aremkay

Thanks all. I was suspecting mildew/white mould, and from the comments it sounds like it isn't a big problem to eradicate.

Hi Experts, I am new to looking at boats, so I am looking for some advice. Sorry if this isn't the right place to post this question. While looking at a traditional layout narrowboat, I found a small amount of fine white powder on the floor wood in a cupboard at the bow end of the cabin, and a lot of very similar powder under the bed towards the stern. There was no evidence of water leaks at the bow end, but there was evidence that the bathroom porthole had some water ingress in the past due to discoloured wood, and less so around the porthole in the bedroom. The rear mushroom vent appeared to have been taped over inside, presumably to prevent the bed getting wet during heavy showers. The top of the base plate at the rear of the cabin appeared to be rusty - I could get my fingers down a hole and dislodge some rust around the cabin bilge pump. I've attached a photo of the powder in the front cupboard, which isn't the greatest quality - sorry if it isn't sufficient. Sadly, I didn't have time to take a better photo, nor any of the powder under the bed which was similar. I would describe it as a very fine white powder though - and it was just a powder with seemingly no other structure. I've seen similar on other wooden structures that are exposed to dampness outside of the boat world. So, knowing what it could be, whether I should be concerned about it, and how to treat it would be useful to know when looking at future boats. Many thanks!

An update having been on the Wey this weekend just gone. I used Dapdune Wharf and the St Catherine Lock weir exit to moor overnight. Dapdune Wharf This is a nice location to moor, although you do get groups of local canoeists racing past around the bend which creates some wash that can rock the boat. Also, there is a noisy railway nearby, which, if you're not used to railway noise (think squealing wheels as the train goes round a curve) then you may end up wishing you'd moored somewhere else. Being my first night aboard, I only managed about 3 hours sleep, sadly. St Catherine Lock exit Nicely out of the way, and the only noises are from the weir and railway, which seemed to stop fairly early in the night and restart later in the morning. My first plan at getting out from there didn't work, and there's a bit of a story to tell too... Probably wasn't such a good plan, but I put that down to my inexperience. I gratefully accepted some assistance from a RYA instructor who had caused me problems on a bend the previous day. I probably could have managed it on my own eventually. I now have a few stories to tell from the trip... Overall, I found going upstream a lot more relaxing and less eventful than coming downstream.

Thanks very much. I think now I have a clearer idea where I'll be mooring for both nights on my first trip!

Thanks Mike - that's extremely useful, and takes some of the stress off of a first timer!

Thanks - this says: As I say in my opening post, that isn't the case because of the amount of growth along the towpath side... Thanks - this is sort of what I'm asking - is there a list somewhere of "official stuff"... there doesn't seem to be in the NT's guide for boaters. As I quote above, it makes it sound like one can moor anywhere along the towpath side (except of course for services, lock landings etc) Thanks.

Hi, Please be gentle, I'm completely new here and newish to boating! If this isn't the appropriate place to post this, then I offer my apologies. I'm planning a short weekend trip along the Wey from the Send area heading upstream towards Godalming to gain more experience. From having been to almost Guildford a couple of weeks ago on my RYA course, I'm aware that the tow path side of the river tends to be overgrown, which makes mooring more difficult, especially for a first time boater like myself. What I did notice from my course was that there were occasionally areas where the vegetation seemed to be cut back to allow one to moor - but I'm not sure if these were done by other boaters or not. I'm wondering if anyone knows the story behind these? I can remember seeing two areas above Stoke lock, but I think I'd prefer something more peaceful away from the roar of the A3, especially for a first night aboard, maybe just above Bower's lock, or maybe between Triggs and Bowers lock. I'm well aware that there's the possibility I may spend the first night aboard wide awake listening to all the strange noises! Essentially, I'll be setting out on a Friday evening (since that's when I can hire the boat), and I would like to have some idea that I'll find a mooring before it gets dark! Thanks.