Khayamanzi

For what it's worth! I think, if the idea is imposed on them, they're more likely to rebel but if they are involved in the whole project from the start you are more likely to get them on board, (no pun intended!) I don't have children on board myself but have known/met many live-aboard children who are the happyest and most well-adjusted you could ever get IMHO. I have heard of some horror stories from totally non-understanding local authorities, (Others may be able to comment more,) and I may be wrong but would suggest that further south it may not be seen as quite so 'socially acceptable' as, say, in the Midlands. I know when I moved from Surrey to the Midlands, I found much more reasonable and understanding people in the Midlands than down south. Professionally, as a Deputy Head of a large junior school in Rugby, I would encourage it wholeheartedly as the skills the children will learn can't ever be easily emmulated in other situations eg. social skills of living closely with others as a family, enjoying the outdoors, watching the seasons, water safety, risk taking etc etc. Let us know how you get on.

Hey - What's happened to Waterworld tonight? Last week said 4 of 10 so it can't be finished?

Many thanks for all the help on this folks - the engineer came this evening to take a look, did various tests, 'ummed' and 'ared' a bit and then declared the diode was faulty and the unit needs replacing. It's only a standard 70Amp alternator but at the cost of an upgrade I have decided to simply replace like for like including the regulator for the Adverk. He is coming on Friday or Saturday to do the job, (and a full engine service at the same time!) Many thanks for your help - it was re-assuring to know that he, and all you wondeful experts agreed!

Thanks for this but I don't get it. Is it telling me the alternator charging the start battery is faulty or the domestics one or can't we tell? I am also confused as to why all the readouts indicate a perfect charge still? Is there any way of testing to see which one is faulty? Sorry for all the questions!

OK, just developed this evening. Started the engine to charge the batteries and on tickover the red electric warning light on the dash panel was faintly glowing. When I throttled up to increase the revs, the lamp glowed more brightly as the revs increased. I have an Isuzu with the 'Deluxe' panel and the red light that is glowing is a 'battery not charging' light. The audible alarm is not sounding. Now the guage tells me I'm still charging at about 14V, (obviously with th engine running!) and the control panel on the combi unit tells me I'm charging fine, (started at 40 odd amps and then the Adverk reduced it to 19 or 20 amps as the charging reached capacity.) The battery bank is now fine and back to 100%. I have been in the engine and tightened the alternator belts as they were a bit slack but this has not made any difference. I'm beginning to think another wire has come off the back of the control panel - does this sound the most likely cause to other people or am I missing something? Any comments appreciated. (edited to insert punctuation to aid sense in a sub-clause!)

Can anyone here confirm when Waterworld is on in the London region? I thought it was tonight but the listings don't say so on Sky!?

We're all busy preparing the protests for March this year See the website at www.saveourwaterways.org.uk

There is a Bob somebody who does everything Isuzu but I can't find his number in Waterways World. There is a small ad at the back for Isuzu engines and parts - he could try 01666 500843. I think this is the main Isuzu UK number but their website - www.hmiengines.co.uk will probably have a locator facility for an engineer. Ed Boden is a mobile marine engineer working on the Grand Union and can be contacted on 07941 048847 This may be a starter for Martin.

This is a fantastic result - well done to all involved. I agree it is also a worrying trend and totally agree with Alnwick in the post above. The fact that a young couple were painting it almost certainly implies a cheap house was being saught after. Can I suggest very strongly that in this thread and other future ones that may occur, that we do NOT discuss our ideas of 'effective' methods to steal and disguise a narrowboat! These people will only get smarter and may well use the same power of the internet which was the success of this story to outwit us in the next!

This link is excellent and a fantastic beginning to exactly the thing I'm talking about.

There is - it's called the Inland Waterways Helmsmans Certificate and as I always say, at least now when I hit another boat, I know how to do it in the proper way The idea of an online interactive site that takes about 15mins and guides the visitor though the etiquette side of things with a short test at the end is an excellent idea - anyone here who could develop such a thing and market it?

For what it's worth, I tend to take the reaction that I want others to take to me. That is, I saunter up to the lock and say, "I'm willing to help if you want but under your direction." That way, I've offered help but made it clear that I'll only do as instructed in the manner they want. If anything goes wrong then, I was only doing what they told me to do, it helps their fears that I'm not about to throw all the paddles open left, right and centre and it acknowledges that they may have a different way of locking than me or may even prefer not to have any help at all.

