Stroudwater1

I wouldn’t post it using Royal Mail at a post office. There’s many small shops / fuel stations near canals that receive goods for shipping these days. I believe some CCers have online businesses that rely on this method for “postage” I sent a heater like this using a courier only a few months ago, dropped it off at a local Co op. They are not very heavy, just bulky. It’s fixed and working fine now. Getting cardboard is simple too. Most shops are only too pleased to give you cardboard from old packaging. Bit sad that it’s not going to someone who knows what he is doing with them IMHO

Why not ship it? It’s very simple, get some used cardboard from a shop, some tape, google the cheapest courier and off it goes. It’s really not difficult, nor expensive

Agree with Matty40s it’s not good. It could work the other way, someone interested puts a deposit down that they know is refundable and they are hooked. Sale sorted. The same person finding the deposit is not refundable dithers goes away to “think about it” and the sale is lost. there maybe tyre kickers but you HAVE to see the boat with ABNB so you’ve made the effort to travel often some distance in all probability so any vendor has put themselves out to make the effort to get there.

It’s probably asking a lot for the OP to go up the tidal Trent for a first journey singlehanded when unfamiliar with their boat The “easiest “ journey in the circumstances is probably up the Leeds and Liverpool and try to do the L&L and Grand Union double locks with another boat if possible to give confidence and enable the OP to learn tips. It’s much easier with another boat too.

Back to meths, the purple additive makes it smell pretty awful, if you can get clear industrial grade meths(IDA) it’s much better. A way to obtain is if you are doing certain work, I’m fairly sure French Polishers can get it purple less as well as some scientific uses. A Google search suggests it’s easy to order now though.

Also keep the tiller bar pointing towards the centre of the lock, quite a lot will overhang the boat at the angle you need to be and catch the end on the edge of the lock when descending. You need the rudder tucking in and not straight behind the boat for extra room so the tiller needs to swing the other side to the lock wall.

Glad you had a good trip, you did well to get to the Medway as well 🤣 Really sad you witnessed such a tragedy though. Hopefully the memories will fade.

I must say I always like to stay on our 57’ boat in locks, trying to keep the boat roughly in the centre away from both gates. Going up you are in view of the rudder clearing the gates as they are shut so it’s not stuck in the gate, then generally (except up the Cheshire flight) you can keep the boat roughly in the centre of the lock. Going down you are in direct view of the cill and white cill marker. You are less likely to be chatting to people as you are moving away from them or right down if you are ascending . Again try to keep central. You usually get sucked forward going down so a brief gentle reverse at first usually keeps the boat clear of the gates and cill. With my hand on the engine control I am away from the tiller arc. You also can tell if the boat is angling at all. We had a stuck out bit of stone on one the the Huddersfield narrow locks, which made the boat slew sideways. It was easy to spot and rectify. It wouldn’t have been so easy to spot from the lock side. My technique is less satisfactory in a longer boat which I think MtB has I appreciate.

One of the lower Cheshire locks by Sandbach/ M6 last year Back the question, all locks we do I manage to stay roughly in the middle of the lock. I don’t like to be too near the gates. We have poor reverse and the only way we could sensibly go up Cheshire locks was to press on the cill and use fastish forward. I don’t like doing this. Using a line was pretty hopeless. Incidentally the second lock going up Hillmorton seems to have the same effect, the top and bottom locks don’t for some reason and I can easily stay in the middle. I think the middle are a bit deeper but it seems the right is worse ascending compared to the left?

I would advise sticking to Wolverhampton 21, this is only their second trip, and there’s just the two of them. The other thing with the Wolverhampton 21 is the water is crystal clear on upper locks at least which is very pleasant to see. Birmingham Wolverhampton Lichfield are all good places to visit these days in the right areas, art galleries for the first two, plus theatres. The jewellery quarter for Bham and nearby shopping and the Cathedral area in Lichfield is great. The bridge over the Trent at Great Hayward is lovely too, IIRC it’s the way to Shugborough. Disappointingly it was pretty weedy last year which is probably not ideal for the mortar or structural integrity

How terribly sad. Condolences to the family, and massive thumbs up to those who were there and helped, even just looked on as sometimes too many helping can be as bad as none. You can be proud of yourselves and hope the worst memories will fade. Do all these fatalities get looked at by MIAB? I’ve looked and can’t find any reference to the fatal accident at Welford in Spring last year. I wonder how many we don’t know about? When we looked at a boat two years ago the broker took us aside to warn us the the reason it was for sale was due to a life changing accident. I hadn’t heard of it and no Google search revealed it. Reminding all onboard to put the engine to neutral if someone goes overboard may help but often it seems it happens too quickly to do anything and the boater is often on their own on the stern anyway.

I really wouldn’t narrow it down to just those builders. I’ve seen some decent Hancock and Lane boats though hull wise often not good as they used what most used then on the baseplate . Traditional engine roomed boats are usually made by decent builders. There’s a fair few missed off these builders above, and they don’t suit everyone hence the popularity still of Springers.

A fixed double, engine room and boatman’s cabin can be done at 57’ , you get a smaller bathroom and slightly smaller eating relaxing area. Most boatbuilders who made boatman’s cabins and separate engine rooms are/ increasingly were pretty decent at their jobs. Other makes that may fit your bill include Orion boats, some RW Davis boats would do too. There a fair few others too. It was a cottage industry and some only made a couple of boats . Some of these are fairly old now and may need hull work. Dont get too hung up on hp, the torque of many traditional engines with large props outdo egg whisk props on many 30-50hp boats. It’s seldom you need much HP unless you’re into crossing The Channel?

