RupertG

When this sort of thing becomes commonplace, it means the magazines aren't doing their job. We're all on teh intarwebs - why not get a proper canal gear review site going, where names are named and details detailed? In some specialist areas, magazines are stuck because their business model relies on not annoying advertisers (and readers are often complicit in this - you'll find no more vocal proponents of the benefits of snake oil than among the readership of high-end hi-fi rags). That's changing now that publishing can be extremely cheap, especially online. What's the state of the current canal magazine market? How reliable are the publications? And does anyone know the size of the canal industry in the UK, in pounds? Running some ballpark figures through the mental spreadsheet with my publisher hat on (not a hat I often wear, and it doesn't fit very well), I'd think a decent review site could be made to pay for itself through advertising with little difficulty. Advertisers _can_ be kept at arm's length, and it is possible to be objective about people who are paying your bills. Nobody would get rich... but it would keep someone in diesel and gin. And it might save some anguish among those who deserve to be saved anguish, and cause some anguish where it's deserved. But while I know specialist publishing (especially review-led magazines), I don't know the economics of the canal boat world... so I could be talking propwash. R

I've been walking the Grand Union between Islington Tunnel and Westbourne Park these past few weekends, just as a practical way to scratch the itch. Tthere seem to be spare moorings at (or at the very least, near) Camden; when I bothered to look, there seemed to be valid licences; long stretches are entirely boat-free (and others seemed to have boats that look practically derelict - are they?). Places like the St Pancras Basin and whatever that bit is just before the Maida Vale tunnel seem to be very static - no free moorings, but no sign anyone was going to budge either! Certainly recognised a few of the more idiosyncratic boats from a photography jaunt a couple of years ago. It looks, to this layman at least, that there's plenty of room for more... what am I missing? R (Oh, and what's the canal like for walking on the other side of Islington Tunnel? Looking at the path on the map,it goes through some interesting areas -- too interesting)

Well, these people managed, but they had a bit more room to play with. More seriously, I'm sure a turntable would work or could be made to work (Radio Scotland's pirate ship had gymballed turntables that would play in up to Force 5 or 6 winds!), but the space considerations would be considerable. I'm going to list everything I want to have, then work out the space required, then slice things off the bottom of the list until it matches the space available... R

I've already lost 2 CD collections (in marital incidents and the like), so I'm fairly hard-hearted about the physical side of recorded music. More likely to stuff the music on a hard drive. Got a terabyte NAS box here that's already munching its way through my collections, but backup needs thought. Buying new books will be interesting, as I bet Amazon doesn't deliver to boats. I wonder if anyone does a service where you send them a book, they scan it and email you the image...

How many books can you fit in a narrowboat, and what's the best way to accomodate an extensive library? Also, what's the most energy efficient way to ensure a constant supply of ice for the gin? And does anyone grow vegetables, herbs and the like on their boats? Rupert

Yes, that had occurred to me (and my other half, who is well acquainted with the city's more exciting aspects). I don't mind being moored in the basin as long as I'm on there most of the time (Tollcross does have adequate reserves of neds to cause problems, but they're not too bad), but will definitely move out of town if I'm off somewhere. Hanging around in Wester Hailes does not figure largely in my plans! Also considering motion activated webcams and other treats - the sort of thing which would put off anyone smart enough to know what was going on - but that may be their fatal flaw. And a Jack Russell. R

It all seems very plausible, and I can probably put on a good imitation of being a social being. I've convinced myself that I can make a living while floating along, now I need to try and talk myself out of it. Currently looking at going on a cruise from Edi to Glasgow sometime at the beginning of September (after the festival, natch, when the madness has died back to normal levels), spending as much time as possible talking to people about how it all works. If anyone fancies a pint... How do boats get onto the lowland canals, though? Is the normal way to buy one in England and get it lifted? R

I wouldn't worry about Microsoft not supporting XP after next year. The community supports XP better than it does Linux. And USB 3G adaptors should be easier to use outside than data cards; just get a USB extension cable and poke the adaptor out the windae. Much cheaper than buying an external antenna, and probably better performing. R

Hilarity ensues! I suppose the other way is to get a new boat and talk with the builder to work out some cunning plan... in my case, book storage, a small workbench and several other non-standard requirements make this a tempting idea anyway.

I've been wondering what people do about secure storage - and how on earth you talk about that on a public forum... Not necessarily for expensive items, but personal archives, papers, passports and so on. R

How many of those got as far as a survey? It sounds like an expensive business - three or four bad surveys, and it'll start to hurt. Though not as hurty as buying a lemon! Rupert

Enquiries are underway! The next step is definitely to hire a boat, as much to talk to people as to check out the rude mechanics of life with an inch of rusting steel keeping my bottom apart from the canal's... For now, I'm content to remain confused, especially having found the other Edinburgh mooring thread and gathered that what's said by officialdom isn't always what happens on the ground (water?). I'm not even sure who wants to encourage narrowboating, and who's rather against it. If the moorings (at Edinburgh or wherever) aren't residential and there's no continuous cruise licence for the lowland canals, what governs how long you can or should stay at each one?

There is one boat that's been there every time I've walked past, plus the rather purple Re-Union boat. I'll ask BW, but if there's no possibility of a residential mooring closer thatn Auchinstarry then that's no good to me. Still, I could 'live' at the missus' flat in Tollcross, and this looks interesting http://cpol.edinburgh.gov.uk/getdoc_ext.asp?DocID=36056 and http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=753072005 I've yachted around, and have no problem with small spaces and simple living - some of my happiest times have been in a chicken shed in Sweden (chickens long since departed, mind). The missus-to-be has spent a lot of time on narrowboats. We'll certainly be trying a holiday on board before doing anything rash! Rupert

Hullo, world So, there we are, London-based writer chappy, Edinburgh-based fiancee, and we're trying to work out who's going to move to where when and what they'll do. She lives within spitting distance of Lochrin Basin... and looking ar BW's mooring rates, that's around a hundred quid a year. Am I missing something? That seems exceptionally cheap for somewhere so close to a city centre. As the missus-to-be has plenty of experience on and very much enjoys narrowboating, it's looking like a very palatable option. Freelancing via 3G is definitely plausible. As for the rest of the liveabord stuff: I'm stiill reading through the vast quantity of stuff on this and other forums. But it seems like an exceptionally fine way to live, especially if having water under your feet seems much more right somehow than concrete. Still not sure about how the whole lavatory thing works - if I were moored in Edinburgh Quay, where would I take my, er, output? - nor whether just shuttling up and down the Union Canal counts as continuous cruising. One other question I haven't seen addressed - what's the most appropriate sort of boat if you want to occasionally nip around the coast? Having a boat in the lowland canals is fine, but getting into the English network would be something I'd want to do. Thanks, Rupert