roland elsdon

Or equally have been working a double shift at the local hospital between moving the insured licensed boat from their mooring as a precursor to a few days away. Having had a ( very minor) boat fire no one should have to go through it.

I have never had issues at Watford or foxton, many there are interested and informed. Unlike Hatton where they do not understand the most basic request, namely to be left alone.

They were happy to see us last week and once they realised we knew what we were doing left us alone. Weren’t there in 1981 on a soggy October day for our first passage through. 🤪. Back up tomorrow if it’s not too hot to cycle over to the boat in the morning.

I remember getting soaked on the back of 70 ft Thaxted going uphill. The boat was open except for a deck board and false cratch section that was clothed. The hold needed pumping out after. Part way up the lock I hid in the engine room the downpour was so bad.

We saw the signs about ‘someone’ a couple of weeks ago!!!

I thought yellow topped bollards had to be avoided , bit like dont eat the yellow snow.

I remember the collapse (1970?) for all yorkshire people it became a good ( free) day out. Didnt bother our family as we had no tv.

Loose their what? no insurance no tax no licence no mot no registration = no record anywhere. you see them on the motorways immune to anything.

Swan hatch?

Someone we know from Australia got caught out by covid and his boat was left for 2.5 years. It was lifted out and blacked and checked by a certain well known marina on the Leicester canal. He got quite concerned and as were were similarly stuck here we went for a look. Apart from the rear tonneau cover being full of water ( a good thing) after 16 months it was cleaner than our boat. The yard had been highly diligent. I believe he wandered back to the uk it was put back in and he’s on his travels. Our boat is left afloat for up to six months when we are ‘ home’ it’s been fine up til now (10 years), what’s six months when you are 86 years old. Brasses get a bit tarnished.

We both single hand sometimes when the other is doing other jobs. Its a safe way of maintaining skill set acquired over years. You never know when you might need them. Back in the early 90s I got an urgent call in to work, started the engine and shot off to work. Came back to where we had agreed to meet, no boat. Eventually found ‘home’ miles back down cut. Big discussion about getting a second cell phone, bigger one about fitting electric start. ( and not stalling the engine) She won on the electric start, but second phone was a different proposition in those days.

Nothing wrong with a Hudson as long as you are aware of what you are buying. other builders get runs of plate cut , to avoid weld distortion. If you wanted. uniformity get a production run Hudson. The risk with bespoke is you can get something so personal there is a limited secondhand market, and hence massive depreciation. Remember standing next to shop lock one day. Tim Higton said there’s a quarter of a million in the lock ( early 90s) two very strange boats went through, later on market at under 50000 each, and unsellable.

Crt kindly contacted me over this issue. Their checker couldnt see the painted on number on the boat . ( winter covers) Without going into the ‘ how did you know it was my boat if you didnt know what boat it was shenanigan’ , they helpfully offered to make me up “a plate to put in the window” At that point i pointed out it wouldnt help as the boat has 1 porthole, so it wouldnt fit. ( it is actually in there but in tiny letters) After looking at the boats image ( yes they do have them) a polite compromise was reached. In the winter i now put the smashed up (by bwb) plates i found under the engine on the pigeon box attached by magnets. in the summer the painted number is exposed. They can compromise, and more to the point clearlyhave images of your boat on their files…