canalboat

Braunston Boats or Redshaws. Both are by bottom lock and are good.

Hillmorton Elsan is blocked again. CRT visited but apparently its not on the urgent list. Taped off.

No boaters were harmed during the making of this film.

A good winding gets you started ?

After years of wondering if the Elsan disposal point at Boughton Rd, Brownsover on the North Oxford was ever to open again, after the toilet building that it was attached to was closed, the conservative party leaflet has just announced their councillor's plan to open it again - as a community cafe.

My impression was that his story was genuine but of course, you don't have to believe it - and by the way - he had been travelling for a good few hours before I met him at Hillmorton. At least - that is what he said.................. Strange that none of you regulars mentioned that perhaps he should have had an independent survey?

I came across a boater going North on Oxford Canal who had stopped in Hillmorton Locks pound and was bailing out at the stern. He said he had just collected it from the broker’s marina and it was letting in water through the prop shaft tube. I asked the obvious and he had tried putting new great in and turning the screw as hard as he could. I suggested it may need repacking. As he had a concerned audience he told me the rest of his “new to boating” woes. The automatic bailer wasn’t working as the battery was flat which we agreed was probably due to it standing in the marina for some time trying to bail out the rising water. It seemed OK when he inspected the boat. He made an offer which was accepted and he made a date to collect the boat. When he went to collect, several fixtures were missing and the broker charged £1,000 for them to magically appear again. It was only now that he discovered that the previous half a tank of diesel fuel had also nearly all gone. I have heard this type of tale so many times that it must be common practice and it’s a real shame that what I usually regard as the modern curse of social media, has not put a stop to it.

There is a strong rumour circulating that a volunteer was attacked at a lock in the Aylesbury area with fatal result. Does anyone know if its a fact?

And another thing about Country File on the canals - Some years ago, it featured legging through a tunnel (Braunston I think it was) with Elle Harrison lying down with legs in the air and head in close contact with the head of a speechless waterways employee. I recall thinking that it would be all over this forum but it never got a mention. Perhaps one of the geniuses on here can find the clip and share it? What home is that employee residing in now?

Like I said in another thread - I never did get the one I bought to work despite the help form forum members. The fan blew cold air but fuel remained unburnt and dripped from the exhaust to form a puddle on the floor. I didn't get to the stage when I put it on the boat but I assume the BSS rules would have something to say about dripping diesel fuel. The seller of the "heater" on ebay would not respond at all but I got a full refund.

Personally - the only bit of country file worth watching is any part presented by Elle Harrison ?

Our local elsan and toilets have been open and in constant busy use throughout AND regularly cleaned by the CRT contractor.

You have a fine sense of humour sir Alan. I suppose its just a decision to be made between whether life's just too short or a short may lessen life.

No - I was trying (clumsily) to point out that the experienced and obviously knowledgeable electrical folk on here are not necessarily good at teaching, with liberal use of Initials that can mean more than one relevant thing. Now I need to know how to measure a "Pull off force". Believe me, if I could find a proper qualified canalboat electrician, I would have them do the work but how do you know what one looks like and where they are to be found? The electrical company that wired in the electric shore post certainly had no idea about boats or either version of the RCD.

OK - that's for a RCD which (as I understand the differing advice to be found on a search of the forum) is to be found in a consumer unit from which my earth must go to the rather expensive Galvanic Isolator that has just arrived and which is fitted with steel studs, bolts and washers. And to add to my continuing confusion about how to bond an earth to the hull, other forum advice specifically states use of crimped joints rather than wind the wire around the stud under the washer! Then of course there is the advice to use grip washers to get a good connection to the hull and the conflicting advice to use 4mm earth wire whilst another recommends 10mm. And whilst saying you make the bond to the hull, advice on here seems to say make the bond to a bulkhead? I promise that when (IF) I get the definitive answer to how to earth the electrical system on a steel boat, I will put it on the forum for the benefit of the hundreds of boaters out there who are as confused as me. OH NO - now I've got to weld a stud to the hull.......................

I have one of these (slightly cheaper on ebay) but before it gets fitted and I plug in to a shore line, I understand I need to have the electric circuit on board earthed to the hull. What is the best /proper / easiest way to do this please.

Asking price £76k. Wonder what the house is worth?

20 years ago the BW plan was to make the whole area into a Heritage Centre. The Elsan was planned to be below the locks by the water point and they started to dig the trenches for the pipes. Unfortunately they didn't ask the owner of the land they were digging up and he invited them to leave immediately. Meanwhile they let the old office building as a cafe which was already open when they then plonked the Elsan where it is now, with the obvious clash of interests. In recent times the local canal heritage group to which I belong, proposed to CRT that they could place a multi service unit below the locks on the offside on the rough pasture land linked to the new sewage pumping station being built for the new road to the housing development. It was quickly rejected by both CRT and the developer. CRT then sold all the land occupied by the former BW depot to another developer. So you have the three facilities (Rubbish, Water and Elsan) in three different places above and below the locks. To access two of them, you now have to cross property that is no longer owned by CRT! Some say, you couldn't write it - but I just did.

PM sent to SaraCanal

Isn't that a rather old photo? Not that the point isn't well made as just last week there were far more offending unattended boats moored right up to the lock on both sides..

But don't moor at a lock-landing and particularly if you are leaving your boat there.