Stroudwater1

As others have mentioned It depends on the tank and fillers to an extent- most with fillers at the rear don’t seem to blowback I don’t believe. Ours rather a traditional boat with side filling by the engine room . It needs slow filling though not because of two tanks, just seems to flash back with faster fillers it’s thought as the filler pipe is rather convoluted. Most places with pumps are careful as some boats are like ours and Hudsons so don’t tend to just let rip if you ask them to take care. If you explain it’s a first fill they ought to go easy. @NapoleonDynamite is yours a fairly standard fill by the stern, you will probably be fine if so.

Hi welcome to the forum. We did the four counties ring two years ago and didn’t particularly notice traffic noise. Some parts are by busy roads but most narrowboat engines equalise traffic noise out. I know of a forum member with an electric/hybrid powered boat IIRC who moors on the Trent and Mersey so it can’t be bad. Inside a boat with decent insulation even mooring by a motorway it’s quiet inside with doors shut. The roads tend wind back and forth anyway by canals so it’s seldom constant.

You don’t sound like you’ve tried it Ian. You use the post going up to the taff rail, put both hands on that put both feet against the lower part of the stern, as though a backstroker does it, when about to launch off in a race. Then walk up the side of the boat, back arched still and weight evenly distributed between arms and legs. Finally keep pressure on one leg until the other is on top of this plate, then pull up ideally using the top rail . It was Summer and in swimming costumes so less weight of clothing. All of us got back on deck. Obviously you need to have a bit of agility but two of us were in their late 50s. It’s not ideal, which is why many boats on the G&S have emergency ladders now after a couple of sad events. The G&S being often deep even at the bank.

Point of order, I suspect it depends on the stern type and as IanD mentioned rail position. It is quite easy on a cruiser stern, lever your legs against the side lower down holding the side rail then put one leg up onto the tab, then push up. Done this several times on an Anglo Welsh hire boat when swimming in the Warks Avon. All crew members did it fine. You are I suspect right on a trad or semi trad unless they have Taff rails or suicide seats, in which case ironically I suspect you may be able to get the same leverage as on a cruiser stern rail. It depends where the rails are and I’m sure they aren’t sited conveniently as they were in the Anglo Welsh boat.

The crew didn’t live up to the ships name by the looks of it. Similar happened by Sharpness last year in early March too. Stuck for a good few days. That was attributed to a shifting sand bank. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-68479684.amp

Bit of an update. Sadly Patricia remains on her side without any progress other than knowing some things that won’t work . She is pretty top heavy which won’t help. The water level was dropped significantly to have a good go at the end of January but with no success. A coffer dam is still there at the swingbridge. there is a narrow embankment on the one side. (With three leaks also being looked at ) There is access possibly the other side but the ocean is very wide. There was access the other side of the bridge in order to build the railway bridge but that’s probably no good for a crane. I do fear an ask of Network Rail at the Easter shut down for a mobile crane (huge cost probably) maybe an answer. Presumably links from building the bridge could prove useful. A fleet of @CourtAboveTheCut drones is needed surely. The wide Ocean, gulls willing to offer advise

Today, sunshine for a change! Dunchurch and Braunston Marina entrances. Even more of a change, not a ripple on the water from wind at Dunchurch Marina

Today, Perch receives a lick of purple paint. Anyone round Worcester on Monday next week will see her up there, worth a look I suspect Alongside Elver. Upton on Severn, River Severn

Cant see there’s anything wrong with going at a fast speed through a tunnel, don’t think Tony mentioned full speed. I find it easier to speed up through empty tunnels than go slow. As with elsewhere steerage is easier at a faster speed. Obviously speed is inappropriate in a misty or narrow tunnel, approaching / passing oncoming boats or when there loads of rubbish in the water.

