Captain Pegg

Because it was an inconvenient place that resulted from politics rather than sense. The traffic traversing from the Warwickshire coalfields onto the Oxford had to do a mile down the Coventry Canal only to turn 180 degrees and return on a parallel course for the same mile; the two canals were parallel. It made no difference for traffic from Coventry. Not sure which houses you mean, it was Foxford school playing fields when I was young. It's probably been built on since. JP

Apparently it was 1803 when the junction moved from Longford to Hawkesbury (coincidentally both are places my Granddad was church organist). The history is a bit convoluted and Longford was never really intended or desired as the junction but I think was the consequence of wranglings after the enabling act for the Oxford was passed and was the outcome of legal agreements that protected the respective tolls of the two companies. The original intention of the Oxford company was to have a junction much closer to Coventry and Longford ended up as an enforced compromise which was later resolved to enable the move to Hawekssbury which made a lot more sense for the predominant traffic. JP

That would result in lots of nervous boaters not being being able to determine if a boat was coming toward or going away from them and stopping unnecessarily. Maybe a red light? Or perhaps tunnel lights should be aimed downward to pick up the tunnel bands ?

So it seems ball fenders are an item that found their way from boating on unpredictable waters onto the canals. There are a few things like that and generally they seem a bit unnecessary on canals. I passed a boat at the weekend that was displaying navigation lights on the canal. I wasn’t struggling to see him in the early afternoon or to know which side I should pass. However I did sound the correct signal when approaching Fazeley Junction yesterday. I suspect it was lost on the teenager who was spinning around in an inflatable kid’s dinghy in the middle of junction while grinning inanely at me. I made an appropriate hand gesture and carried on regardless. JP

I’ve only seen them deployed on the off side as a kind of shiny boaters’ protection against hireists. I have big (fake) rope fenders to use against the bank. These are particularly necessary for a boat with low gunwales to prevent them getting stuck under walings and the like. A ball might be quite effective at doing that. JP

But you’re a lady; aren’t you?

Good for you; however this was a narrow boat on a canal. Did you need big balls when you were on the canals? JP

As I was skirting the lower slopes of Mount Jud this morning I passed a boat going the opposite direction skippered by a man with an enormous pair of balls. I’m taking about those fenders that folk hang off the side of their stern when moored to stop anyone bashing their rudder (I guess that’s what they are for). This fella had two - presumably one for the bow as well - and they were gigantic, maybe 3’ plus in diameter and stowed on his roof while he was underway. As I looked back they were clearly on a level with with head so not only would they have filled his natural line of sight he wouldn’t have been able to see the cut directly in front of his boat. Being a polite kind of guy I exchanged a friendly greeting. Of course I should have said “Sir, your enormous balls are ridiculous”. I’ve never really understood the need for those things. What do others think? JP

Meeting four boats coming the other way on Tardebigge is the equivalent of those boats being over 5 miles apart on average when cruising on open canal. Tardebigge is rarely busy in my experience but it only takes one slow coach to have an impact on a following boat. I've also never had trouble mooring in Birmingham and I don't think I have ever see it so full there is literally nowhere to moor. I suspect some folks can be very precious about being able to cruise, work locks and moor exactly when, how and where they want. Most of the problems aired online are theoretical and materialise only rarely in practice. I am surprised Ditchcawler seemingly hasn't twigged that yet. JP

After the first 11 words I thought you must be talking about CWDF

It's not just about length. Shape is important too. The front of your boat can overhang the cill so the extreme of the bow isn't necessarily the important bit, the shape of the stem is key. Also your boat may fit in a lock but the gates may not close past the stern if it's too square (probably not such an issue for a single boat in a wide lock). JP

I wonder if the OPs 61' tape measure was calibrated. You are talking about +/-1mm in every 6 metres on an object you can't measure directly or in one go. I suspect that's a bit optimistic. JP

How accurately can you measure and does it really matter?

Within the city of Birmingham (and perhaps a little beyond?) the fire service have the right to extract water from the canal and there are many bridges which have 'doors' such as these to allow them to do this. In this case there is a filled in bridge hole beneath Gas Street so they aren't as random as they might appear at first glance. JP

Liveaboard boaters aren't a new thing. Working boaters and often their families lived aboard for the majority of their time. Even though most had access to bankside property within the family they were still seen by the rest of society as scum to use the OPs term. So it's merely upholding a long established canal tradition. I'm not trying to make light of the issue but I do genuinely wonder if some of the same values exist with the neighbours of canal communities to this day. JP

I think you should talk to CRT. I doubt they would drain the pound between locks 2 and 3 unless absolutely necessary due to the presence of Diglis Basin in that pound. If you are moored at Diglis speak to the marina management. Some stoppage notices in the past have been overly cautious in terms of the limits of navigation. Note that this is more about instructing cruisers of where to turn than defining the physical limits of dewatering or navigation. Over the winter period there will be times when boats are effectively blocked in on home moorings. It’s also a period during which the Severn will not always be available for navigation due to water levels. JP

I already have. I was over that way this afternoon. JP

Oi, I did that joke a couple of weeks ago. Didn't cock it up with auto-incorrect either. JP

Most hire boats are cruiser sterns and some are semi-traditional. Traditional sterns are not common on hire boats, partly because they are properly associated with boats with internal engine rooms rather than those with engines housed under the rear deck as almost all hire boats have. Modern traditional sterns are a sort of half way house with the engine usually boxed in beneath the steerers feet but impinging into the rear of the cabin which can restrict access. Not good for hire boats. Wyvern boats are fairly distinctive with the boxes and lack of guard rails. Semi-traditional sterns are intended to look like traditional sterns while offering the benefit of cruiser sterns in terms of the sociability. The problem is that the seats aren't that comfortable because the back slopes inward. Napton Narrowboats have tried to solve this with sterns that are a bit of a combination of both and have seats at the side with railings. In fact I have just checked their website and they even now have tables in the middle of the rear deck! I think you would be fine with one of these boats. www.napton-marina.co.uk JP