Clodi

I had ruled out cruiser-stern narrowboats until I borrowed a cs for a couple of wet & windy Autumn weeks and my friends boat sported a Pram-Hood. What an eye-opener, no more wet coats/dogs/kids etc entering the cabin and, temperature permitting, extra living space. as well. Reading the thread through again it is very apparent that some people do not like painted interiors & infer that the traditional-style is much better quality, I must admit I fall into the 'traditional type build is better' side of things BUT I must say, looking at the offerings at Crick this year the current style is' Modern Bungalow' all light ash veneer, and the fat-boats are more like floating apartments complete with wide-screen TVs above the king size bed but no-mention of the fresh-water tank capacity.

Don't tell BWML or they'll ban dogs ?

I know ?

It doesn't ferment if done properly and kept dry

I could further add that anyone who has been unfortunate enough to have cared for incontinent relatives, or babies for that matter will know that it is acceptable to dispose of suitably bagged waste in the appropriate manner. But that is not my point regarding Composting Toilet Systems & as far as I know Marinas have not yet banned nappies ?

If anyone is interested there is a really informative facebook group Compost Toilets for Boats and Off-Grid Living. This chap https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158490725810587&set=pcb.1896046587344998&type=3&theater&ifg=1 shows an excellent method of coping with the by-product.. A couple living aboard full-time, especially if they're used to living with pump-out, saving it 'till you can get to the Pub/restaurant/ McDonald's etc, will generate a surprisingly small amount of dry waste, hence the reference to the 3 bucket system.

If anyone is interested there is a really informative facebook group Compost Toilets for Boats and Off-Grid Living. This chap https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158490725810587&set=pcb.1896046587344998&type=3&theater&ifg=1 shows an excellent method of coping with the by-product.. A couple living aboard full-time, especially if they're used to living with pump-out, saving it 'till you can get to the Pub/restaurant/ McDonald's etc, will generate a surprisingly small amount of dry waste, hence the reference to the 3 bucket system. I don't think anyone is advocating putting composted poo in the skip. That's my point.

I feel I must ask the question. Are composting toilets legal? after the recent 'sabre rattling' on a recent post. Firstly there seems to be a fair amount of ignorance on both side of the debate particularly over the subject of liquid waste (pee). In order to correctly compost faeces it needs to have a low moisture content. This is usually achieved by having a separator, diverting the urine into a separate compartment (think cassette )which can be disposed of as you would any pee & lets admit it everyone using a thetford /portapotti knows it's pee that fills them up the quickest. I can think of no reason on earth why anyone would object about disposal of 'neat-piss' going down the elsan-point etc. Unless of course they insist on harmful chemicals being added ? Regarding the solids. The whole point of a composting toilet is to use the material as nature intended and produce naturally occurring Compost. Problem is people do-not compost their faecal-matter and dump bags of shit in the nearest bin. I suspect it is this that has led to the somewhat hysterical reaction by BWML to rule : "Currently, composting toilets are not permitted in BWML marinas under the current waste transfer laws". If the composting system is being carried out correctly, how are any 'Waste Transfer Laws being infringed. Surely using organic compost is not against any law. Putting bags of shit into the domestic waste is LAZY and is just as bad as emptying your full cassette into the canal or roadside drain. It does happen and it is wrong but Composting toilets per se' don't deserve to be demonised. And yes I have a Composting Toilet on board.

We also live in the same area as you, we used to leave the oil-fired Rayburn on 24/7 all year round as it was an old farmhouse, stone walls slab floors etc. % years ago we moved into Town where we had Gas!. I'd never had gas before but was pretty ****ed off to find that , during the Beast from the East, which in my madness I spent doing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (on the basis that it'll be quiet that time of year & no she's still not talking to me ) The Gas central heating cost more than the Rayburn. However no -burst pipes

My sister has a composting toilet, they pour the urine down the toilet on one of the other boats (on our lands moorings) which goes straight into the river (Great Ouse) they compost the other waste using the '3 bucket system' and save a fortune not having to buy compost for the flowers on the roof ?

I'm afraid I'm completely out of my depth when it comes to sport of any kind except sailing.

No, our's is only a couple of years old. I researched the old boat of the same name and as far as I could make out it was chopped about and the aft end survived and was still going retaining the name and sporting original colours. Well that's better than needing eleven?

We don't need him we've got Bale

byddaf yn bygwth canu myfanwy

Well we don't stand a chance then with Latin or Cymraeg. I'll have to resort to bribery

There are lots of really bad translations of the language. All of our kids grew up only going to welsh first school, that's where only welsh is used in school (no english) however once we moved from the smallholding into 'town' (Carmarthen) I hardly hear any welsh now and my kids in Uni don't use it anymore. My middle son is at Cardiff and visiting yesterday and having a nice day out at Cardiff-bay I heard many different languages but no Welsh at all and only a token effort made with the shop signs.

Thanks guys, the boats name is Lepus which, as I'm sure you know means Hare and the welsh translation is Ysgyfarnog. I'm thinking of having tg name signwrittian with the welsh in large letters and a smaller Lepus along with the reg number.

I am thinking of using the Welsh translation of my boats name rather than the english name that is currently used on the reg' documents & the boat index. As the name predominantly displayed will be in welsh should I notify the CRT to avoid confusion?

Anything you like they can't hear you.

The op's question was around the subject of the boat having a cruiser stern rather than the semi-trad he seems to think it actually has. As far as I can make out it isn't a semi-trad.

Have a look on youtube, Cruising the Cut is good viewing, he sold up everything and cruises solo. In his early vlogs he was pretty green & shares his learning curve. Also remember you're in charge & if it's a gusty day you can simply stay put until the wind eases.

My builder has made a fiberglass one complete with bilge pump.

They has samples of the product applied to steel, it seemed very hard and knock resistant. The boat is coming out for some topside alterations and although she's not due a 'blacking' yet I'll get her pressure washed and stick a coat of something on whilst she's out. Then the year after she'll go in for a full paint job & I'll decide what to do either 2-pack or whatever?. The boat is only 3 years old by the way (a sail-away)

I spoke to these guy's at Crick, must admit it does look to be a good product and I mey well try using it next year (if the price is right)

There's a piece about Widebeam boats on Radio 4 at the moment with a truck driver who has one and a spokesman from the CRT about the increase in fees starting in 2020.