Peter R

Can't say I noticed any especially shallow bits, I certainly didn't touch the bottom in that area, but then my boat's a fairly shallow draft - I think it's always been a bit shallow on the off side near the locks. If you want to be sure we probably need to ask Alnwick - they've been through there today and from memory if there are any shallow bits they're likely to find them! Moored for the night at Newbold. Alnwick went past just afterwards, heading for a mooring somewhere the other side of the tunnel. Hopefully run into them (figuratively speaking) tomorrow somewhere.

Also on route, presently at Newbold, following same route as Alnwick who passed me just after i'd stopped for the day Peter

Not the best start to a cruise .... key in ignition, turn, engine just about turns over once, and stops - flat starter battery Having 'jumped' the starter off the domestic bank (probably not ideal, but I couldn't think of an alternative), got the engine going and set off about 4pm. Got to Watford locks and found i was the only boat there, the bad news being that 5 boats were on the way up, so had quite a wait but daren't stop the engine in case it wouldn't start again! Finally got to the top of braunston locks at 8:30 and decided to call it a day. Nice to see that BW have repaired the bank and dredged the summit since I was last that way, was actually able to get a few revs on without going surfing! come this morning, engine won't start again! 'jump' it again and get down the locks to midland chandlers. Check the volts - all looks OK, should be charging, so must be duff battery. To be fair it looked ancient when I bought the boat 5 years ago, so can't really complain. So £80 lighter in pocket, I now have an engine that starts, let's hope everything else keeps working! Stopped for lunch by bridge 81. Oh well, time to put the waterproofs on and chug on a bit further. peter

I'll be leaving Crick tomorrow, en route to the Lapworth Banter. The plan is basically the Warwickshire ring (anticlockwise), so this coming week i'll be going out via braunston, hawkesbury, atherstone, fazeley and saltley to kingswood junction, and then back the following week via warwick, napton jct and braunston. It should be interesting, the section from braunston to fazeley i've only done once (in the other direction), and i'm then into new territory until napton jct. I'll try and post progress as I go (subject to vodaphone giving me a signal!). I also expect to be caught up in fairly short order by Alnwick (who I understand are planning to leave crick on Tuesday). If anyone's out and about on route, give us a wave! For those who don't know, the boat's called 'Andante' and looks like this:- Peter

Without wishing to be unduly pessimistic, I suspect the answer is 'live with it'. I have the same problem, in my case it's inadequate deck drains that are the main culprit. I have a cover that runs from the roof down to the stern rail that I use when i'm not cruising to keep the rain out, but even then you'll often get some water seeping past the stern gland, and no pump (electric or manual) will get it completely dry, so I just accept that there will usually be some water down there. I tend to take the attitude that life's too short to worry about having a pristine bilge! Peter

I'd be inclined to go and check that with the information stand - a 3-day pass always used to get in you in for the evening, could just be an officious security bod that doesn't really know what they're doing exercising their power! if it really dosen't let you in, and you'd like to go tonight let me know and i'll lend you a 'moorers' armband! Peter

presently on my boat, moored in the marina extension - hopefully see a few of you around over the weekend.

My personal experience has been that O2 and vodaphone have generally had better coverage than orange and t-mobile. But having said that, in order to get a signal on either O2 or voda at my home mooring, i have to put the phone at least in the window. I guess the reality is that when you're in a tin box, and often at the lowest point in the surrounding landscape, all the networks will have problems at some time or another - the best bet is probably to have two phones on different networks!

The problem i find with most of the PAYG tariffs is that they're ok for calling landlines or same network, but other mobiles tend to be expensive. As I don't use the mobile much, i've just switched to asda - 8p/min to any network, 4p / text, 20p/MB data (using the vodaphone network)

You do see it occasionally, although its not common. I'm guessing you're thinking of something similar to this It's a boat that just happened to be in a marina I used to be based at, and I took the photo for reference, as it was a bit unusual. There is no set formula as to what you have to do - if it works for you, then go for it - even if it is a bit unusual.

We'll have to combine a planning session with a banter session at Crick!

