Grassman

Barry showed me around the site a few months ago. There's a lot of land around it too, some of which is high up and offers great views of the surrounding countryside so there's huge potential to do other things with the land in addition to the marina. But as often happens, it's all very well owning something like this but the cost of development is huge as well as having the time and the inclination do it.

Just prior to our arrival in York a couple of years ago there had been a spate of boats being untied from the moorings, the consequences of which can obviously be more severe than on a canal. So in a addition to the bow and stern ropes I used a length of chain threaded through the centre fender hanger and through the mooring ring and attached a padlock. Given the river's reputation for it's changing levels I made sure the chain was easily long enough. This at least would be enough to prevent the boat floating down the river in the event. I realise the fixing isn't designed to hold a 16 ton boat, but it could just be enough to buy some time. Maybe it was a bit OTT but I'd had stronger ones fitted. Whether on a canal or river, as well as being a deterrent a chain has the advantage of being noisy if somebody messes with it, so if you're on the boat there is a chance you would hear it even when asleep. Thankfully, in over 4,000 miles of boating, a fair bit of it moored in cities and towns, we've never had the problem but for very little cost we now have that peace of mind. As for the OP's problem, I cannot think of a viable solution except to find somewhere with something like Armco to attach their boat to more securely.

I had some welded onto the gunnels each side. One at the front level with where the cabin starts, one in the middle, and one where the cabin starts at the back of my cruiser stern. Some will think that's a bit over the top, but they are really useful and give so much flexibility when bollards/rings are poorly placed and are great for making spring lines.

They rarely match up properly for my 62ft nb. I thought it was because many are positioned for the more common 57/58 ft boats but it appears not from what you others have said. ca

I'll echo that. The Staffs and Worcs Canal below Stourton Junction is one of the prettiest stretches of canal I've been on. Folk go on about canals such as the Llangollen but this easily equals it in my opinion.

Yes, great to meet you today Kelpie. My first ever canal boating was on the BCN during the drought of 1976 when me and some mates hired from the original Alvechurch Boats. We were aiming for Stratford but due to lack of water we couldn't get past Kingswood Junction so we turned up the GU to Brum and spent and enjoyable few days on the BCN which included having to reverse half a mile back out of the dried up Soho Loop. Not being able to explore very muc was compensated by the fact we were able to consume copious amounts of beer whilst moored outside Bobby Browns and The Longboat pubs .

It all about interpretation. The canals of Venice are all individually named as if they were streets so each one is classed as a separate canal meaning that with so many of them it has many more canals than Birmingham. However add all their canals together and their total length in miles is less than Birmingham's. Hence the misconception that Brum has more canals than Venice. It doesn't, but it does have more miles of canal than Venice. It's just me being pedantic

Point of order. Venice has more canals than Birmingham but Birmingham has more miles of canal than Venice.

So who did the service haza?

I hated the idea of having a pram hood and when the cruiser stern boat we bought had one I was going to get rid of it especially as we live aboard. But I'm so glad I didn't. It's a cumbersome pain to take it down and re-erect it but so useful for taking off wet clothes in and towelling down the dog before entering the cabin, hanging washing in, working on the engine when it's raining, keeping the rain from entering the bilge and a bit of extra insulation especially when it's windy. Being a cruiser stern it's a large area but I only keep a few bags of coal in there as using it as a store room defeats the object somewhat because we never cruise with it up so would have to remove stuff each time we went out. We are out cruising for most of the summer so in April I completely remove it and put it back on in October/November. Then for the occasions we go out in winter which are usually for only a few days at a time I leave it in-situ and just collapse it when we go out. As for keeping dry when cruising I have one of those umbrella holders that attaches to the tiller because even when wearing decent wet weather gear the rain can still make your clothes feel damp as well as getting in your face/eyes (and made worse because I wear glasses) and it at least keeps some of the rain off. At low bridge holes it can easily be swung to one side whilst going under and swung back when through the bridge.

I find that some don't acknowledge you so you don't know if they've seen them or not.

I have a couple of minor gripes, none of which are particularly new, I think these have always been the case. Whenever I am signalling to an oncoming boat, for example to call them on, I always stand sideways so that they can clearly see my arm without it being hidden in front of the profile of my body, but many folk don't and it's difficult to see them signalling especially as some make only very small and short movements of their arm/hand. Perhaps I should pay a visit to Specsavers! The other one is the many boaters who just 'pip pip' their horns instead of longer bursts, which means that when for example you are approaching a hump back road bridge that you can't see to the other side of, you don't know if the horn is from an oncoming boat or a car on the road that's approaching the bridge.

