Ewan123

Agreed 👍

It's only some narrowboaters that insist on using the daft 'pipe' fenders that don't really do much. That has been designed on the assumption that the boat will have some real fenders

That was satisfying. I wonder (not trying to take anything away from the skill/practice involved), does the way an empty working boat sits so much higher at the bow assist with the tight turn? Relative to a loaded boat and/or a standard modern narrowboat.

(Google translated for those not familiar with the function/French!): "Hello, I just bought the Nidd barge. A little work is needed, nothing serious. I found that it had a soul and now I come across your site and it confirms my thoughts. I will try to share the work with you and my happiness. It will be in Montbéliard, on the Rhône-Rhine Canal."

I doubt it. Maybe CRT should consider it though - "Volunteer for X days per month and gain Preferential Moorer Status for the given month". Might save CRT some money. (Apologies for the subsequent argument I've probably started).

The ship canal's actually not bad in terms of wildlife - I saw six kingfishers on a recent transit, along with quite a few gadwall and shelduck amongst various other birds breeding there (which all go to suggest a not-unhealthy population of fish, plants and bugs). The canal also runs right along the edge of/discharges into the Mersey Estuary which is designated as being of international importance for conservation (Special Protection Area and Ramsar site), particularly for waterbirds. It's likely that a number of the associated birds also use the ship canal (e.g. shelduck) and so it would be classed as Functionally Linked, so negative impacts on the canal might be considered to be affecting the designated sites. They probably ought to be undertaking a Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) if they haven't already, and I do wonder whether that would be able to conclude no impact. All that to say, pumping sh**e into a waterway is bad for the wildlife and should drop the perpetrator into hot water, legally speaking. But then they've been allowed to do it all over, so who knows.

The ones I've seen looked fairly aged, so at least those ones aren't getting nicked.

I notice TAW is (still/again?) for sale at a lower price... is it fair to assume it needs some work doing? The advert doesn't suggest it would, rather that they've already spent a good few pennies on overplating and unspecified other work. https://www.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/narrow-boats-traditional-for-sale/769731

Probably because it's closed at one end and expensive to access at the other 😄

Major damage in way of propeller and rudder assembly - Evdemon & Partners This article also includes some more photos out of the water. Essentially it grounded while going astern.

I've not looked through the whole thread so apologies if it was already suggested. There's a group on facebook, "Benefits for Boaters" I think it's called, with people that have been through it all and can give you some genuine, non-judgemental advice.

We cruised from Wheelock to Chester last weekend (over two days) after replacing a broken throttle cable the evening before (added satisfaction to the subsequent cruise). Lovely weather, had some nice chats with walkers who helped out at a couple of locks, and generally just spent two full days not thinking about the world beyond the cut - just my wife and I cruising along. Bliss. Now we're moored at the Cheshire Cat in Christleton and have been watching the boats coming in for the rally at Ellesmere Port. One pin started to get pulled out 😮 so I just added a spring line. No drama.

We made quite a good ketchup with hawthorn berries.

One way to differentiate between blackthorn and hawthorn at this time of year is the order of flowering/leaf growth - blackthorn flowers first and then puts out leaves, hawthorn does leaves first and then gains flowers. My brain remembers this as a sort of association between black/white contrast (no green) = blackthorn.

Keep an eye out at the Hurleston Locks for an Official Stick, the designated purpose of which is to hold the gate open (propped against the balance beam) which would otherwise swing itself shut as you walk back to the boat. I think it was present for at least one gate on the righthand side as you go up the flight.