Big Ade

Whilst cruising (Sawley to London and back) this year we met a few boat owners, who have for a few weeks a year, swapped their boats for the houses of overseas visitors. Over the years they have had holidays in New Zealand, Vancouver, Florida, Hawaii, South Africa and Thailand. All they had to find was their air fare and car hire. In the process they have forged strong and enduring friendships. This sounds appealing to my wife and I but at this stage we are only thinking about it, we recognise that there will be risks, pitfalls and implications that need to be mitigated. I did ask how they acheived this and to be fair I was told (more than once) but I had my wife listening ears on which make me nod and put information into short term memory which is then cleared for other stuff that might happen or has happenned. So has anyone out there any information or experience and advice on swapping their boat? One of the chaps also did a boat swap for one on the Canal du Midi too. I stress that we are merely considering this at the moment and if we are convinced it is for us we won't be minded to actually do anything until 2019 (an eventful year). Ade

Yep, it was "1970's" and I felt right at home, but chips in a basket! Who thought that was a good idea? So I did the proper thing and tipped them out onto my plate.

Our river pilot was Ben McCann, he is six generation riverman operating via his uncle's company (Thames Link Marine Ltd.) to assure you that it is all bona. Ben works on the river buses as his regular job so he has all the knowledge and patter of interesting sights ans history on the passage. Our trip was exciting, challenging and informative. Ben kept us out of danger especially as the huge river busses were manoevering to the piers, he knew what they were attempting, he also knew the channels and currents I needed to take or avoid. Without him I would have been properly stuffed. If anybody wants to use Ben's services send me a PM and I will send you his phone number. Ade

Tim Thanks for the photos we have ordered them all. I hoped we could get London as a background to the boat but could not organise a shore line photographer. You came to our rescue with these shots, thanks once again. Ade

Thanks for the heads up on the Salter mooring. I tried to call the Town Council to get some verification but no joy so to avoid any issues we moved and moored at Shillingford and rewarded ourselves with a hotel dinner (used the Tastecard so mitigated the cost a little). The meatballs and spaghetti has to wait for another night. Thanks for the info this really is a good place to find things out. Ade

We are on the mooring just upstream of the three arch bridge. Just been told that the canoeists are only using this until Salted Steamers return to this space later tonight. That doesn't sound like casual usage to me, in fact it seems more like commercial use. Ade

We arrived at 24 hour visitor moorings in Wallingford to see a handwritten note pinned to the mooring post stating that the 90 foot of space, the only space left, was reserved for (can't read the writing). Rang the Environment Agency (EA) and spoke to Graham who was very helpful and he said that he was not aware that visitor mooring could be reserved. To be sure he contacted the local lock keeper but all he would offer was the 24 hour fee. Another EA chap called me back a little later and told me that you can book space but only on the less popular mooring sites. The very busy or high demand mooring sites are simply filled on a first come first served. It turns out the (can't read the writing) were a bunch on canoeists, so the 30 foot behind me is plenty for them. Ade

When I was a lad in Sheffield sweets were still on ration but some sweet stuff wasn't, there was licorice root, tiger nuts and locus beans. You can still get tiger nuts at the nut stall in The Moor Market, I last saw licorice root in the sweet shop oposite The Castle pub in Skipton and the last time I saw locus bean bits was in the Guinea Pig food my kids were feeding to the herd they had grown. I have not seen for a long time my favourite licorice . It is a little stick (2 inches long and slimmer than a pencil) of very hard and brittle licorice. You could lick it to a shart point and get a tongue blacker than a fire back. Imps, Nigroids and Nippits are all similar, you used to be able to buy Imps loose at Wicker Herbal Stores by the Peace Gardens, they were much cheaper there. Incidentaly that sweet shop in Skipton has some salty licorice that is really nice. As a parting observation, have you noticed that there is rarely a single real licorice piece in licorice allsorts anymore. Ade PS All places above are Sheffield unless it is Skipton. PPS You get a very fine pint of Theakston's Old Peculiar in The Castle in Skipton

