Lily Rose
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Posts posted by Lily Rose
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Save even more space, get a good old fashioned galvanised pail. Bucket & chuckit, then store the pail in a cupboard.
Also no need to worry whether or not Braunston Elsan is blocked (yet again).
Even more space saving... ditch the bucket and moor up somewhere with plentiful bushes for use as an outdoor cludgie.
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You can cheat. The length of the thread, the gap between the marks, and the distance from the bottom mark to the bottom of the stick are all more or less the same. So, use the dipstick like the Hurth but use the bottom of the stick and the bottom mark
Using engine oil may well be your problem
Richard
My PRM 120 is currently using engine oil. When I asked the man from RCR if I should replace it with ATF (as per current PRM guidance) he said I should stick with whatever is currently in there which he then confirmed was engine oil and still in good condition.
Should I be concerned about this advice?
He did mention something about a recent problem when engine oil was replaced with ATF in a PRM but I don't remember the details.
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You're right Richard. Only this morning I noticed that the main stem of the wysteria in our back garden was probably 1/3rd as large again as it was back in April, and the main plant has almost doubled in size this year.
I really fancy having a go at some of the overgrowth I've encountered on the boat myself, but as it's almost all on the opposite side to the towpath, I wonder if I might be treading on dodgy ground as I assume it berlongs to the landowner rather than C&RT?
Incidentally, both C&RT Customer Services and the SE region have responded to me now, and I'm awaiting details of what, if anything, they're going to be doing.
If your neighbour's vegetation overhangs your garden you are entitled to cut it back.
I would assume the same applies when a landlord's vegetation overhangs the canal.
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Whats the place on the north oxford, just before Hawkesbury, private club for GRP type boats, i know its not in rugby but its only a short drive and gives you more options for weekend trips!
Isn't that Coventry Cruising Club? Wykern Arm
http://www.wilderness.org.uk/2011/04/hawkesbury-junctionnorthern-oxford
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And based on Tony Brooks of this forum's training courses.
RCR also do a "show you how to service your own bost" course on your own boat. It lasts around 4 hours, costs £150 plus parts and I can thoroughly recommend it.
It was £150 last year. This year, unfortunately, it has gone up to £170.
I know because mine is booked for next week.
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You looked like you had been boating for ever
Richard
Good, that's the impression I like to give!
Mind you, in a way we have. Before buying we hired 5 times over the years starting with cruisers on the Broads in 1976 and the Thames in 1978.
As we will have owned the boat a year by next Sunday I was earlier working out how much use we've made of it in the first 12 months. It turns out we have been to the boat 18 times (fortunately we only live an hour away in Abingdon - looking forward to taking the boat there next year after getting a 2017 gold licence) and have spent just over 90 nights on board, roughly half of which have been away from the marina.
Only 180 engine hours though, I like nice relaxing easy days, often just a few hours cruising and then a bit of chilling out.
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Yes, it was good to see you. I had completely forgotten about this thread when we met
Richard
Such a brief meeting though as you went whizzing by (not suggesting you were speeding though and I was properly moored up anyway). I was relaxing in a chair on the bank in fine weather whilst MrsB was making her final "face the world" preparations before we cast off for the final leg of our journey back to Calcutt before the heavens opened.
Perhaps next time I spot you (though that was the first time in almost a year since buying the boat) we'll have time to chat. I assume you must pass that way fairly frequently though so I'll keep a lookout.
Sean
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That trip is now done and dusted for us and we're back home now, at least until Tuesday when we go back for another trip with two grandsons aged 10 and 12 (their first time so they're pretty excited).
We went through three tunnels (Braunston, Crick and Husbands Bosworth) and two lock staircases (Watford and Foxton, all in both directions. No tunnel mishaps, passed 1 or 2 boats in each tunnel but made no contact with any of them. The same cannot be said of the tunnel walls but the paintwork and new blacking seemed to come out fairly unscathed as far as I can tell.
Foxton locks were busy (Sunday down, Thursday back up) and entailed a wait in the middle on the way down and an almost 2 hour wait to come back up. Lots of questions, and some help, from the gongoozlers. I did all the paddles and the Mrs did the boat-moving, despite some trepidation due to the audience. All went well though.
We spent 3 nights on the Market Harborough Arm, including one night in the basin for £10. Fish and chips at Blue Waves in MH were excellent but we were sadly unable to try The Beerhouse as it was closed the 1st day and didn't open until 6 the 2nd day, by which time we had left.
