alan_fincher

Yes, Unfortunately I can confirm this is true. There was a second hand version of a story it was sinking yesterday, passed through someone who had no detail, but asking for help tracing owner. Knowing Dom would have his details I contacted him, but he was unable to get hold of Terry on the phone. Then a message today it was refloated, but still no confirmation if Terry knew. I contacted the firm that refloated it, and they confirm Terry is aware. I don't think he was on the boat, but had left it. Weed hatch not properly replaced, apparently. It has had, I'm told, 2 feet of water in the back end, so he must be fairly devastated. The only good news is nobody harmed, and that it was not submerged for very long at all. What a start to boat ownership - we really feel for him. Yes - nearer to Kings Langley, I think - near one of the M25 bridges ? It is reported as now moving, being pushed by a push tug.

Or, indeed, the front one!

I think a price drop might have been more effective than boating it all that way to a brokerage!

I caught up with this last night. It's not perfect, I know, (we laughed out load when Tim dressed as a town crier could be seen behind Pru, apparently watching himself perform as a town crier!), but compared to the dross usually offered up about the canals, I really think it is a breath of fresh air. To me what differentiates it from most is that this couple in their 80s are clearly totally passionate about their subject, and have been for years. Particularly poignant to me in this episode was that they were for part of it on exactly the same bit of canal where we met this lovely couple on their own boat. Another bonus was the "Idle Women" footage from the war years. As well as the well known footage of "Audrey, Evelyn and Ann", there was far clearer footage of other trainees than I have ever seen before, including Emma Smith, who has written several well regarded books, including one only recently. Possibly what helps this program is that its hour long format so it is nothing like as rushed as any attempt to cover something in half that time. I have not seen the John Sergeant offering to compare, but by all accounts I'm rather lucky not to have done, and certainly from the reviews will not be looking it out. Tim and Pru have been committed canal "nuts" for many decades, and have freely given of their time to support waterways restoration - JS is clearly just making a program for TV.

Being more specific, does the fact that there is no requirement to use a light in tunnels under 440 yards long still apply if you are making that passage during an eclipse?

I don't know about that. We almost invariably have all the drop back top vents of "Chalice's" windows open, irrespective of season, and are using a Villager Heron solid fuel stove. We have little trouble keeping toasty warm, (though do have problems with getting too hot!), and get just small amounts condensation on the windows occasionally, (frames mostly, rather than glass). No other condensation at all, other than mushroom vent tops. We have been on the boat for 4 or 5 days up until yesterday, and at the end I checked the cabin bilge which was absolutely bone dry. People often report condensation, at least, on the baseplate in such conditions, but we have never experienced that. No idea why we don't when others claim it is a problem.

As others have said, what do you mean by "Helmsman license" exactly ?

You could try Ed Boden Details in this link. He is highly regarded by many.

Quite!

I will lay my head on the block here, because I know Squirrel stoves have massive support from many in the boating community. I can't believe the number of reported failures of a stove that costs so much money, and it seems to be almost accepted that they have a life expectancy, after which you may need to buy another. Personally I think there are equally good stoves, but which are far more durable, and far less cost, both in terms of initial purchase, but also the need to replace things like grates on a semi regular basis. Personally by choice I would not buy a Squirrel. (Incoming!........)

We plan to be, (assuming not too many more medical emergencies!). I would be very interested to see that - thanks!