We have been cruising for some years, initially using hire boats but for the past 2 years we have had our owned boat. We have doen the Leeds/Liverpool, Cheshire ring, Llangollen, Trent/Mersey and others and are currently in London having come down the Grand Union. We are constantly amazed at the diversity and abundance of wildlife we see as we cruise along. It lifts my heart to see a Kingfisher dart across our bows and see an Otter disapear into the undergrowth at the water's edge. On the GU we saw white Egrets and then some Terrapins the size of a small dinner plate. One thing we are struck by though is the dramatic reduction in the wildfowl population (swans, geese and ducks). It is not a trick of memory because we actually have photos of the canal at Stanley Ferry where the canal is dotted with lots of white swans all the way into the distance. We saw six last year at the same time of year and from same place (marina). We also see a lot of swans without a mate and we never noticed this before (they pair for life I am told). Apparently this loss of waterfowl is also apparent in the city parks too. I know we had the bird flu fright earlier this year but I thought the precautions taken managed to avoid an outbreak in the UK and anyway the depletion started before that scare. It does seem strange that such a dramatic change has not been officially noticed and if it has why do we not know what has caused it and how it is being addressed. I asked an RSPB warden if there was an explanation but he said nothing and just looked straight at me, threw his eyes up to the sky walked away. Anyone any ideas? Ade

Adam Your trip looked awsome and a little daunting for a river novice like me. Talking to other boaters down here we were given the name and contact details of a river pilot. I called Ben and we are now sorted. We will be sailing with an experienced Thames river pilot on board from Limehouse up the river on Saturday 29th July on an early tide opportunity. Thanks for all the help and advice we are very much more at ease now and looking forward to the trip. Ade

Martin Thank you for that link, very interesting and raises more concerns about my ability. Our boat in its current form was sailed up the Humber from Hull docks to Thorne so I have no worries about the boat's capabilities. Is it possible to hire a pilot to guide me up the river? We wear lifejackets on the rivers and our boat has all the safety kit mentioned but no VHF. Ade

We have come down to London on the GU to take a leisurely break and see the sights and attractions that we have previously had to speed view with our kids. As we came nearer to London we noticed that mooring became much more difficult, there are a higher percentage of 'near end of life craft' and a great many unlicenced or expired licence boats moored on the towpath. An examample, just after Cumberland Basin on a 7 day mooring there were 8 boats and only 4 displayed a valid CRT licence. I know it is not a legal requirement to display the licence (it ought to be) but we just haven't seen this so often elsewhere. On our cruise down we met three boats with young couples aboard, they were on their way to London and intended to use their boats as live aboards whilst they worked in the City. It makes perfect financial sense, they are recommending the same tactic to their friends too. Talking to the marina owners down here they say that this is a real issue for them. Anyone any views on this? Ade

Since March we have moved our boat from Sawley marina (Long Eaton) down the GU and are rested up by Kings Cross at Battlebridge Basin. Thinking of going back North to Sawley via Oxford, Birmingham and maybe spur off to Llangollen before laying her (boat) up for the winter. Anyone done the Limehouse to Teddington river bit, we would welcome any advice or information. Thanks Ade

Wow, there are some sensitive souls on here. Just about all humour is based on someone's or something's misfortune, fortunately I am gifted in being able to laugh at such circumstances. (unless it is from Ricky Gervais, Alan Carr or Jack Whitehall who are nowhere near as funny as they think they are). Now the bullocks, the fields they were in were interconnected, that means the farmer INTENDED them to move about. Were they distressed? Well they are now, we passed by the same fields and we were told that they have all gone to slaughter. My encounter might have briefly brightened up their mundane existance I don't think they were stressed in any way, my uncle had a mixed farm and I grew up working with farm animals. Some of my farmer friends give their young bulls a big ball to butt about (rather than each other) the bullocks seem to enjoy it, they toss their heads and paw the ground, hmmm. On a lighter note, anyone interested in a boozy night of cock fighting, badger baiting and finishing up with a nocturnal shoot at a local RSPB reserve. Blue touch paper lit and fizzing. Ade

I've been doing a bit (well a lot actually) of bull baiting recently. It's a blast. My 57 foot boat has a bow thruster and I when I used it to manouver next to field of young bullocks they all became very interested at the noise it made. At first it was just one or two then the others got up and came over. The closest started to toss their heads and paw the ground, much like the fighting bulls of Spain. So as we cruised alongside their field I gave burst of thruster. I moved a herd of 30+ excited bullocks across two fields and about 1/4 of a mile. I've tried it on other bullocks and bulls with the same interest and effect. Anyone else noticed or tried this? Ade

