Mac of Cygnet
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Posts posted by Mac of Cygnet
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I presume the company you got a quote from was Shire Cruisers? I moored with them for 12 years and found them very fair and helpful (we had previously hired from them). I don't think they would be overcharging - it's just the going rate for hiring a boat, because of the very stringent and high cost requirements of running a hire fleet.
However because of the ongoing troubles with the Rochdale and Huddersfield canals, and even the Calder and Hebble, you may want to look further afield, and may even get a cheaper deal if a boatyard has last-minute availability.
Edited to say that I would actually require to be paid to take a half-board holiday in Majorca.
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I got a cheap cordless chainsaw from Lidl, not expecting much, but in fact I find I use it frequently for clearing shrubs and small trees that seem to spring up everywhere. Even when foraging for firewood I found I only had to resort to the petrol saw when I had got most of what I was getting that session. (I also have a corded electric saw which I use for cutting up firewood at home and two petrol saws, as well as several defunct ones, kept for spares, I kid myself.)
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17 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:
Wasn't there a Seaman Staines on the good ship Venus ?
Wouldn't like to be their telephone receptionist:
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3 hours ago, 5239 said:
I’ve a other,
free to anyone passing,
I’m sure only one lock needs that spike,
otherwise just the gate paddles will get a boat through,
fun to use mind
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You wouldn't want to mess around with jimsonweed (although some people will try anything).
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14 hours ago, Tigerr said:
As we cruise around, we have scores for particular features.
The first is skulls, and possibly a plastic replica skeleton.
Signifying a rugged individual, could have been a hells angel back in the day. The individuality is slightly undermined by the next almost identical bonehead ten yards later, but hey, we are all individuals.
This feature is very much boat based, highly favoured on long term moorings in the midlands. You know who you are!
The gnome grotto is a land based garden feature, suggesting a natural world inhabited by magical creatures, in the back garden of an estate semi, possibly with plastic grass. Whimsy Fantastic!
I'd hope these people would take my washing in if I asked, as it's so benevolent. They must be nice -surely?
The abandoned garden end 'pub' by the canal, complete with mouldy decking, is a speciality of disappointed dreams, writ large, of middle age. Not far, one may find the Bodega, over a likely deflating, inflatable jacuzzi of dreams, and the rusted out BBQ of so much promise. It speaks so eloquently of yearning, for social ties. The saturday night beer-bros of hope.
Such are the delights of cruising, these glimpses into the hopes and aspirations of one's fellow man.
Just saw the winner at Crick was a full on skeleton/skull design. Excellent. They are going to spend a fortune on candles though, before they sell.
Fascinated by the transformation of a Buddha into a bodega. Very handy.
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1 minute ago, MtB said:
And you keep your Dalek composting bin on your narrowboat, presumably?
Lady G was talking about gardeners, not boaters.
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13 minutes ago, LadyG said:
I doubt there are many gardeners who would consider composting their own faeces.
I was forced to do this a few weeks ago, due to a blocked drain between my house and the septic tank down by the river. It took a fortnight to discover the site of the blockage (tree roots) dig it out and clear it, then replace a length of drain, during which time I couldn't use the WC at all.I therefore went and got a very cheap 'portable toilet' from Argos (basically a bucket with a seat) and used my huge supply of sawdust. The result went into one of my 'Dalek' composting bins together with other composting material.
Actually, I'm rather looking forward to finding what the result is next year, if that doesn't sound too weird.
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14 minutes ago, Russ T said:
It's probably caused by olation.
I can't see why it wouldn't pass a BS test. The information is all there.
A new word! One of the shorter definitions : "In inorganic chemistry, olation is the process by which metal ions form polymeric oxides in aqueous solution. The phenomenon is important for understanding the relationship between metal aquo complexes and metal oxides, which are represented by many minerals."
But thr Free Online Dictionary had never heard of it.
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1 hour ago, magnetman said:
That's what I thought.
He is also a trustee of Demos.
Interesting read here
https://demos.co.uk/our-approach/a-stronger-state-2/
A slightly hopeful snippet in that:
"We need to create a ‘third pillar’ of public spending which is earmarked for long term preventative investment which enables a shift away from reactive services."
If nothing else it may be useful to remind him of this.
1 hour ago, magnetman said: -
2 hours ago, Bluebell and lunar said:
So it turns out this is a correct, but i'm not the only one to question it with CRT.
I was not charged twice. I was billed for the final payment of 2024 license on the 28th April and then billed for the first payment of my new license on the 1st May. This is because the new agreement is for 12 equal payments over 12 months. I checked my 2024 payment schedule and that ran from 1/6/24 - 1/5/25.
So the agreement has changed from 11 payments to 12 payments over the year. Apparently, this change was communicated to boaters at some point??
But 1/6/24 to 1/5/25 is in fact 12 payments if they are on the 1st of each month. If you were billed on the 28 April and again on the 1st May then you are indeed paying twice. Unless it is changing from paying in arrears to paying in advance. If it were me I would query it again.
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I see that it mentions the bridges of Madison County, the exact title of the acclaimed film starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep.
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14 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:
Don't know about tunnels, but I am sure there are a few bridges where those would cause a problem, one or two on the South Stratford comes to mind, one on the river Wey, and suspect Froghall tunnel might be a problem.
You don't need to suspect - Froghall is a problem to most boats even with nothing on the roof. Cygnet managed some very low bridges on the Middle Level but drew the line at Froghall. But the OP likely wouldn't need to go through there.
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2 minutes ago, carlt said:
Gone, but not forgotten!
Yes, but you, to everyone's relief, did a Lazarus.
