dmr

Don't put in any effort, I expect they have a different way of counting now so as to make comparison impossible! This is a general observation about all big organisations,not just CaRT. 55million between 1555 works out at £35k each on average (less in reality due to the part timers) I think we have to deduct the employers pension contribution, and NI etc so I expect the average salary is well below 30k. If its actually about £20k then the top bods get about 10 times that, so at least CaRT are better than the banks!!!!!; ..............Dave

It would be interesting to see comparable figures (including total number of employees) for the end of the BW era to see how things have changed (for better or worse). ...........Dave

Whats interesting here is the relatively small spread in top salaries, so ranking is almost meaningless as a small change in salary could have a big impact on ranking. The lowest salary is 120-140, so CaRTs top salary is less than twice that for a high stress job. I would not do Richards job (assuming he is the high earner) fot that salary. Number of jobs paying more than £60k is a worry but what is the total workforce????? 80k might have been a better measure. An older top tradesman (perhaps a head of a team) working hard with a lot of overtime could just manage 60k (though probably not working for CaRT!) ...............Dave

That does add a wonderful symmetry to the Wide cruising system! It is divided into 4 sections, North, South, East, and West, with manageable sea crossings connecting the North and East, and the South and West. There are proposed new links connecting the South to the East (Bedford Link) and the West to the South. (Upper Avon). I am not sure if the Thames and Severn is narrow or wide. If its wide then this and the Upper Avon will make a nice wide cruising ring for our grandchildren. Then we can start work getting those silly norhern locks rebuilt to 70 foot. We have not been brave enough to do the Bristol Channel, 20 Knots sounds scary. ................Dave

Correct me if I am wrong, but until such times as the proposed Bedford Link gets built there is no way to get from the Southern section to the Wash. I have heard many boaters say it can be done but I suspect they have not realised that the locks from the Grand Union down to the Nene are Narrow. ............Dave

There are a couple of good "paper" maps of the entire canal system, plus various on the www, so it will be worth studying these to get an understanding of the wide and narrow systems.The Imray map is probably better at highlighting the narrow and wide navigations. Essentially the wide system is split into three separate sections, North South and East, though the North and Easy do connect if you cross the Wash. On the south bit you can just get into inner city Birmingham on the grand Union, but not as far as the city centre. The Northern section comes down as far as Leicester and Burton upon Trent, but no closer to Birmingham. Don't believe anything a boater tells you unless they actually been there and done it themselves! There are far to many who have never been more than 30 miles from "home" but recount stories about what they have heard about the rest of the system. .............Dave

Are you measuring voltage at the battery terminals? If not, and this is a long shot, just check that the isolator switch is not too blame. ............Dave

Sounds like the usual sulpation and lack of equalisation. Loads of stuff on this forum so not really worth doing it again here. If you are off grid then 2 years from a set of standard Leisure is GOOD, they are usually rated for 300 cycles (down to 50%). ............Dave

That's why I don't intend to even try....acid test!!!! clever ...........Dave

I have not tried to work this out properly and don't intend to, but my intuition is that Nick is right. I know Gibbo did some big calculations but I suspect he made no allowance for battery characteristics. We know about surface charge and voltage dropping rapidly under load, so if one battery is working harder than the rest its voltage will fall (or rise during charge) and so the other batteries will start to work harder, everything will sort of balance out automatically. ..................Dave

Dogs ok in the Flapper. Prince of Wales is complicated. Head Barmaid/Bar manager does not allow dogs but the landlord and other bar staff do!. Go in through the door furthest from bar and settle dog under table and they will most likely not object. If you sit at table with dog on your lap then you will be told to sit outside! Dogs ok in Ma Pardoes. .................Dave

I bend the rules but on the whole am a pretty good CC'er, I hope CaRT don't come after me due to a genuine breakdown or similar. I suspect this bloke has bent the rules and upset CaRT (or one or two people within CaRT) and they foolishly saw the floods as their chance to get him. This is not the way to do things. I don't know all the details of your case but maybe it was similar.???? CaRT really need to concentrate on people who do really bad stuff, rather than looking for an excuse to get people who have pissed them off. I have been to 4 CaRT pumpouts this winter, every single one has been broken (am on my way to find another right now). I really want to make an official complaint...but will this put me on their hit list?????? .............Dave

