MedMan

Many thanks for the reply blackrose - much appreciated. This year I am only intending to travel on the tidal Thames from Limehouse to Teddington so it will probably be the same lock keeper I encounter as you did! However, next year I am hoping to traverse the Wash from the Nene to the Witham so that will be rather more 'at sea'. I think my next step will be to ring the lock keeper at the Dog and Doublet and see if he has any comments to make on the subject. I'm told he is very helpful. I'll report back.

I am resurrecting this old thread as I am about to fit Nav lights on by 50ft NB. Blackrose - how have your lights worked out? Have you had to use them? More importantly (from my point of view) have they been seen, inspected, approved or disapproved by any lock keepers, river police or any other authority that might be interested in whether or not they comply? A couple of points of my own. I have come to Narrowboating after 30 years of offshore sailing, many hours of which have been overnight. A tricolour is indeed a light designed specifically for sailing yachts. It sits at the top of the mast and shows red and green forward and white aft: that is all you need when sailing. Having it at the top of the mast means it is well clear of the waves and cannot be obscured by the sails. There is also no chance of the stern sector being blocked by the helm - it is way way above you. I have read and re-read the relevant Collision Regulations including Annex 1 which gives lots of technical requirements. So long as the vessel is less than 20 metres ( a bit less then 66ft) in length (which mine is) you can combine the side lights into a single lantern on the mid-line which is what you have done. Sidelights can be anywhere along the length of the boat. The forward-facing 'masthead light' (always called the steaming light in sailing circles as it indicates you are under power) has to be forward of the mid-line. Having the side lights and the steaming light on a single mast somewhere forward of the mid-line thus satisfies all requirements. However, Annex I paragraph 2c says the masthead light must be 2.5 metres above the gunwale and paragraph 2h says there must be a metre vertical spacing between the side lights and the masthead light. It is on these vertical spacings that your mast is probably technically incorrect. The point of my post is to ask the question - does it matter? It would need a mast 1.5 to 2 metres long to comply with these vertical spacings which would be a pain especially when approaching a bridge. I would like to produce my mast much like yours. Knowing whether or not it has served you well would be of great comfort to me.

We need to visit central Northampton in a few weeks time so we are thinking of going down the Northampton Arm as far as Cotton End and mooring there. We shan't go on to the Nene. Can anyone tell me what it is like at Cotton End? Is it a safe place to leave our boat unattended for a day (not overnight)? Is it close enough to the centre of the town to walk? All advice will be appreciated.

Thanks to you all for your most useful replies.

Hi! I shall have to break my summer cruise somewhere around Leamington/Warwick for a couple of days to go to a Family Wedding. I shall need to find somewhere safe to leave my boat and somewhere from where to hire a car. My daughter will also need to find somewhere fairly close by where she can stay a night or two in a caravan. Any suggestions on any of these would be most welcome. Thanks David

I have a BMC 1.8 diesel. The recommended oil filter is a Crosland 357. Can anyone tell me the equivalent number for a Champion Filter from Halfords? Thanks

My Clipper 50 has a BMC 1.8 fitted with two alternators - the original plus an additional 70 amp one. To tension the belts of either one you have to slack off three bolts and then use a large screwdriver or crowbar to lever the alternator away from the engine and then hold it there whilst you do up the bolts again. On my previous boat the alternator was supported by a threaded rod which enabled you to tension the belt accurately and easily by turning a single nut. Much more civilised. How would I go about adding this facility to my present boat.

Very many thanks for all your replies - much appreciated.

Many thanks for all the replies. Armed with your information I have spent a few happy hours wandering around looking at different boats and now feel I have a much better understanding of what is out there.

I am looking through a heap of Hire Company brochures and have a question regarding access through the boat. Quite a few boats have two forward berths that can be converted to a double with a central infill. This, of course, blocks access to the forward cockpit. With just two on board, would it be realistic to leave this double berth made up or is through-access vital?

We intend to hire a narrow boat later this year, probably in September. What we enjoy more than anything is peace and quiet and countryside. Any suggestions on where to hire from and a suitable route for a week would be much appreciated.

As a sailing man I am used to a stern cockpit from which to control the boat and in which my wife and I sit whilst on passage. It seems that many narrow boats have room for only one at the stern with the seating for others at the bow. With only two onboard it seems more than a little antisocial to have 50ft of boat beween us! Are there narrow boats with the equivalent of a cockpit at the stern? If so, is it possible for two people to sit there in comfort whilst under way, or do canal boaters only ever do it standing up?

What rules are there about where you can moor for the night? Do you have to moor in a designated spot or can you just tie up to the bank? Is it usual to have to pay?

Hi Folks! My name is David. I am a sailor thinking about spending some time on the UK canals. My wife Pat and I own a 35ft sailing boat currently moored in Greece. We have spent the majority of our time since retiring in 1997 living aboard and exploring the Med. During that time grand children have appeared on the scene and we would now like to spend more of our time in the UK. However, with some 20,000+ miles under our keel we are totally addicted to life afloat, hence our interest in the canals. Despite our experience in yachts we know nothing about boating on the UK canal system and have many very basic questions to ask. We hope to be able to find answers to some of them here.