Puffling

Comment from bystander Matthew Fell with typos corrected. Jeez, the Hudds Examiner used to have better writing than this when I bought it as a paper...

Here am I sitting in a tin can Far above the pound All the signs are blue, and there's Nothing I can do...

Would have been more effective to have blocked the engine room vents. He mentions the boat heeling strongly on the turn to Savick Brook. Water entering the engine space at this point would be a potential source of swamping, unless a good bilge pump were working.

Update on 12/02/2024: We would like to offer a further update on our plans to repair Lock 7, on the Marple Flight, Peak Forest Canal. This week our contractors have started the process of filling the lock with stone, which enables machinery to cross the area safely and stabilise the lock walls. The next steps will include the installation of concrete piles, this is due to commence from Monday 26 February, we estimate this process to take approximately four weeks. Once the pilings are installed our contractors will start to dismantle the existing lock stonework, followed by the removal of the ground around the lock chamber. Once the lock and the ground works have been completed, our contractors will begin rebuilding the lock chamber, and focus on the reinstatement of the lock gates, this work will run through April until May. Whilst the repair will require substantial work, we anticipate the works to be completed, and navigation to resume on Friday 24 May. We would like to take the opportunity to thank all our customers for their patience and understanding during these works, and we will continue to keep you updated as work progresses. A further update will be provided mid-March.

Unrelated to rust-seized fender fixtures, I found this from Rusty Shackle, at 3am.

As well as getting plenty of practice making proper folded seams in heavier fabric, I'd urge you to make a paper template first, once your cratch board is constructed. That way you'll avoid wasted material through having to recut prices which are too tight at certain points. Also, have several runs of using the zip foot (you have got one, haven't you?) on your sewing machine. Quite a lot of the 'art' of learning to sew thick material is developing proper finger strength and avoiding catching unwanted material in a seam. How do I know all this? I've made many items of outdoor equipment in waterproof and breathable materials, including a complete tent with flysheet and inner in lightweight nylon. The most demanding item was a rucksack (60 litres, with side pockets and full shoulder and waist harness), a rather similar project to what you'll be attempting. Seaming around corners and inserting zips so the pockets hung and opened exactly right took plenty of time and patience, but I enjoyed the whole thing. That rucsac lasted me 20 years and looked the bees bollox. If you feel ready for the challenge, I'd say jump in and try it. These people might be a first stepping stone: asking for samples of your intended fabric is essential to know how you'll get on with it in real life https://www.pennineoutdoor.co.uk/fabrics/waterproof-fabrics,-ultra-violet-stabilised-light-medium-and-heavyweight

I thought it was to demonstrate that the accountant uses double-entry book-keeping?

Phil is a mellow sort and like you say, he doesn't glamorise things. Met him once, lovely man. It's a shame Narrowboat Helen (another Phil) took his channel down. It was excellent for showing how to renovate an old boat, in this case to an exceptional standard. Although they are Marple (house) based now, Holly The Cafe Boat couple Jo and Vic (https://m.youtube.com/@HollyTheCafeBoat) were intrepid liveaboards for a long time, even raising their baby son aboard. Having met them, I can confirm they are as unpretentious as their channel content.

"The consequences of failing to maintain this infrastructure was evidenced in 2019 when the Toddbrook Reservoir in Derbyshire collapsed, resulting in the evacuation of 1,500 residents of the town of Whaley Bridge." Sloppy journalism. Toddbrook nearly collapsed and the residents of Whaley Bridge were evacuated as a precaution.

I agree: for ready availability, visual acceptability (doesn't look like an item from a test lab) and current handling, the 5A round pin sockets are a good choice. And the cable lead-out at 90° is a benefit in space saving. The Neutrik connectors are high quality, probably with a price tag to match. They are built for repeated plug-unplug actions, with a repeatable contact resistance. I think for most boaters, a device is rarely unplugged so often. Current handling given in the data sheet is most likely a breaking current, with the mated handling being higher. With cheaper items, the breaking current and mated current are probably the same. I'm happy with my original choice of 12v connectors, and they come in 2-pole, with significantly better current handling. https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/111598-got-my-new-12v-dc-connectors-well-ahead-of-the-cigar-lighter-options/

The cigar lighter socket design is indeed vile, and plugs have such variable quality in manufacture that the crucial contact pieces are an unknown. I've drawn 25A over a few minutes from my 12v sockets, slightly above their rating. I regularly use them with a portable inverter drawing 15A without them appearing to warm. But I installed better ones.

It's like getting the "smell of the lamp" - once you've experienced being out on the water nothing land-based quite matches. CtC has big plans for his Microplus, it seems. Induction hob, electric outboard. Probably a lithium battery bank and more solar panels. Despite the cost, I'd say a nice quiet and controllable outboard would be a good upgrade on a small boat. Especially given the handling challenges a petrol outboard ("two speeds") gives.

David Johns sold his narrowboat last year to move into a house. He recently bought a small GRP cruiser (non live aboard) and seems happy with it:

You can't beat the classics.

I'm neither a twit nor a big boy, thanks. I'm a puffling. Why are we becoming sensitive about causing offence to someone whose English is inadequate? When I lived in Europe and was learning German I had plenty of people ridiculing my attempts at the language. It was a spur to work on the words or pronunciation that caused hilarity. Is this a consequence of wokeism? There are plenty of good online language translation tools out there which would have produced better copy than what's above. But more importantly, how does such a person cope buying shoes or groceries, or getting to see a doctor in this country? They probably ask a friend or relative to do the translation work for them. I find it hard to believe that - even if the OP's partner really has died as they claim - they don't have another contact through whom they can pose an intelligible request on an English-speaking forum. No, my money is on a bot, until proved otherwise.

Yay, back on the map! Thanks, @RichM

Think it's a misspelling of "My horse won't start". Feed the poor bugger a bag of oats, then. If it won't start then, lead it to water and make sure it drinks.

Paging @RichM...

I've heard of a blank on the map, but my location (and a few other profiles I checked recently) is currently showing an indicator with a blank map beneath. My suspicion is that this is linked with the mapping script being updated at the start of November and a notice that a new API key was required appearing.