Thank you for your replies and I appreciate that pragmatism, differing views and opinions make us what we are but I am so bloody minded about this issue that it must be changed to the correct layout (to my mind). I was continually involved with the build process and I compiled a photo progress from the bare hull to fully the commissioned boat and to my eternal shame I never noticed that the controller sweep would be an issue. It never occurred to me that such a basic function would be installed so stupidly wrong! I sketched and drew plans, we signed off alterations and I even made a scale model in balsa to accurately portray the colour scheme and signage. In fairness to the builder our communications and relationship were always very good and I was focused on the points and options we raised regarding materials, components and upgrade options. With many years boat building experience I expected that the 'basics' would be well sorted. The very first time I noticed the controller was when I actually used it on the day we collected the boat. I was sent away with a smile and. "That's the way we always do it and oh you'll get used to it." Actually that phrase "it's the way we have always done it" seems to crop up quite a lot whenever you point out poor/bad functionality or design e.g. Stofer (to grease/seal the prop shaft) - on my boat it is sited in the engine bay meaning having to lift the hatch. Tiller arm pin - to avoid the chance of dropping/losing it why can't I have a spring loaded pin arrangement as is used on tent poles? Taps (faucets) - spring loaded on/off as in public toilets to minimise water usage, they are there to be had. Cabinet edges - 90 degree edges at head height and at waist height, these should be at least soft rounded profiles. Cupboard/door Knobs - sticking out at knee level these should be recessed. There are many things that I will be changing that are particular to our boat like overall security, draught sealing, door retainers, drawer runners, cabined handles and other niggles. Thankfully my main issue can easily be resolved with a plasma cutter, a mig welder, some steel, a form bender and a good fabricator that can understand engineering drawings. Ade

Thanks for all the replies and I take all the points onboard. To start with I am NOT going to keep the existing arrangement. It is not just me that finds it totally illogical and awkward, family members and friends who we invite aboard also look perplexed when I explain how it works and generally they say why? As mentioned above it is only mounted in this way because the pillar onto which it is fixed will not allow an upright neutral fixing (moving the lever back fouls the rear panel). This is a brand new (£80,000+) boat and I didn't design or ask for this feature. You can probably tell that I am more than a little annoyed at being told "you will get used to it". If I had wanted compromise and acceptance I would have bought a second user boat. To answer some another respondent the pivot is at the rear. I take the point that the engine controls on a boat are less crucial then those on a car and warning buzzers are fitted but I like the security of seeing a good level of oil pressure, a steady temperature reading and knowing that the charging is happening before any catastrophic and expensive failure. I am an engineer and I know I can design a pod that will be both waterproof and secure. Security is another major issue I have that was dismissed by the boat builder with all too scant regard. I notice that a boat has been stolen from Mercia my heart goes out to the owners. I am sorry if this sounds like a rant, it is important to me and I hate poor definition of design and apathy with regard to rectification. For the record I went back to the suppliers and after saying there is no problem they agreed to look at it. Having looked at it they still don't recognise the issue so I don't trust them to effect an acceptable solution. Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate other views. Ade

We were so pleased to collect our new boat that we over looked many little nigles. I have found that the most anoying and dangerous for me has been the Morse engine controller (forward and back stick). Ours is a semi trad boat and the stick is mounted in such a way that neutral is stick in horizontal position, back is stick upwards and forward is stick down. That to me seems entirely ilogical, not ergonomic and dangerous. I often can't tell that it is in neutral without waggling it about and I easily dismount whilst it is still in gear at idle. I can see why it is installed this way and it is entirely because there is limited space to do otherwise. But this is a brand new boat!!!! So why is there an inbuilt issue? It has got to be changed so I am looking for options. I have seen dual controls but I think it is going to be an engineering solution (cut, fabricate and weld new section in). I will also move the engine control panel from inside the boat (can't see it whilst cruising) to a position where I can see the warning lights and dials (another design flaw akin to putting the speedo etc. on the back shelf of a car). It is obvious to me that some boat builders don't ever use a boat that they are making for their customers. Can anyone recommend a sympathetic fabricator in the Midlands/North that can help me rectify this major fault. Thanks Ade

