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MrsM

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Everything posted by MrsM

  1. You have to pay for the 5 days up front (£60). I wasn't asked where I was moored so guess you don't necessarily have to be in one of the designated bays, but I'm not sure. Perhaps it will be monitored more closely when it gets busier.
  2. Derwent mouth lock is closed until further notice due to water shortages on the T&M. Presume this is partly due to the leakage at Weston lock.
  3. No fresh water supply? Pretty hardcore off grid living then. Rather pretty though.
  4. We recently spent 5 days in the basin. There were loads of spaces and even more on the tow path (although not yet school holidays). As you enter the basin the 4 furthest moorings on the left are for 5 day moorings only. You pay for your stay - £12/night - at the trip boat and tea room building on the left just through the final bridge. You will need to moor up and walk back to pay as there isn't space to pull over. For the narrows it is advisable to send someone ahead to check the passage is clear. We had no problem with phone signals doing this. Tons of room to wind a boat in the basin. Mooring at Trevor was quite limited due to the popularity of the Sun pub. A bit more space at Chirk and lots at Froncysyllte (sp?). Enjoy your trip, we had an absolutely delightful time there.
  5. When we bought our boat (private seller) we did a bank transfer using both our current accounts and then set off with the boat once the payments had cleared. The bank transfers took less than an hour. This was after the survey and report of course. Our surveyor sent his report by email to us within 24 hours so we stayed in a nearby hotel while this happened.
  6. Yes we must have done. We were the green boat behind the two historic boats locking down. Safe onward travels.
  7. The injured party is on her way to hospital and the backlog of boats is now cleared. I hope she is soon back in her feet.
  8. A lady working the lock a few boats ahead of us has just fallen in and hurt her back. Her partner went in to get her out. Ambulance, fire & police in attendance.
  9. A really good description of the process. I live in fear of our rank rusting through in places like yours had. Can I ask how old your boat is? M
  10. We also tend to sit towards the front of the lock when ascending to reduce the risk of being drawn forward. However 2 years ago the button fender briefly caught on a protruding timber at a lock near Chester. This has taught us to be super alert and I don't think I would be happy doing this single--handing. It's obviously easier when one of you is on the paddles and the other ready to engage astern if this happens again. No safer approach than very slowly opening paddles and seeing how boat behaves IMO.
  11. MrsM

    Boat draught

    Gorgeous. I'm in awe of their skill! Is that a fuel boat? I understand a fuel boat makes regular visits to the basin so it must be achievable.
  12. MrsM

    Boat draught

    2' was fine on the Llangollen and we are currently on our way back from a trip there. We moored in the basin with 2 deeper draughted boats who were scraping the bottom a fair bit. One of them had been wrongly told they wouldn't make it. Can't recall their exact draught but believe it was around 32".
  13. MrsM

    Boat draught

    We are not regularly running aground but have witnessed several deeper draughted boats that have. We have however been scraping the bottom when having to come out of the channel. I know you are all far too skilled and clever which was why this post was aimed not at yourselves but at newbies who are looking for their first boat and might not consider draught, not experienced boaters such as the commenters here.
  14. MrsM

    Boat draught

    Absolutely agree. The problems we've had have been mostly when we've had to move out of the main channel, passing oncoming boats etc. Not helped by one of the long pounds on the Caldon dropping 7-8" yesterday!
  15. A quick post aimed at those looking for their first narrowboat. There is understandably an emphasis on boat length when you are looking to buy - with 57' the widely accepted most accessible length. However, please bear in mind the boat's draught - ie how deep it is under the water. We are in our 4th season of boating in our 58' NB and are finding ourselves frequently on the bottom, despite a draught of only 2'. Many deeper draughted boats are really struggling. Given the water issues the network faces please take note of your perspective new boat's draught when looking.
  16. So sorry for the family concerned and also all of you who witnessed it. Can't imagine how horrible and upsetting it must have been. I hope it doesn't spoil your experience of boating.
  17. Just wanted to recommend the village of Cheddleton in Staffordshire. We have taken a few days to explore the Caldon canal. Yesterday we took the Leek branch and walked into Leek. Disappointingly many of the shops were shut. Mondays and Tuesdays are the closing days in Leek, we discovered, so probably best planning your visit for another day if you want to see anything other than charity shops. Today (Wednesday) we are back on the main canal and we stopped at Cheddleton to visit the Flint mill. Everything was turning and there were 3 or 4 superbly knowledgeable volunteers who told us all about it. So worth a visit and please leave a donation as there is no entry charge. We walked up the hill into the village to have a look at the church. It's is quite moving to read the well preserved grave stones and the church itself is charming, with a great collection of kneelers. Lunch in the adjacent Black Lion was spot on - a freehouse with a decent selection of beer and good grub. Thoroughly recommend taking time to stop and visit this village.
  18. What an extremely useful post for those of us fortunate enough not to have experienced this. Thank you!
  19. We've done Leicester and the Soar several times and have never had a problem (as long as you don't mind rats if on the Castle Gardens mooring). Soar is a beautiful river.
  20. OH made these for our handrail. Lined with rubber so they stay put without scratching the paint. Very useful.
  21. We filled up with fuel there today and I commented to OH on how nice their hire boats looked. Not all covered in hire boat branding too. They looked very tidy.
  22. Sitting on the roof would be glorious untill you actually want to move the boat and go a) under bridges, b) through tunnels IMO. 4 years of 600+ hours/yr with our cruiser stern. Have a step so I can be in front of the tiller and have it at a comfortable non-arm-straining height. 2/12 months in shorts and 8/10 months in thermals and raincoat with golfing umbrella. Love every minute of it.
  23. Best meal we've had all year. Fully booked on a Tuesday but they squeezed us in a couple of hours later. Can't believe this place doesn't have a topic of it's own. Hubby had 2.5 (homemade) puds!
  24. Absolutely! I shudder at the sight of dogs squeezed on the back of trad sterns. Looks very risky to me. If I was a lone boater with no dog then I would defo have a trad, but as a non-liveaboard couple with a dog and lots of friends the cruiser stern is bang on.
  25. We've glued rubber sheeting to the underside of our deck boards and it makes a massive difference.
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