Mac10

Wow! Such a beautiful love story with the significance in no regrets and what are the true values to be found in life. I adore the way you have shown us there can be beauty in each and every moment, especially when in crisis, depending on how a person views the situation, guess it's during these times that we feel connected with those around us hey, as folk actually stop what they are doing for a short time to meet or help another; leaves us feeling joyful to be human. What some may call a mistake others will term as life learning and a great way to spend one's time. As I have often found myself saying to my mother over the years, it may well be a mistake but it is mine to make! There's usually always a reward of some kind or another even if it isn't the reward we had in mind at the outset. I agree, I don't think anyone will argue that any time spent messing about on the river is time wasted, more it was time spent well, as you say. Thanks for taking the time to share and for putting yourself out there, such a thought provoking post. Hoping it gives all the nay sayers something to think about. Well said Sir, 'to golden moments'.

Hello Looking to compile a list of pretty town moorings to explore; those that are on the edge of or in town or only a short walk away. Does anyone have any favourites they'd like to share? Thanks

Hello, can anyone describe what it's like living / using Cathedral Marina in Ely recently please? Is it a pleasant place to be or do folk tend to move on quickly? I dont mean asethetically - I mean the people really, marina rules and experiences. Thanks.

I've beean reasearching this area for a mooring last week, Upware was by far the cheapest in mooring fees. I was quoted 2880 for 60ftx12ft so sounds about right. I got the impression that they are a pretty relaxed place with good security.

Could have guessed there wouldn't be any intelligent debate found here lol

I really don't understand why some folk take umbrage with liveaboards, the 'intended use' arguement is not a valid point for me, we've evolved, we no longer need the waterways for industry, they are for leisure and nowadays for living on too. Alot of people want to live on a boat these days - fact. Why is it accepted that the waterways cater for those who can afford a house and a boat, the rich, and yet those who want to liveaboard for whatever reasons are scum, unless you are a genuine continual cruiser, meaning you are most likely retired, this seems acceptable. This is codswalop. The serviced spaces currently available are often for the leisure boat owner only and this needs to change. The waterways are for everyone and this, along with kindness to nature can always be preserved and maintained. There needs to be more affordable provisons made for the liveaboards - fact. There are actually plenty of places on the canal and river networks that could be used along with spaces for new developments. The problem here isn't the users - it is the current out-of-date, silly rules which we are all governed by and some vile predjudice among some.

Yes good point Tony - I would like to hear from families who don't have a permanent mooring accessing state school - how did you manage the admission hoop? It sounds like it's do-able on a 12mth mooring as the bare minimum on application then - not ideal but maybe a start - or it's home schooling or traveller rights then yes? Which isn't really for us unless it becomes our only option for a while. Or if it's a school that is not over subscribed no one bats an eye lid - interesting.

My concern is, if we are nearest to an over subscribed school and we don't have an address with a postcode, how do we proceed, how do we even register if one is required to have a postal address? At the end of the day, we will be living in the catchment area, my daughter has a right to a state education and it is always better for the child if they can get there on foot or use the school bus service provided. I feel our first priority is to secure a residential or home mooring and school will then follow, therefore it would be helpful to hear from those who have experienced this madness and successfully navigated a way through it - especially at over subscribed schools.

I'm really just looking for the nearest school to where we are moored; as long as it is not in special measures, ideally it would have a 'good' rating. If I apply to the nearest school and get refused, can I assume this is only because it is over subscribed? Therefore if I apply to schools that are not over subscribed we would get a place? And if the nearest school is over subscribed, isn't it then the local authority who need to allocate us another school? And pick up the travelling costs?

To koukouvagia, thank you for posting your thoughts anyway, some sound advice here - will keep. To Tom and Bex, so glad to read common sense prevailed! Thanks for posting.

Great news, thanks for posting, I have a big boat, didn't know it was calculated this way. The way I see it is there is always a cut off, always someone who falls just outside the rule and it is not uncommon for it to appear like a stupid rule either, with a lot of things in life, this has been me before and I'm pretty sure it happens to most of us yes? I really felt for those folk who were set to retire who had years added on to their working lives. Life isn't fair, the benefits system is definately not fair. Get angry yes, but only about the things you can change or influence, most of us can not change the system, we accept this, we take the rough with the smooth, you win some you lose some hey. It's great that any housing benefit at all is awarded to liveaboards really. It wouldn't be too difficult for the powers that be to invent a rule that excludes us.

Hello, looking to hear ONLY from live aboard families with school aged children please and no one else. Those people with first hand experience of applying for a place in a school. I would like a home mooring but at present I don't have one; I would like to register for secondary school next year 2019, it would be my hope that we have a mooring with residential status by then, but if not, a home mooring of some kind. Worst case scenario, I have an 11mth mooring with no address. Can anyone tell me things I need to know re applying to a school without a registered address? How you got on? Anything you know now that you wish you had known then? What are our rights? Did you have a fight? Did you get refused; on what grounds? How did you get in? Logic tells me it can be done as every child has the right to an education, but it also tells me that the systems computers aren't set up for alternative living like this. It is my understanding that schools must provide spaces for traveller children, who also do not have an address, do these policies and procedures help in anyway? Although, I would most likely be looking to stay in one place, if possible, until she completes secondary. I'm aware home schooling could be an option. Thanks to anyone in advance for posting, I realise this is a controversal topic.

Hello lpp1612, would you mind if I asked you what you paid to dry dock it for a week? And what size is your boat? Do you know if the size makes much of difference at Northwhich? Thanks

Yes London - because the waterways are wider for a craft this size. You have no idea how much research I have done nor what experiences I have, what my situation is or my plan - none of you. As far as I am aware no one has any more rights than anyone else to the waterways; and experience does not always make a person wise, nor well mannered it seems on here. One thing I am certain of though is that as long as I am on the water I will always offer my help if it's asked for, however old I get.

Excuse me. As I said I am 'thinking about launching at Watford', I am researching, I am just about to order a boat. I am a single mum and buying a boat on my own to live on is no small feat; it's exciting yes but also incrediby stressful owing to the hundreds of decisions to make. I absolutely want to make sure I am not going to be forking out twice for haulage. I came on here to double check as I thought the community would flag up a problem that I can not forsee from using the internet alone for research. It's a perfectly good question from someone not in the know who is about to embark on the biggest purchase on my life that will swallow all of my life savings in the hope I might just be able to pull off a nice home for my daughter and me to live. I didn't come on here to insulted thank you. Dicks!

Great, thanks. Didn't find it easy to set up but I got there. What I don't want to do is launch then find out I'm stuck. Thanks again.

Hello I'm thinking of launching my 60ft x 12ft wide beam at Watford. Does anyone know if I can navigate from Watford into London - are the locks wide enough please? Thanks