Cheese

I don't think that's right. You just have to get a court to agree a term is 'unfair'. If the court agrees then that ruling would apply to any marina using a substantially similar clause.

You don't have to moor up in the middle of nowhere when you leave it for a fortnight. Choosing somewhere close to other boats is probably some of the best security you can get, except perhaps in some of the rougher city/town centre parts. The places popular with others are also likely to be closer to transport and other facilities, which will be what you also need in a place you want to leave it. Some of those other boats may move on during the fortnight, but in popular spots others may move in. And have others have said, making it look occupied may be better than making it like an unoccupied fortress!

It would be a shame if Willow Wren's training videos disappear (which is indicated might happen when their website expires, which looks to be in about 6 months). Hopefully they will sell the business and the new owner will keep them available. If not it would be good if it could be arranged for someone else to host them.

4 miles from Falmouth. Perhaps somewhere like Restronguet Creek - where a depth sounder could possibly be useful.

Difficult to know what to advise without knowing more about you & your parents' desired lifestyles. If they are say early 60s, no ties, fit and healthy, and enjoy a 'basic' lifestyle (like say bush camping) and want to spend 10 years really travelling around the UK canal and river network then get a narrowboat and go for it. Continuously cruise all summer and perhaps look for a marina mooring each winter (stoppages, poor weather, short daylight hours, more challenging electricity management etc). But keep enough in reserve for maintenance and for moving onto land in say 10 years' time. As others have said, not sure I would recommend a permanent marina mooring for them. If they want to be fixed somewhere, then better options might be a house in a cheaper area of the country, or if not affordable a (mobile caravan) park home, which may have similar residential restrictions but at least has a permanent water supply, plumbing and electrics. For the London show, bear in mind that many canal dwellers in London are what are often referred to here as 'continuous moorers'. They have a continuous cruising licence, but for either work or family reasons don't really want to move, so they aim to get away with the minimum that doesn't breach the licence terms. With London canals also being quite crowded, this can mean periodic 'moving days' every few weeks, where everyone simply shuffles around swapping locations. This doesn't really compare at all with 'true' continuous cruising away from cities, where you can moor almost anywhere you like, moving on around the network as required; simply stop for water, fuel and waste disposal as needed; and visit many interesting places around the network.

But I think the civil service scheme also paid a lump sum on retirement, of 3/80ths per year of service, making it broadly similar overall. In private sector schemes taking a lump sum was optional, but doing so reduced the pension to closer to eightieths.

I was taught that lines should be perpendicular to pegs/pins. For mooring pins that means the pin angle depends on bank height: with a high bank, so close to horizontal line, the pin could/should be more vertical?

And some idea of what you mean by 'a long trip'. Someone who usually moves only a few miles every 2 weeks might think a week on say the Warwickshire Ring is a long trip. Others might think that anything less than 2-3 months is trivial

I think he said it was a natural rope, so splicing could have been a better option than buying a new one

No wonder there are so many leaks on the network!

With calm conditions at present it can be difficult to properly ventilate a boat when stationary. How often do you move? Cruising, even for a short distance, can be quite effective at clearing out damp.

Interesting article: https://www.harboroughmail.co.uk/news/environment/amphibious-machine-brought-in-to-dredge-sideponds-at-foxton-locks-3464894 Although the 2nd paragraph is amusing: "[they] had to wade into the ponds to carefully relocate them to another part of the canal" 😂

With a stove and never-ending supply of wood, why not look into options for utilising that for at least some of your cooking in winter?

Interesting. Any idea why the Malham / Rowner / Northlands section now seems to have dropped into the "longer term" part of the restoration plan (https://weyarun.org.uk/node/5), given that this work was done some 40 years ago?

I agree that the Ecoflow / Jackery units are just another battery, so installing one on a boat doesn't do anything that any other equivalent battery wouldn't do. But each is quite portable, so it may be more useful in situations where you can take it off the boat. E.g. if in summer you prefer to use your laptop / music player / tV /etc when sitting in a nearby field. Or for non-liveaboards, being able to take it home midweek and recharge it fully, so perhaps avoiding having to run your engine if your batteries are low when you return to the boat. Or avoiding having to run a noisy/smelly generator at shows etc.

The Basingstoke is completely outside the M25 (admittedly only by about 25m). But I agree it is nothing like a slum!

If it's more expensive than that I think I'll look into opening a marina! 🙂

Perhaps they tell them exactly that - it could explain why there are now fat boats on the North Oxford and other inappropriate places 🙂

Based solely on train frequency, Hatton to Banbury has about 1 train an hour mid-week. Warwick or Warwick Parkway to Banbury, 2 an hour. And if you were to drop below Cape Locks, as someone suggested, possibly better to go to Leamington where there are 3 an hour. Leamington is also much better for London, with around 20 departures between 10am and 5pm, as there is the option of Euston (via Coventry) as well as Marylebone. But Hatton may be a pleasanter / safer place to leave a boat for a few days. Not sure I would leave it right by the station, as it might be an indication that you will be away all day. But you can probably find plenty of boats moored between there and the top of Hatton locks, where someone might keep a friendly eye on it.

I'll admit to once running the engine when moored after 8pm. Some years ago we hired a boat with friends for a week over New Year. With an early-afternoon pickup, the usual faff getting used to a new boat, and a few locks, we hadn't gone very far on the first day before it was getting dark and we had to moor up. It was then a long evening, and about 9pm the lights went out! Possibly the boat had been sitting in the yard for 3 months unused, and the batteries were not well charged. So we ran the engine for perhaps 30-45 minutes. Being mid-winter there weren't many boats on the move, so I don't think we disturbed anyone - although one can never be sure if someone is moored just around the next bend. For the rest of the week we were cruising all day, and it wasn't an issue.

Meanwhile, back on enforcement: EA appear to have had some success in court against a persistent overstayer: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/river-thames-houseboat-owner-taken-21399328

+1. If you hire with a friend (which you may have to), try operating it single-handed for a day or two, including at locks. Perhaps only take a few days' food, so you have to face the logistics of resupply. Remember the services provided by the hire company, which as an owner you will have to do /arrange for yourself: emptying the waste tank, replenishing gas/fuel supplies, servicing the engine, regular maintenance/blacking, all repairs, etc. Consider whether you will manage without a car, or the difficulties in keeping one within an accessible range. Factor in other services, such as post, GP, ... Nothing insurmountable, but all worth considering in advance of purchase.