Stroudwater1

Glad it’s sorted. The spotter at Bratch checked and asked where our paper licences were. It does seem pointless when they all have iPads etc that they use now. We did have them, left wondering what would have happened if not. Perhaps there’s a large number of boaters gathering at the bottom of Batch with no paper licences? Hard to justify printing 25,000 or so pieces of paper annually

Very happy days! Thank you. Just a 12v hairdryer left to locate 😂

We run on 12v. About the only thing thats really missed is a hairdryer and a charger for the Oral-B electric toothbrush.

Today Marlow, River Thames.

I vaguely remember going down when all the pulleys were operational. I was so young that the main things I remembered was the strong smell of ammonia from the factory opposite and the large (for a child) ships on the Weaver. Years later the main thing my Dad remembered was the grease spots on the roof from the pulleys that took ages to get off 😂.

As others have mentioned pretty sure it’s free on the day. We last went down in June 22. We were joined by a boater who moors on the Weaver. They just turned up and tagged onto our booking slot. Im fairly certain they didn’t book either. I don’t think it should be any more cost than it is presently. It would disadvantage boaters who moor on the Weaver and may badly affect businesses such as the Dry dock. What really would make a difference to usage is to make boating on The Manchester Shop canal easier and cheaper than it is. It’s a nice cruise from Marsh Lock to Ellesmere Port and a nice ring. But its extremely expensive and a slight hassle organising a surveyor.

I don’t like being unable to get out at the bow readily either. That’s how we generally drop people off for mooring/ at lock landings. Then if necessary bring in the stern or reverse out and hover if at a lock with no one else around. I also would be concerned should there be anything dangerous, fire or possible sinking at not being able to get out ASAP. The well deck is one of our favourite places to eat, and friends on board love sitting up there in peace. Boats don’t look so nice aesthetically without that area in my view, even with a potters cabin or whatever it’s going to be called next.

Hope it’s fixed properly soon. Just a thought- could you attach the old tablet to your rudder for additional future protection?

See the other active thread which may help too. It’s a bit puzzling why you are only navigating on tickover though? It may cause difficulties with others who will need to travel at greater rpm and probably speed to charge their batteries. You must be forever letting boats past, looking behind or not letting boaters by who may not then be too happy?

I thought he did a good job on R4 in a limited time. It’s creditable that someone has got the message through to the media with resulting interviews. Hopefully not a PR company at much cost though?

I don’t think they have necessarily accepted liability but have accepted it came from their factory? It could for instance be a supplier of the container who is at fault. I tried that after a deer ran into my car, sadly my insurance company set the standard and declined my request for four new tyres. Usually the standard is set by the affected party in conjunction with the insurance company which seems reasonable protection for both parties against excessive or wrongful claim.

Possibly Rob but it doesn’t explain why two of us have now bent bronze windlasses. The Ham Baker GU paddles are definitely far stiffer and all used to be droppable with the spindle slowed with a glove but many don’t lower at all now on their own. Some is down to technique, on ground paddles you need momentum so ideally stand facing the spindle and give the first turn a good deal of force, with weight behind it. You loose momentum standing at 90degrees as you switch from push to pull. The first turn is usually the toughest as the pressure on the paddle from water is greater.

Unless oiled or greased since May a few of the Ham Baker mechanisms are very tough on the GU. Last couple of Stockton a few of the single locks who’s paddles squeaked with lack of lubrication and even a few on Hatton. It’s very disappointing. One older hirer crew really struggled on Hatton. I’m not sure they will be back sadly. It’s not that I’m knackered quite yet. One even slightly bent my lovely bronze GU windlass.

Napton hire boats also operate from Autherley so it could be possible to switch to that base and do the four counties ring with an extension to The Anderton lift, Chester or a wee bit of the Llangollen or Caldon etc. Or there’s the Avon ring from there too, if you are energetic and the Stourport ring if not.

Yes as there is added convenience. But still they need to dispose of their waste and are boaters so should be able to use the crt facilities. It’s no different to carting the cassette on a trolley down to the pound below Fradley top lock if you are turning up the Coventry from Grest Hayward direction?

Agree, it’s hard to understand. It’s lock walls within and just outside as well as locks where damage from roots take place. The cost of repair must be much greater? It makes entry into locks tricky even broad locks 😁 (One of the Manchester Failsworth locks, 2021. Perhaps it’s better now. There’s a lock there somewhere … )

That’s a pain. I think I may be tempted to moor up in a pound on the non towpath side somewhere? It’s not too bad on Farmers Bridge these days. Appreciate it’s not the nicest and many others wouldn’t.

French oak is probably rather depleted and or costly currently with the rebuilt of Notre Dame. The oak for the spire was harder to find due to the length of straight oak needed I believe . At least the French seem better at replacing felled trees. The one on the Tardebigge flight by the reservoir took around 3 years but has been replaced. I can imagine that the GU locks must need a significant tree length which may hold repair up even more sadly. The odd thing is there’s many old oak trees in fields round here slowly deteriorating and finally falling over, then getting burnt. Farming ploughs may have something to do with this. Perhaps it’s the wrong sort of oak or too old for these sort of applications? It’s rare for any tree to be replaced. @tree monkey will know much more about oak I’m sure.

Surely it’s supplied via the Birmingham main line and Farmers Bridge etc locks plus to a lesser extent the Grand Union via Camp Hill too? Given the relatively low use of Perry Barr I would have thought most water would be from the BCN main line? I would press on personally. It’s the problem with getting stoppage notices though appreciate there are other views on that!

In fairness the IWA Worcester rally was free for the public to attend, which felt a bit of a mistake, a couple of quid would probably not have affected the attendance too significantly. I suspect that something is going on in general with large scale events, the Great Dorset Steam fair is not going ahead for the second time, possibly forever, and a number of others arent happening such as the Lincolnshire Steam and vintage rally https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-68362306#:~:text=The Lincolnshire Steam and Vintage Rally has been cancelled after,for the past two years". It could be public liability insurance cost thats a killer. Such a shame as these events generally raise much money for charities and good causes, quite a few for air ambulances. It would be ideal if this cover could be underwritten in some way by central government. Is central government that have altered legislation so that claims against public liability insurance have rocketed. I cant see that happening.

Here’s a barge we saw in January 24 heading upstream on the River Seine, Paris. There was much fresh, and little spare room either side of the 1607 built Pont Neuf span. Cant be much off the maximum beam of 12m? The Pont des Arts bridge is around 500 foot/ 150m to guess its length. Got to admire a skipper taking that size barge through the narrows round Notre Dame and Ile De la Cite with all the commercial and much tourist traffic around. Notre Dame/ spire scaffolding in the background

Does the £50 include an assurance of no tourists climbing on the boat for photo opportunities please Matty?