Hudds Lad

If they migrate over Malta it may explain it

I love those SLOW DOWN notices with extra text about being considerate and it's someone's home etc. The writing is generally so small that you can only read it by being virtually on top of it, by which point of course, it's too late to comply with their wishes. Sheer genius.

Like I said, I'm unsure of the etiquette or even if you can/should overtake. As nobody behind was shouting either I just assumed not.

That's on the Shroppie isn't it? was like that in Feb when we first passed it with no sign of life, but when we went by in June there was someone aboard moving stuff onto the towpath from inside (just saw arms) but when we came back a week later all the stuff was piled back on and again no sign of life.

I'd wondered about this, recently got stuck behind some chap coming off the Middlewich branch of the Shroppie who seemed to be constantly alternating between tick over and idling (you could see no prop wash behind the boat at times so deffo not under power). I kept catching him up then having to slow to avoid getting too close in case he was planning a manoeuvre. Eventually there were a further four boats behind me all having to cut power as he continued his pootle. Eventually he stopped and pulled into the diesel station at Nantwich basin making me think he was perhaps low on fuel, by this point I'd run the gamut of frustration, annoyance and acceptance so just passed him without a glance. We stopped at the next clear stretch to have a brew and let everyone else crack on. Now, still being a relative newbie (only third season of boating) I wondered if I'd done something wrong, should I have gesticulated or shouted when the chap occasionally looked behind? It seemed rude to motor up and tailgate to force the issue so I didn't, but should I have?

Can you not get some of the longer ones and then cut them into two or more shorter ones?

its always a bit sad to see a sunken boat, and hopefully she learns a lesson from this (although I doubt it). but how many others are getting away with this on a daily basis, especially around the more "desirable" cities with canals? its a miracle there aren't more of these incidents.

Probably the same people who can be heard declaring "It's OK, it's a contact sport!" with a big grin on their face as they pinball down the cut.

Person loses everything due to own stupidity, expects everyone else to pay for mistake. You sure she doesn't work in the banking sector?

Is that better or worse than a Captain's Hat?

They were more for the sections of Llangollen where you have to send someone up the towpath to check for oncoming boats as there's nowhere to pass, for keeping my 11yr old interested/engaged, and the fact I'm a bit deaf. never said they were necessary, just useful. Each to their own I guess

Stopped taking ours as just don't seem to get time to use it. Sod's law also meant if there was no chance to stop there were loads along the towpath and when we had time there were no caches within miles

I didn't say it had, just wondered how it could get one as it seemed a bit iffy on the build quality/materials. we also passed a chap on the L&L building what could only be described as a floating shed out of basically junk and his ingenuity and wondered how it could be safe/legal to do so.

...does something like this get a BSS? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332300630785

We find a set of cheap PMR walkies quite useful, especially if my better half is walking between locks and I'm pootling along wondering if I should stop or prepare to go straight in once she opens the gates, also keeps the Tweenager engaged. Also better than hand signals between bow & stern we have Binatone Latitude 100's, bought 2 sets of two from eBay for less than £20 delivered (although one now resides at the bottom of the Llangollen opposite the pub near bridge 5, don't ask :D)

especially good when about a foot away from the nest you didn't notice and your hammering has now made them a tad angry, you then have two choices; 1) remove pin ASAP whilst windmilling free arm or dancing about like that Flatley chap hoping you dodge the jaspers. 2) skulk off to the other end of the boat for 10mins whilst they calm down and the particular end decides to make its way back to the centre of the cut. option two also spawns an extra dilemma, do you warn the rest of the crew or not

We had a great week and a bit, got to Llangollen basin and back with also a short trip up the Middlewich branch as well as we had time to kill. Ran the full gamut of weather from baking hot sun (forgot suncream on back of hands and suffered for it, silly boy) to torrential rain and back to baking sunshine, even had to light the stove one evening to stop the female crew members from starting a mutiny. Met some lovely boaters in the main, met a couple of idiots too, but generally a thoroughly enjoyable outing. Even managed to get the Tweenager involved in locks and lift bridges without complaint, which is a first! Even managed to come home with more fishing rods than we set off with due to rescuing a complete setup hung in a tree on the non-towpath side. Think we're doing it all again at the end of August with my inlaws aboard as well, although I imagine it will be quite a bit busier. We came back down Grindley Brook and Hurleston on the Saturday and it was just starting to get a bit daft with day boats (something a bit worrying about a pensioner poking everything in sight with a 10ft bargepole whilst entering a lock at a 45 degree angle). happy days

today's the day, will be underway this afternoon thanks for all the replies

Perhaps not for me, but absolutely too dangerous for my 11yr old daughter who has only been cycling sporadically for the past few years. Towpath cycling has taught her better bike control and respect for other users, its taught her to make others aware of her presence before its too late, to always slow down when approaching ANYTHING. She could not have achieved any of this in a road environment where a cyclist is unprotected from a high percentage of impatient idiots and where she is viewed as a 2nd or even 3rd class citizen.