Amduck

Phone them up; tell them you didn't overstay. They probably just got it wrong. We had a letter saying that our boat was on the T&M unlicensed at a time when it was safely tucked up at home. Mind you, we don't need a BW license, so they couldn't take any fines or fees until next time we applied for a short term one.

Can I just second/emphasise the bit about a second pair of footwear. As previously stated, if stuff gets wet, it often gets REALLY wet.

Bottle opener, just in case the one on the boat has gone missing! Oh, and the tipple of your choice to open, at the end of a days cruising (however long you decide that should be)

our local forest, managed by the forestry commission, has prominent signs asking dog walkers to get a stick and flick poo into the bushes if it's on the path.

Wow, they're gorgeous. Have just taken our rescue greyhound for her first boat trip. She got on fine, but if I were choosing a dog specifically with boating in mind I'd probably go for something a little smaller. Ours is a rescue, and yes, she was a terrible food thief when we first got her - microwave, dishwasher, freezer, oven, bin, you name it, she opened it and extracted food. She could also reach to the back of all the work surfaces. However, about 9 months in, it was as if she suddenly understood that food comes regularly, and so does the occasional treat, and now, while I wouldn't necessarily trust her if I left dinner on the table unattended for any length of time, she is much less likely to try opening things, or to snatch as soon as your eyes are averted, and has even been known to wander away from her own food for half an hour or so before finishing it. She dislikes getting wet, so is unlikely to jump in (which she has in common with our previous dog, a lurcher, and I would guess whippets too), and the very short hair does mean she's not smelly (apart from occasional flatulence) and doesn't moult much.

If this is an apparently stock letter, I would try either visiting or phoning to speak to the practice manager direct and explain the situation. They will possibly be able to make a decision based on your individual circs, rather than as a generic policy.

You probably know this, but I didn't when I started out, so I'll say it anyway just in case. If you're only planning to spend a few nights a week on board, you don't need a residential mooring, only a leisure one. As long as you have an address elsewhere, I think there are only a few places that restrict how many nights you can spend aboard, and I'm not sure how these are policed.

Excellent news, and well done to all . Can't find my diary at the moment, but will try and get to the opening if not at w**k. Looking forward to cruising the whole thing next year (fingers crossed smiley needed).

As long as it was relatively safe where it was, I would just leave it. As cotswoldman says, it'll either find its way back, or the farmer will find it. Encountered livestock on the road a few times. I usually stop at nearest farm - if it's not theirs, they'll know whose it is, but once I used the police phone outside the nearest (closed) station and they said they'd inform the council who presumably have responsibility.

To be fair, Blackrose's post does appear to be simply a kind offer of help and support. But coming straight after the previous one and starting with a qualified agreement, it felt to me as if the tone of the two posts together was along the lines of "if you can't DIY, you shouldn't have bought the boat". What we do ourselves is a balance, and I completely agree that the satisfaction of completing a new challenge, and the gain in terms of confidence and skills are on one side of the equation, as well as the cost savings etc. It's just that everyone's equation will be different, there's nothing wrong with that, and I think it is unfair to answer a simple request for information with successive posts suggesting that the OP is somehow a lesser person for their decision.

Agreed. This petition seems to be a blanket objection to the whole paper. Not much point just objecting to all change - it's not like the system is perfect at the moment. And for the vast majority of people, being able to see one GP each time is not that important, although it seems to be all that some campaigners bang on about. Yes, if you have complicated and long term conditions it probably is, but if you are normally fit but have occasional need of a doctor then being able to see one quickly and at a reasonably convenient time is more important. My local GP practice will also direct people with specific needs to a GP with an interest in that area, which means that the information and treatment received is likely to be more up-to-date and informed.

Nor did I. Nor do I see why some members of the forum seem to think that DIY is the only way for everything and for everyone. Fitting a bathroom from scratch on a boat (for example) may well be within most people's abilities, but that does not mean they have the time or the inclination to do so, particularly if it means potentially bodging something they may have to live with for a long time. I, for one, don't feel the need to apologise for preferring to work overtime at the job I'm good at in order to pay someone else to do something that they can probably do better, and certainly do more quickly, than I could.