Mad Harold

It all comes down to costs. GRP boats are much cheaper to buy and maintain than steel boats.If you live aboard, a steel narrowboat is a much better bet, as they will (usually) come equipped with hot water, heating, insulation and standing headroom, plus they are easier to get on and off than most GRP cruisers.Looked at one GRP boat with a view to buying, (a Mayland Saphire) but the gunwale was almost chest high and I thought I would need a block and tackle to get out when single handed. A GRP cruiser I think is fine for hobby boaters and to me at least look much nicer than a skip with a pointy end, but I will readily admit that a steel narrowboat is a superior vehicle for cruising the narrow canals. The OP said they would prefer a modern GRP boat, but the old Normans and other boats from the sixties and seventies were built from thicker layups than modern ones, and as GRP lasts indefinately an old GRP boat can be a good buy.

A lovely old pub, but too far to walk across a muddy field and a very steep hill from the HNC. No, we would go as far as lock 5E,wind there,my boat was only 30ft, return and moor just beyond lock 4E at Longroyd Bridge and have a beer or two in the aptly named "Bridge" pub.A rather scruffy down at heel pub with good beer.It has a covered smoking area overlooking the canal at the back, and you could keep an eye on your boat. On the way back we would tie up on the lock landing for lock 3E, there's loads of room, and walk the hundred yards or so up the hill to the "Rat And Ratchet" for another beer. This used to be a good day out, but sadly it looks like those days have gone. As it's at the bottom of a long lock flight,it shouldn't be a problem. There seems to be several sources of leaks on the bottom pound that CRT are unable or unwilling to fix.

When CRT first locked the paddles on lock 1E, they used a combination lock on the chain. A couple of us used to have day trips up the Narrow for a couple of beers and back, but having to book 48 hours in advance rather spoilt our days out. So two of us "helped" a boat through lock 1E and when the CRT bod wasn't looking made a note of the combination number. A few days later a few of us piled into a boat and feeling rather smug, went up the cut for a beer returning the same day. About a week later we did the same thing but.... the rotten bastards had changed the combination! Spoilt the freedom to come and go as you choose.

The last slippage fee I paid was £30 two years ago! You are not supposed to launch on a CRT canal except on a recognised slipway, but if you have a breakback trailer, it may be possible to launch from the canalside, but if CRT hear about it you may receive a stern letter.

Although most yoghurt pots are built using polyester resin, (don't know about RN minesweepers) to repair damage it is best to use epoxy resin as polyester doesn't stick very well.

Yes I know.Had a long chat with him when you were moored in Huddersfield Uni. He's not much of a conversationist, but he's a very good listener. 😝

There are some thieves that specialise on nicking outboards. Their method to bypass outboard locks is to simply cut the outboard out of the transom with a battery angle grinder. Not enough room to swing it. Some good pokes in the face with a handy windlass might be a better way to persuade someone they were not welcome.

The best pint of dark mild I have ever had was Church End Gravedigger Dark Mild. It was a guest beer in a local pub, but can't remember which one.

Is it a Hurth gearbox? If so, when the gear cable broke on mine,because I was out in the sticks, I had to move the deck plates and change gear with a brush handle with a nail in the end. The gearbox didn't have any stops on the gearchange itself but relied on the morse control to position the arm correctly. The result with the brush handle was that you could go from forward to reverse through neutral very quickly and it took quite a bit of practice to develop a light enough touch to find neutral and reverse.Forward was easy as that was a straight push down, but finding neutral without bashing into reverse was tricky. The oil in the Hurth gearbox is ATF by the way.

Also Cornet Carrillon, and the lovely Oboe solo The Watermill. I agree, a very talented bloke.

The problem with towpath moorings is security.In a marina you get varying degrees of security which I suppose is better than none at all,as well as varying services. There used to be towpath moorings on the C+H near Wakefield before CRT closed them for fear of flooding.They were well populated but there were numerous break ins and outboard thefts.I personally would not be happy leaving a boat unattended on one of these on line moorings.

Before I had my marina mooring, I enquired about towpath moorings close to me. There were two close by, Salterhebble and the Halifax Arm.Both were more expensive than my marina mooring and on viewing where they were, I would not have left my boat at either location unattended for fear of vandalism as there was no security at all. When I viewed these two moorings, there were no other boats moored there.

If you live on your boat,yes I agree you are getting quite a good deal. If you are a hobby boater and I think these are the majority,canal boating is a rather expensive hobby. Why not charge livaboard boaters another £1000 a year weather they have a home mooring or are continuous cruisers.

Keep trying! Sometimes the moderators ( if that is the right description)on Facebook goups don't look in that often. I posted a question about Enfield Outdrives and it was six weeks before it appeared.

There is a Reflex owners help forum on Facebook. The people on this forum know everything (almost) 😜 but more specialised knowledge may be more helpful.

No Ian, you don' t let go of the roof rail untill you are safely ensconsed on the gunwale. Always keep one hand on the rail moving your other hand along while sidestepping back along the gunwale. Have used this method for five years or so and have not got my feet wet yet. I am reasonably fit for my age, so that helps. My boat had proper tubular roof rails that you could get a good grip on.Not those silly ledges.

Grab the roof rail fairly well forrard, shove of with your foot, scuttle quickly to the helm.

On a boat without a shower a "stand up budgie wash at the sink" is quite adequate untill you get to services. As for laundry, my dad told me to use the army method, slap your socks against a wall and if they stick, they need washing. 😄

You have have had a bad experience, I have too with buying a boat.I have said before that buying a used boat is rather like taking up with a new woman, in that you don't know what you've got untill you live with her. My experience with my particular boat was not as expensive as yours, but it hurt just the same. Rather than pursue this, it may be better for your sanity to regretfully write it off to bitter experience.

Not recommended an a boat. 😛

I like MtB! Some people of a sensitive nature might find him a bit OTT sometimes, but I think he makes this forum more interesting and entertaining. There are others on here who are rather more abrasive, but it is a discussion forum so there is room for just about anyone with an interest in boats and waterways.