leolady too

You probably want a dog box

We used the roller and tip off with a brush technique. We used purdy brushes which many think are the best (they ought to be given what they cost). I'd say that speed is very important and SWIMBO put on with the roller and I tipped off with the brush immediately and then left it alone whatever the temptation to go back and tittivate. We did about 12 - 18 inches at a time and I am suprised at the area the chap in the film was doing at a time though it clearly works for him. Perhaps he'd thinned the paint or was doing the job at a much cooler temperature than us. I believe thinning is something to do with caution. We used PPA which is a conditioner or something, supposed to make the paint flow better but not actually to thin it. I think thinning with, for example, white spirit, can lead to problems including a cloudy/milky look later. Between coats we "sanded" with a random orbit sander attached to a henry vac and used Abranet disks either 400, 600 or 800 grit, depending on the coat and the defect, if any, we were sanding out. Abranet disks are expensive but I think they are worth it. You seem to be able to use a finer grit for the same effect and they do last (although that's probably partly to do with using a vac to take the dust away so they don't get clogged).

We've just bought a new (to us) boat and the surveyor recommended cutting an inch off the forward part of the rudder to improve handling. At the moment she handles much as explained above. Does anyone have a formula to arrive at the correct ratio or is it a different fit for each hull.

I have a trad stern. I attached a piece of 15mm copper pipe vertically just inside the rear doors and bought a fishing umbrella. I let 18 inches of spike out of the bottom of the umbrella and put that into the pipe. Being a fishing umbrella it's quite big so does the job well and being attached to the woodwork inside the rear doors, it obviously doesn't move with the tiller. The pipe was a bit left over so in practice free. It works very well except at a couple of low bridges. Its quick to take down and put up so no problem even then.

We took the sand finish off our roof. We tried a number of tools, none of which was very effective. In the end three gallon tins of Nitromors did it for our 62 ft boat. The trick we found was that you need to do manageable sections and give the stuff time to work, don't rush. Leave it time to penetrate. You'll need at least two applications. Don't spread it out too much. It will probably start to dry before it's finished working. In that case, cover with cling film or cooking foil. There's very little effort with this method and no dust or noise. The nitromors is expensive but we did our roof in a day and it was easy. I'd recommend it.

All that is absolutely true and is why I get such satisfaction from defending people. It is true to say that if your accountant is difficult, unco-operative, arguementative and unyeilding with HMRC, they are much more liekly to leave you alone and pick on someone who's accountant is pleasant helpful and co-operative with them. These days HMRC staff are target driven and the last thing they want is an accountant who won't stick to their (entirely arbitrary and unrealistic) times for giving replies and who argues every point. What they want is someone who caves in early so they get their results and meet their targets.

When training I was taught the maxim "There is no Equity in Tax". This is a bitter pill to swallow. It means that there is no appeal to any sense of fairness/sense of right and wrong (equity) in tax law. One must accept the law as it is whether fair or not and the courts can only apply it. I've always interpreted the maxim to mean that tax law isn't even meant to be fair, it is just what it is.

Except, of course, tangible moveable property bought and sold for less than £6,000 which is exempt from CGT as is tangible moveable property which is a wasting asset, no matter what the proceeds, unless it has been subject to capital allowances.Boats are generally exempt except for "yachts, barges or boats used as a residence which may have a useful life of more than 50 years". There are other things too, cars, decorations for valour, insurance policies etc. As I said, this is complicated and professional advice is necessary. Whether I get paid for it or not, my professional body holds me liable, and I'm sure a court would too. Just for clarity and not to criticise, the current VAT registration threshold is £77000. I suppose my complaint, if I had one in all this, is the certainty with which some who have commented express their views on the basis of very limited information in the original post. That and what seems like a reluctance to resist HMRC when there is a case to argue.

