MaryP

I like Pearson's. Haven't noticed much wrong so far... On the new C&RT site, there was a picture is of Tixall Wide on the wrong canal, but just looked and it's been corrected.

I have friends along on at least half the occasions I use the boat, but I am always there too.

Great, thanks for that!

I've got a Water Bug, and I too found it a bit odd at first, but as you say I got used to it. If you have friends on board, don't let them all sit on one side! If you have teens on board, watch out for the "rocking the boat while you're on the loo" joke!

Thanks for the warning! Are the canal bits safe, or is it all best avoided? Cheers, Mary

Hiya, What's mooring like on the Soar? Can you leave a boat from one w/e to the next in some places as you can on the canals? On the map, it looks as if it goes from river to canal and back several times. Do the canal bits have mooring places that are unrestricted? I hope someone know! Thanks, Mary

Hiya, What's mooring like on the Soar? Can you leave a boat from one w/e to the next in some places as you can on the canals? On the map, it looks as if it goes from river to canal and back several times. Do the canal bits have mooring places that are unrestricted? I hope someone know! Thanks, Mary

If a bike is covered on a household insurance policy, it has third party insurance (mine does anyway).

My Water Bug is 23 foot, and I have 3 spaniels on mine! Agree with above! I don't live on it, and have done about half the system now in fits and starts over 5 or so years. You don't need a mooring to get a license, but if you decided to become a continuous cruiser (as I am), then you do need to move around the system, but that is the delight of it all! I'd hate to stay in one spot. BW, now CaRT will keep a record of where you go, but I find it fun to keep a log myself to keep in mind all the quirky little things that happen, and when I fill up with water or diesel (I have an inboard diesel engine). I reckon on 1 hour per litre. Of course you can just do a 3 point turn when you want to change direction too.

I've seen that one!

I was talking to someone at Alrewas yesterday who told me about seeing this. Great pics, thanks!

My fave of all time was BOB IN A BOAT (say it fast with a Midlands accent)!

It was there a year ago... Brilliant place!

On our local lake, they devour the baby waterfowl. We used to have a large variety, but now hardly have any at all.

Isn't there a rule about not returning to the same spot within 3 months?

Yes they do. When I had a problem recently, and couldn't move the boat, they were sympathetic as they could give me a full account as to where I'd been for the past 3 or 4 years, and could see I travel a great deal around the system. It was facinating!

Still thinking abou you - any news on Dusty?

Just watched it - great thank you. I've been thinking I'd like to try a bit of the Trent...

Very good! The great thing about a 23 foot boat, is that once I get to roughly where I want to stop, I can have a look at a couple of locations, and then do a 3 point turn and go back to the best one - where some one has kindly left some pilings in situ!

What's the shape of your hull? If it's a Springer with a v shape, the pins will always pull out. Try mooring to metal pilings instead - much safer.

Yes they can. I've needed to do this a couple of times over the years, and they can give you the local person's mobile, or get them to ring yours. BW are always helpful in my experience if you have a genuine crisis going on. Good luck! I'd be as frantic as you if I lost my dogs!

The number of boats has been increasing steadily for some time. Not just for the games, although some may have been shifted along. At one time there wasn't a boat between SPCC and Vicky Park, and then none from there till Limehouse Basin.

Off topic - Lerwick, Up Helly Aa - brilliant!

If they are the same ones that I encountered on the Thames at this time of year a few years back, they bite! One settled on my hand and so I let it rest so I could take a look at it and bam! It hurt really badly the whole day.

I was told by an old (in his 80's) 'born, lived, worked on a boat' guy that the reason pre war steel lasts longer is due to lower radioactivity levels when it was manufactured. He said that was why so many Springers still survive, as the steel they were made from was pre war. Being a Springer owner, I took it all in - but he may have a point?