classicstove

You migt want to have a look at http://www.canalshop.co.uk/acatalog/maps.html which is the best selection I have found John

If you need to know the pubs along most of the canal systeml, I loaded onto the net many years worth of notes and welcome feedback - the research is very taxing !

Not all locks were built the same ! The 'draw' of the top end paddle is dependant on where the culvert enters the lock On the Trent and Mersey Canal (Cheshire locks), the water enters the chamber from under the cill directly down the chamber so putting water under the boat and drawing forward to the cill On the northern section of the Starford Canal, the water enters the chamber just in front of the cill but at right angles so boats are pushed away from the bump board/cill I have not seen the Tardibigge chambers drained, however, they will be a variation of the above which will result in a pull of water towards the cill

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Travelsat http://www.travelsat.me.uk Satellite solutions for boats Call Martyn on 07914 401036 or e-mail: martyn@travelsat.me.uk

The last 'safe' place to moor from the direction you are coming from is the Fox and Anchor Pub near Bridge 71 which is about an hour away from the bottom of the '21' It will take you up to 3 hours to climb the locks and then another 2 hours to get to the BCLM which is safe to moor If you are coming from Stone, I would suggest planning a two day trip stopping at Penkridge for the night whch allows a relatively early approach of the '21' The Wolverhampton level (above the 21) is said to be nearly/on weir, and the weed is normally limited to outside the channel John

Phil the website for the site (http://www.riversideisland.co.uk/) should be the correct address and is shown in the Postcode Adress File (PAF) provided by Royal Mail If you are paying for a Royal Mail Redirection, then you can always change the delivery address part way through the period you are paying for John

You may want to purchase a book which outlines single handed boating practices - A boaters Guide to Boating http://www.canalshop.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh00000...tml%23a405#a405

Recently travelled the Staffs and Worcs - all the canal is safe to more overnight except the section between Coven and Compton and I would also avoid Kidderminster

If you are going 'proper' boating to parts of the BCN that others fear to explore, you may need: - a good shaft - to pull off the carpet/cloth you might catch - a hot kettle - to put the water down the weed hatch to warm the very cold water up before putting hands in - a sharp knife - to cut off the prop what can't be removed by the shaft - a small set of wire cutters to tackle the cable that's been wrapped around the prop - a large set of wire cutters - becuase the small ones are not big enough and lastly a bottle opener for the beer needed when you stop !

Waterways World, February 2010 ran an article on the problem of condensation and showed the use of a plastic gravel tray that is then insulated and covers the hatch

You might like to have a look at this site http://www.englishcrafts.co.uk

Royal Mail PO Boxes A PO Box can only be provided when it is associated with an address within the same Delivery Office Post Offices used as addresses The majority of Post Offices (the Post Office web site says check first) will accept mail address Name, Post Restante, Address of the PO and is is designed for travellers MBE and others MBE (Mail Box Etc) will supply a Mail Box at one of their 100 stores across the UK and mail can be collected from them. The premises will be shown as a 'business' so using as a street address may not be possible River and Canal Rescue do not provide a mail service directly but work with Waterways Mail to provide a service to boaters. There are 3 providers that service the boating community: www.boatmail.co.uk www.shiptoshore.co.uk www.waterwaysmail.co.uk each having a variety of services available - or you can get your granny/auntie to do the same thing

My 1991 Colecraft built hull was a 'standard' 10/6/4 so it seems likely that all built around this time were the same Would be an idea to ring Sam or Dom Cole at Colecraft to see if they have a record of the boat and what thickness it was built with ?

Thought I would add my experience My boat is copper with plastc fittings. Before I used to drain everthing down, one night the temperatrure went down to around minus -10. No pipes split but several were pushed out of the fittings so when it did warm up, the carpet got soggy with what was between the tank (protected by a stopcock) and the taps I now drian everything down but last winter failed to get all the water out of the fittings and when recharging this spring, had several leaks from joints Moral of the story is be safe by draining unless heated - I have heard some boaters leaving greenhouse heaters on inside the boat to provide some warmth

Try Alpaca socks Very warm and comfortable !

No suggestions for pubs as I haven't got my notes with me ! From memory can concur the ones at Red Bull, Lock 69 cafe (providing you can stand the noise of the M6 all night) and the chip shop at Wheelock all good. Remember Manchester having some great restaurants near to Castlefiled Basin which was very welcome after decending Ashton/Rochdale 9. Higher Poynton has a decent pub (food and beer good) on the road to the Anson Museum I have boated along the majority of the route and for the benefit of others captured timings so real times as opposed to calculated can be used. The Macc particuarly can be slow in parts as ther is plenty of soft mud in the cut Link: http://www.boatmail.co.uk/canal%20info.html

You may want to ahve a look at: http://www.narrowboattrust.org.uk/index.html as I uderstand the boats get around all the canal system

Contact www.canalshop.co.uk who has been around on the canals for many years and has connections with different suppliers If Neil can't find a reasoanble priced copy then I doubt if anyone will

You may like to consider a hybrid between joint ownership and letting out in the weeks unoccupied May be worth may be worth benchmarking against cottages already let out such as the Landmark Trust Cootage at Lowsonford on the Stratford Canal or the one let at Stoke Bruene

In working days, water was at a premium so the use of, in effect, three single locks instead of a staircase will save water Staircase locks always pass more a lockful of water (if the flight is full) to waste down the canal. So we have to remember that the principle of a canal was to use one lockful of water when going downhill using the emptying lock water to fill the next one going downhill where possible The arrangement at The Bratch helps to save the water The feed for the Bratch in the past was from a resevoir where now it depends how many people pull the chain in Wolverhampton via the sewerage works at Cut End (Shropshire Union Canal)

Naughty naughty Thinking about cutting up an historic artifact ! If I wanted independant power, I would 'motorise' the butty by putting a shaft/prop through the back end (cutting some of the elum away) which would be quite hidden Have also seen replacing the elum with a steel replica where part of the elum has been replaced with a hydraulic drive/prop arrangement

I dribble at ther collection of Gardners Just look at the one they start with blowlamps !