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It's only when you see long-ago but well remembered posters turn up that you realise a thread is 19 years old!
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When I sold Cygnet to one of his employees, Nigel Stevens of Shire Cruisers kindly offered to draw up a very simple Bill of Sale for us. As he had previously bought and sold several boats from his hire fleet, it seemed to me that this was adequate.
BILL OF SALE (Individuals or Joint Owners) FOR AN UNREGISTERED VESSEL
BW Number
Name of Vessel
Description of Vessel
Whether a sailing, steam or motor vessel
Description of engines (if any)
74913
Cygnet
Owl class narrow boat
Motor
Vetus M2C5A352A s/n 843103428
Approximate dimensions as follows:-
Length overall
Beam
Draft
Feet and Inches or Metres
27’ 0”
6’ 10”
1’ 11”
Note
(to be completed by the Transferor(s)
Name and address of Mortgagees or Hire Purchase Company (state ‘none’ if applicable)
………None……………………………….
Intended date of discharge or agreement to be transferred………n/a…….
Amount £……nil………..
and as more fully described in the particulars of sale (if any)
I the undersigned ************************of ******************************(hereinafter called ‘the Transferor) in consideration of the sum of********************** pounds sterling (£************) paid to me by ***************************** of********************************** (hereinafter called ‘the Transferee’) the Receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, transfer the vessel above particularly described, and her appurtenances, to the said Transferee.
Further I the said Transferor for myself and my heirs covenant with the said Transferee and his assigns, that I have power to transfer in manner aforesaid the premises hereinbefore expressed to be transferred, and that the same are free from encumbrances.
In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal on 28 October
Executed by the above named Transferor in the presence of
SIGNATURE OF WITNESSES
….......................................... …...............................................
Full name …………………………………… ……………………………………
Address
…………………………………… ……………………………………
Occupation …................................................... …..................................................
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6 hours ago, MtB said:
I think I asked slightly the wrong question.
Are there similar-looking fruits that people out looking for sloes might take for sloes, but aren't?
For example, do hawthorn trees have sloe-like fruits that aren't sloes and make awful sloe gin if you pick them assuming they are sloes?
Fanx!
No, haws are nothing like sloes. But there's also privet berries - rather poisonous. but smaller than sloes:
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9 hours ago, Drayke said:
Sloe Gin recipe.
2-3 pounds of sloes
4-6 ounces of sugar
1ltr cheap gin
Wash and destalk sloes then place in freezer for a week or so, if you don’t have a freezer then you are supposed to prick several times all of the sloes, very tedious. Place the sloes, sugar and gin in large Kilner jar seal lid and give it a good shaking, the shake every day for a couple of weeks or until sugar has dissolved. Place somewhere cool and out of the way for 3 months or so, longer if you can, then taste adding some more sugar if you think it needs it. Very pleasant to drink on a cold winters evening, or any time.
Sloe Gin recipe.
2-3 pounds of sloes
4-6 ounces of sugar
1ltr cheap gin
Wash and destalk sloes then place in freezer for a week or so, if you don’t have a freezer then you are supposed to prick several times all of the sloes, very tedious. Place the sloes, sugar and gin in large Kilner jar seal lid and give it a good shaking, the shake every day for a couple of weeks or until sugar has dissolved. Place somewhere cool and out of the way for 3 months or so, longer if you can, then taste adding some more sugar if you think it needs it. Very pleasant to drink on a cold winters evening, or any time.
It's not necessary to freeze or prick the sloes - the alcohol penetrates the skins very well. You have a very low sugar/sloe proportion compared to most recipes, which often stipulate equal weights. It must taste quite dry.. I make sloe gin most years, and use about 2/3 of weight of sugar to sloes. I say 'most years' because however prolific the blackthorn blossom, some years very few sloes are produced. Last year was a bumper year, round here at least.
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13 minutes ago, 5239 said:
ain’t that the one ran by the bloke from Bronte Boats?Ring them up and ask.
Shire Cruises at Sowerby Bridge is somewhere I’d recommend.
You get a delivery address and good services. Lots of car park space. And honest people to deal with.I can also recommend Shire Cruisers - I moored there for over 12 years and several people lived on their boats, but with what status I know not. But there was rarely room for more boats, and Nigel and Susan are looking to sell and retire, I believe.
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Blackthorn is one of a large genus - Prunus - which not only includes plums, damsons, etc, but also cherries. But it's the most vicious, well named scientifically Prunus spinosus. And the debate between shrubs and trees can be vague, but generally a tree has a central trunk, but a shrub has several branches from the base
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Another canalside jewel (at least it was when I stayed in Bugsworth for a week several years ago) bites the dust. How can a person who 'doesn't like boaters' be allowed to take over such a place?
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I singlehanded the Llangollen a few years ago without too much trouble - don't just go to Ellesmere (although it is a very pleasant town, and a walk around the mere is rewarding, my main memory is watching a cricket match sitting on the roof while moored in the arm) - Llangollen basin, although paid for, is well worth it, and allowed me time to take the steam train up to ---- (can't remember the name!) and visit the various pubs and (admittedly) tourist attractions of the town. Coming back, I even found a peaceful mooring at Trevor, up beyond the boatyard. A couple of pics of that and the Llangollen train plus a view of the aquaduct not normally seen by boaters. The Montgomery was also worth it - more has been opened since I was there.
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And is John Jinks the same as 'Mr Jinks', the boat owned by Dave Mayall, the long-standing and much-missed 'robust debater' of these forums?
Caught out at Keadby
in General Boating
Posted
According to Mr Google, it was a swing bridge, which seems much simpler. I wonder why they went to the trouble of a complicated sliding mechanism?