We also spent 1 night moored near the Wharf Inn at the end of the Welford Arm. Very good value meal there, with extremely quick service, for £6 each at lunchtime plus £3 for dessert. The ale was none too shabby either, a choice of 4 IIRC.
On the way back I spotted, and said hello to, RLWP as he passed by us, moored near Flecknoe, on Tawny Owl.
On the last day (last Thursday) we got back through Calcutt Locks and into the marina late morning about an hour before some very heavy rain. Thanks to the BBC Weather Forecast for providing an accurate forecast, based on which I adjusted my timings to ensure we weren't passing through the locks in a downpour.
I didn't want to come home at the end, after 18 nights, but at least we get to go back again a few days later, albeit for a much shorter time and trip.
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A vintage year!
I would most definitely agree with that. I bet I´m the youngest 1955er on here though.
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Following Gazza's suggestion I decided that, for the benefit of other forumites, I would adopt the trial and error approach and have fish and chips in all five(?) chippies in MH in the one day we were in town.
I decided to start with Blue Wave in Coventry Road. I had to wait a few minutes for the cod to be cooked. It therefore tasted very freshly cooked and with beautifully crisp batter.
It was also huge!
And therein lies the problem. I was so stuffed by the time I had finished that I was unable to go on even to chippie no 2, let alone 4 more.
I am afraid my research remains incomplete so while I feel I can recommend Blue Wave I am unable to confirm whether or not it is the best in town.
Sorry, I feel I have let future boating visitors to MH down due to my inability to eat more and my unwillingness to stay 4 more days to try the others.
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Market Harborough 'spoons is one of the better ones.
Ditch your apps and Internet and use a good old fashioned trial and error approach.
Despite popular belief all the answers to the world's problems are not found on the internet.
I will admit It's a bit strange to say I hate the way the world is going on an internet forum, but in my defence I do moan like buggery to real people about it too
Well I would try a trial and error approach if we were going to be here a few weeks but as it's one day I can´t really think that will work unless I have 5 meals tomorrow, all of them being fish and chips!
Oh and I did try a non-internet approach by walking into town and asking three separate sets of locals for their opinions.
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Now it's cooled down a bit I've been on a bit of a recce in advance of our trip into town tomorrow. My walking app (Runkeeper) told me it was just over half a mile to the church in the town centre but uphill on the way back lugging the shopping. Or there is the option of a bus from the square to the police station which is only a couple of minutes walk (if you walk like me! Unfortunately MrsB doesn't) round the corner from Union Wharf.
I asked a few locals, as none of the chippies had queues, and the one that got most mentions was Blue Wave in Coventry Road.
I also found the Beer house situated right behind St Marys chippie.
Bombshell!
They're closed today (Tuesday) and don't open till 6 tomorrow by which we will be Foxton bound.
Looks like it will have to be Blue Wave and a pint in the Wetherspoons I noticed round the corner, assuming they've got anything worth drinkingthat is. Hmmm, I wonder if their fish and chips are any good?
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When you go to beer house there is a chippy right in front of it. Beer house allow you to eat takeaways inside & provide plates, cutlery etc. Bit of a win win! It's st Mary's chippy I think.
Cheers
Gareth
Brilliant!
Hope that's one of the better ones.
If no-one is able to provide a steer then I'll probably chance it given the win win situation.
Cheers.
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Don't know about chish & fips but there is a cracking micropub, with micro brewery attached, in MH. Good WiFi and dog friendly but not open on Mondays.
Beerhouse, 76B St Marys Rd. LE16 7DX. Into town from the basin and turn left.
Seem to remember there were a number of fast food outlets nearby too.
Hope this helps.
Thanks, I was planning on looking for that tomorrow as one of the Foxton lockies mentioned it to me on Sunday.
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Sounds like a good idea... but to do that means finding where they all are (at least 5 of them I think according to Google) then traipsing around all of them in this heat (not that I'm complaining about the heat, we've waited long enough for it and, who knows, these few days might turn out to have been the summer for 2016) before going back to the one with longest queue. By which time they may have closed until the evening (by which time we will have left).Go to the one with the longest queue of locals.
Keep those suggestions coming please, there must be many forumites who are familiar with this lovely town. At least I've heard it's lovely but haven't been yet as tomorrow's weather looks like being a bit more conducive to walking.
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Following on from an earlier thread of mine re Braunston Tunnel I have now been through my first long tunnel (Braunston) followed by my 2nd and 3rd (Crock and Hubby Bos) and my first two staircases (Watford and Foxton) and am now at Union Wharf for the night.
