Cheese

probably... The stoppage notice for Camp Hill No 2 says it is still closed: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/0197d9b1-a949-7ed6-a089-a5c1bedcf972 but I guess that one is now out-of-date.

Privateers, eh! If there is going to be some legalised piracy going on, it might be worth heading that way to watch.😄

Could you have brought a civil claim against the owner of the sunken boat? Legal claims are always a bit uncertain, so perhaps not worth the risk for the cost of re-blacking. But it is very concerning if the same clause could be used to avoid an insurer paying out for say a boat completely destroyed by a fire starting on an adjacent boat, as most fires are arguably negligent in some way. The third party owner would definitely want to sue in such a case, with probably a good chance of winning. The cost to replace a third party's boat, plus legal costs, plus damage to pontoons etc, if our insurers refuse to pay, could easily be £100,000+. And if there are personal injuries & medical bills, even £1,000,000+. That means selling a boat, or perhaps even a house. It suggests that the current requirement to have third party liability insurance isn't really worth much, and needs tightening up.

Even though it might not be mandatory I would hope that most (boat) insurance policies DO cover third-party liability. Anyone with a cheapo policy that doesn't is risking a very expensive bill in the event of an accident that causes damage to someone or something else.

The slightly unusual features of the design (lack of tumblehome, square stern, limited cabin space on an already short boat etc) could also make it more difficult to sell on in the future. Not a big issue if you want keep it for say 10 years, but if you might change your mind or want something different in a few years there might be a limited number of buyers.

Agreed, although it can make it easier for tall people. If OP intends to largely remain static in a marina it may not matter. But for cruising, tumblehome can help to avoid scraping the sides on low bridges, or slightly protruding stones / brackets / ladders in lock walls, wharves or whatever. And makes it easier to walk along the gunwales (if so inclined).

3 72ft boats: widebeam, narrowboat and a butty. OP didn't specify it is a narrowboat.

Perhaps he is not very well today! White Bus, service 462, between Guildford Bus Station and Woking Station. So mooring up in Guildford town centre and going by bus is a possibility. You might also be able to moor near the New Inn at Send and pick it up there, but would need to check as it could be a limited stop service.

Welcome to CWDF. You can only get to that part of the Wey if you have a boat that can cross the weir, and then get up it again on the return journey! So a kayak or canadian canoe, that can be portaged, might work but anything larger won't. RHS also have a large fence around the site. Best option is to moor near Pyrford lock and walk along Wisley Lane to the front entrance.

But a regular schedule doesn't actually achieve this aim, and can be easy to avoid (if you want to). Any one spot is only visited 26 times a year. If close to a spotter boundary, once people know the schedule they can moor in the same place for 339 nights a year and yet never be spotted there! Moving to the other side of the boundary for 26 nights would probably mean they won't be spotted there either. Not suggesting that C&RT need to employ more spotters than they current do; just to make the schedule a bit more random. If a particular stretch is checked on different days each fortnight, and occasionally twice in a week then not for a month, then it would be impossible to avoid. There will be occasions where 2 visits are less than 14 days apart, so you can't send an immediate letter, but being spotted somewhere nearby 20+ times a year would be still be picked up.

Agreed. It is exactly the sort of job that ought to have a random element. Rather than the same day every fortnight (or whatever) mix it up a bit. Visit the same stretch three weeks in succession, then give it a break. Or twice the same week if there are 48 hour moorings. Or go a day earlier than usual some weeks.

Worse than that there isn't really any environmental impact or saving at all. It's not as if the water CaRT are now having to purchase is being trucked in from somewhere else with a surplus supply. According to the BBC it is coming from the Usk Reservoir, about 15 miles upstream on the Usk from Brecon. So the net effect on the amount of water in the Usk catchment is going to be unchanged, but there is a transfer of cash from CaRT to Welsh Water!

Some old links still work. One to Tony's excellent training website was added in 2005. It just doesn't seem very friendly when many of the links don't work. How many dead links will a newcomer try to visit before deciding that the site isn't being kept up-to-date very well? But happy to address it (slowly) by 'Report'ing dead links.

I suspect almost all regular posters use VNC, so never see this. But I remember having the same thoughts when I first joined (until someone pointed out VNC many months, or even years, later), so many new members may have the same issue. Another area that could do with review is Links, which is also likely to be of more interest to new members or those thinking of joining. But it doesnt give a great impression when a large proportion of those links are dead! If a mod has a few hours to spare, perhaps start by looking at any link posted more than say 10 years ago, and deleting the dead ones.

On here? I agree the OP could have provided more detail, but without it there was no reason for people to speculate that he/she was going to fast / on the wrong side / had a widebeam in an inappropriate place / upset fisherman etc. Could have just waited to see if they were more forthcoming. Seems like another example of the forum not being very friendly to new members. I hope they come back, and find that this is a goldmine of generally useful advice, but it wouldn't surprise me if they don't. 😒

Any evidence for that? There are 4 New Concept boats for sale on the Duck, the details of which suggest that New Concept are the Designers / Makers, but don't necessarily do the fit-out.

They were here for around 3 hours! Not unreasonable to want to get on with life, or actually boating, and return later.

As a beginner you could easily accidentally do something that either 'breaches etiquette', or perhaps is dangerous (to you or to others). The latter is more likely to result in someone shouting at you. If you provide a bit more detail we can probably help

Particularly if you get your information from the Boater's Handbook, which makes no mention of the "when moored" provision!

I know, but around 70 miles of that clearly isn't on any sort of towpath - contradicting what the sign claims!

I'm dubious about the claim that "You can walk ... from the source to the sea , along this very towpath". Don't think there is much of a towpath above say Telford, but there is a lot of river from there up to Plynlimon

This is a common argument, but I think it is a fallacy. Provided the second (or subsequent) property is let out then for every house "taken off the market" there is also one fewer family looking to buy, so the net effect is neutral. And if the property is coverted to an HMO, as many are, then demand shold reduce by a bit more so prices reduce. It only has the effect you describe when a property investment is just kept as a second home, with no-one living in it for most of the year.

Well to be fair, it IS one of the signs included in the Boaters Handbook! (It does indeed mean No overtaking).

Pretty sure we no longer burn ANY coal in power stations. I see the challenge for heritage steam being whether the few small mines still in operation will keep going. If not it probably won't be economic to import the relatively small quantities needed.

Its also only 100yds (and their car park 25 yds) from the canal, so you can almost wheel a trolley full of groceries to the boat! But it's on the offside. Anyone know if you can moor up somewhere beside the main road and hop over the fence?