Water Rat.

We are planning to 'go off' for a while, I have decided I can live without a hair drier but, I do like the occasional ironed cotton top. I had a suggestion, thank you Peter, but what to do? Is there an iron I can use? A travel iron perhaps? I do have an inverter.

What do I have to do to make my boat us LED light bulbs? I assume I cannot just replace the ones I have with LEDs?

I have two log books but seem to be unable to keep one up to date. My engine hour jobbie does not work, promises, promises - another story another life!! So who keeps one - other than Alan and, what exactly do you put in it? I keep track of the hours the engine runs on a calendar and write up servicing info in a log book. Other than that what should I be doing?

I think it is safe to say we have had a glut of water recently, however, since I always do, I shall continue to close up!

So. Since there is plenty of water - I am ok to leave them open?

We were boating last week, the boat sharing the lock tried to move off when the man steering found out that for some reason his wife had tied the front line as well as the centre line. After a bit of a hooha he joined me in the lock; I asked if he had done a 'Timothy West'. From now on this action shall be known as a 'Timothy West'.

Vetus 310

I have thought that bartering boat jobs would be a good idea. For example I need someone to service my engine and I could do some decorative painting instead. Just a thought.

I did hear that if you eat Marmite they don't like it much - however Avon's Skin so Soft is excellent!!

I know it is customary to leave gates open on rivers, so we do on the Lee and Stort - but never been aware of this on canals.

So. I have just had a lovely three days on my boat exploring my new manor, the Uxbridge area of the GU. We did not have so very many locks - three south, Slough Arm, then back and then the five up to Ricky. There were SO many lock gates left open. Is this right or just plain lazy? I always close up after me but TBH today I felt like leaving them open!! I didn't though. Am I wrong?

Lovely programme. Sad she is not so well however, she seems just as with it as most of us! I have an issue raised during the film - the pain of someone else crashing my boat! PS. Want to do the K&A now.

Looks like it is a no then!

Good article in yesterday's Guardian about the Thames and in particular the excellent role that the lock keepers play! Looks as though an up side of the flooding is the appreciation of their good work.

Best price I have so far is three coats and done for £450. That is only about £60 more than doing it myself at Harefield and risking the weather. Winkwell is undercover but quite a bit more expensive.

I have always had a home mooring and once a year had a decent trip away with lots of local trips out and about. Last year I left my mooring and for five months I moved her around, technically I did still have a mooring but did not use it. My feeling was I got more out of the boat simply because I had to keep her moving on. I did get a bit tired of the same stretch of canal so have now moved to another area and have another mooring. I expect I will stay where I am for a while and then move again. I do like the safety of a permanent mooring - just not the mooring fees!!

Not at all. I am going to compile a little list and post it when I have some more details.

That does not sound very much to me. I don't think that will get you much sympathy.