Chickadee

I think I'm going to practice untying the boat and tying it back up again today. Its pretty windy here even though we're behind trees so it looks like it should be less exposed. Bridges are shut so I can't go anywhere to practice pulling up in other places.

surely if boating isn't low impact a meeting to discuss how to do things more low impact is a good thing?

Oh for sure! I'm glad i've done it and it wasn't so horrible that i'll never go back, although the weather was pretty horrible so maybe that didn't help. I also think people made it sound alot nicer than I found it. Maybe they raised my expectations a bit.

I felt similar to be honest. Other than the island where the dry dock is where we blacked the boat. That place is heaven. Every where else is kind of like 'oh thats pretty' as you float off out of sight from what ever it was.

Sorry asked that this morning and then was without internet all day. Loads of useful advice though, thanks. It would be great to moor where the wind was more favorable but here most of the moorings are to the side where the wind just blows you straight back out again.... and our home mooring is on one of the most exposed bits of the whole bloomin canal! Theres very few bollards or anything to tie to either so I have to battle with chains with one hand while trying to hold the boat to the side with the other hand lol. I lost my longest line on the Severn, i'll have to buy another one and try just using a front and back line see if thats any easier. I do have wood on the roof but thats going down by the day.

Yep use that method for getting off the bank, well I try anyway. It's getting to the bank when the wind is trying to blow the boat off the bank that I struggle with.

I find even with carpet the floor is still really cold and it does need vacuuming eventually. We're probably going to replace this for wood and use rugs as it is a pig to clean. I can recommend Hommies slippers these go on my feet the second I come through the door and keep my feet toasty warm. I hate having cold feet.

Anyone got any secret tips? I've found it pretty easy single handing on the smaller canals but down on the wide canal here I really struggle. Jumping off with the centre line I sometimes find the boat gets away from me a little and I really struggle to get it back. I think this is mostly due to the wind down here and I'm not sure what to do. I try to go out when the wind is not to bad but if I only went out when there was no wind I'd never go out!

Thirded Also you've got Gloucester docks and Gloucester itself for a bit of dry land exploring then at the other end the you've got the hulks at Purton which is one of the most amazing places on the entire water way. Sharpness docks is pretty interesting to Esspecially if you happen to be there when larger boats are using the locks.

Anyone know If the boat that comes up and down the G&S is about? And do they do diesil? Got engine problems but starting to get a bit desperate for fuel. Don't ask...

Stand on the roof of the boat?

No drinking on the boat!? Is that for ever or just for the Severn trip? Another thing the bridges on the G&S are closed a couple of days of the week at the moment. Tues and weds I think.

Now I want a bigger boat but I think my boat of choice was right at the time. I'd like in the next boat we get walk through bathroom, cross bed, more sensible storage using the space better, back boiler on the stove that feeds bedroom and bathroom radiators, dinette or somewhere to sit and eat properly.... Think that's about it.

Haha So true! i'm just trying to sort out the boat at the moment giving it a proper spring clean and the amount of stuff i've found that i've bought replacements for is crazy. Now I need to find places for two of everything.

Have a good look at a map of the Severn to and where the weirs are. I nearly missed one as it wasn't sign posted or very well sign posted anyway. Don't go on the river without an anchor and when you do find one make sure it's tied on to something. I would offer you mine but we might heading up the river sometime soon so will need it. The Severn is lovely on a good day but check when the spring tides are as I can tell you from experience that coming down the Severn on a high tide is scary. I think the next high one is March.

I like it. It looks like a big salad spinner... Maybe I should just do my pants in my salad spinner...

I use something similar to that but I find it doesn't do stains and its a bit of a faff. Still rather have a proper washing machine if we could find the space and electric for one. Drying is done in front of the stove (but not to close!) or under the cratch. Both places washing drys in no time.

broads holiday with the Brownies. Even though we ran out of fuel one night and had to moor somewhere rather spooky I loved the adventure of it all and was hooked! I love water, being in it, on it, around it. So living on it suits me just fine. Although it is slightly frustrating that I can't go swimming in the canal. I also hate the feeling of being tied down to a house and love that we can just pull the ropes in and go at a moments notice. Oh and my Dad and his best mate. Probably wouldn't have known much about narrowboats if it wasn't for them. Dads now a mobile narrowboat engineer too.

. Wear stuff till it can walk to the laundrette and wash itself. I do wear stuff for alot longer than I used to then it's either laundrette, parents house, other halfs parents house or my twin tub that I keep on board but I wouldn't want to use that all the time.

British waterways key.

Still -8 in Gloucester apparently, although i think this might be a bit wrong. It is chuffing cold though. Warming up from Sunday apparently. Typical now I've filled the boat roof with wood and just ordered the dog a winter coat.

The lock keepers on the Severn can be really helpful for telling you if there are high tides etc aswell. Just call a few though because they don't all seem to have the same information.

When we were on a pontoon we used to get this with or without ice. Didn't even feel the boat move then bang! Always seemed to happen Sunday mornings when lay in bed awake and it's was really quiet. Here I've just got a right outside my window to wake me up. Maybe dinner later?

I'm really interested in this being something that we're thinking about for the not to distant future. I'd love to know what people have found the hardest having kids on a boat. Anything that might not be obvious? Sorry to hijack.