We were on it last year and found the locals to be friendly, even a couple of groups of youngsters who we chatted to. The locks have a reputation for being really difficult but we didn't find them any worse than some of the difficult ones on other canals. I only had to go down the weed hatch a couple of times. For anyone who hasn't, it's definitely worth going on it.

We are having a fortnight on a hire boat next April on the Leeds & Liverpool because our own Nb is too long for the locks. So I'm looking forward to finding out how differently we will be treated.

I bought my stainless steel chimney from these http://www.littlechimneycompany.co.uk/ 4 years ago and it's still as good as new. They trade from their boat and his workshop is in a butty. They move around a bit but only usually on the Coventry Canal and you just need to phone him up to see whereabouts he is. He has pre-made ones which are usually a good fit but if you are boating down his way he will measure up and make one to fit perfectly. We are very pleased with our chimney.

It's not in the best of areas but like with anywhere it's down to luck as to who is about, but at least in the morning you can pop across the road to Greggs and get your breakfast .

I remember in the 60's as kids my mates and I used to jump the guillotine lock at Kings Norton in Birmingham. Most times we made it but occasionally we'd get bruised or grazed shins. Kings Norton was a nice area when I grew up there not rough like it is nowadays.

On the issue of walking across lock gates, do many of you step across from one gate to the other or do you walk around to the other side? I'm 6' tall and usually step across and so does my wife who is only 5' 4" . I think the key issues are as well as ensuring our footwear is suitable, never to hurry. Also windless secured in a belt to free up both hands. We then always pause briefly at the edge of one gate, focus on the gate we are crossing on to, including the handrail, and then make step across. By concentrating and being fully focused together with not hurrying, I think it's perfectly safe to do this. How about you others?

We're doing the Limehouse Lock next year but thankfully will be leaving in not entering it. When we went on the Chesterfield Canal I was dreading the turn into the lock from the Trent at West Stockwith, but did it perfectly. Then further downstream the turn into Keadby Lock, no problem with that either. But I well and truly c*cked up entering Selby lock from the Ouse.

Me too, especially when I'm hovvering in mid stream waiting to go in Good point BWM, it certainly helps. Done that blackrose. many times on the Tidal Trent, the Yorkshire Ouse, the lower reaches of the Severn, and the Ribble Link. I do prefer the canals but not those pesky locks with the fierce by-washes As for Matty's and DMR's comments Ha ha very droll Having boated nearly every year since 1976 cruised 6 months a year since 2009 I do have a little experience you know

In the latest CRT email they discuss how to get round the problem of fierce by-washes, especially some of those on the Shroppie. The suggestions made by contributors are all related to approaches to locks and offer the advice that you should steer the bows into the wash so as to counteract the flow and hopefully remain lined up for entering the lock. Which is pretty obvious really and something I've always done and by and large it works. What I do have difficulty with is counteracting the by-wash when leaving a lock because it is often impossible to steer against it if half of my 62ft boat is still in the lock. Increasing the thrust when exiting the lock helps, especially if done just before and after the bows reach the wash. The problem is particularly a pain if there is a boat waiting to come into the lock. How do you others get on and do you have a solution that I haven't thought of? I don't have a bowthruster but it seems they don't do a lot anyway.

I've always been paid within a week or so after the following edition is published. That has been with both the 'Me and my boats' article and other stuff I've had published too. They have recently had a new assistant editor so whether that has made a difference I don't know, but I suggest you email the editor Nick Wall.

We use white vinegar mixed with water (1 part to 10 parts water). Use a soft brush to apply but brush fairly vigorously. In the 4 years we've had our boat we have found this is the best solution and works better than the propriety brands that have been mentioned.

For a few weeks in July we were at Baddesley Wharf in the middle of the Atherstone flight of locks on the Coventry Canal having some work done on the boat. The folk there said they'd never known it so busy. Also, when walking my dog I spoke to many hire boaters who were boating for the first time. The T&M in the midlands seems busier than usual this year as well.

Thanks Ian and the rest of you for the tips and recollections. It sounds an amazing experience and I'm seriously considering doing it.