pearley

5 weeks from the CPO being confirmed to the canal opening to build the new channel and lock. Though I doubt the walkway was fitted until much later.

If you zoom in on the left of the second photo the visitor mooring pontoons are still in place. There was a photo on Facebook a couple of days ago showing the Torksey pontoon with a Dutch barge moored/a marooned.

You might find one in Ely but they are like hens teeth. Isleham is possible. Also look at Fenland Moorings, Littleport Boat Haven, Streatham, Lazy Otter, Upware and Fish & Duck. On the St Ives Great Ouse you gave Westview Marina, currently flooded, Hartford, Buckden and Huntingdon Boat Haven.

Huntingdon yesterday so higher now. Portholme Meadow in distance always floods. Narrowboat is on the Visitor Moorings with a live aboard who says he's fine.

Wasn't like that last I moored there.

St Ives on Wednesday night. Will have risen more now. The ester is just lapping over the Quayside. Normally the roof if that narrowboat would be level with the Quay. That's the navigation arch.

And look at the flow rate This is ours on the Great Ouse. Normal summer rate around 3 cumecs.

Burst it's banks? Surely overtopped.

Original dimensions as far as I can tell were 14ft 2ins. Canalplan lists it as 13ft 2ins which probably reflects the couple of locks on the Western side which are signed as one boat only. The width as you drop down into Manchester was restricted as it was never dredged back to full width. Perhaps this narrower dimension reflects the lack of dredging since reopening.

I understand that several residential moorings around Birmingham are empty and un-advertised. And I thought they need the money! As for that last bit, will be an interesting legal situation for those moorings actually on the towpath.

it's just that somehow a 3 hour one way trip up to the nearest pump out station seems like a much bigger endeavour 3 hour return trip surely. Scarisbrick Marina nearest pumpout to Burscough. No locks but a few swing bridges. If you require an engineer then they are probably the best to ask.

Over here on the Great Ouse it is steel boats v GRP, but only in print. They're all ok when you're sharing a lock.

Actually it was another boater who called Fire and Rescue. Yet another boater who moved the unoccupied boat immediately next to the burning boat and that same boater who ferried people on trapped boats who needed to leave. The fire alarm was never sounded although most boaters were alerted by the sirens. But I imagine we are now going to have regular fire drills.

They're moored directly opposite us. Unfortunately 2 of the office staff were on holiday leaving the boat salesman and a young girl, both who been in post for only a few months. Having said that they did remain until midnight until the last of the fire investigators had left and the boat towed over to the slipway.

We don't have any results from the investigation but most of us here agree with you that this is just a terrible accident. Although I think the marina have a number of questions to answer, not about the fire but the response.

Yes. 3 years ago they tried to impose a badly thought out licence system based on area plus but the backlash caused them to back down and impose a 4%, 4%, 2% increase for the ensuing 3 years. So, they've confirmed that the increase for 2024 will be 2% even though inflation has far outstripped that. In my opinion better to increase fees by a sensible amount for the coming year and again for the next year rather than a swingeing amount for 2025.

Police in site have confirmed one body on board. Forensic Team there now.

Serious fire early this morning. 3 appliances and an ambulance here followed by an Investigation Unit. Rumour is that there is a body inside. Certainly the pontoon is taped off with Police not letting us pass saying it's a Crime Scene.

Went like that on February 2020 when we were there. Not just the pontoon gangway in the marina but the one to the CRT pontoon at The Kiln. The marina staff removed all the WiFi masts that were bolted to the top of the piles. The piles are marked with Green, Amber and Red. When it gets into the Red all residents are supposed to evacuate their boats. They didn't say where too.

Yes. I have recollections of having to pick up bits of wood off the lock side to jam into the paddle rack to keep them up. £26 in 1996

Interesting about the Canal Shop. When we went down the 9 in 1980 we had great trouble finding someone to take our money and unlock the top gates, let alone a shop.

This is what we did. Works perfectly and can be left in place permanently until such time you want ventilation.