Sheila and I (Ade) have done a fair bit of boating via hire boats and in 2014 we commissioned our new boat. We took delivery of it at Thorne (Bluewater Marina) in September 2015, the boat having sailed from the builder's base in Hull Marina via the Humber and Trent. Sadly for some reason I was not allowed to accompany them on that trip which would have been epic for me. The boat is a 57 foot narrowboat, the hull fabricated by D P Bridgeman completed to a sail away by Hesford Marine and fitted out by Cain Narrowboats. Our extended families are all Sheffield based so the boat is Sheffield themed. The colours are the old Sheffield Transport Department cream with navy blue stripe, we have the City of Sheffield coat of arms and Yorkshire rose on the sides and the boat is was named by the Master Cutler (Mr. David Grey MBE) and is called 'Ghenoar Wittlin'. Ghenoar Wittlin, say it as it is spelt missed with a hard 'G' as in Ghent and you have the Sheffield dialect. It is Sheffieldish and means I have stopped (Ghanoar - gen (given) oar - (over) ) worrying - wittlin. I find I am explaining this about twice every day on the cut (unless we are near Sheffield where everyone gets it straight away). The inaugural cruise was from Thorne to Sheffield basin where the boat was laid up for the winter (also held in by the lock repairs at Tinsley). We took it out at the end of cold March and headed East, the only option. We are both retired and have no plans other than to keep the boat moving and stop if there is something interesting. Every now and then we will put the boat in a marina and return to our home back in Sheffield. The first trip took us to Barnoldswick (Barlick) after a 7 day stop in Skipton. We liked Skipton a lot. At Barlick marina a boater gave us grave tales of woe about the upcoming Blackburn stretch (mattress around his prop, trolley jammed between prop and rudder, plastic bags wrapped around his prop). So we turned round and decided to go across the Penines via the Huddersfield narrow route. We retraced our steps and turned off at Castleford for the marina at Dewsbury where after a discussion with another boater and use of a stick it was agreed that our boat was too tall for the Huddersfield and anyway I would also need to have the solar panels taken off, the horn and nav lights removed too. There was a silver lining though, on the way back to Leeds the bow thruster ingested some plastic, the impeller became a ball of tightly spun plastic. Gordon, who owns the marina, very kindly adjusted the slipway bookings dragged our boat out and we discovered that the 'grilles' were allowing large items to be drawn in and were restricting the effectiveness of the thruster. He removed the offending items, cut out the problems and re-welded new 'grilles' closer, narrower and much more efficient. The thruster is MUCH better now, thanks again Gordon. Dewsbury is a great little marina it is quiet, close to supermarket, there is good food at the café and a real ale pub 'Leggers' all very reasonably priced So the other option was the Rochdale route but that was still closed from the Boxing Day floods and there was no imminent chance of it being open so we were off to Skipton once again. We knew the route now and the weather was getting better too. The water level at the top was beginning to concern CRT and we were told to buddy up on the locks which was good. We made it all the way over and moored up overnight at Foulridge and went through in the morning. The cruise down through Blackburn/Burnley was not as bad as we were led to believe (picked up a length of carpet but it was easy enough to get off). It is without doubt the worst litter strewn place we have seen, I am a supporter of corporal punishment, hanging and deportation so I would like to see these perpetrators dealt with severely (it would be a steep but effective learning curve). We did the Wigan flight in 6 hours getting stuck for twenty minutes in a lock bottom and a little further on having stones thrown at the boat. My catapult and a few ball bearings saw the little scrotes off (bad idea in hindsight). Took the boat up to Scarisbrick Marina and left it there whilst we went to a wedding in the Lakes. Picked the boat up and brought it back to Wigan and then down to Lymm to sort out a problem I am having with the controller. I am writing this as we are moored just up from the Anderton Boat Lift on a sunny Sunday morning. So that is what we have done so far, we might go up the Llangollen to Trevor, we will be going down the Trent & Mersey to Stoke and maybe up to Derby. If you see us give us a wave. Be lucky, be healthy and always be safe. Sheila and Ade