Aguila

Interesting to see Wigan top lock at the moment with stop planks in above the lock and all 4 gates wide open. The pound below is almost dry and there are new gates on the bank ready to be fitted.

As a local, I don't need your geography lesson as I regularly walk that section. However, I'm curious to know where the off-side of the canal is un-fenced at that point?

Woodhouse Drive (B5375) isn't near the canal. Woodhouse Lane is and the canal is fenced off at the point where Green's Carpets is. Is the map pin in the correct place ?

I bet that was interesting. Woodhouse Lane is fenced off and the towpath is on the opposite bank. I suppose you could always drop it in from Scot Lane bridge !

How about Burscough? You can pull the HIAB along side the L+L opposite The Slipway Inn at Crabtree Lane bridge (32). There's also a slipway there if needed.

Tie the cord to the knob ???

Does on the L+L. It could bounce from bank to bank for miles unless it clobbers some poor souls boat.

'Tis when I'm at the helm. All 62' x 12' 6" x 26 tons of it !

I wonder why kill cords aren't aren't used much on canal boats? If a solo boater falls overboard, it would stop his boat disappearing over the horizon into the sunset!

http://www.bearboating.co.uk/boats/nemonoo A fantastic boat and some stunning scenery. Lots of locks though!

I've got a magnetic version of this. Quick on/off & rotate. Occasionally flips in a howling gale though!

We have an 240v fridge that does this if the drip-tray under the freezer compartment isn't pushed fully home.

Pull it out? I dread to think how much the water inside it weights.

You obviously haven't read post #132 ? :-))

Appley deep lock is open to navigation again. All four gates have been replaced. Not a 'cuff' lock in sight - big mistake ?

A quarter wave on 11 metres (27 MHz) is 2.75 metres. LEGAL PMR446 radios have FIXED antennas.

Main difference is the length of the antenna. CB requires a long whip aerial that would need to be removed every time you go through a bridge. Legal PMR446 radios have a rubber aerial that is permanently fixed to the radio and cannot be removed.

That's what my licence (issued 2013) says for fixed mobiles. Licenced hand-portables are limited to 5 watts on VHF and 6 watts on UHF.

Only PMR446 licence-free radios are limited to 500mW. Licenced VHF PMR radios are allowed up to 25 watts and licenced UHF PMR radios up to 40 watts.

The £75, 5-year licence mentioned operates on the frequencies listed below. Note the word "business". ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 164.0500 MHz = Private Business Radio (UK General Licence). 164.0625 MHz = Private Business Radio (UK General Licence). 169.0875 MHz = Private Business Radio (UK General Licence). 169.3125 MHz = Private Business Radio (UK General Licence). 173.0500 MHz = Private Business Radio (UK General Licence). 173.0625 MHz = Private Business Radio (UK General Licence). 173.0875 MHz = Private Business Radio (UK General Licence). ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I have a business licence for these channels. The first 5 are heavily used by a local university and the upper two by the local council on market days. If we started chit-chatting on any of them, I'm sure they would soon be complaining to OFCOM. The licence also covers VHF low-band and UHF but they are still for business use.

Disability Discrimination Act

Rubbish. If you're not going to take notice of the help on offer, why ask the question in the first place ?

d) manning and operation of the VHF radio by a suitably qualified person, capable of communicating effectively in English.

My experience on the Ribble Link is the same. Preston Docks Harbourmaster monitors CH 14. The nearest Coastguard station is Holyhead on Anglesey which has relay masts at Liverpool Bay and on the Fylde Coast, however, Savick Brook is in the shadow of both of them. Tarleton Lock on the River Douglas (L & L Rufford Branch) is supposed to monitor CH 74 around high tide but I've never heard a squeak on CH 74 in the area. To be legal, the answer is 'yes'. I would go ahead and do the course anyway. You'll learn a lot more than how to press the PTT button !