alan_fincher

If you actually mean 17 years, then yes, they nearly all do. Just sold a mid-range 20 year old, and, line most of that age it had a 10mm base-plate. You need to go back more than 20 years to find large numbers of boats being built with bottoms of less than 10mm.

But she did say hers is an "ancient one of these". Clearly from what you are saying, it isn't actually one of those. I think those who have assumed she has piezo ignition were justified in thinking that, particularly as i have hardly ever seen one in a boat that isn't.

If by User Groups you mean what now seem to be renamed "Waterway's Forums", then based on recent ones I have attended, very little of what is presented has much to do with boating any more. Boaters only tend to get mentioned in sentences also containing words like overstay, problem or non-compliant. I have no idea if this is now the case in other regions, but frankly anything they come up with that considers proper boating, navigation and maintenance issues has got to be better than us having no input on that at all. I agree this is probably straying from the original objectives and aims of partnerships, but maybe CRT are giving the go ahead to more boating groups in response to those of us who think boating continues to slip off their agenda whilst they pursue all the things that are supposed to be bringing non boaters to the towpath in their millions?

Unless it is in an episode of "Minder" in which case it is where you put the fire!

If there is enough gas hose that it can be pulled forward from whatever cubby hole it is in, then it is usually t possible to manually light them. Te burner sits at the bottom of the long vertical insulated tube on the back, but on types I have been into, usually has a folded metal shield enclosing it. It normally involves removing (typically) 2 self tapping screws to get past that shield. However many are installed on a short enough flexible hose, that you can't actually get at the back, whilst leaving it connected. Looks to me like it is probably ignited by a piezo electric "clicker", so batteries probably don't enter in to it?

I think we have established that if you go South at parade times they want a pilot to travel on your boat, but only to advise not to take over. I'm not that concerned by that, but would be very unhappy if they insisted on the pilot steering. If you avoid parade times, you will not be redirected through the marina, and hence it does not apply. But avoiding parade times is the tricky bit - fine if before (say) 10:30 or after (say) 18:30, but I wouldn't like to say that between those times there is any guaranteed time where there will be no parading. Delays have occurred in the past -very bad ones a year or two ago, but it has been less so recently due to somewhat less boats taking part.

Yes, I worded it very badly. I meant, (as Derek hasnow explained), that Tycho has rivets of a type that seem far more prominent than any original. However, how I got Regulus and Radiant the wrong way round, I have no idea!

For clarity, do you mean them riding "shotgun" just directing you which way to go, and what to avoid, or do you mean they actually took the tiller and the controls?

It is sad (and rather ridiculous!) if they now insist on a pilot. I'm sure they used to offer it, if someone prefers, but not to insists. Are we really sure it is correct you must now have one? Pete makes a completely valid point. (Even the ex working boatmen taking part have been know to misjudge things!)

I'm pretty certain that Tycho has a rebuilt counter, but may be wrong. IIRC, it has rivets in the guards, which I don't think strictly it should have. Speedwheel or DerekR will know, of course. EDIT: Can just about see ivets on guards here, I think....... There is quite a bit of evidence that "Sickle" could be on her 4th counter, as there seem to be two intermediate incarnations, both of which had the guards reasonably roughly spaced, rather than the usual Northwich spacing. Probably her least original bit! Taygeta's carries that very distinctive patching, but on top of what, I don't klnow. Laurence hasn't mentioned Tucana, so I'm guessing not very original? Zodiac and Regulus I have no idea. Note: Before I'm pulled up on it, I'm using the names the full length ones currently carry - I do understand that some ofthem may have possibly swapped identities! Two sample back ends, (Photo Derek R)-

I'm failing to spot the difference - so either!

You may struggle, if you mean a canal outlet. I don't know if Willowbridge open on a Sunday, (last time we tried we found it locked up even on a weekday), but anyway their stocks of stuff seem very poor. No other chandleries in that area. You have not said what engine, but if you know the size, you might get lucky at a Halfords or other motor shop. But you haven't said what engine. Do you know the sizing?

