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debbifiggy

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Everything posted by debbifiggy

  1. Sorry, only just catching up on this. The winding hole I referred to was the Mill Race of the Old Mill between the Esso Garage waterpoint and the Old Mill pub garden. The other winding hole is just outside Berko and only good for up to 60 foot. Debbi
  2. It is widely used as a winding hole. We've used it without any problems over the last 13/14 years. Some spot dredging was undertaken a couple of years ago to make it easier to use. It's not an official winding hole but everyone uses it. I've seen a 70 foot working boat get around there when there is enough water in the pound. D
  3. I have to give Sterling top marks for service. The OH drove up to Droitwich today with the faulty charger. It has been exchanged for a brand new one for no charge and they apologised for the inconvenience. Definitely worth the petrol money! We are both very happy indeed. I have to say that we've been very happy with the performance of the old charger until it suddenly failed. Debbi
  4. Fuse blew immediately. Interior was inspected and no corrosion and beautifully clean. OH taking entire unit to Sterling tomorrow and we'll see if it can be repaired. D That's interesting. I doubt we'll get a replacement, more likely a repair as unit is over 3 years old. I'll let you know the outcome. We've been promised a same day repair.
  5. Thanks to everyone so far who's replied. I am wondering if corrosion is going to be a factor due to the location of the charger. The only place we could mount it was under the stern door steps .... I'll report back tomorrow. D
  6. Have any other forum members experienced the sudden failure of a Sterling Pro Charge Battery Charger/Power Pack? We thought we'd had a power cut on Monday night when all the 240v system went off. Didn't worry about it at the time as it was dark and nearly bed time. Just turned on the 12v lights, finished dinner and went to bed. Following morning discovered no power cut but power tripped out at mooring 240 v supply to boat. Tested main trip in boat, don't think it's working. Then proceeded to test all 240 appliances for a possible problem and checking fuses. The only thing that is a problem is the Sterling Pro Charge 20 which seems to be totally dead. It's been wired in permenently and on for approx 3 and half years except when out cruising. Can it be repaired or do we need to fork out another £300 plus for a new one. Or should we look at something else to keep our batteries and 12 v system in fine fettle? The OH is going to call Sterling today to see what they say but I'd be interested to hear your ideas too. Thanks in advance, Debbi
  7. I'm sure Tony will be along in person shortly but why not check out http://www.tb-training.co.uk/ Debbi
  8. My other half (who is a plumber) would say neither. Use copper and brass throughout. Rats and mice like munching on plastic! and more than one boater has had a boat full of water after a speedfit joint popped! D
  9. Although there are a few places in London that do proper residential moorings (BW Engineers Wharf, just 5 berths at Brentford, Ice Wharf Marina, Blomfield Road Residential, Abbots Wharf, Anderson's Wharf and the private Highline Northholt and Iver) finding a vacancy is going to be much much harder. Snap up a berth at Engineers Wharf before they are all gone as they seem to be the only available ones at present. Hope you find what you want. Best of luck. D
  10. I stand corrected. I was trying to do things too quickly and didn't select the correct word. It should have been "handling fee". Hopefully my later post has clarified matters and everyone is happy now. D
  11. Sorry Matt not quite correct. If you transfer the licence to the new owner by leaving the licence discs on the boat and you haven't paid for them in full you a still liable to pay for them in full until payment has been completed for that licence period. From the BW website "Missed payments and cancellation of Direct Debit: If we are unable to collect a payment because of insufficient funds in your account, a further attempt will be made to collect it after 10 working days. If it is not possible to collect the money on this second attempt we will automatically cancel your Direct Debit and all outstanding amounts become due immediately. Similarly, if you cancel your Direct Debit instruction, the outstanding portion of the full licence fee becomes due immediately. If we do not receive the outstanding amounts due, your licence may be terminated. In this case you must remove your boat from our waters. If you fail to remove your boat from our waterways, we can do so at your expense and take action to recover any debt. Owing to the cost of dealing with Direct Debit defaults, we reserve the right to charge a handling fee of £30. You may also incur legal costs if we have to instruct solicitors to recover the debt. If you default on your direct debit payments, we may refuse to grant you a Direct Debit facility in the future." Also to note from the t&c's is "Selling the boat or removing it from the waterways: refund terms. We will transfer your licence to the new owner at no extra charge, providing the licence is fully paid and you give us the address of the new owner. Alternatively, you can return both copies of the licence disc to us and request a refund, if applicable (see refund table). A licence being paid for by Direct Debit instalments is not transferable if you sell your boat. You have two options 1. to pay the remaining outstanding balance so that it becomes a fully paid licence. We will then transfer it to the new owner on your instructions. 2. to return the licence to us for a refund, if appropriate. Generally, the shorter the length of time left before the licence expires, the more advantageous it will be for you and the new owner to take option 1. See the appropriate refund table for the percentage of the total fee that will be refunded if you sell your boat or remove it from the waterways." HTH Debbi