Having a great time so far and all has so far passed without incident other than losing small amounts of my brand new blacking. We have taken a week to get here at a very leisurely pace and plan on an even more leisurely two weeks for the return.
At long last I am getting close to my question.
I had a long chat with the nice lady business owner in the office here but failed to ask her which fish and chip shop to go to in Market Harborough when we walk into town tomorrow. I hadn't realised there were so many and Trip Advisor et al were of little help.
For my benefit, and that of future boaters researching Market Harborough on here, can anyone advise which to go for and which to avoid at all costs please?
Thanks very much.
Sean
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Is that Watford, if so go and find the lock keeper as soon as you arrive, He notes the boat name and that is the order you go up in, so if you mess around at the bottom and two following boaters walk up ahead and find him you will be back of the queue.
Edit
Don't go into the bottom lock until you have his/her OK to do so.
It is indeed. Thanks for that advice. I'm planning to do just that tomorrow morning as I read that advice in an old thread recently.
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I find this too. I'm trying to come up with a way of illuminating the roof and walls at the front and back that doesn't blind a boater as they pass alongside
And well done! These may be only small challenges, they are still challenges and need to be celebrated when you complete them
Richard
I bought one of these to keep on the boat, plus a cigar lighter plug, and pointed it up and right from the stern.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00UV2JVQ6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And one of these solar/PIR ones for the house, but borrowed it for the boat, and pointed it up and left.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B015OH2EVG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Neither were as bright as the tunnel light but they were easily good enough. The solar one frequently cut out, until I put my finger over the PIR, so I'll cover the PIR with black tape for the next tunnel.
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I thought everyone would be relieved, I could almost sense the concern and anticipation. Next will be my first lock staircase.
Oh no! I wasn't told to look out for a ghost. I may have missed it when I was concentratin hard on spotting the kinks before reaching them, a task at which I failed miserably.
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Done!
We went through Braunston locks this morning, mooring for lunch just above the top lock (plentiful armco moorings with only one other boat) at 12.30. No boats went past in an hour and then 2 in the next half hour. We went into an empty tunnel at 2.10 and then out at 2.30 having passed 1 boat a few hundred yards before the end. We both hugged our walls and made no contact with each other.
I had plenty of light pointing at the roof, in addition to the tunnel light, and this very helpful in avoiding disorientation.
Thanks to all who offered advice.
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Ok, I'll forget that idea.
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Thanks for all the advice.
I've decided to be more relaxed about what time I go through as I don't want such an early start that we have to go through the Braunston flight to get to the tunnel by 8am and I don't know whether I'll find an overnight mooring between locks and tunnel and I don't know what moorings will be like/available between tunnel and Norton Junction if we were to go through in the evening.
I'll just get there when I get there. Hopefully it won't be too busy during the day as it will be mid-week and not yet state school holidays. Coming back may be a different story but it won't be my first time by then.
I've got lights aplenty. Cabin lights will be on, I have the standard tunnel light (which I'll check for alignment), I have a 12 volt 10 watt LED spotlight to point at the roof, I've got a fully charged solar LED light (recently bought for my house front door) to point at the wall if I feel the need and I've got at least 3 bright LED torches. I should be alright for light!
I've got 2 boat poles, 1 for either end, so I can try to push the boat over if I struggle to get the boat up to the RH wall when I meet another boat.
Quite looking forward to it now.
Then I'll have my first lock staircases to look forward to at Watford and Foxton. Next year (too many other trips to do this year) I'll have my first river (non-tidal Thames) as well as the Oxford canal between Cropredy and Oxford, which is the only bit of the Oxford not yet done. Very much looking forward to that as well.
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I have met someone at the kink ..I was coming other way..and yep we did hit one another but it happens..
You'll be fine
Well I'll be hoping that doesn't happen if for no other reason than that this will be the first time the boat has been used since it was blacked a couple of weeks ago. Still, worse things happen at sea and scratches to the new blacking are gonna happen sometime. I'd just prefer it not to be on day 2!
Thanks to everyone that offered advice and/or answered my specific questions.
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You are bound to meet someone at the kink!
Don't forget, if you do come into contact there, it's both boat's fault, not just yours. Say hello to the other crew, sort yourselves out and carry on. It happens, it's not a disaster
Richard
Just a contact issue then, not a potentially two boats stuck situation.
Who said size doesn't matter?
in Living Afloat
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I'd second that.
Every time we pass another moving boat at a narrow point with overhanging trees on our starboard (non-towpath) side I curse whoever chose to install our stove on the starboard side. I haven't lost the chimney yet but it's been touch and go a couple of times.