Andy Woods

Outside the Nav at Barrow on Christmas day!

Sarah... Depending on what time Julie finishes work etc I expect we will be leaving late afternoon-ish. Probably have to get Julie on the bow with a big torch to light the way as I never got round to refitting a spotlight after John did the cratch! Moored in Luffbra near B&Q loads of times, never any bother and loads of room for Bob the dog to run around in . This time of year there should be more than enough mooring space for everyone. We once had a bo==ocking from the guy in the corner house near the Albion as we were sat on the stern drinking Voddy. Fair do's though...it was half past three in the morning!! Andy.

Hi Marc, Can you put Julie & My good self on said list.... Can follow into Luffbra friday ....takes the pain out of Barrow Deep.. Denboy...can you bring Pete and Jill with you, haven't seen them since the heady days of Shardlow! Andy.

Give the walls a good coat of PVA to seal the surfaces (allow to dry)...Stick the tiles on using generous blobs of bog standard silicon sealant, and then use ordinary grout mixed with 70% water 30% PVA as a plasticiser. Bead of silicon on the wall joints and base joints...job done! Only had to re-do mine as I ripped the old shower apart to update the tiling.

Pump out machine has died at meadow farm...broken fitting and frozen up .... Good time to test out my new toy....a jabsco 12v macerator pump that screw into the gunnel fitting. Ended up with a battery on the roof, jump leads to connect it, and decanting into a plastic container with a lid via half inch pipe... Worked a treat! Four trips to the elsan disposal later and the tank is virtually empty and I still have the 12 quid in my pocket the pump out would have cost! Few more 'self' pump outs and the £68 the pump cost me will be recouped.... Most importantly SWMBO can relax in the comfort of our own facilities rather than a frosty totter up the hill to the toilet block! These pumps are about £150 in your local 'swindlery'...mine came from a dealer in the states via ebay, brand new and boxed with no extra customs duty. Glad I took a 'leap of faith' and ordered it back in the summer.

Big Thanks to Tony the manager at Meadow Farm Marina. He really went out of his way to help the 'exodus' from the aforementioned ' crap marina' this summer. Made us all feel welcome, and is always happy to sort out any problems...not that we have many! No wonder the marina is nearly full! Nice one mate! From: Andy & Julie, John & Ann, Tony & Deb, Saracidal, Andy & Mickey, Mark & Jane, and all the others who made it out alive!!

Fitted loads of Aqualux enclosures...( I own a Kitchen & Bathroom installation business)...Good quality and back up,spares readily available from most plumbers merchants. May be worth checking price with a local firm if you are going for a new enclosure. No postage to pay!

Quick and easy method....tape the brush (from your dustpan and brush) to the'wrong' end of the handle of a sweeping brush.....stuff down chimney and sweep as necessary! Assuming there are no bends inthe chimney!

Same here.... Managed to do four of my windows, made a hell of a difference to the draughts and the film went smooth and clear when heated. Following day half the film had come away from the windows as the double sided tape supplied is rubbish! Have now ordered some 'industrial strength' double sided tape from fleabay and will redo the windows when it arrrives. Hopefully this will cure the problem as the film worked well when in place.

Just to let the group know. I was bimbling around Morrisons in Belper today and they had a pile of shiny new folding bikes with gears and all the bits for 60 quid! I have no idea if this is a national offer or not, but well worth a look if you are in the market for a bike to keep on the boat. Regards Andy.

Found this yesterday, http://www.galeforcemarine.com/macerator.asp Checked with the marina manager about using the chemical toilet disposal, and he has no problem with that. My thinking being that in the winter or when the river is high, making a trip to the pumpout station a bit grim, I can just 'decant' into a suitable container. Quick hike to the disposal point and problem solved! At between 12 and 16 quid a time for a pump out it will pay for itself pretty quickly too.

Having moored at barrow for over a year I know the main problem with stopping for watering up. He's called Frank and runs 'Barrow Boating'. He deliberately leaves his tatty hire boats tied up adjacent to the tap area... This stops people using the mooring, he does the same trick on the 24hr mooring futher along the bank.... All because he fell out with the owner of the Navigation pub and wants to stop people mooring up for a beer! Check it out for yourself next time you pass this spot, the 'rent a wrecks' all have green paint jobs.

Hi All, Just had a new cratch cover built by a liveaboard neighbour of mine. He is a shopfitter/upholsterer by trade, and has done the whole thing...framework, glazing, and cream canvas cover for about half the cost I had been quoted for just a new cover. He's looking for more orders so if you need a new cratch nip in quick before he realises he's not charging enough!! Very pleased with finished article, will send piks if you want to have a look. Chaps name is John Taylor. He lives at Pillings Marina in Leicestershire and has transport and is willing to travel. His Tel No is 07719 169649 I've been trying to convince him he has the makings of a good little business, and hopefully a good response from the forum will convince him to quit the rat race! Regards Andy Woods.

Just had a look at the charger to give you guys the model number.....doesn't appear to be one..? Had a look on the website and no sign of it... However it's quite a distinctive design, circular, about 200mm dia, with a moulded handle on the top, rectangular digital display panel just below. Will have another look for a model number later when I have more time.

Picked up a charger from Halfords the other week for about 55 quid. Pretty much a fit and forget effort, charging a bank of 4 110ah batteries. I just leave it connected up and a green light tells me when all fully charged. Seems to do what the more expensive 'swindlery' chargers do for a lot less dosh!

This one is good.... Many moons ago I used to be a TV repair man. My former boss had a trick with a 'torroidal' transformer that could be found in old 'Doric' TV's.....If you overwound the transformer with a couple of turns wire and then somehow (I forget exactly how he used to do it...but we stood well back) stuff the wires into the meter you could make the bloody thing spin backwards! It actually reached a point where he left it on too long and the power company sent him a refund for overcharging. Andy.

Just started using Voda's 3 gig for £15 deal. Straight on to ebay for a USB extension lead, taped the dongle to a pole (inside a plastic bag) and stuck it up on the boat roof! Plenty quick enough, even video downloads are not too slow and the 3 gig seems enough for my needs. Had to tell a few porkies to the man in the shop when it blew in the river last week and stopped working.....! They eventually replaced the dongle for a new one thankfully. Only moored about 100 yards from you Sarah, so at least you know it will work! Andy.

Think I might indulge in one of the Lidl systems myself, they're only £60 and run off 12v too. Anybody already using one ? Andy.

If you miss a long soak in the tub.....join the local health club and spend an afternoon in the jacuzzi! Swim and a sauna makes a nice treat on a cold winters night and it saves your hot water and having to dry the towels! Andy.

Result! One phone call and I have a very nice riverside mooring, with mains and phone line! Even have a view both sides! Moving at the end of the month....look out for a 70ft boat painted camouflage with bloody big teeth on the bow! Andy.

I've hammered a gunnell fitting into my dogs backside, and find it no extra hassle to to pump out the dog at the same time as the boat! Bloody think keeps trying to bite be though! Andy.

Hi. I'm moored in Shardlow, and have been for the last three years. However new business opportunities mean a move over to Loughborough or thereabouts would be good. Anybody in that part of the world know of anything available for a 70ft boat, one man and his dog! Or for that matter, anybody fancy a swap to live in Shardlow? Regards Andy Woods.

Sneaky way to get a free pumpout at Sawley.....Ask for the key from one person behind the counter and hand it back to a different member of staff. each thinks you paid the other!! I know it's vile and corrupt, but it makes me smile every time I get away with it!

Good old Squirrel......just managed to get my entire central heating system to boiling point! Now thats nice and warm!! Andy.