  12. Do not stop your direct debit to BW. You will get "fined" £30 for a missed payment and if not sorted rapidly will end up with debt collectors and possibly a CCJ against you if you let it get that far. Much better to make the transfer of the licence part of the boat sale and include it in the price IMHO. PM me if you need assistance on licence issues. D
  13. Sadly this is the first year in a while that I won't be there :-( Hope everyone has a really good time and that the weather is kind. D
  14. Just out of curiosity, where exactly in London are you headed? You got a mooring sorted? I agree with the others on here that putting it on a lorry would be better than trying to go by water. The Severn is not for the faint hearted and a pilot is essential. D
  15. I was lucky enough to arrive in Leeds just in time on Wednesday to see Sue, Bilbo and boats in Leeds lock by Clarence Dock. I stood and watched until I got soaked through. The Aire was running quite swiftly so I'm pleased they got away on the L&L before the river was closed for flooding. D
  16. Yep, Pearl Barley looked the deal. Nice paintwork & lines etc. It was tipping down with rain so I couldn't spend too long or see too well so didn't see the boat on the inside of Pearl Barley. But there was definitely a boat horse in full regalia waiting quietly by the lockside and what appeared to be a butty or horse drawn boat. There was quite a crowd. Missed them exiting the lock into a lively River Aire as I had to get to that meeting. D Must have been President then. I'm chuffed (if you will pardon the pun!) D
  17. Had to travel to Leeds for a work meeting and took the train from Milton Keynes to Leeds via Manchester. Loads of fun spotting bits of canal and loads of boats. Highlights of the day were spotting a steam boat that looked like President making lots of smoke/steam heading north just above Great Heywood Junction on the T&M. Also managed to time the arrival at the office (pure luck) to see a horse boat in the lock on the river near Clarance Dock. Was it Sue Day with Maria? The motor closest to me seemed to be called Pearl Barley????? Oh, and I managed to see both portals of the Standedge Tunnel whilst on the Trans Pennine Express. Have a slightly cricked neck but it made a long train journey entertaining. Beat the drought, go canal spotting by train! D
  18. The Bulbourne is virtually dry from Dudswell to Winkwell. The Gade is low. The Chess is drying up. The Colne is low. The canal may be river fed but if there's no water in the rivers there's no water for the canal. We should all therefore ensure we leave the leave empty locks empty and other locks have both sets of gates and all paddles closed and wait at locks if possible for a cruising partner IMHO. D
  19. Probably too late. Can I have some badgers noses please, extra salt. Ta
  20. Noticed quite a few boats about this weekend and everyone that I saw was travelling solo. The last one that I saw heading south away from the summit yesterday left a "leave empty" lock with both bottom gates closed but didn't draw a paddle so there was a full leaky lock within a very short time. Lovely weekend to be out walking and was jealous of those on the move. D
  21. Even with quite a few years of boating experience before doing the RYA course I found it useful (I had to do the course for work). There's always something to learn. If new to boating I would thorough recommend it for your own safety, confidence and enjoyment. Well worth while. D D
  22. Agreed. We've decided to abandon our cruising plans this year altogether and concentrate on boat maintenance and gardening. The only short trip we will do (subject to restrictions) is to a dry dock for blacking. Fortunately we don't have far to go for that. I think canal rage/conflict over lock use, long queues and waiting times would make a holiday less enjoyable than it might have been. That said, we've met some lovely people in lock queues in the past and had very enjoyable chats. D
  23. Troll alert? Or am I a hard bitten cynic. Pass the popcorn please and something stronger than a beer. BTW, there's new enforcement officers in London town and there's more of them as of this week and they're keen D edit: Someone beat me to the troll alert!
  24. I've seen quite a few funnies and odd names for boats. Checking names to make sure they weren't obscene used to be fun back in the dark distant days when I worked in BW craft licensing all those years ago. I remember a boat called KINSKINT quite a few years ago .... the chap was, spent all his money on the boat so couldn't afford a licence. BW had the boat in the end and he did end up totally @@@kin@ skint. There is a little cabin cruiser in London called Cupid Stunts. When I queried it I was told it had to be permitted as neither word in itself was rude. There's a boat called Knot Normal. May Contain Nuts always made me smile Agree that the BEEB could do no worse than peruse Jim Sheard's website and find their own funnies. D
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