Mrs W

I agree whole-heartedly that you will need a good medical fall-back system in place when living with small children, whether on land or on the water. We could have published a "good doctors guide to the waterways" when our 5 children were young, but I think the benefit they gain outweighs the trials and tribulations. Don't forget that if it is advice and not medication you need NHS Direct can give either telephone advice (0845 46 47) or you can "do it yourself" on their website (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk ). Good luck to you!

A.S.Bikes make a range of folding bikes including an electric assisted bike which I have used along the towpath when on a nb. As a disabled lady with mobility problems my electric bike has given me a whole new lease of life and allowed me to shop and to get around except along the most badly rutted towpaths.

My husband (Penguin) has rebooted his computer recently and now the forum does not want to let him in. Could someone email him or pm me with his details so he can try again please before he throws the computer out of the window!

I have read 8 pages on the subject now and want just to make a simple comment. The original boater may have made a wrong decision in carrying on after a breakdown (debatable, after all, he thought he had fixed it). He had his small children aboard (nothing wrong with that, he said they had jackets on, his choice to choose that life-style, many of us would love to do the same, given the choice) He had the correct equipment, even if he had failed to use it He felt he and his family were in danger and needed help, which he requested of a passing boater. If I had been that passing boater and had felt I needed to get to somewhere in a hurry or that I was incapable of stopping to help, at the very leat I would have stopped to check no life was in danger and perhaps to suggest deploying the anchor. At all times we should slow to pass boats at rest, well moored or precariously held by spindly trees. If the other boater had done this he would at the very least have been able to offer advice and seen the plight of the stricken boater. I am a nurse and see it as my duty to render such aid as I am capable of doing whenever it is needed, not just when it does not put me out unduly. I hope (although I do not expect) that others might do the same for me. Those of us who use the waterways are a small community. Let us just remember we need to be community spirited and work for the well-being of all (except perhaps the scum-bags who pinch and damage our boats and their equipment!)

Hi, and thanks for this. I think you may not have realised that we are very experienced as narrow-boaters. I am now approaching retirement and we have been indulging since my teenage years. Our children too started at an early age - the eldest first took to the water aged 6 weeks! For many years we had a boat in the family, but it was sold 12 years ago. Our quest for Feb is to spend a week at that time of year just bimbling like we expect to do once we have our own boat. We realise the days will be short and the weather cold - it is for just these reasons we want to hire at that time of year. We have travelled many, many miles of canals - in fact we are not long back from the Warwickshire Ring after failing to get round the Coventry Ring due to the emergency stoppage at Loughborough. We were forced to turn round and replan our trip when the lock was damaged just hours before we were due there. None the less we had a great time and even caught some of the good weather. I would agree though that it is not an occupation to be undertaken lightly - we have been debating it for years and our plan is taking shape. I'm sure we will be after advaice from those already cc'ing before we take the plunge.

any ideas who to try? Before we embark on the costly route of buying our own bespoke boat for cc'ing in a couple of years time we thought we would do a week in Feb to see just how cold and miserable it feels at that time of year. We are thinking we want to buy a trad, so that seems the best way to go. We just fancy a week long bimble to mimic the sort of life we might lead when we set off in ernest, although we realise any hire boat will probably lack the sort of comodities we will add to our own craft. We are an experienced boating couple who do slow down for others even though we no longer own our family boat Suggestions gratefully received. Thanks.

Yes please! Can you stop him watching the Olympics all day so he never gets the list of jobs done? BTW, he is now signed in, so has a further excuse not to work at home whilst I am slogging away

Sorry to say he reports he is still unable to log in. Maybe the blocker is working again. Could you please give us some more advice or could admin set him up from their end?

Thanks for that, he's "Penguin" - don't be too quick doing it though or he'll spend all day on here while I'm at work instead of getting through that long list of jobs I'm leaving him to do!!

My husband and I both joined as new members tonight. I have got on straight away but there seems to have been a problem for him. He has not got the welcome email and does not seem to have full members rights. What has he done to upset you all (other than try to join before me when I found this forum and passed the details on to him)?