HenryFreeman

My journey south was going to take me via the Coventry canal then Oxford Canal (Northern Section). Obviously I can't do this now so can anyone recommend something of a diversion? Cheers!

Thanks for that heads up, I won't be going that way then! So not the Macclesfield - Trent and Mersey, Coventry Canal, Grand Union. The Macclesfield will have to wait for another day. Cheers!

Yeah, good point. Coming from Barnoldswick -> Chorley -> Wigan and then going onto the Macclesfield and onwards south via Oxford Canal -> Braunston -> Grand Union.

Ah perfect, thank you! Cheers! Big help!

Thanks for this! So that brings up a new question about how/who/where/when to pay for a visitor mooring on the Bridgewater! How/who/where/when do I pay for a mooring? Thanks for the suggestions! I've a 55' narrowboat so may/may not be a squeeze in that spot. It's just going to be for at most 5 days/a week. I'll look up that marina and see what they have. I don't mind paying £10 a night! Thanks very much!

Hey all, Will be heading to Manchester over the next few weekends as part of my cruise down south. I'm wondering if anyone can recommend any moorings which might be safe(ish) to leave a boat for a few days in-between cruising days? I seem to recall reading Manchester isn't the best place to leave a boat but would welcome any opinions. Thanks!

Cheers! There is an idea too.

Will do some reading! Might be a cheaper approach. Cheers!

Yeah, not getting that one! I'm going for the cheaper one, the AC200 (About £1200). I suppose for the expensive one it's built to be expanded - you can add up to 4 additional battery packs to give you 12000 watt hours. But yes, pricey.

Thanks all for your advice! Just to answer a few questions.. I've got a portable generator (Kipor 2600) and a Victron battery charger that I use to keep the batteries charged rather than using the engine. So am basically able to charge the battery bank whenever it needs charging. I've also just remembered I've got a small 400w inverter that is used for powering my Morco water heater which might well suffice for charging the Bluetti. The Bluetti is a LiFePO4 power station/battery with a built in 2000w inverter and can power 240v appliances, usb, 12v etc. It's a handy unit (not that I have one yet but have been doing a lot of reading up on them) and possibly a bit more flexible than a traditional lead acid battery bank. Plus you can add additional battery packs to extend it to 8000+ watt hours.

Hey all, Looking for some advice. So I've had the same set of lead acid batteries for about 7 years now and they've basically given up the ghost. And while my boat was in the boat yard getting painted, the inverter went arse up due to being filled with sandblasting sand. So between the two, it's got me thinking about my electrics. Honestly, I don't use a lot of electrical items on the boat outside the lights, fridge, pump for shower, pump for water, bilge pump. Anything like running a laptop, TV etc. I just run off the built in battery (laptop/phone) and the TV is rarely turned on. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's also full of sand and knackered. So I'm beginning to wonder if replacing all the 4 lead acid domestic batteries and getting another inverter would be a waste of money? What I'm wondering is how few domestic batteries I can get away with installing to run the pumps, lights and fridge. 1 would be ideal but I suspect that might not be possible. Lights and pumps fine - fridge as well? Possibly not. I've also got 600w of solar on the roof. The fridge is one of those Inlander 12v conversions. For the money I'd spend on 4 batteries and another inverter, I could get one or two domestic batteries and one of those big Bluetti power stations (https://bluettipower.co.uk/products/bluetti-ac200max) for running any 240v stuff on the rare occasion 240v stuff gets run. Wondered if anyone has any advice/suggestions? What is a realistic minimum based on the above? Just thinking, I'd probably need an inverter of some kind to charge up the Bluetti. But maybe just a cheap and cheerful one rather than a fancy Victron one. Cheers!

You can find many of them right here. People are lazy - they'll just blame an entire demographic rather than making the effort to understand the majority of people in whatever group get on with their own business quietly and contently.

Thank you, will definitely keep all this in mind when I'm planning the trip. Some very useful advice there!

Thanks Jen!

Yeah, this will be more next year. I'll slowly start heading the right direction but realistically looking to start making the move after March.