The book about Walkers of Rickmansworth is a fascinating read, and tracks the full history of a family firm with many interests, mostly but not exclusively about timber, and building things from it. Not originally founded, IIRC, as a boat building firm, it was obviously subsequently involved in building huge numbers of craft for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Co in the 1930s, as well as boats for many other people. As the demand for that decreased, it got involved in all kinds of other things based on wood construction, and although I'm relying on memory, roof trusses for house construction and also fencing spring to mind. But it had many other business interests in the Rickmansworth area. I'm sure we are talking here about a company with good old fashioned values, and it seems the various "Mr Walkers" were regularly about the yard, were well respected by their employees, and pretty good at looking after them by the standards of the day, (although I'm sure things went on with large unguarded saws that would be completely unacceptable today!). I'm not sure if there is a similar detailed history of Yarwoods? If there were, I would be very interested to hear of it. I guess Harland and Wolff is rather different from the firms that had "and son" or "and sons" tacked to their treading name? One thing though I think it is worth recognising, is that the wooden narrow boats, whoever built them, probably had a planned service life of no more than twenty years. They were in a way only considered a part repairable item, and it was assumed that after a relatively short while they might be replaced. This applies particularly to BCN day boats, that had a hard life, and didn't have a live aboard crew who were going to show much care in them as "their home". I'm about to put on the market a 20 year old "Clonecraft", and I suspect it has retained a far greater percentage of its value than a 20 year old working boat being resold to another carrier in the days when such things occurred.

Not sure if Pete Harrison has commented on "Russia", but this is what I said in a previous post, having originally made a duff assumption as to what it might be..... All the very best boats are built by Yarwoods, of course, particularly if it happened to be in 1936.........

At least BW / CRT have not put "keep forward of the cill" notices on that one!

Allan Herd interviewed her in the otherwise not spectacular "Narrow Boat Afloat" series. (A sequel to "Narrow Boat" where he "restores" "Dover"). However in my mind the best interview from that series was with Laura Carter, the steerer of Samuel Barlows "Ian" and then for Blue Line where ultimately "Renfrew" replaced "Ian". I bet both these former working boat women are/were formidable ladies.

HNBC history of Mabel here

Yes, but that is not, I believe the same "Forget Me Not" as in the subject of this thread. I think the Skinners' "Forget Me Not" is under the care of the Wooden Canal Boat Society, (but I haven't checked!).

Jules, (and Ryan's0, Boats update....... Ryan has moved North from the finished Bridge 84 stoppage, and was moored up with Southern Cross and Bideford just short of Cosgrove Lock. Towcester is on Jules' home mooring at the foot os Stoke Bruerne locks. Seems unlikely any will be dfown in Leighton Buzzard for a while, I think.

Not exactly, but it is very obvious as you approach. At under 11 feet I'm sure you will get through, but the boat concerned ould have just as easily moored 209 yards back, and there would be a non issue. A bit like the Wyvern boat who pulled up ahead of us - several clear miles with good towpath and almost no boats. So where did they moor? - bang in the middle of a winding hole!

The particularly box shaped wide beam (square on every corner) was adrift at one end blocking the cut as we approached the Plough at Simpson. Whilst deliberating if we were going to be able to stop and tie it up, the owner appeared. Would agree there are one or two idiots about on this stretch today, although the way quite a few of the boats are (not really!) tied up properly doesn't really help things either. Good luck with the wide beams at the bridge hole where another wide beam is moored nearly in it, blocking at least 30% of the width to go through!

Well I'm not sure it does for me. Whilst answers like..... may be telling a lot of people what they think they want to here, I'm not convinced that the existing acts actually give backing to such a statement. It also once again begs the question how can they conclude that you have been "sighted for an extended period in a limited area moving between a few adjacent places without returning to your Home Mooring". As I recently demonstrated from my own data, I managed to travel from the South right op the network, across the Pennines and back, and South again, only being recorded twice. Had those two sightings both been close to the same place, (quite possible if I had come back on the same route as we went out), what stops them concluding I have been bridge hopping in that area over several months. The answers don't satisy me, frankly. There is nothing in the acts that say I have to be on a continuous journey, if I have a home mooring, but am not on it. People may want there to be, but there isn't!

Just been through. Fully open with just a few warning signs.

We had completely the opposite experienced some time back when an engineer used 6mm (1/4") packing which he had hammered down in a gland designed forv8mm (5/16"). It leaked incessantly despite constant adjustment. I think you have far greater chances of success by using the correct size in the first place.

It's not getting any better, although he usually claims he "can get you one in". I quickly gave that up when what he was "getting me in" was invariably not what I had asked for! As has been said Uxbridge Boat Centre is by far the best supplied of the chandleries South of Tring Summit. If you are spending significant money, they will often do a discount, though not always.