Liam

Even if you did manage to pull it out with a magnet - it would now be screwed because of the magnetism.

But short enough so when you put the tiller hard over, you don't knock someone off the towpath into the cut. When entering locks, you sometimes have to put the tiller hard over, make sure it stays within the profile of the boat to avoid any damage being caused.

Tom, I've just been on your website, congratulations! I did find something quite funny though, the way you compared sophie, in size, to a wide beamed boat.. I quote... "Sophie standing next to it gives an idea of the scale." Maybe it's just my bent sense of humour..

Built with very thing steel, and because of the hull shape, they're costly to replate. But as mentioned, they're many of them about and as long as you get a survey and the results come out positive, you'll be fine.

It's a long standing joke here... nevermind

The only time you'd come into contact with a working boat is when you do something daft, like moor in a bridge hole or in a winding hole. They hit you because you shouldn't be there maybe? What type of "working boats" are you complaining about. Explain the situation. Maybe if you were a bit clearer, we could understand you a little better. As Dan pointed out, you don't cruise with your fenders down as it can be dangerous (aswell as looking silly) you only use your side fenders when moored up. There's nothing more irritating than being kept up all night as your boat bangs against the bank. If you were to drop your fenders when you're moored, they would do there job. One thing that really does p*ss me off is when people shout the odds at me and tell me to slow down when passing there boat, i ALWAYS slow down when passing moored boats. The only reason why there boat bobs about like a cork is because they've not tied the bloody thing up properly.

Eugh, I'd hate to pull one off the prop

Rosie and Jim? Don't you mean dosey and dim?

A friends boat was lifted out at an angle... not because he wanted it doing that way.. it just happened because the slings weren't in the correct place which caused it to go down by the head slightly. All was well until he went into the boat and found that everything inside the boat was covered with oily water and diesel which had been pushed forward by the angle from the engine area at the back. Some boats do have some sort of bulkhead to stop this happening but it's worth checking or you could find out the mucky way. This happened to anyone else?

As in... vertically... ??

Yep, that's right... I pass there regularly and the boat is always out and about.

Nevermind Sam

They are hard to flush?

What does that make me? Taking all of the above into consideration.. I'd say it makes me bloody stooopid !

Well, we've got it back! Set off on Saturday 9th and got back for Sunday 17th. Not sure how many miles we've covered or locks that we've worked but we know that it was a fair few I'm going to post the log in the cruise diaries section but here's a quick run down. Saturday - Can't remember (D'oh!) Sunday - Cosgrove Jnct Monday - Braunston Tuesday - Atherstone (Just north out of town) Wedesday - Grt. Haywood Thursday - Stone - Fuel pump died here, hence the delay. Friday - Etrurua / China Gardens Saturday - Northwich / Broken Cross Sunday - Moorings (In Manchester) Not bad I don't think Added: Did go past Kings Lock and saw your boat but didn't see you Bernie.

I found it quite funny to watch the boats get dragged away as soon as they stuck their bows out.... Well I did until it was our turn lol

Bit of randomness here... but it's on the subject of getting wet/safety Always remember to close your bow, and if poss stern doors when locking. You can either end up with something simple like a wet doormat or even worse - a cabin fit for a frog. Also remember to close side hatches/doors, the water sometimes comes out of the brick word and into where ever your side door leads.... A while ago I was moored up between the tunnels at Saltesford on the T&M, and a hire boat came out of the lock and its side doors were hanging off because they didn't close them and they were obviously caught on the tunnel wall... something else to keep in mind!

The closest Webcam I get around my neck of the woods is the Lymm Village Webcam..although it's pointing at the 'cross' in the middle of the village, and not at the cut, I have seen familiar faces walk by, and it gives great info about what's going on. The site also has good pics of the canal and surrounding area.... One for the Links Directory me thinks

Would I be correct in saying that Beeston/Chirk Castle boats are part of the Claymoore fleet?

So you like getting your boat covered in the water which pours through the paddles at an alarming rate aswell as have your boat bobbing around like a cork? Madness

Sarcasm at its best, eh?

Just finishing packing... it's amazing how much stuff you need for just one week! Bernie, will do