roland elsdon

Did she loose the engine to under the back deck too? looking at the bottom under the back cabin looks as built, with all gussets and frame in place, the engine to me looks as if it has never moved and it's the bw hb2. However keep hearing the story that the engine was moved- strange given the engine room is pretty original above the gunnels.

Met the new owner at sawley this year unfortunately he has just rebuilt the engine, hopefully it can be raised quickly, at least being a town most of its above the water

Remember monnow arriving at Crowley in about 1981 with great plans . Given umea was a project then , and has probably rarely moved since it's not a surprise that only deterioration has been the result. It's a tragedy that wonderful boats like these are not taken on by people with the funds to restore them and instead spend a fortune on replicas , or that crt. As a charity is unable to act in a heritage preserving fashion.

When you request a licence it has conditions, if you don't meet the conditions they can refuse a licence . It's very transparent and the charity is a complete irrelevance . They are and have always been a business. Rebranding as a charity simply enabled more funding options. If I don't pay my mortgage I loose my home, if I don't pay my council tax ditto. In the 80s when we were struggling our first payment was our boat licence second our insurance and thereafter everything else.

First job on any new boat... Tiller string fitting. Never bought a boat with one never sold a boat without one.

Put noggins in with a hilti gun in the 1980s , but we also used a fork lift truck to shape the bows. Not saying who was the builder but I saw one of the products this year and the owner seemed happy enough...defo better than no more nails which the ' builder" put on our current boat Oh yes and we did miss a few times........

That's what we did bought a boat in September cruised to London got a mooring at cow roast to be legal and continued to Crowley. moored up and mrs S concentrated on becoming dr S at Brunel university. It feels like yesterday. It was 1980. Nowadays i wouldn't go south of cosgrove....

Take it to braunston historic rally next year it's a josher year...

Greatest amount of crap dragged down towpath to catch smallest fish. Bonus awards for, Blocking moorings Abusing boaters walkers cyclists etc Shouting nonsense at high volume Leaving litter. Killing boat owners pets.

Fit a bolinder

Misses mention of barby marina being the other view... At 2000 odd per year mooring fees for local marina 100000 plus end of garden fees sounds lot for a it of bank with I think no sewage or electric. That's why we never bought there in the past

Gosty is a nice boat and unusual, if it was a josher or a gu boat would have sold, needs an owner who appreciates something unusual.

We were informed of the instant acceleration feature on fenny,'s speed wheel. Strangely once I had tightened up the appropriate slack to stop the screw thread being damaged the feature disappeared.....

No one has mentioned the obvious about spring ers not creating wash yet...

The inhabitants of our former colonies seem to much more civilised...... I go back from the boat to work in oz every year. I cycle everywhere including racing 3 times a week sometimes. Driven off road, kicked, bottles thrown, sprayed with water, shouted at hooted at abuse, followed home, for daring to be on a bike, hit from behind with a stick by passenger. I cycle here on and of road to and from boat on towpaths slowly and politely , sometimes I ring a bell, sometimes I say behind you sometimes just good'ay. If you recognise walkers as humans rather than obstacles it works. Shame pedestrians on getting into cars don't give me the same courtesy on my bike...

Buy either, sell engine to "enthusiast " replace with lister hrw, and inbuilt generator, put change in bank...

Read the last line..... Wouldn't swap for anything else!!!! Love my boat, and love eternal summer. However next years planned maintainance Reduction box rebuild leaking like crazy more oil than engine in 4 months boating Grit blast and epoxy... Plus any other welding ( on 77 year old boat) Head overhaul at least plus new fuel pipes. Advanced regulator to alternator Hull survey ( insurance and bss) Just saw tenant in house re repairs. We drive a 10 year young skoda, noted she has just bought a new Mercedes sl, threatened to up the rent , after rolling round in the loft insulation in 120 year old house looking for the leak, with no success.

4 months in uk on boat. Starter died £400 Alternator died £15 Batteries died because alternator cooked them £ 150 (14 months old) Alternator died again £15 Water pump switch melted. £24 Thermo couple on grill died (£?) cooker installed oct last year Radiator on car blew £260 Battery on car died ( charger died ) £140 Boat radio died ( £60) Survey on buy to let stated house unfit (450) Tenant in our house phoned today to say Cooker died Shower leaking down wall Roof leaking ( repaired 2 days before flying to oz to work last year) Buildings insurance turned down subsidence in street... In mourning , back to oz ASAP. Expecting problems with our camper van which is Home while we work in uk winter. Would I swap our lifestyle No way....

Thank you to all at alvecote, Malcolm, Lawrence, and all the staff, as well as the moorers who moved their boats so we could, use the whole of the marina wall. Alvecote is fun in that less is more, and there seems to be less intolerant wingeing from those who feel their rights are being impacted on by those with historic boats. Some amazing behaviours exhibited on the way back on the cov and northern oxford. Only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt by high speed modern cruiser narrowboats, impacting in bridge holes.

10 foot luxury..... I've had people tied to the t stud before now. However I try to tie bow to bow if I can. Nothing worse than a continual moorers engine smoking the cabin out until tv shuts down, mind you leaving at 0530, with the oil wound up hard to get off the tea bags is always an option.. As is a potato up the exhaust.