JRT

...and one test of reasonable practicality is what others do. So, if other marinas do 'X' you'd have to prove why it was not reasonable for you to do 'X'.

There seems to be some confusion about the role of HSE and health and safety law. HSE and local authorities enforce health and safety (H&S) law, they don't make it. H&S law is made by parliament and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places a duty on employers to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of their employees and those likely to be affected by their work. Thus, a marina is responsible for the health and safety of its employees and those using the employer's premises. i.e the marina. (That's a bit of a generalisation, and it is couched in terms of what is reasonably practicable, but you get the gist). (See also, Marina development safety | Canal & River Trust (canalrivertrust.org.uk) ) I hope that helps. James (a retired HSE Principal Inspector)

Yes, I've got to give that a go too!

Brilliant. Thanks. That worked. The CRT site is not very clear/helpful/intuitive or maybe I'm just a bit thick!

I an trying to book a Liverpool link passage and a berth in Salhouse Dock for mid-June this year. Trouble is, according to the CRT Booking Information it is booked solid for at least a year from the end of this month! Surely this cannot be right? Any insight would be gratefully received 🙂

I had the same thing happen to me a while back, twice. The first time I discovered the housing on the pump had developed a leak and I had to replace the whole thing. The second time, I was braced for further expense but it turned out to be, as suggested above, a dripping tap.

Looks like a 2" mortar bomb of WW2 vintage. 2" mortar - Bing images

I use these UCI KoolGrip ARCTIC Thermal Dual Latex Waterproof Grip Winter Warm Gloves ORANGE | eBay (other suppliers available) They keep my hands warm and dry when steering or operating locks etc.

Replacement carpet and vinyl. I couldn't fault the service nor the fitting.

We've just had our boat done by Alpine Carpets of Daventry (Alpine Carpet Warehouse | Carpets | Vinyl | Rugs | Wood | Laminates | Luxury vinyl tiles | Contract flooring in Daventry) They were brilliant and I can't fault them. Nice people, excellent service and fitting.

Onboardsolar have gone up to 215W panels now.

Onboardsolar did mine. Excellent service, good products and a quick competent installation.

Closer to home there is this History - Tempsford Memorial and History - Tempsford Memorial RAF Tempsford is from where many of the SoE agents took off from. It's not far from where I live (Just off the A1 north of Sandy) but the closest navigable waterway, for those on a boat, is at St Neots.

I just thought I should give everyone who was kind enough to offer their advice an update. I replaced the pump today with a Jabsco model of similar output etc. but half the price of a replacement Flojet. (The guy at Midland Chandlers in Braunston who sold it to me couldn't have been more helpful!). It went in quite easily especially as I discovered that with the removal of a few screws from the bed base I could gain access from above. I've triple checked and all seems fine - the water is flowing and no leaks! It did take me several days with a fan heater to dry out the area but I've learned my lesson and will check out the pumps etc. more frequently in future. Cheers everyone

I don't think so. Well, at least my boat seems to have a good quality fitout. It's 20 years old but is still in very good condition and everything is working well. (Apart from the leaking pump obviously!)

Thanks again everyone. I'll do what you've suggested. (For MrSmelly- Heron Boats did the fitout. They're long since defunct)

Thanks for your advice everyone! When I was under there I did notice a drip from the the bottom of the assembly. Either it originated from there or flowed from further up. Does that help?

Ok, so I was crawling into the space under the bed on my narrowboat to retrieve something when I noticed it was damp in there! (I wasn't a few weeks back) Further investigation revealed that the water pump had developed a leak. (see pics). I can't exactly see where this is coming from but I thought it a bit odd that the back wall was damp as well as underneath. It's not a massive leak but has caused quite a bit of dampness. As a temporary measure I've just put a bowl under it to catch the drips and I intend to dry out the area with a fan heater when I'm back on the boat next week. (The water is now turned of off btw) Clearly I need to either replace the pump or service it with a 'service kit' if they are available. Any advice about this would be gratefully received. What are your thoughts about the cause and remedy? Thanks

Yes I did!!

Yuck! It's clearly not been well looked after and I suspect there's an oil leak or two somewhere. That rainwater comment is likely to be rubbish too so there may be water leaks too. Personally, I would buy a boat with an engine and engine bay in this condition but others might.

It looks about the right price to me. I paid a similar amount for my boat last April although mine is 10 years younger. That said, narrowboat prices are high at the moment because demand is outstripping supply. Get a survey done and negotiate. You might get it a bit cheaper.

Awww thanks. You're too kind. I was so embarrassed!

Well I managed it somehow 😞