Tim Lewis

Dave Pearce cwetainly was there with Gnashers II (and a Channel 4 film crew)Tim The cruise is exclusively restricted to people who apply!Details of SPCC cruises are detailed on:http://www.stpancrascc.co.uk/Tim

Locking & mooring for the SPCC Cruise/stay are specially negotiated, we normally pay a locking fee of about £15 per boat and no mooring fee but this year we had some sponsorship which reduced the costs. Normal locking & mooring fees can be found at: http://www.rodma.co.uk Quite frightening! Tim

A few pictures from yesterdays St Pancras Cruising Club cruise to the London boat show http://www.pbase.com/timlewis/excel_outward_2008 Can be seen as a slideshow by clicking on the button in the top right corner Enjoy Tim Lewis www.timlewis.org.uk www.fulbourne.org.uk

Salter Lode is not an EA waterway, it is run by the Middel Level Commissioners, details of this and the other closures on the Middle levels were posted last Novemner, see: http://www.middlelevel.co.uk/pdfs/navigati...ensionnov07.pdf Tim

Froghall was clear of weed at Xmas unfortunately a blocked stream culvert caused floodind abd damage in december, see article in the Feb edition of Canal Boat. Tim

The summit certainly can be deep but as it acts as a resevoir the level varies considerably. Have taken a 3 ft deep boat across the sunnit with the level well down without any problems. Tim

Are you sure, in nearly 30 years working in the construction industry I've never seen board anywhere near that size, I dont think that there is a van built that would take it!Tim Are you sure, in nearly 30 years working in the construction industry I've never seen board anywhere near that size, I dont think that there is a van built that would take it!Tim

http://www.quillplc.com/quillfalcon/home.html Tim

Runs on XP fine with meTim Runs on XP fine with meTim

I agree that if you have cats on yout boat a cat flap is indepensable. At the end of the day if somebody wants to get into your boat they will - have seen very few boats that couldn't be broken into in seconds with a decent jemmy/hammer. If you are worried about security of the door fit a bolt to the top of the door for use at night and a deadlock/padlock for use when you are off the boat. Tim

The two main canal magazines, Canal Boat and Waterways World, are a very good place to start. They contain details of hundreds of boats for sale. http://www.waterwaysworld.com http://www.canalboat.co.uk Limiting your search to Birmingham will deeriously limit the amount of boats available. Most of the canal system is only a week or so cruising from Brum. Tim

Thanks for the claification which is as I understood it but am still intruiged as to where this is written down, I looked at the BW by-laws (which took some finding, eventully found a copy at http://www.hnboc.org.uk - downloads page) and can find no reference to a ban on horse riding on the towpath - only scanned them though. Tim

Thanks You are more tham welcome to join us on a dig, details of our dig dates on the M & B are at: http://www.dig-deep.org.uk/ - click on 'dig dates ' Voluntary canal restoration is fun as well as rewarding! Tim

I was under the impression that horses were banned on towpaths (Except where they are not!) but having had a quick look through the BW by-laws I can see no reference to this. Tim

This one: www.thecheeseboat.co.uk Had a call from a lady at ITV saying that an interview I gave on a WRG dig on the Mon & Brec was to feature tonight - anyone see it as I am not in the Carlton TV area. Tim

Did you also notice that Jeremy Clarkson got out of his boat in the Royal Docks - not thr River Thames - don't remember seeing him take his boat through the lock!Tim Did you also notice that Jeremy Clarkson got out of his boat in the Royal Docks - not thr River Thames - don't remember seeing him take his boat through the lock!Tim

The boat was at the Stourbridge Rally in October Tim

No - I meant what I said. When there is a lot of fresh coming down the Ouse like there was during the 'summer' the falling tide often did not go down as far as the the level of Well Creek (Not sure of my exact facts but is not the level of Well Creek below sea level) If the rising tide had not made a level we could have used the outer gates and locked down - not sure if there would have been enough depth though! The outer gates have been converted to hydraulic operation as can be seen in Marks photo. Tim

Not quite right, the intermediate gates are the 'normal' gates which allow boats up to 62', the outer gates allow boats up to 80' but as they are pointing outwards normally mean that they are used when locking down but as a last resort the hydraulic rams will hold back a couple of inches in the lock to allow the gates to be used to allow longer boats to lock up when the falling tide does not quite make a level,. One point to note, although the lock is a wide lock it will not take two boats at 62ft , we had trouble (as seen on the video) with a 50' and a 60' boat getting jammed up for a while! due to the geomatry (sp) of the lock. Tim

The Middle Level Navigation Notes at: http://www.middlelevel.co.uk/aboutus.aspx?pid=3 state that the maximum length is 62 feet except whwn the tide makes a level There is an additional set of outward pointing gates on the non tidal side (The tidal side has a guillotine gate) for use by longer boats using the falling tide. This technically means that the axtra gates are no use for longer boats if the falling tide does not make a level with the creek but in practice the hydraulic mechanism will hold back a head of a couple of inches which how we got Fulbourne through on the way to the National this year. On our return visit through the tidal section we scraped along the bottom in places despite the recent dredging which was a bit worrying - we didn't fancy being stuck in the middle of the tideway waiting for the next tide! The stoppae on the middle level is detailed at: http://www.middlelevel.co.uk/aboutus.aspx?pid=52 For those who can put up with crap videos I have posted a speeded up version of a trip from Salters lode to Denver sluice at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AZ0LHQjx24 Tim

This One? http://www.pbase.com/timlewis/image/90503332 Tim

A couple of pictures from April 2006 at Cowroast, she was still there in the October.http://www.pbase.com/timlewis/buxtonTim A couple of pictures from April 2006, she was still there in the October.http://www.pbase.com/timlewis/buxtonTim

A few pictures from our trips on the Rochdale in 2002: http://www.fulbourne.org.uk/rc0802/Index.html http://www.fulbourne.org.uk/rc0902/Index.html Tim

The cyclists got it. A real shame as I would have love to have seen it spent in the land of my youth. Tim