Ange

Just checked - View New Posts (I think) gives you the active threads since you were last online. When I click it now it gives me two pages of results - the earliest being the "Paint GRP Cruiser Ceiling" last updated at 8.05pm. When I select "Get Active Posts" for today it returns 3 pages back to "Boat Inspector" last updated at 12.27am. I think I need to start using the latter (for me it's sheer laziness using View New Posts as it's at the top of the screen and I don't have to scroll down - fine if I'm the only user of my lappy) I like Richard's suggestion of using different browsers - I use Firefox, we just have to decide on another for Dave to use (though I have been angling for a lappy each which would negate this problem).

I have the same problem. Trouble is Dave & I share a lappy, so he may open up the forum during the day and because I'm rubbish at remembering to log out, he finds himself signed in as me. He logs out, but next time I log in I can only View New Posts from the time that he logged in. The worst one is when your computer crashes, and when you get back on you just get an error message under View New Posts - you have to wait for someone to post before you can follow Allan's advice and use the "Get Active Topics" at the bottom of the page (though fortunately this forum is active enough that you don't usually have to wait too long). I do hate using that option though - all that extra scrolling down and clicking. I spend far too much time on the forum don't I!!

I'm a woman - course I wasn't going to ignore it!! Just had to have a look

Hi and welcome I can only answer your last question - when we bought our boat in October 2008 the licence was valid until January 2009. The broker advised BW of the change of ownership and our licence remained valid. In January we received the renewal from BW. Not sure how it would work with a private sale though. I suspect the rules are similar to buying a car with a valid tax disc (if I'm wrong you can be sure that someone will tell me so soon!) We moved aboard in June and haven't regretted it for a moment - hope it works out for you Ange

Thanks folks - I'll definitely be buying it and will hopefully move at least from primary school electrics to secondary school (I could never aspire to the graduate level that some forum members have achieved!)

Please post a linky or Title / author! We moved aboard last June and I've spent most of my time since then trying to learn elementary electrics, making a complete ass of myself on more than one occasion asking primary school questions on the forum! (I only just discovered that AC/DC wasn't just a heavy metal group but something to do with 'lectrics!!) If there is a beginners guide I'd love to get my hands on it! Thank you - I was just formulating a thread to ask if such a beast exists Ange

Thanks Allan - my steep learning curve continues with more than a little help from my friends

(/me whispers quietly - do invertors take from 12v DC to 12v AC?)

Bottle - thank you! We just spotted this post (despite the large font!), checked the TV and it's only AC!!! So we need a psu that'll take 12v DC to 12v ACif such a thing is available. We're buying batteries this week so hopefully will be able to run off the invertor without engine - though after deliberately buying a 12v TV it does seem a shame to use an invertor to ramp it up to 240v and then back down to 12v. We're still getting our heads round this stuff, learning by our mistakes most of the time

Best of luck from me & Dave - it's been a long journey for you but it'll be worth it in the end

I like locks, though I have to say I'm not a glutton for hard work so don't like doing too many per day! It is nice to have the occasional lock free run as well. I still haven't mustered up the courage to steer yet, so, by default, I'm on locking duties (and how many times have I heard "oh, he lets you do all the hard work then"!) I enjoy the excercise - it's great for getting rid of a few excess pounds. I also enjoy the social side of it - I've met some really interesting people and had great conversations while pairing up with another boat. Saying that I've met a few people I'd be happy not to come across again. Dave's had similar experiences at the tiller sharing locks - sometimes he and the other steerer are so deep in animated conversation that they don't notice the gates are open, other times you can see him willing the water to rise as he's given up trying to make conversation. I absolutely love it when we pair up with another boat and the lock operators get a good system going between you and suddenly you're saying "oh - we're at top lock already" - it's a great feeling. Equally frustrating when you pair up with people who don't pull their weight or faff around and you end up doing twice the work instead of halving it. I definitely think points should be awarded to locks - narrow locks are way easier than broad locks, and I'd rate the broad locks on the L&L higher than those on the GU because there's no footway over the bottom gates, meaning you have to do a lot of walking if you open both sets of paddles. I gave up about half way up the Wigan Flight and decided we were going to have a leisurely journey with paddles only opened on one side (that was before we ran out of water - but that's another story!) That's just my experiences so far - still fairly new to this