I have indeed read what ex-taxman says. It is certainly not true that the mere fact of making a "profit" on one or two transactions means it is certainly a trade. There is much more to be considered than that. It is not an unexpected response from an ex-taxman. I agree that HMRC usually takes the view "If in doubt the answer's "yes", it is taxable". However, I regard part of my role as defending the innocent from the bully boy tactics of some HMRC officers. I usually find that a vigorous defence soon puts off the chancers at HMRC who try to get a quick victory by coming on strong. I cannot therefore agree that the HMRC view prevails where there is doubt. I have to say I love being as aggressive to them as some of them are to some tax payers! All this assumes of course that you have a case to argue. Hence the need for advice, a matter on which everyone agrees.

It might be trading or it might not. It might be little more than a self financing holiday. It's rarely clear cut in my experience and depends on the facts of the case. professional advice seems to be the answer. That way whoever gives the advice can elicit all the facts before giving it.

I wasn't so sure she was planning to make money. It seemed to me that she might indeed make money but the object might have been to "have a few months boating", as she said. If she does make money that could be a happy result but not the intention. In either case I think she'd do well to get some advice.

I should add that if the boat is regarded as a "wasting asset" it is exempt from CGT anyway (but not from income tax if this is a trade). In this context "wasting" means with an expected life of 50 years or less when new. I'm not sure how that would apply to narrow boats and I don't think it has been tested in court. I suspect it could be argued that a narrow boat's expected life is more than 50 years, if properly maintained. There are boats still going that were built in the 60's and 70's so it is at least argueable. This is the rule on which, I suspect, motor homes fail.

Generally, buying and selling a boat would come under the Capital Gains Tax regime. If you made a gain in excess of the CGT annual exemption, you'd be charged to CGT. The annual exemption for 2012/13 is £10,600. The rate would be 18% or 28% depending on your other income. If the boat were your principal private residence (even for one day, not 6 months as previously suggested) and you sold it within three years of buying it, there'd be no CGT. The determination of main residence is complicated, depends on what other accomodation you have available and can be a matter of election. If this is likely to apply, you need advice and NOT from HMRC. Having said all that, if what you are doing amounts to a "venture in the nature of a trade", then the profit would be income not capital gain, and taxed accordingly. Whether this is a trade depends on the facts and HMRC has some (unusually for them) useful guidance on what constitutes a trade. Some of this comes down to the "badges of a trade" which have developed from a number of court and tribunal cases over the years. Your intention (ie did you intend to do this for profit or was it a cheap means of getting your boating)is also relevant. Keep records and I suspect you probably need professional advice,

We did ours and I think did a pretty good job. Everybody says so and its true that all the effort and most of the time is in the preparation (say 90% prep to 10% final painting). Putting the paint on with a roller and tipping off with a good brush worked for us. If you mess a bit up leave it DO NOT GO BACK. I'd say it's all but impossible to get a good finish in the open. The paint will go off too quickly or too slowly or you'll have bits, bugs, dust, leaves etc in it. You can save a shed load of money (if you don't cost your own time) and get a good or very good result but it takes time, research and care. Phil's CD gave us loads of help and I commend it to you. We used his paint too and think it's excellent. Good Luck.

Whatever tape you use or however you do it PLEASE remove the tape ASAP. We didn't. The glue affected the paint underneath giving a slight orange peel effect and the glue was left behind. We got away with it more or less but had a very worried time after all our painting efforts had gone so well. One other tip, if you do leave the tape on and end up with glue residue, lighter fuel may get it off but leaving it over winter results in a dry dusty residue that falls off with a light wipe with a soft dry cloth with no effort.

I've often wondered what happens to the stick on panels when it comes time to repaint. Can they be taken off without destroying them and can they be restuck. If not they are a bit expensive unless you've only just repainted and don't expect to have to for many many years. We've got a 130W panel (non stick on) which keeps the batteries nicely topped up. It's a great comfort knowning you'll have fully charged barreries whenever you go, even if you've not visited the boat for a month.