Stroudwater1

Today, Stonehouse high Street. meanwhile a mile away the new railway bridge is officially opened, and renamed “The Ocean Jubilee bridge” this week. Stroudwater navigation https://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/20159770.ocean-bridge-officially-opened-new-name/

Probably best to get 30 litres one time and 30 litres the next = 60? 60l is a lot to carry at one time anyway, so two trips are best anyway?

First time that some boats can get through Harecastle without unbolting and unloading rooves and they close it . How incredibly inconsiderate. 😉 How deep is the water in tunnels such as Harecastle? Presumably very deep for working boats to transit loaded, wouldnt silt generally be less likely to stay on the bottom or drift deep into tunnels depending on canal flow with boating activity compared to other parts of the navigation?

The one in Portland basin was fine last year, I would be surprised if its vandalised as its in the museum/ warehouse area. Its tucked in the corner by the waterwheel, in the Huddersfield direction. You do have to look for it, pressure is good. We slung a rope around part of the bridge to keep us on the bank.

Looks like the IWA have managed to step in, https://waterways.org.uk/about-us/news/salterhebble-lock-cottage-saved-from-auction Not sure a community centre is ideal either. I assume its currently rented out by CRT? Incidentally those are very fine looking stoneware containers in the front. I seem to recall the manufacturers name on.

Complete confusion here as I had taken it to mean Newport Gwent, and then have been wondering what part of the canal in Newport itself is in water. Its obvious being from The Shropshire Star though isnt it 🙄. I can see it being restored, they are gaining lottery funds and recognition, its many less locks than the Huddersfield or Rochdale, and would probably get used as much if not more being relatively close to a number of hire fleets .

I’m surprised anyone should be opening both top and bottom paddles and walking away when boats are moored in that pound- especially at 5am. It’s surprising how quickly some pounds can fill, or empty. Couldn’t it have been dangerous with people slipping out of their bed as the boat tips sideway if the canal bed slopes away from the side?

Judging by the ABC boat in Droitwich lock and my own observations it seems many hire boats carry a considerable cargo of lager tbf

Would the unmanned craft be wired to make the biggest errors in front of Gongoozlers too?

I doubt they could do that now, discrimination laws are ever tighter and ever more costly. You can’t choose who to make a cake for now or who you rent a hotel room to so I suspect the same laws exist on the high seas of the W&B and Droitwich 😂 edit re charging extra, surprised they can get away with that as that too is discriminatory- apart from finding tutus and various anatomical inflatables how would they necessarily know?

Oh dear. I can’t really see how a hire company can decline a booking, all male crew? No sorry. It has discrimination possibilities all over it surely? I have known an all male crew of 8 go out with Shire. The person receiving the boats in said they dread what conditions they return in. The one we passed almost floated above the water with the smoke of various kinds. TBF unless you go past Hanbury mooring in neutral you are prone to get shouted at so maybe the flat out at Hanbury is a bit exaggerated? What a mess to leave though. Wonder if a drunk in charge of a canal vessel whilst traveling will ever happen? It’s not just hirers who do this 🤣

Shire would probably advise you a few days in advance what the Huddersfield is like as they usually are getting rapid feedback from other hirers. Their boats are not very deep drafts so horror from others may not apply.

There’s plenty of Gongoozlers there, so turning is better done early or late in the day perhaps! Hopefully you will get a place, the mooring is often nicer below the lock tbh so leaving room in Bancroft- Appreciate you aren’t keen to go on the Avon yourselves though it’s only £5 a day, it’s lovely upstream of Stratford too.

Wasn’t there a time that Anglo Welsh used to have boats built and bought by owners under Anglo Welsh specs then rented out by Anglo Welsh that then reverted to the original owner after a certain time? It could possibly be ABC, that was in the early 2000s. I think similar happens with some holiday properties in France especially ski accommodation? It isn’t the not too common broken down engine that would be the bother but the “my lightbulb over the bed isn’t working” when moored up a mile from a decent road at 10.30 pm that maybe an irritant. Someone I know used to allow the boatyard they mored at to hire their boat out when all else was booked out, one lot of hirers cut a corner on the Avon, struck a submerged tree and sank their boat☹️ For reasons that escape me they stopped hiring after that

irs strange as that website only has cottage rental on it- are they still hiring in France?

I agree the maintenance isnt great but as Martin Nicholas describes above that isnt often the issue. Its worth adding Its often boaters to blame by not fully lowering the paddles- thats is often more of a problem IMHO these days. Last year one pound on Marple when the flight was locked top and bottom by CRT had one top gate ground paddle left up. The lower gate was leaking badly and almost the whole pound above was empty. If the paddle had been proerly lowered then its likely the lock would have drained down to the leak, stopped and the pound above would be full still. I imagine CRT ought to have noticed but it was a boater that that had left the paddle up we were told by another boater.

Theres these people at Braunston, I have no experience of them, just seen their advert https://www.narrowboatescapes.co.uk/

Though even if the locks were maintained to perfection reeds rubbish even tyres and stuff can get caught in the gates or gate paddles/ sluices causing leakage. Ive always understood that closing even bottom gates can save water, as a leaking top gate will get so full then stop leaking. If top and bottom gates leak its not ideal, though both usually leak at different speeds.

The geese would have been difficult to shoo out from an empty deep lock like the Marple ones with food. The times they are open is very short presently so I can understand why the boat went in especially if as seems likely these are very common (almost too common) Canada Geese. How long was the boat? If it was nearing the lock I can’t see the geese would have swam out even if you dangled a pole down between the upper gates and the geese TBH. It’s amazing the adult/s managed to swim to the back of the boat, can’t understand how that actually happened as it’s so tight in locks, or was it just the goslings that did that? Glad all was OK, perhaps the boater was right to have entered the lock after all?

Lovely picture, what breed are they, one looks like an American Cocker? other a cockerpoo?

Can you guys bicker on the political pages please, it’s unbelievable childish stuff going on here. Do you want people to post on this forum or leave? Any issues need taking up with a mod. Im off to fire up my cement mixer as I missed a bit of my counter I’ve noticed 😉

Dear me I really think she was joking. Its so easy to get wound up with misunderstandings. I guess she forgot an imoji on here. Personally I found it mildly amusing and you do need to look at the whole gist of the comments there which was in a jovial manner. Its useless calling people idiots on a forum, when in real life one smile and the issue is solved!

Oh please, I am sure Tracy was joking, even if they weren't why be so rude in a posting? You wouldn't dream of saying that in public now would you. Apologies if you too are joking, it seems well below the plimsoll line if you are.

Lovely memories, especially the hovering boat, it can go wrong but I must admit I usually do that when I can as it saves so much time and bother . Are you going on another journey this year?

Its difficult because in todays market the deposit and contact does have the advantage of no gazumping as with houses. I am no legal expert but the (respected) brokers agreement I signed included the clause to the effect that if the survey finds big issues with the hull then the boat is not insurable and so either that needs rectifying by the vendor or you can pull out with your deposit returned. I think this contract has the same, or better with the cost of repair clause by the looks of it. I would highlight that expecting to get a survey within 10 days of signing is pretty near impossible unless you can pull in a favour have compromising pictures of the surveyor or can pay a big premium for them do do one at midnight. The waiting time I believe is very long hence a number of boats on the big brokers websites under offer recently.