Whale

Many thanks for all your replies -- there doesn't seem to be a consensus -- think we might try the Droitwich. Quiet and rural sounds good. If we had time we'd do both! Anyway - thanks to you all.

We get ours serviced about once a year by Heritage themselves. They come from Cornwall but given a bit of notice, they will come to wherever the boat is and are used to finding us! Otherwise a lot of Aga service places will do it.

We're about to do the Avon ring - the only section we haven't done before is the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. We're not sure whether to go via Dunhampstead (original section) or go along the restored Droitwich section. Any advice appreciated. Thanks

Another vote for Elite -- they did all out soft furnishings and porthole bungs. Not cheap, but extremely good quality, long-lasting and they come to fit it all in the price and we would certainly use them again.

Hello -- just wondered if anybody had used these: http://www.bimblesolar.com/solar/individual/140w-semi-flexible and if you would recommend them -- thinking of getting 2, and a Tracer 20 mppt. Grateful for any advice. Thanks

Damp kitchen paper dipped in the ashes....works brilliantly

Darren Williams is great -- did a superb job for us, and he is local. www.dwcanalboatsignwriter.co.uk

Try Steve or Andy Malpass at Oxford Cruisers -- boatyard at Eynsham.

We've got one and love it -- we were worried we would fry in summer, but it is heat-controllable, so it's fine. And in spring/autumn/winter gives a lovely residual heat on the boat. 2 independent burners - one for heating, one for cooking. Very reliable - we wouldn't be without it. And the team at Heritage are great. Welcome to pm me if you want any more info. No links with company, just very happy. I'd post a picture if I knew how!

We got ours from the Edwardian Bedding Company -- edbed.com. It's brilliant -- not cheap -- but a really great mattress and I don't think expensive for what it is. And they are really helpful. They specialise in bespoke mattresses for boats. No connection, etc etc - just a happy customer.

We got through on the 27th -- just. We spent Christmas Day near Somerton deep lock, looking down on the Cherwell- flooded fields (lovely place to be) and then got to Aynho Weir lock on Boxing Day. The Indicator was above the red mark then , ie. you couldn't see it. So we waited....the level dropped a good 7 inches that day and night and we went through the lock (no problem with the Cherwell flow across the canal) and got under Nell bridge on the 27th (with everything cleared off the roof and chimneys down, just to be sure). The EA Site says that the levels have dropped even more since then, but obviously it's best to be there to judge for yourself--- but I'd say you would probably be ok.. Good luck!

You need Nicholson's Number 7 -- River Thames and the Southern Waterways which does cover the uppermost stretch. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Collins-Nicholson-Waterways-Guides-Southern/dp/0007281676/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305190674&sr=8-1

I wonder if someone could please give the definitive answer -- if you want to cruise the entire system, how long (or short!) must the boat be? Many thanks....

The Guardian are running this today:http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/oct/07/search-lancashire-u-boat-commander

Apologies if this is a stupid question -- I'd be interested in toning down my not very attractive white metal satellite dish by painting it the same colour as the boat. Would that affect the signal in any way, and can I use normal boat paint?

We too owe our boating to Allen -- we bought one, then two shares in an Ownerships boat before buying a boat of our own. Allen genuinely changed our lives and we will forever be grateful to him.

I'd probably join The Thames via Dukes Cut, coming out just above King's Lock -- mostly because the canal near Oxford is lined with moored boats and so progress at more than tickover wouldn't be encouraged. Oxford Canal and Thames -- what a lovely section to cruise. Have fun.

Hey -- steady on Gibbo. This isn't spam and I've been a member since Jan 07 visiting the forum most days -- it's usually useful and interesting, which is the spirit in which I posted this. I've got absolutely nothing to do with either Horizon or Travelsat except I've paid them both money. Just thought some members would be interested. Oh well........

This is for the technically challenged. I'm hopeless and may be the only boater in the country who has found it difficult to set up a satellite easily, but I suspect some other people have problems too. If that's you too, read on, otherwise apologies for taking up space. I was flirting with getting an automatic satellite dish, 'cos they sound easy, but was finding the £1500 or so a bit difficult to justify (impossible actually), plus I dont think they are the most attractive items to be on top of the boat permanently. Here's a kind of half way house that works for me -- it has certainly changed my life, and my wife's (no more of my angry frustration at odds with the relaxing mooring up for the evening with a drink etc), because it now literally takes maybe a minute to set the satellite up. Courtesy of a Horizon Sat Finder and, crucially, push on connectors (rather than those bloody screw connectors that I always managed only by moving the dish, hence losing the signal again). Because the Horizon has its own battery -- you can simply push-connect it to the dish, lock on to Astra 2 and fiddle a bit for the quality, easily gaining 70-80%, pull out the connector to the Horizon without moving the dish and replace it with the aerial wire to the TV (again, push-on connector). Done. In seconds and reliably. And no more satellite fiddling while trying to look at the signal quality bar on the TV inside the boat at the same time. Here's the bad bit -- it ain't cheap at £350 (I've seen them for a bit less on the web actually). So chuffed , wanted it to share it with people. Obviously, you can set all of this up yourself. I got all the kit from Martyn at Travelsat (this honestly isn't a commercial endorsement,but again, if you are like me and just want someone to come and sort it, he will.) Happy boating all, Toby

We have an Isuzu 42 and fitted a hospital silencer when it was installed. Reduces the exhaust noise to extremely little -- though it's a kind of slippery slope because you then start agonising about the (not very loud) noise coming up through the boards, despite sound insulation fitted there. But a couple of people going walking past have asked if the boat is electric - and although the wind must have been blowing the other way - that does illustrate that the silencer makes a real difference..

We are thinking of doing the Fens sometime next year, and neither Nicholsons nor Pearsons cover the fenlands. Does anyone know of a published guide (Northampton to Bedford and Cambridge). Many thanks!

We got one last year too - makes an astonishing difference to the bedroom at the back of the boat in winter. Definitely worth it.

Thanks so much -- that's what we'll do then.

We went up the Ashby a few years ago and it was covered in duckweed -- we're thinking of trying it again over Easter and wondered if anybody knew if the weed has been dealt with or if it is still a problem. It wasn't that it was particularly difficult to get through, just that we found that we missed the light reflections that clear water gives........I'd be really grateful for news of it now. Many thanks