Yes good point, I was indeed thinking of the Windmill end mooring. Even if wishing to turn at the Bumblehole the bridge at the junction into the area is very low. It is on the BCN challenge so presumably turning is permitted at the end. We will find out in May 😂 Last year a CRT employee got Bolshy and told us not to go down there and fearing a crew mutiny we reversed out sharply

It’s really more time dependent from March to November, after 3.30 and before 8.45 it’s pretty quiet most of the time. Between those times it can be busy. Bit quieter at lunch too. Same in most parts of the network. The rest of the year it’s less busy most of the day. The services mooring probably won’t be relevant for you. Worth noting there is no 60 foot turn between the bottom of Braunston locks and Norton Junction. You can usually go up together with another boat in the Braunston and Calcott locks and there are often volunteer lockies to help too at Braunston (aka vlockies) The one advantage of traveling in March is hiring is cheaper. More likely to be wet or cold. That’s not too pleasant on a cruiser stern. The other disadvantage is the daylight hours are shorter.

Heading towards Norton Junction from Braunston there are wooden barriers which help with scraping. Just aim to miss those go slowly and you should be fine passing. You may see a bat or two. Don’t worry about the kink, it’s a good excuse if you do scrape another boat though.

Mooring at the top of Stourbridge locks are OK, or you can go up the Fens Branch, turn left at the junction too, many mooring rings up there. I think around Bumble hole is fine too isn’t it? Another surprisingly decent place is Tividale Quays.

Absolutely. It depends on the time of year but it’s around a day to get from Stockton to Braunston and back. Another day to Braunston turn at Norton junction and back which means locks and tunnel. TBH two days to Braunston Marina turn and back to Stockton means not much actual cruising. As well as the lock enjoy a lick… of ice cream at the shop by the bottom lock Friday PM head off, moor after Calcot or just before the locks or just after Wigrams turn. If you moor somewhere in Braunston or even up the first lock or two and moor you avoid the queues that you can sometimes get mid morning onwards. The tunnel is great fun, and better still you do it twice. With turning the best is to almost be completely stopped just at the turn then put a fast speed with tiller hard over, once turning well then slow speed again. You can fairly much turn on its length.

Ah, my apologies- I’m talking about annual/ biannual varnishing to external scumbling. You’re right, Internal doesn’t need it very often if at all, think ours internally has been revarnished once, after 25 years.

I think you really ought to varnish the scumbling at least annually TBH. I can’t recall exactly who at Braunston suggested this years ago and passed on by @ditchcrawler possibly but it could have been Ron Hough. They suggested twice a year. I’ve been advised to do this by several people including a historic boat owner who’s scumbling was in fantastic condition. I find it easy to do TBH, very fine grade sandpaper, wash with sugar soap, leave to dry then varnish. I only wish I had known this when we bought our boat as it was just going off then and it could have saved it. The difference with a coat of varnish was significant. @dave moore would be able to comment further on this as well as polyvine which he’s recommended several times. What a shame but I can imagine its sales aren’t huge.

Fortunately a different decision was made by Stroud District Council on The Stroudwater. The circumstances mm be. It’s a worry that SDC is disappearing into some sort of unitary council rather more likely to be remote from rurality or even reality.

As a matter of interest why are the tools in the middle of Lidl called ParkSIDE? Are they sited on side aisles on the continent?

Last year there were hire boats from 3 companies, ABC, Canal cruising Company of Stone and IIRC (but probably don’t)Black Prince. TBH being a bit more shallow drafted they probably would be expected to fare well. It’s also pretty good advertising too.

Are you looking at Apolloduck John? You will see many boats for sale on there? As Matty44 mentions there’s others in Northamptonshire area, Rugby boats, ABNB and Braunston marina nearby to Whilton they all have a reasonably good reputation. TBH at your budget you ought to be able to get a pretty decent boat. You see some optimistic pricing but others are bargains depending on the vendors eagerness to sell.

Met a guy last year who had walked 2 miles each way to a co op store which unfortunately was closed. He then went online once back on his boat and a co-op delivery van dropped off his 2 cans of lager loaf of bread and coke within 2 hours.

Two days ago, Gweek boatyard and surround, near Helston, Cornwall.

Odin and Max, June 2023. Lovely dogs but a black labs tail is rather like a missile when wagging vigorously 😁

Lovely, what breed are they? Strangely I can’t see any spuds, just a carrot?

Were anodes put on at the same time as overplating on the full width on the side of the boat They can be done like that but can occasionally make quite a difference to fitting in locks? Usually they are fitted at narrower parts of the hull at the bow and stern.