As you are going through Netherton you will be going to Ma Pardoes won't you???? I quite like the Prince of Wales not far from the NIA in Birmingham. I believe there are some "better" real ale pubs within walking distance but as they won't let the dog in I have not investigated. The Flapper (Cambrian Wharf) is quite interesting, especially if you don't mind a bit of heavy metal, nice view from the balcony. If you really want a diversion/adventure you could go into Walsall and find the BlackCountry Arms. 16 handpumps. ............Dave

NBTA are often rather selective in what they quote (just like CaRT). Assuming this is true then it does nothing to strengthen or weaken the case of those who challenge the rules of continuous cruising vs continuous mooring.. What it does do is to show CaRT behaving like vindictive bullies and idiots and somehow all boaters need to unite and stop CaRT from doing this, it is in no-ones interest. There are enough boaters about who are totally ignoring the rules and it is starting to look like CaRT prefer to go after people who they don't like who are slightly bending the rules. ...............Dave

I hope you have been to the Great western tonight, if not I would spend another night in Wolves and go there for a pint. ............Dave.

Debating exact details is perhaps not a good idea when trying to sort out a concept, but I stand by my comment. I think moving much less in the winter is reasonable, and moving once a week in the summer is reasonable. This pushes the weekly journey up to closer to 20 miles which is a lot,and may result in going right past interesting places. Assuming this is all about deterring an increase in static or near static boats then a much smaller distance would do the job without impacting on real CCers. I also think it should be possible for a "determined" CCer to hold down a job and get the kids to school. I reckon about 150miles would be right. I move 1000 miles, the kids are grown up, and I only need an internet connection to work so there is no self interest here. ......Dave

I think Alan Fincher may have the answer. If its the lower Semmington lock then it is (or was) a leave empty lock, and even though I think the notice has now gone I suspect most K&A natives still leave it empty. BoA is interesting, is it actually busy in the number of lockings, or just busy in a chaos sort of way with hire boaters (stag and hen boaters) causing a queue because they have never worked a lock before and were not listening when the hire company told them how to work a lock??? ..............Dave

i'm with Ange on this. CC'ing is about freedom, so rules about mileage, ABC cruising patterns, and no return times spoil this totally. I suspect we break a lot of rules, I like to spend a month or two going up and down the same stretch. We don't record our mileage but I suspect its over a 1000 each year so even the IWA should be happy with us. I actually think we move Too much and don't spend enough time exploring each place we visit. I really don't want to see a 500 miles per year minimum, ...........Dave

Look for a long metal tube in the lock, usually in the recess where the gate opens, and a few yards away a metal box with a little solar panel on top. There is also a little team of contractors who drive round cleaning the crap out of the sensing tube, you score extra for spotting these! ............Dave

I think there are two taps there? They are moored on bollards so I suspect they are blocking one of the two water taps. Still there is space to get past, Have you tried going right down into Oxford? the hire company there is really bad. ...........Dave

It was flowing very hard when we tried it and we did perhaps leave the turn a bit late (only by a second or two) and couldn't get round and ended up against the barrier. It was very difficult to pull us off, not helped by an audience and abundant bad advice from local boaters! Since then we have always gone North via Dukes cut and only use Sheepwash going South. Going South we leave the back just outside the lock mouth, I pole the front as far round as I can, then a blast of full power gets us round into Sheepwash. ...........Dave

I reckon you are right, a lower current (& voltage) will do the job but take longer. Stubborn sulphation is probably the difficult one and may need more than 15.5v or otherwise take a VERY long time. If the equalisation is done by running an engine/generator then its good to do at as quickly as possible. If the plan is to take a battery out of service then a lower current is probably ok, but if its done on the whole bank in situ then the power supply/charger also has to meet the house demand. Not sure about "proper" de-sulphators, do you mean the pulse things that "resonate the sulphate crystals" ? I think they might have a bit of snake oil inside them. .............Dave

When did you last do this? Cart have installed a big pontoon below the lock, and put a barrier across the mill stream right in the "stern swing" so getting into Isis can be very very difficult in a full length boat, and getting out can be tricky if there is any flow (and EA do sometimes send a fair bit of water down sheepwash) ...........Dave

I see Much higher currents when equalising. This is in part because I usually start the equalisation before they are really fully charged. A second factor is that my Trojans are now 3.5 years old and have worked very hard (off grid CC'ing). The water consumption and tail current are noticeably higher than when they were new.(this is expected) I would suggest getting an equalisation device than can deliver at least 10 amps, and probably 15, otherwise it may proved inadequate as the batteries age. 3.5 years! never used to get more than a year from cheapo leisures. ............Dave

Is the water (acid) level correct? I reckon that the SG goes up as the water goes down. .............Dave