Tim Lewis

I recently visited the museum shop at Stoke Bruerne recently which, before its conversion into a coffee shop, used to have what I considered to be the best selection of canal books anywhere. Whilst appreciating that you do have to have a selection of 'pocket money' stock was hard pressed to find many specialist canal books amoungst the tat. Tim P.s. With my London Canal Museum hat on I would note that it is not that teeny yiny!

That's the one except in the TT advert they have airbrushed out the names of the boats! Tim

Speaking to friends at an IWA meeting last night who told me that they were rather confused at the advert for Mercia Marina in the latest Waterways World which shows their boat moored up in it, not bad as the boat has not been within a hundred miles of it! Tim

As Lady Muck has stated the only visitor moorings in Battlebridge basin belong to the London Canal Museum, these are generally only available to those visiting the museum. Tim

The Little Venice visitor moorings are normally fairly full but as there is room to moor up to three abreast it could pay to ask! If Fulbourne is still there feel free to moor on the outside of us. There is normally room on the Paddington Basin arm or in the basin itself (For come reason breating up on the arm is not permitted!) There are visitor moorings at Camden, Islington, City Road and Victoria Park but these tend to get full. Never had problems at Limehouse but you may have to breast up at popular times. If you want to make your trip more exciting St Pancras Cruising Club are organising a Tideway trip/concvoy on March 24th, for details seethe coming events page of their web site: http://www.stpancrascc.co.uk Tim

Shopping around Brentford is a bit sparse - best to get provisions at the big Tescos at Bulls Bridge which has canalside access. Tim

St Pancras Cyusing Club do a useful guide at: http://www.stpancrascc.co.uk BW also do Tideway guides - go to bottom of page.: http://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/boa...seful-downloads Tim

We use Johnston Red Oxide Gloss on Fulbourne (on the exposed hull surfaces inside the hull) Available from some builders merchants Tim

We went down the steel ballast route on fulbourne - prob not the cheapest but it was compact! a few pictures of its installation at: http://www.pbase.com/timlewis/ballast_installation Tim

Can't help with the criteria but after we had painted Fulbourne in Coronation colours we were then informed that we shouldn't have used the Bucklersbury address as the boats did not carry this address in this livery. Our livery, with the Bucklersbury address, was then used in 'Colours of the cut' and copied by at least one other boat! Tim

Now thats what I call service! Tim

A few at: http://www.tooled-up.com/MicroCategory.asp...CFQuJ1Qod4VPGoQ Tim

I believe the maps on Waterscape.com show boatyards, you will need to look at a canal at a a time though. Nicholsons guides also show boat yards Tim

This came up on a google search: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgYuK6-ll3w Tim

Should have mentioned that the use of scabblers has been discussed here before: http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10692 Tim

I have seen posts in the past where people have mentioned using concrete scabblers to great/;spedy effect. Being in the construction industry and seeing what they do to comcrete I was a but sceptical but would like to hear from anyone who has used one! Tim

Its only two miles from the Barrier to the Dome so they could have held their breath! BTW you can get the film as part of the current three DVD's for £20 from HMV. Tim

I have left mine, with the landlords permission, in the car park of the Folly. Tim

I think you need to find your hire base first and ask them about routes. Another point - although I am not an expert on Thames based hire boats all the ones that I have seen are Broads style wide beam boats which will not fit the Narrow locks of the southern Oxford! Tim

If you have a Thames based boat which is only licenced for EA waters you will need the extra BW license, your hire base should explain all this. Tim

We had Fulbourne moved (For Free!)a few years ago when we became frustratred in waiting for the Bedford To Milton Keynes link to be built, a few pictures at: http://www.fulbourne.org.uk/co/Index.html Tim

BW's Bradley workshop had a cradle in the boat dock that could turn the hull upside down for repairs. Closed now of course. Anyone know what has become of the site? Saw this cradle in use many years ago and from what I recall it could only accommodate small workboats, have a photo somewhere - will post it if I find it. The site is still a BW lockgate workshop, I believe they make the narrow lockgates for the whole country there, again visited it a couple of weeks ago and will try and post a picture. Regarding bottom blacking we have painted the baseplate of Fulbourne a number of times but not recently. We used Uxbridge dry dock a couple of times which has a fairly big, but not massive, gap between the bottom of the dock and the underside of the boat. However the best facility I know is at Debdale Marina Nr Foxton where an overhead gantry crane will lift boats onto a hardstanding onto trestles that can be at head height and its only a couple of minutes works to relocate the boat to paint at the trestle positions. Tim

There is a copy for £40 on Abe Books Tim

The Little Venice visitor moorings are closed for the duration of the Rally and only available to booked in craft however it is normally possible to get a place in Paddington Basin if only passing through. Have spent the last two, very wet, days getting Fulbournre to Little Venice, it should be there sometime tomorrow. Tim