MaryP

I saw the little shrine on the bench a few times this week - candles, photos, flowers and other ornaments. A small area of earth was also dug over.

Do they want a survey when starting a new policy? Sorry, silly thing to say as my boat will be 25 next year.....

SAGA tried an interesting thing on me when I phoned to pay for my renewal this week. With no previous mention of a survey, the lady said they couldn't insure me as I hadn't sent one in! I challenged this, telling her that no insurance would invalidate my licence etc, and she hesitated, said she needed to talk to her manager, and would call back. The result was the underwriters saying they had to have a survey by next renewal, or no insurance. The boat was blacked in the summer - could have been done then! When I asked her for the reason, she said because it is a Springer. 1989 so only 24 years old.....

1 was yards of polythene, 2 was carpet, but 3 was the best yet.... A whole plant net (that they place at the side of canals and lakes to make things look pretty and natural), complete with plant fibre, dead plants, cable ties. It was 10 feet long, and looked like a sea monster lying at the side of the lock. My daughter was the one who got it off after 3 hours of hard work, and we have trophy pics of her with her foot on it etc. It was ENORMOUS!!!

This was the rule 7 years ago when we went through. I had to damp the fire. Although they fan the air through, I would imagine being a boat behind one with a fire, even one not producing much smoke would be unpleasant, Especially if there was an occasional spark.

I was chatting to an enforcement chap last w/e. He said that in an ideal world, CRT would like every CC'er to have a Winter mooring, but this wasn't on the cards at present. However, he said it has been suggested that even in harsh iced in conditions, they will still enforce the 14 day rule, and charge over stayers. He said this was because too many CC'ers managed to get iced in and over stay eg near their favourite pub etc. Discretion may be exercised, but this would be taken case by case depending on circumstances.

I have sent them an email asking about the getting iced in 'problem'. I have had a courtesy email back already saying they are consulting Sally Ash, and will get back to me. I'll let you all know what she says!

I went through Droitwich just after it opened and loved it. Stourport has the feeling of an old fashioned seaside town I thought. Very impressed that after 10 pm, the fair ground closed and all was silent! Basin good for mooring, and the Staffs and Worcs canal is a delight! Enjoy it if you go!

My worst experience was going out of Brum on the Grand Union. I'd just been thinking how easy Brum had been when..... Up on a really high bridge I saw some teen boys. As usual I smiled and waved - as close as I could get to engaging them. One of them said "oh look, she's waving". Next moment, one of them who was positioned perfectly lifted a small tree / large branch over the parapet, and smiling at me aimed perfectly for the boat. It made contact with a loud thump about 3 feet from me. If it had hit me I'd have been badly injured, but my tough little Springer didn't even get a dent! As I was single handed, and as the kids could have out run the boat, I just carried on as if nothing had happened - didn't give them the satisfaction of any reaction at all. Once I was half a mile away, and out of sight of the bridge I phoned 999. They sent someone straight away, but as there was no actual damage done to me or the boat, I didn't hear anything. The incident scared me witless, and I didn't stop until I was at Copt Heath Wharf. That night, every time I heard a sound I was wide awake. Me and my little boat have done about half the system with friends / family / single handing, but I have not felt that frightened before or since.

Yes I agree. The rain and snow can really whip along the Trent valley!

I had my boat blacked there earlier in the year. What a shame. It was very useful! Not an eye sore at all. He was upgrading the free car park then. There is really no-where else to park close to the lock without blocking the lane, and to add to the problem, the bridge over the adjacent railway is steep, narrow and blind. They are such lovely helpful people too!

Where were you please?

I use it to locate a good place to leave the car near to a good place to leave the boat, or visa versa!

Why would you expect the surveyor to do all that for no pay? Also, if you don't trust that survey, you need a second opinion rather than a re-hash of the first one, surely? I also agree it doesn't look very Springer like esp. due to the flat bottom! Although I can see elements of Springer there too. Perhaps it's been extensively modified.... Good luck!

We loved the Weaver so much the first time, that we went a second time!

I think of mine as the Morris Minor of the waterways, old fashioned, but that's just fine!! I love it! The v helps out with the tangling of stuff on the prop too I think - 7 years, approx 1000 miles and only 3 trips down the weed hatch. Then for major things like carpet I'd reversed on to..... Face book group alive and well with 62 members https://www.facebook.com/groups/272909672827999/?fref=ts

10.30am today. Someone has emptied the pound between the top and middle locks, down to the mud. I phoned CRT as I was cycling and could do nothing about it myself. The lady who lives at the lock cottage (calls herself the Rotweiller!) says she thinks it was Boaties who don't know what they're doing. She says they shouldn't leave the gates open. (They were open and paddles up). So either go round through Limehouse, or fill the pound....

I had a little top loading pot belly stove on the boat when I bought it. It was fine until the top plate cracked, but still passed it's BSS once bunged up with fire cement. Finally I found another on ebay the same size, we fitted it, and love it. Neither the old one nor the new one leaked smoke through the top. It all goes up the flue.

Saw him today in Barrow -on-Soar. Lovely chap. So pleased to have come across him! He said he'd raised about £2000! Well done!!

Right now........... Current bid: £155,300.00

What a shame. The landlord of the Maybush let us moor up by their garden, and let my son put a tent up. He was happy as long as we used the pub a couple of times. Morris dancer chap.

To be fair, he has altered a couple of things in the past when I pointed out things were quite wrong.