Cheese

I am not an expert on aquatic life, but isn't it possible that reducing the water temperature slightly will also reduce the reed population? So a win-win! ?

Agree that looks likely. In their blog the entry on acquiring "Qualifications" is only dated November 2020.. There won't have been much instructing going on since that date,so it looks like there isn't a great deal of experience. No mention of any BCU or similar affiliation either.

It's a nice idea, but in practice it is probably not as simple as just turning a valve on/off. Even with just a short length of pipe to an outside tap I now drain that length when I turn the water off each December - because when I didn't, it split! Draining multiple pontoon pipes multiple times over a winter is probably too much hassle.

The Basingstoke regularly uses ash to seal leaking gates. See Boaters' Notes on the last page of https://basingstoke-canal.org.uk/bcs/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/basingstoke.pdf

Do you mean the Bridgewater Canal (near Manchester)? Or the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal (in Somerset)?

If you are going to include Length and Beam I would prefix the actual figures with "approx. ...". They probably won't be exactly as specified when built, and you don't want any comeback if the buyer can't subsequently get through a lock or bridge hole somewhere. It isn't "British Waterways Index Number" any more. I am not a lawyer but "... laws of the Country of England" is an odd phraseology, and only shows up online in a single website generating bills of sale! Something like "laws of England and Wales" would be more common. You need a space for the signatures of both Buyer and Seller. I think it is common to also have the name and address of any witness, rather than just a signature. And if they are witnessing both signatures then all 3 of you need to meet - you can't do it by email.

On your plan, once the money hits your account (and the boat belongs to the buyer) you both need to check the insurance position of you operating their boat. The worst case scenario might be that the boat sinks, is uninsured, but you still have an obligation to deliver it!

Not condoning what he is doing in any way, but not sure it is "millions"* 10 rooms at £250-300 a month only brings in £30-35000 a year - and that's assuming they are fully occupied, summer and winter. And he is incurring at least some expenses: diesel, generator, registration, quite a lot of solar panels in the picture, etc. Plus the cost of acquiring the boat at outset: either capital or loan interest + insurance. (* unless perhaps he has 10 similar boats)

I wonder how CRT intend to use notice given of a wide-beam movement: impose a "stoppage" for all boats in the opposite direction for a couple of hours, or just avoid the possibility of two wide-beams meeting?

The notice has now been further amended, to make it clear that mooring is not permitted:

Have you considered using train as a backup option? Much of your route is close to a reasonable service from Bristol, so if you can safely moor (allowing for possible floods) within walking distance of a station you could possibly still return to the boat each evening when working. Even a few weeks of train tickets might be cheaper than a truck.

The answer is clearly to get the Lottery to fund the major disaster repairs. They ought to last a lot longer than a year or two. ?

I don't do facebook - has anyone actually reported it to C&RT?

The towpath of the Oxfordshire section of the Oxford Canal is a public Right of Way. Almost no chance of it closing.

Wey & Arun still going strong (until lockdown): https://weyarun.org.uk/

Fully agree it isn't the lockie's responsibility. But the claim is that the lockie admitted to seeing the situation developing and still did nothing about it. If there was anything the lockie could have done - without putting himself at risk - that seems a bit callous.

Some people seem to be jumping in and comment without actually watching the videos - which is nothing new! She says: - they have only had it a few months - they didn't understand the difference between third party and fully comp - and advises anyone else to get the latter - the leaks were in the cabin, so they had a tarp over part of it - it is at Culham They are novices, they know they made a mistake, and they are trying to stop anyone else from doing the same.

... plus the two 5-minute follow-ups. But I thought she is being reasonably pragmatic about the whole thing. Advising others on how to avoid a similar situation. Accepting they had made a mistake over insurance. They had been planning to moor above the lock, but it shut. No appeals for money. It would be nice to think that anyone, and particularly waterway users/staff, who saw the situation developing would have done something about it before it sank.

I didn't realise you could get Heathrow Express to take you wherever you wanted to!?

You might want to also think about: - somewhere to put wet coats / muddy boots just inside the door, to keep the bedroom area dry / clean (e.g. boots under the steps) - safe storage near the hatch for the stuff you want easy access to when at the helm: windlass, phone, tea mug, guide books, ...

The graphics may be good, but the picture looks wrong. The reach below Hamhaugh is surely the Thames, not the Wey? On the blinds point, another option is to attach with velcro. Works with fabric curtains as well, although you lose the pleated effect.

National Trust said today

And I thought 14 foot wide was pushing it a bit! ?

Okay, to be precise perhaps I should have said "the Wey Navigation can go into flood conditions - and close to navigation - within about 48 hours". There have already been a couple of times this autumn (4-5 October and 15-17 November) when Pyrford to Thames Lock would not have been possible. It both comes up and goes down quickly.