Dave123

He wasn't going to climb underneath the boat while it was strapped up to look for the leak was he???

Yes to the 0800 always, and to the emails also after a few days. I think the choice of number to phone is all down to how urgent or serious the issue is. General low water probably not but they do say if boats or other property is at risk of damage to phone the 0800 number.

Whenever I have had a problem and used the 0800 number they always know where I am if I give a lock or bridge number. If it is non-urgent (like an operable but damaged lock or bins overflowing etc) I just send an email. The occasions I have had to phone the 0303 number the waiting time wasn't worth it!

It seems a lot of the complaints are about lack of depth, which is not something I find a problem having a very shallow drafted boat. But I wonder if there has been an increase in deeper drafted leisure boats during the last decade or so? Most reports/articles etc I see about leisure boating in the 70s/80s all seem to feature much shallower drafted boats than the replica working boats that seem quite common now...

That isn't the emergency number. For any kind of problem that is preventing navigation the emergency number is 08004799947

Pangbourne is always rammed when it is nice weather on a weekend. It was full (overnight) even in early June when people weren't meant to be overnighting on boats they didnt live on??. All the plastic boats race up from Thames and Kennet for the weekend I think. Always room at Beale park though. ?

Sometimes the only mooring is on a crumbling bank. There are parts of the network like that. It is a bit of a chicken/egg argument as to whether it is bad mooring or speeding boats pulling pins (and chunks of bank) loose that are most to blame. I dont think its ok to not slow down because a boat is badly moored and "it serves then right if they come loose/will teach them a lesson "

But how are you going to know the circumstances (i.e. the state of the bank etc) sufficiently advance of reaching a moored boat?

Heyford lift bridge only opening with CRT help from 10am to 11am and 2pm to 3pm probably for at least until next week. Obviously causing massive queues at the locks either side soon after each window! Made worse by the short lock landings.?

I wish Nicholson's would cover the Fens. I was hopeful when they brought out the Broads book but still no Fens guide. I never got on with Imray...prefer the overlay of the OS map that Nicholson's do as you can see what to explore around the water and it gives much better detail. They can pad out existing books with partially restored canals and disconnected bits but can't cover a huge part of the existing connected waterways??‍♂️?

Definitely report him. And only move when it's safe. Night time cruising is only safe if the canal is well lit by the moon/street lights etc and you know where you can moor.

The three fuel boats I have been using this year all seemed to be doing fine, to the point they were selling out and could only serve regular customers!

It seemed like a genuine question about where would be a good part of the system to be moored/based in the event of another lockdown. A question I think many are wondering...But it degenerated like so many threads seem to?

I met some boaters in June who got thrown off there at 9pm by an irate farmer. It used to belong to the UKIP treasurer apparently, who was (unsurprisingly) a nasty piece of work and tried to close the dead-end footpath along that bank where the poohsticks races were held. Boaters haven't helped by burning the no mooring/mooring fee signs?‍♂️. I stayed a week last Autumn and didn't have any problems, the foxes afloat bloggers also stayed this summer sometime, and apart from being rammed by a cruiser, didn't mention mooring problems?

It's hard to find out much about reservoirs (in relation to canals) at all. All the google hits just return stuff about carp fishing?. I would expect the Bridgewater originally had its own reservoirs (although I know a lot of water came out of the mines at Worsley). But whether it still uses these or relies on CRT feed from Middlewich/Wigan/Rochdale I don't know....

That particular mooring has a rather chequered history. Fee to moor and no mooring signs coming and going all the time!

Out of interest, don't CRT canals (and reservoirs) supply all the water to the Bridgewater? So we are in effect paying for the water already?

Yes this is a shame, you can moor further upstream from there, on the sharp bend by the big house. Rose Isle I think.

Not been any signs there for years. First moored there 10 years ago and signs said something like £5 a night but no one collected. Now no signs at all, but I think it's become shallower and hardly anyone ever moors there now ?‍♂️ Mooring situation on the Thames fluctuates like crazy, signs and silt and vegetation come and go. I notice new mooring places each year and others disseappear each year! All part of the fun so long as you aren't looking for somewhere too late in the day?

They could head to the Nene still ??

Yeah there aren't many moorings between Wallingford and Goring. The meadow above Cleeve lock can be ok but some of it is shallow.

The arch under the towpath by the farm moorings above Claydon is Boddington feed. I can't see where Clattercote comes in. Suspect they have allowed it to no longer be used.?‍♂️

They need to make a winding hole at the top of Claydon locks. Came over the summit 2 weeks ago and met 3 boats at the locks that were just going down Claydon to wind and go straight back up again! I was wondering if Clattercote is used too? The feed on the ordinance survey appears to join below Claydon but can't actually see it from the canal.

I spent most of lockdown at Crofton and Wolfhall/Burbage and (rather guilty to say) loved it. Wide towpath. Shop a comfortable walk away. Plenty of solar. But I doubt thare will be a nationwide lockdown. And if you live on your boat you will be able to move to get all the things you need wherever you end up anyway. I was wondering about the best places to be around the system, for lockdown and started a thread about it, but most of the replies were along the lines of 'at my mooring in the marina/garden' ???‍♂️ But seriously the K&A has a great community and a fuel boat etc. I'd rather be there than somewhere that was more the preserve of just holiday boats as it might have felt a bit lonely.

It was pretty empty (compared to last year) up there under the trees in June. Never had problems in Wallingford, I consider it as safe as any town in the country.