Galeomma

Sadly there are very few steam boats on the canal. I would give my eye teeth for one after being a steam ship marine engineer for nearly 40 years. Finances do not allow

And make sure there is a qualified inspector to check. Most of us cannot do LPG engine checks at present.

There are quite a few extra hoops to jump through for the BSS as well.Outboards with proprietry fuel tanks are fine. Older inboards with fixed tanks can have issues with the current regs.

Hey, think of us BSS examiners. We have record fun. I just did one on a Norman. I had the past certificate but the boat doesnt exist on the data base. So new boat entry, fill in a myriad of information. Hopefully not duplicaing. Grrrrr.

I really liked my Dawncraft 27. It had as much room in 27 ft as my 38 ft narrow boat seems to have! The only thing I used to be frightened going through locks single handed, with the steel boat, no problem.

CRT were planning a whole mapping system with zones and all you had to do was move out of each zone every 14 days. It wasn't far and as far as I was concerned, a brilliant idea. But guess what, the CC (moorers) society whined like little girls about that and it got dropped. That was the best idea going unless you are someone who isn't going to move whatever. CRT have every right as far as I am concerned to enforce the moving edict and good on them. Oh and I am CC.

The fire extinguishers have to certified by a BSS approved manufacturer/supplier. The present list consists of Afnor 'NF' mark, Aparagz Belcert, BSI 'kitemark', British Approvals for For Equipment 'BAFE', Marine Equipment Directive 'Ships Wheel', Loss Prevention Certification Board 'LPCB', Societe General De Surveillance 'SGS'.

The Stort is lovely. I'm up at Sawbridgeworth at the moment.

Really not a good idea. Find out why the seal is leaking and fix that. If you go down the belt and braces route, where do you stop.!

I'm used to Bar, I don't mind PSI but I bloody hate Pascals. One ship I was on was in MPa, did my head in, that one.

I would look at it that if the rope was tied into a 'mat' and couldn't unravel it would be OK. If it could move/unravel or was loose and could potentially cover the drain holes, a fail. 90% of the BSS rules are pretty well cut and dried. A pass or a fail with no room for flexibility. We were told that a petrol generator on a boat, unless it is stored 1 meter away from any opening into the boat is a fail. (or in it's own gas type locker). However if it is on the towpath when we do our examination or even if it is connected up and running it is compliant. The rules only apply to storage.

And it wouldn't be a failure. It's not unsecured stuff that could bang around and cause damage and it can't block the drains. Perhaps I should have said unsecured. Things like ropes, fuel cans, paint pots etc are a no no. Supports for bottles are OK.

As a very newly qualified BSS safety examiner, I can tell you anything in the gas locker other than bottles and gas related equipment, regulator, pipes etc. is a fail. 7.3.3 Is the cylinder locker clear of any items that could block the drain 7.4.4 Is the cylinder locker clear of any items that could damage the LPG equipment or ignite leaked LPG. The BSS regard just about anything in there as having potential to damage the pipes/regulators etc. Basically I would explain people why & ask them to empty the gas locker of anything and then I could pass it. What they do after I have gone is up to them.

Don't suggest it to C&RT or they'll have us buying new boats. No licence for anuthong over 10 years old! Oh yes, I was wondering, in London when the new vehicle emissions charges come in, what are they going to charge boats like mine with 40 year old smokey taxi engines in them

Or they have kids or grand kids that won't keep away from the water, or dogs that go mental at the boats or...... There could be many reasons. But yes, It does beggar why you would pay a premium for having a canal at the end of your garden and then wall it up.

winter towpath moorings - best thing ever. I spent 5 months outsite the General Elliot in Uxbridge. Made loads of new friends. Increased the pubs coffers by a goodly amount and donated £250 to C&RT for the privalidge. What's not to like from all points of view.

Mine is rubber mounted, doesn't vibrate much and is reasonably quiet.

Lovely programme by two people totally devoted to each other and the canal system. Just thoroughly enchanting TV for once.

You might be right, but they don't breathalyser people when they lob a brick through a window on a Saturday night. I have never heard of them breathalising anyone other than road traffic cases. In the Marine commercial world for my company, any accident is accompanied by compulsory D&A testing but there is a specific procedure in place for that. I have absolutely no idea who else would be involved as far a compulsory testing on the inland waterways in cases of an accident. MCA. MAIB, Police?

To get back to the original subject, I'm surprised no one has flagged up that if she (the ramming speed) captain of the boat did not have a court approved alcohol test of some sort - blood, urine, calibrated breath test machine, - she cannot be prosecuted as being drunk in charge of anything. Also, 'she was going at 10 mph' from a member of the public, even multiple members of the public will carry no weight in a court. Criminal damage? I don't know what the definition of criminal is but the police weren't interested when my car got smashed when parked even though I had CCTV of the incident including the perpetrators reg number so why would they be that bothered about a boating bump where no one got hurt. What's the betting it ends up as an insurance argument and her getting nothing harder than a fixed penalty fine for being naughty in a public place. I'm not saying she wasn't guilty of all above, I'm saying what any court will say.

I enjoyed it. Probably because they are so genuine it just feels so much better than Mr. Sergeants offering.

I've been moored across from Uxbridge boat center over winter. I've been in there twice and always bought 10x what I went in for. A wonderful and dangerous place to enter.