Liam

Like the boat yard, who after sending in the invoice for a service on a Lister SR3, included costs for topping up with anti freeze. Never did find out where they apparently put it 🤷

Having done the Autherley to Stourport section of the Staffs & Worcs for the first time last year, I love it so much I'm currently doing it again, with a trip to Gloucester. The bit between Compton and Wolverley is the best, very scenic and canal side pubs along the way. Lots of moorings too and I've only past half a dozen boats. I'd recommend it.

* Gone up £3 as in was £37, now £40. The Calor issue has been going on for about 2 years all together now. It's still absolutely shocking and deliveries are constantly late and always short. I'm trying to work around it by ordering about 10 at a time rather than say 20, and I have split up my available cylinders so I can arrange deliveries to both Leigh and Preston Brook. It seems little and often works best when ordering.

That's just their head office. I think there's only 2 places where they are refilled and serviced now, one being Port Talbot. I can't remember the name of the other one. One does the North and the other does the South, that's why it appears that the regions get varying levels of service. I've just checked my Calor account online and the 13kg Propanes have gone up £3

But CTC hasn't gone, he's just editing his videos on land rather than on a boat.

If your boat is out on hard standing, don't forget that everything you want to add to the boat, whether that's ballast, 8x4 sheets of plywood or new batteries, will have to be carried up the steps.

A traditional boat only has an 8ft cabin so only space for 1 stove 😉

Docking isn't a problem but storage for an extended period is! You may be better looking further afield on the L&L which would give more choice tbh.

Not an option at the moment. Janet at the Boat & Butty, Runcorn may be able to help on 07534160810 but there's no crane on site so you'd obviously have to budget this in for when you're lifted out and back in again at the end of your work.

Yes but then on the other hand, really does matter if the seller isn't VAT registered.

I think all suppliers have a minimum order quantity of 500 litres... and you can order upto 2300 litres for 5% VAT. Anything over 2300 litres gets slapped with 20% VAT.

I ordered fuel yesterday, and it was a fair bit more per litre than the price on than the price website. Even Kerosense is more than that at the moment!

There's rumours circulating that they never actually owned by the boat, and it was used for publicity for both them and the boat builders. It was due to the boat builder coming into financial difficulties in more recent times that the boat was sold. But hey don't believe everything you read on the Internet 😉 I thought I read somewhere online that the builders had ceased trading or had sold out, hence why there's no new boat but a search online shows them actively in business with no mention anywhere to the contrary.

They all look the same to me

This boat has been for sale on and off for over 12 months. It did move around a bit in the early days on the Bridgewater Canal as it was based in Castlefield.

The very same.

Owned by Ben Frost, masquerading on here as @Mr Lister

I've been racking my brain to think of the previous owners name, and it has finally come to me. Ron Long. I have no pictures of the boat unfortunately, I've had a quick Google online and nothing relevant is showing up. Just out of interest, do you have a recent picture of the boat? It would be nice to see it again.

The boat Joe was owned by a guy named Ron who was a fender maker and was based at the BMBC (Bridgewater Motor Boat Club) in Runcorn. Unfortunately after Ron passed away the boat passed to a family member who started to commence a refit and for one reason or another never finished. The boat was located under the Waterloo Bridge (known locally as Top Locks) for a couple of years, looking rather abandoned and sorry for itself, covered in pigeon muck and other assorted gunge. By this point the boat was offered for sale at a very high price being quite clearly a project, but eventually did sell and was lifted from the water and relocated elsewhere by road. In the "glory" days, Ron practically lived on the boat, or at least used it extensively and was usually found up and down the Bridgewater of a weekend etc. To my knowledge since Ron's passing to the point of Sale it wasn't docked at all, and although not an originally thick hull, was for from being in good condition. It will probably need plating work sooner rather than later.

And apparently Aqua Vista customers are getting an identically worded email, but obviously from Aqua Vista rather than Castle Marinas.

It is very different in the winter. I've lost track about how many people have told me they'd love my job in July, but come February they will only talk to me through their window as I drop their coal off when the canals frozen and it's blowing a strong wind.

Tadworth, paired with Bordesley I reckon @AndrewGVT may be in the know.

Yep, 5% VAT.

Not available anymore. It has been outlawed since the regulation changes in April.

I was told by my Rep the other day that Calor is increasing their price again from 1st November. But it looks like it won't effect me cos they hardly bloody deliver anyway!