20 minutes through the staircase if you did 1 up 1 down 1 up it would take 60 minutes. 3 boats down would take 20 minutes +10 +10 ( 10 minutes for each additional boat in same direction) = 40 minutes thus saving 20 minutes. Multiply that throughout a day and it adds up.
  25. Hi all, I’m one of the Monday VLK team at Watford and we share your frustration of waiting and queues however 2 hours + isn’t unusual at this time of year. Part of the current problem is that boats are ‘locked out’ of the flight from the previous day which means a queue from the start which has to be cleared first. There’s no policy on the number of boats up/down which is generally based on the time of arriving at the top/bottom. For example, on Monday we started the day with 4 going down and then 7 going up (using the pounds between locks 1 and 3 to ‘stack’ two boats). Luckily few boats were going down that day. Wouldn’t it be great if 3 boats arrived at 1 hour intervals alternating between top and bottom ? One of our key roles is to manage the queue and be as fair as possible to all with the aim of getting everyone through by the end of our shift. Currently though it isn’t unusual for boats arriving at say 1.30pm to not get through. This is regrettable and none of us want to refuse entry but it happens. As was mentioned by johnmck there does seem to be a reluctance on the part of some boaters to help others in emptying/filling locks to smooth/speed the passage of others (perhaps that is a reflection of the society of today) but for those that do assist it it most welcome. As luck would have it we cleared all boats through the flight on Monday with none ‘locked out’. Long may it continue and we hope that rain comes so we can extend the hours again. I’ll put my tin hat on now ?
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