noddyboater

Boats shouldn’t be left unattended in short pounds, v bottomed or otherwise. You have to drain a lot of water from a long pound to put anyone on the bottom. If there’s someone on a boat nearby tell them your intentions and they’ll probably do it for you. Life is full of “could” problems but sometimes it’s just better to get on with it.

Why? It could be a 10 mile pound.

Are you confusing your upstream and down south again? Last time I boated that way Stoke Bardolph was definitely below Holme Lock.

There’s currently a resurgence in taxidermy in general, animals in glass cases and mounted heads are fetching good prices again. Maybe it’s all part of the Range Rover driving, tweed waistcoat and flat cap wearing image thing.

This one?

Do you go up to Cromwell from Nottingham then? Is that because it’s “up North”? I always think that it’s down (stream).

One other thing to watch is the road bridge after Shardlow (pub at side) lock. It’s the lowest on that section so could catch you out if you have a chimney on.

As said by Matty beware Stenson lock as it’s particularly deep. You’re likely to be “assisted” by volunteers here but not at the following locks down to Shardlow. You may want to lift the lower paddles quicker than they advise once you’re on your own, even if you are taking things steady! There’s a narrow section with hidden underwater stone shelf after Swarkstone but a sign warns you of that, and obviously take care on the river if it’s still high.

I must admit that I prefer the older saws without all the electronic aids and auto chokes etc. I use an old Husky 365 for big stuff, basic but reliable. You know about it when you’ve had a few hours with it though!

No it’s a conventional back handle model. Great with a 10” bar for small logs and despite its small engine size never bogs down.

There’s a big difference between the latest lower price Stihl saws and the professional models. I’d always had a bottom of the range cheap stihl as a firewood saw but haven’t been impressed with the quality lately. If you go up a level in price things are much better, I’m currently using a little ms150 which is classed as an arborist saw, but perfectly balanced and very powerful for its size.

I’d argue that the most common type of new livaboard boaters are very visible, unfortunately. His presence is known in advance (it’s usually a He), by floating debris escaping from overflowing bin bags on the back deck, and oily scum in the water. They’ll be various crap on the towpath or leaning on the hedge and quite often a convenient gap into the field behind to dump more unsavoury stuff out of sight. The boat itself will be listing badly, with black windows either from years of filth or stick on film. It doesn’t matter, as long as you can’t see in. Stuff is piled up in the bow against the padlocked door, the hull will have last been blacked in 1987, and you’ll pity the poor bugger that did a safety cert on it. The occupant can be an elusive breed, rarely rising in daylight during winter months, but can be identified by dreadlocks, clothing that’s all various shades of black, a coat proudly emblazoned with a company name (that he’s DEFINITELY never worked for), and of course a can of strong lager in his hand. You’re very unlikely to ever see them on the move of course, which is a good thing. To be down wind of one for hours at 4mph isn’t going to be pleasant.

There’s an isolated lock cottage on the Grantham Canal that’s been empty for years. No electric supply, no mains sewage and access is across the disused lock from the towpath. It failed to sell at a ridiculous price a few years ago, and is currently owned by the local estate and not CRT. It was a real time capsule with old furniture, cooking ranges etc but unfortunately had a few too many visitors after appearing on “Derelict Places” website many times. Some [email protected] set fire to it last year but I heard it has recently been bought and restoration started.

Believe me it looked even worse when I acquired it in Hyde. Unfortunately I didn’t keep any photos but it’s briefly on film in Mykaskin’s “That Fuller do” on YouTube. It’s the odd one out, you can’t really miss it!

Don’t know about anyone else but I’d rather have the heat from a stove warming me as I cruise at this time of year. Not a load of fermenting toilets.