Weren’t the old sliding roof Frobisher boats steered from the centre? I don’t see it as difficult TBH, you are just sited in a different part of the see saw that is steering a boat. In many ways being nearer the fulcrum makes it easier to understand this effect and adapt accordingly. Mooring is just as easy or easier I found having used a centre cockpitted canal boat for many years round much of the network. The one big advantage is you are well up the boat so it’s easier to see debris mattresses and wood in the canal as you can see the canal much nearer than you can from the stern. Same when approaching the bank, it’s easier to see where you are . It’s not just the shorter distance but the angle of vision gives you more forward visual awareness.

Today It’s not just CRT with signs Wainlode Hill, Red lion busy on tables by the River Severn

This is very useful to avoid picking up plastic and other prop fouls through bridges on the BCN, up to Coventry from Hawkesbury or in the Manchester area. Really it’s best to potter on tickover between locks on the Rochdale up the 9 and to the top of Failsworth locks.

Try Braunston tunnel for plenty of experience, you get a bonus for over ten 🤣

It is a good point. I hadn’t really considered it. However I’m glad ours is deep draughted as it seems more stable in wind and turns very promptly. We’ve not got too stuck yet, just once passing a boat in Nuneaton and once letting a boat past. Reversing got us out without the long shaft thankfully.

Sad to hear about your Granddad. You could perhaps try the friends of Raymond https://friendsofraymond.org.uk/ or maybe Braunston marina where Raymond and Nutfield are moored they aren’t far away and maybe able to help you or give some contacts. Raymond is an unpowered butty but Nutfield is an ex working boat. There’s a fair few boats with tug decks that could accommodate this as well as working boats. There’s several other marinas round Stockton that may provide contacts or people willing to help including Ventnor Wigrams Dunchurch as well as Calcot itself. There are several a bit further too. The funeral directors are also often helpful in doing the liaison and pointing out what may or may not work. I’m sure plenty of folk would be willing to help.

How really unfortunate for you. Glad it’s been sorted. Happened twice with us, worst one I had was a keepnet from angling though tbh. The trouble with bolt croppers is the wide ness of the handles when the cropper opens make it difficult to make some of the cuts needed as weed hatches are usually narrow bow to stern So except for a side cut 90 degrees from the propshaft access is usually hard. The spring wires are at different angles. Also each cut takes a while to get to find with hefty croppers and you need to ideally guide the croppers in to get at each wire you’ve found. The ones @ditchcrawler has posted are brilliant, maybe tie a piece of elastic round the handle and a loop round your wrist to stop them being dropped whilst cutting. Mattresses often have a thick surround wire top and bottom that seem to need hacksawing off first. Try to clear fabric off where possible, breadknife can be handy for that. We found pulling the mattress by hand away from the stern with a rope round a part not wrapped round the prop puts tension on areas to concentrate on cutting and as each important wire comes off the next one needing cutting becomes apparent . Try tension from different angles as that seems to make a difference. Aim for the most tense smaller wire from the springs as that’s usually the ones most likely to be twisted round. Don’t despair and keep cutting. Many cuts will make no difference. Try also to pull the wires over the prop blades and concentrate cutting ones that won’t go over NB watch out for fevers up to a few days after these sort of prolonged hand or body in water situation’s Weils disease is easy to overlook and you need to raise that a clear possibility with a Doctor ASAP if you get fevers up to a few days afterwards. The Doctor needs to be aware if it too, they shouldn’t mind you pointing it out. Easy to treat sadly can be fatal if left too late

Great pictures! It’s an amazing achievement that the whole canal was restored but 22 years later. I remember walking up to the bottom two “locks” from the Ashton in the early 80s. There seemed so little chance it would ever get done. It was a really bad mess. It may help anyone who moans about the HNC to consider that, look at these pictures and be thankful. Meanwhile yesterday Saul junction and marina G&S. Stern end of Banstead

What can be done with idiots like that- Do CART have any ability to impound the thing till the owners understand how to boat. Perhaps there needs to be a "Lock awareness course" with licence holders having to pay to attend? Sorry to hear of this- what a pain.

I dont know that area well, but cant you drain some water down, as I think the next pound is fairly long as well. Or maybe give it a try if there are others around able to let water down if you get stuck? Im sure Ive managed to get through shallower water if you take it extremely slowly so the stern doesnt sit down in the water? I wouldnt put it past a boater leaving a paddle open TBH. There seems a lack of care with paddles too often these days.

Exactly! Generally the boat being overtaken slows right down, its unwise not to and isnt much different in time it takes to get anywhere but it certainly takes much less time to be overtaken. This could be why folk are objecting to shallow canals etc. Slow right down to slow tickover, move over, aim to the bank and you will be pulled back into the middle. If you go at any speed when being overtaken then you are asking for trouble. This isnt a car being overtaken scenario. By several peoples suggestions on here they may tend to dawdle, so a slower dawdle to let someone past isnt asking much. I fear some on here maybe the sort of person that deliberately speed up when being overtaken by another car.

It’s surprising how many bridges are fine when sat on the roof. Obviously care is needed as ever. High rooved shorter tunnels like Shrewley Newbold Brandwood or Coseley are fine to steer when sat on the roof, it’s like a long straight so easier really A Norton Canes boat we looked at being sold by Rugby had an interesting set up. Purpose fitted wooden boxes the height of the hatch runners each side of the roof , so small cushions , suicide seats and where we usually stand to steer a trad was a seat on a movable arm to sit on. We didn’t go for a run on her but effectively five could gather on the stern. I know about suicide seats when going along but when stopped the trad stern could host 5 people, and three safely when travelling . It may not suit the purists of course . I don’t think the seat is an original fitting but it seemed like a good idea to me.