Also the bigger and deeper draughted the boat, the more likely it is that the gates will swing open again as you set off having closed the top gates - as it moves forward the "hole" that it leaves in the water is refilled by surrounding water flowing into it, and the bigger the hole, the more water will need to flow into it, some of which will cause the level behind the gates to drop, and often cause them to swing open. I haven't explained that too well - but I hope it makes sense. Some of the locks on the GU in Northamptonshire it is virtually impossible to get the top gates to stay closed, unless you deliberately run water out the bottom end, they just naturally swing open again. We now never even try coming up through the "thick" of the lower Stoke Bruerne locks - it is a complete waste of time Incidentally Bletchley was sign-written at High House Wharf - I could scvarcely believe the speed they work at. when we turned up there on the day concerned the sign-writer was still laying out where he was going to paint. Only a couple of hours later all the lettering had been done on one side, and it was being taken to wind, to allow the other side to be started. They make it look effortless, but I'm sure it isn't! Yes, sometimes some of those bottom gates are so bad that they can only be made to stay shut simultaneously on both sides if you draw a bit of top paddle to keep them closed.

Ah, now realise that glenvar was not taking about John Dakin! Mr Boswell, I'm now guessing?

Even for those who claim them, this would assume presumably some kind of collusion with the Waterways manager that signs them off? I might see if they will also pay for half a million pounds of dredging services I have not supplied..... You may not like anything to do with the partnerships, but why should there be any greater "potential for corruption" than in any other part of CRT - I would have thought there was a great deal less potential, frankly. Which members of which partnerships do you reckon are corrupt, then? Perhaps if a few people not involved in these groups were to write to Richard Parry or the partnership chairs, and say they have read meeting notes, but they are not sufficiently detailed that might increase the pressure to make them more informative? As I aid, I have looked at other CRT meeting notes, and they follow the same trend - like you, it frustrates me.

Not defending the meeting, (how could I based on those notes!), but I'm sure you know that none of the actual Partnership members are paid, don't you? These are volunteering positions. At least this one should have had some "boater" input, as two of our IWA "boater" reps on Council are members of this partnership!

Anything for our dear daughter (!), although I imagine we are unlikely to parade "Flamingo" until we find ways to encourage it to stop in a distance of less than 100 yards! Going forward it will do, (eventually!) - stopping it seems decidedly less concerned about!

Just to clarify then, I am only on the Boating Sub Group of the South East Partnership - I am not involved in the full Partnership, although Cath is a member of that, (as is at least one other CWDF member). You can see who attends the Boating Sub Group here, and who the main Partnership here. The meeing notes from both groups are published once agreed by the relevant chairs, usually a week or two after each meeting, but finding them can be a bit obscure, as like other CRT meeting notes, they get put on the calendar pages for the relevant day. [in fact, I have just looked, and can't find any, because I can't make their calendar go back beyond current month - I will enquire where I should now be looking!]. Anyway, now I realise people seldom see these, I will try and issue notification when I'm aware a set is available. What I have repeaedly said in the sub-group is that I do not consider the notes show enough detail, often to the extent that if you were not present, they give the impression that we all agreed, whereas in reality there was a "robust debate"(!) Some of the more recent ones have shown more success at getting greater detail included, but there is I feel some way to go. To be honest this is not because it is related to the Partnership - most CRT meeting notes seem to be very scant by choice, and those for other advisory groups are often less informative than those or meetings I attend. EDIT: Think I have found past meeting agendas, and notes..... The way in is this page, I think. My groups last meeting was in March, and this page, links to both the agenda and the meeting notes. So we are not actually a "secret group" as some have suggested - just slightly hard to find!

Well, not intentionally, any way!

Dolly Dakin was wife to Ken Dakin, and mother of John & Kenny, (and quite a few more)!

So who is thinking of going to the Braunston Historic Narrow Boat Rally next weekend, (Saturday June 27th and Sunday June 28th)? We are very much hoping to have both our historic narrow boats, "Sickle" and "Flamingo" there, despite "Flamingo" being very much "work in progress". Braunston Marina's dtails for the rally here. Last prediction I heard was for around 80 historic narrow boats to attend - if so that is a good number, still making it easily the largest turn out of the calendar, without the complete chaos that has ensued in years where the numbers attending have exceeded 100. Anyway, if you do go, please try and find us on either "Sickle" or "Flamingo", (which I suspect are likely to end up moored together), and introduce yourselves, if we have not met so far. Alan, Cath & Odin.

ASM have a yard between Kings Langley and Nash Mills, though I have never used them, I'm told others have weighed batteries in there. However, whilst "as the crow flies" it is very near to the canal, I suspect carting a load of lead filled batteries from the nearest road bridge over the cut might be considerably less appealing!

Does your bag of coal have a pair of expensive specs with it, though? And do you have the legacy of a completely knackered and very painful shoulder caused by "placing" them there?

I think you must be if you are advocating use of Windows 3.1!