The problem is that hirers have got a bad name and mud sticks!It's all to do with the snobbish 'hierachy' attitude of some boaters. Some of the rudest and most ignorant people I have ever found have been private boaters, whereas generally, I have always found hirers to fall into one of three camps. They either have no idea and don't care, in which case they deserve the reputation in the same way as those private boaters who have no idea and who don't care deserve it, or they have no idea and are keen to learn; being friendly appreciative and polite or thirdly, they have been hiring for years and boated more of the system than I can ever dream of reaching in my centrally based private boat and I have a lot to learn from them. So you can see, the friendly to unfriendly ratio amongst hirers is stacked 2:1 in their favour. Any private boater with any amount of experience whatsoever can spot the experienced hirer immediately, can discovere the innexperienced but enthusiastic hirer within seconds and offer help or advice as appropriate and should also be able to discover the ignorant hirer within seconds and then simply keep away so as to not put yourself in danger and let them blindly blunder on. The problem I find come with the vast majority of private boaters who have been on the water less than a year or 2, having never hired or ganied any experience previously and who feel that when you buy an expensive brand new boat - it comes automatically with an osmosis based knowledge drip feed system, in other words, "because I own this boat, I know it all and I also own this water!" Only my last cruise we were waiting at a lock at Hillmorton for a boat to rise so that we could use their water going down when a fat and very puffed lady appeared shouting at us that she was there first. My father stood and looked around for the boat that we must have queue jumped before realising that she was starting to re-set the lock for her boat at the bottom to come up. A BW guy was working ont he lock and my father simply looked at him and said,'have I missed something?' to which he replied, 'no! you haven't missed a thing - let me try and explain to her' The BW man then attempted to explain to the lady that she was wasting water -but she wasn't havign any of it and gave us an evil stare as we passed her - no attempt at an apology. The boat? PRIVATE! Not long previously, boating single handed, I moored on the lock waiting area, walked up to open the gates, walked back to my boat, untied the centre line, manouevered the boat towards the lock only to see the gates shutting in my face. I tied the boat back up and went up to investigate only to be told by the little lady there, " Oh! I'm sorry but as there was noone working the locks I didn't realise anyone was wnating to come through.' - The boat? PRIVATE and so my list could go on!

OK, being totally ignorant when it comes to the electrics of my boat, (as demonstrated in previous postings!)I was awake last night musing over this. Is the following possible or would something, somewhere go bang in a spectacular fashion? My batteries charge much quicker when charging through the landline than off the engine. Not sure if this is something to do with the Adverk or what but it's a fact, they also charge much more fully as well. Is there any reason why I couldn't run the engine and the inverter to generate 240v and then plug a plug into a socket with a landline plug on the other end which could plug intot he outside landline socket - sort of fool the system into thinking there was a generator present charging the batteries. I know that the Adverk gets confused if receiving a charge from 2 sources so that would be a potential problem but are there any others I'm missing? Would it simply charge enough power to keep the inverter running and nothing else and so be the nearest thing to perpetual motion

Good old Ian and Alison on Ghosty Hill! They run a regular 3 week rotation from Napton, up the Coventry and along the Ashby and back again for their next delivery. Staunch supporters of the Save Our Waterways campaign and supported the blockade at Sutton's Stop. Certainly I always support working boats when possible but being in a marina I often don't see them pass! There is a website somewhere that tells you all the working boats and their 'patch' - can anyone else help here as I can't seem to find the link

There is one new marina opening up soon fairly close by that I think will affect it soon and add to these numbers of vacancies but nothing new recently I don't think. In reply to Bottle's suggestion, there have been no new building developments either! The mystery continues?

Nope - definately no price increases recently! Anyone, any more ideas that might need investigating?

OK, The other day, I noticed that a well known marina in a prime and highly sought after location on the system had splashed across its home page, 'WE CURRENTLY HAVE 4 X 50FT NON-RESIDENTIAL MOORINGS AVAILABLE. PLEASE CALL XXXXXXX FOR FURTHER DETAILS.' I was left wondering if this really was such a good advert for the marina given that it is well documented that there is a serious shortage of moorings on the market and in addition we are in winter, when many boats who cruise all summer are booked into marinas. It's a difficult one as I would suggest that anyone needing to advertise begs the question 'why?' but yet I know there are many people out there desperate for a berth anywhere. Do look into it carefully if seeing moorings advertised, especially in quantities and even more so in winter - there must be a reason!

For what it's worth - I'll add my little bit here! I had dreadful trouble with my signal before realising that my co-axial aerial lead was running right along a 240V power lead! Apparently there was some interferance or something and once moved apart - the signal was fine. I think this could be a common problem in narrowboats due to the space constraints and also the fact that many TV cabinets have one little hole that you stuff all the cables down to get them out of sight!

I re-call seeing somewhere,a webiste with some sound files of vintage engines. I am trying to find said website, does anyone know of where it may be? Thanks

David, that is so helpful - a huge thanks for the detailed response which I am printing out and attching to my planning notes as I type! I am only 2 hours up the Ashby and am familiar with most of the route down - it's really just further south on the Thames and K & A itself that I am complete novice, (although did do the Thames onto the Wey Navigation a few years back witha crew member,) Once again-a huge thanks to all for your help and a drink on me should I ever meet you in person, however, in the mean time the very nicevirtual bar maid in the virtual pub has a drink behind the bar for you - I think she answers to the name of Danielle Hutch

David, thanks very much for the info. I hope to plan a crew member in for this trip mainly as I don't like doing the Thames single handed and am also a bit concerned about the big and deep locks, (some turf sided and with very fierce paddles I understand,) Maybe you could advise?My big problem is that I onbly have a month for the entire trip from the Ashby down and back and am not sure if I can do this, particularly given that I won't have crew for at least the first 2 weeks.

Thanks Bottle - I totally forgot to use Canalplan - doh! Mind you, if anyone else has any real life experience to help my already highly anticipated holiday, I'll still be grateful, especially with regard to any queuing at pek season.