alan_fincher

What is the current impediment to making this trip, please? I know several lock flights already had strict limit to opening hours, but have some now actually closed?

If his is a genuine happening, I guess I am kind of surprised. The pumps on moder fire appliences are incredibly powerul, and I would have thought could easily deliver the required jet across the full width of the canal., but given the use of a small portable pump, perhaps an appliance could not be got close enough.

Thanks for that info! (I could just have asked you, could"t I !?!) And yes, I am having trouble sleeping.

Clearly, I suggest, Grand Union Narrowboats must be doing something right. This started as a small business with just a couple of former Concoform boats, (it never ceased to surprise me how they were able to secure sinificant numbers of these over a small time window). Outwardly, at least they seem to be doing very well, with large numbers of the boats let out at any time, (though I fear from them if they close Stoke Bruerne, Long Buckby & Braunston flights). One can only conclude they are doing better than Wyvern Shipping or Oxfordshire Narrowboats if they are buying boats from both these two companies.

As indeed was Sextans, rebadged by Wyvern as Hesperus. Given the propensity of these shortened "Middle Northwich" boats to roll badly just with one person stepping on board they were not the safest of hire boats. The hobs had a large fiddle rail around them in a bid to stop boiling pans and kettles from sliding off and onto the floor. They handled beautifully though, despite being given only a 13HP motor by Wyvern. They were marketed as 6 berth boats, despite only 40 foot length - a bit cosy by modern standards.

Yes, but Arthur doesn't repair boilers for a living!

Well looking at their website, Jasmin is fairly obviously ex-Wyvern. I can't immediately spot any others though.

Maybe it depends where you are from! I have always known Brentford to Braunston as "Southern GU", from the 1960s to current day. If you think Linslade is "Southern GU" but Gayton is not, where do you consider the change over point to be? (Just curious!)

Fortunately that is not the case. Grand Union Narrowboats at Weedon Bec are operating a fleet certainly into double figures. Remarkably many of these are boats that were once part of the Concoform fleet that operated from the same base, (the so called "Weed Boats"). The boats are well presented, and the business appears to be thriving, (though will be hard hit if the restrictions at Stoke Bruerne, Buckby & Braunston get upgraded to full closures. There is also the Alvechurch fleet operating out of Gayton Marina.

I don't think the hold has much coal, bagged or unbagged, in it, but I could be wrong - I didn't look that closely. There is certainly quite a bit of junk in there. If I can find anybody to ask, the next time I'm up there, I'll see if they can tell me current status. It's certainly had some money spent on it, as all steel above the gunwales is a complete replacement of what went before. This of course means that its former "over long" engine room is no more.

I recall some years back James telling me than neither any of his, nor his brother's, offspring had any interest in taking on the business. James must be several years older than I am, and even at my age, I would not want to still be running a business like that. When I last spoke to him, he was on a call out, which he was handling personally. Unless they can sell it as a going concern, I really wouldn't expect it to go on much longer. Some of the boats come close to qualifying as historic craft, albeit that they are still very much better presented than those from other major hire fleets. It is a very historic firm, having migrated from a carrying business to a leisure one.

My vote is certainly Bot. Id be very happy to be proved wrong though, but I'm not holding my breath.

Well it certainly isn't in trading condtion at the moment. It is at Brinklow Boat Services and has an all new engine room and cabin, still in primer, but the rest of the boat is fairly stripped out, with the hold containg a lot of detritus. I don't think it is being actively worked on right now, but that applies to several of thhe unconverted boats at that yard.

The owners of "historics" don't seem to be faring too well of late. One of the more prominent members of the historic boat set. I didn't know him that well, but he seemed to know everybody. RIP James.

And in the outer Lonon and inner London areas, gawd knows how many there are. At least one former coak boat no longer is, at the moment, namely Auriga since the death of its owner.

Nah! - I'd probably only collect another warning, (or worse).

Well Ascot and Beverley would also appear to be such a buisiness, albeit it has always seemed a half-hearted one for a number of years. Frankly I am surprised by just how many the number of trading fuel boats has swelled over recent years, with sometimes 3 operators covering the same streches of canal. I'm surprised there is enough trade for all of them, particularly in the summer months.

Something to try to work towards, then!

This topic intrigued me to have look at my own profile.... I was surprised to see that I am now nearly at the 10 year anniversary of (I think!) my only ever warning. I still remember it well. and still consider it to have been well worth it!

Boats, (particularly canal based ones), would appear to be a lot safer than beaches or lakes at the momemt. The number completely needless fatalities on the latter sadly seems to have reached epic proportions recently. When we have guests on board the boats, I have more memories of one of us managing to do something unwise than a guest doing so.

Fairly unusual, I would say to have 3 pairs on "the Duck" at the same time... Ascot & Beverley (£45K) Indus & Pictor (£64K) Hyprerion & Hyades (£75K) or for just under £65K you could still "mx and match" Zodiac and Triagulum/Kestrel. I'm not sure about current status of the Admiral pair, but they don't seem to be on"the Duck" at the moment

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned or not?... Arcangel