I'll be there saturday and sunday at least, either wandering about or on the boat (if you stand by the boat sales cabin and look towards the 'extension' i'm right at the far end, near the canal. usually the on-site beer tent

As per one of the previous posts, carbon monoxide is produced by incomplete combustion of a carbon based fuel. Therefore, it can only come from a device that is burning something. On a boat, the most likely contenders would be stove or an appliance that burns either gas or diesel (oven/hob/fridge/water heater/boiler etc), BUT they will only create carbon monoxide if they're not burning properly. So IF your CO detector goes off, open a window or two, leave the boat and turn off the fuel supplies (probably just the gas in reality) on the way. You will then have to work out what was on at the time to identify the possible culprit. If it goes off when you're cooking, then the cooker is a good bet. If it goes off at night then the options will be more limited. A badly installed stove can leak Carbon monoxide, but gas appliances tend to be the most likely, in which case the best approach is probably to get all the gas appliances inspected by a 'gas safe' registered technician. A small leak on a stove door is more likely to suck air in than to leak fumes out. For preference i would always go for a carbon monoxide alarm that actually provides a read-out of the actual level it has monitiored, rather than just sounding an alarm. hopefully that may make it a little clearer peter

I'll say probably! As it happens i've got a family gathering in Shabbington tomorrow lunchtime (on account of it being my birthday on sunday), after which i'll be driving back to the boat at crick. As a visit to Thrupp appears to involve only a small detour, i'll try and drop in en route. Any idea where you'll be? I'm guessing if I head for the location of the last thrupp banter I shouldn't be far off! Peter

Is there room for another boat (45')? I've managed to get a fortnight off work centered on that weekend and feel it's time I did a bit of exploring! At the moment it looks likely that i'll be on my own, so if anyone's in need of a bed for saturday night I may be able to help out. Graham - i'm also starting from crick and had in mind going out via the route you mentioned, then probably back the other way to complete the ring. Sounds like you, I and Dr Bradley might all be going the same way at the same time - we'll be a convoy at this rate! I hadn't dared count the locks yet, but looking at my pearsons guide earlier I think it added up to 39 hours. My initial thoughts were to do the show sat/sun and then get down watford locks sunday evening to give myself a bit more time, but I might be prepared to change that if it meant there was going to be a group of us. Peter

looks like someone's already beaten you to the idea http://www.boatswap.info/

That is the only thing I don't like about them. One thought I had was to replace the t-bar with another loop, so the mooring line could be passed through both, effectively locking the 'wedge' in place until the rope was untied. I don't think it's a major issue as the majority of people would have no idea that it would come loose if they lifted the t-bar. In my photos, you may also notice a shackle attached to the wedge with a bit of cord - with the wedgit in place the shackle can be attached to the ring which then prevents the wedge being lifted. OK it only needs the shackle undone or the cord cut, but hopefully would put off anyone who was just wondering 'what happens if I pull this bit?' And if someone really wants to set you adrift, i'm sure they'll manage it however you attach the boat!

My first choice would be permanent mooring rings, where that's not possible my preference is always to attach to piling. I feel that it is usually more secure than pins, and also has the advantage of being quicker and hence as i'm normally on my own I don't have to find something to attach the boat to whilst hammering the pins in. However, my piling hooks came with the boat when I bought it secondhand and are of a design that neither I nor anyone else who has yet seen them has seen before. But they are supurb. The two images above show the side and 'front' (canal) side in the 'insertion' position - basically you hold it by the 't' piece and slide it in behind the piling. Once the main body hits the top of the piling, then a wedge connected to the 't' piece slides down the 'back' of the main body and locks it onto the rail. The photo below shows this position from 'behind'. I realise It's not that easy to visualise from these photos, and it took a while to work out what they were when I got the boat! Next time i'm out i'll try and remember to take some pictures of them 'in situ' Once in place they don't rattle and will never fall out. To remove, you just catch hold of the 't' piece and lift. The only problem is some places where the piling has been rammed a few times it may not be possible to find a location with enough clearance behind the 'rail' for it. In those cases I get the chains out. If anyone has any idea where they came from, please let me know as people who see them in use keep asking where they can get them!

Except when it happens on a sunday afternoon and you've got to be at work 100 miles away first thing monday morning - It can then feel very much like an emergency!

Thanks for pointing out the obvious - glad someone round here can read!

Which way round are you going? Do you know what the boat's called so we can keep an eye out for you?

I've called them out twice in the last five years, and have no complaints. On both occaisions they were there within an hour and were able to fix the problem there and then. I just have the basic cover (retainer I think it's called) at about £55, and if I need them it then costs about £30 call-out fee plus parts. For me it's worth £55 a year to know there's someone I can call on if I run into something I can't fix myself.

Security is always a conundrum. Let's face it, if a thief is determined to break into your car / house / boat etc then there is little you can do that will stop them. I tend to take the approach of just enough to deter the opportunist thief, which primarily involves ensuring nothing valuable is left on view. You can fit alarms, but they have been so unreliable over the years, how many people take any notice of them, even assuming that there is someone around to hear! Equally, if you really go overboard on security, some people will take that as a sign that there must be something valuable inside, and be even more determined to break in