Penelope

Yes Carl, I buy the ham hocks to make broth with.. I cook them in the pressure cooker and its amazing how much meat you get from them for £2! Will try them in the slow cooker. Lamb is ridiculous price.. I avoid on principle when they charge top dollar for neck and shoulder. Have never done pulled pork... Will try it OP.

Thanks Pete, back in marina now and electrical guy is coming in the morning. Will see what he thinks.

Ahh on our panel there is a rocker switch which you can adjust to give readings of the leisure bank or the starter battery. The middle position turns off the screen display, but turns the light off as well. We still have the bright green light just no numbers. Will need to find an electrician soon, I found checking the numbers very soothing! Will be anxious now until they are back...ah

Tried your on/off suggestion Mike and no joy, so yes you are both right... It's broke! On the bright side everything else is working, so sausages for dinner and a nice cold one, repair can wait a day or two!

The display is green, so lit up Yes Mike will try the isolating battery. Only noticed it after we set off this morning so been locking etc. was hoping it would just sort itself..ha. Thanks both of you will try all suggestions!

Our 12v distribution panel has an led/LCD screen that usually shows numbers on it relating to battery bank and starter battery. This morning all electric working but screen is lit up with just a black line at the top... No numbers... Any advice would be wonderful...thanks!

RIP Sam. Condolences to the family Sue.

I used to have laptop with dongle, was only acceptable really, couldn't recommend. I now have an iPad mini which I got on contract from orange. I pay £22 per month, for 2gb. Obviously most of cost is to pay for the pad. I would say the built in SIM works very well ..much better speed and holds connection better than the dongle. Don't live aboard so I just buy a bundle to top up if we are on board for longer than a fortnight.

I take the view I am venturing into the countryside when we go boating. I am on the local wildlife's territory so it is up to me to take precautions and also to respect the natural habitat of the creatures therein. Part of that respect is keeping my pooch on a leash, and not discharging harmful fluids into the canal. I love being out and experiencing nature close up, and the daddy swan behaviour at this time of the year is just part of it! Sad to say I kill any mozzies that dare to enter the boat.....

The swans are really going for it at the minute aren't they... We encountered a very lively one around great Haywood area last weekend. My son was on the tiller, when the dad decided to chase us off his patch and my son had a real panic on and we ended up in the bushes... He said Adrian Mole books had put him off swans for life!

I think we will probably try the masking up and varnish route, none of the paintwork looks damaged, it's just the blue in that area goes chalky when it rains! That's after a divvil of a job when washing it. We have all the good wash and polish stuff, no wash up stuff has ever been used...haha. Dhutch, the paint used for the coach lines is the same light grey that is on the none slip roof, it is not shiny. Well I'm pleased I asked the question as now we can try a few things out, might help someone else too!

Yes we realise it will need a repaint at some point, but we had some patching done a year or so ago and all was well until this started happening ! So you think a varnish over will do the trick short term? We have the craftmaster wash and polish, and also autoglym for the polishing. Thanks for your help!

Thank you! The boat is 6 years old, and is dark blue with grey coachlines The front and back of the boat are still a dark glossy finish, it's the sides where this is happening. We have tried loads of products, nothing works, that's why we think it is the grey paint bleeding. It's a Liverpool boat, original paint job done with international paint.

When we wash our boat there is a bloom left... We think it is the coachline paint washing off onto the shiny blue main body. Has anyone else had this happen and if you did what did you do Driving me mad!

Thank you everyone... Great info! Visitors have just gone to bed so just seen your comments, will be very helpful for tomorrow night...thanks!

Ah thanks for that monkey! My hubby thought it had closed... Will give it a go, up north we are used to bingo in the lounge or a turn on in the dance end... Ha. Nice atmosphere sounds good to us.

Does anybody know the best pub for a Saturday night in either of the Haywoods? We have called in over the years for an early evening pint, but we are not usually in longer because we have Lola our dog! We have our son and his partner on board for the weekend, so need to offer something social, can anyone help?

Yes Mike it is very early days for the new organisation and I should certainly be optimistic and hope that everyone will do the best they can. I certainly wish them good luck. I think these days with the Internet, every detail of a business is known about and knowing all the nitty gritty can cause alarm! Nigel I think you are right, CaRT need to fundraise, I think they need to access EEC money or Lottery awards really as money from a collectors bucket isn't going to go very far.

Thanks Nigel I have no knowledge of the Transition Order. So yes, the people posting above are probably right. CaRT directors have nothing to lose personally and also know that if business decisions prove to be turkeys the govt will pick up the pieces ...phew! It is a worry for a boat owner wondering if we will have a canal system in years to come, lots of scaremongering from all quarters. Good to know about the Transition Order.

Maybe CaRT will go bust in a few years time, and then the government of the day will step in and "re nationalise " it. The process of becoming a charity is in my opinion a suck it and see thing, the waterways being very much a guinea pig in a political manoeuvre. What will happen if CaRT theoretically go bust?

Yes Stephen we were out last week around Stone, boats on the move but not busy. I suppose busy up north is different to down south though!

Are you from South Shields?