US Marines

Meteorologically, fog is defined as follows: Mist = visibility restricted to less than 2 kilometres Fog = visibility restricted to less than 1 kilometre Thick Fog = visibility restricted to less than 200 metres Dense Fog = visibility restricted to less than 40 metres Inland in the UK, Dense Fog is very rare. 1 mph = 0.447 metres per second, so a typical narrowboat travels at around 1 to 2 metres per second. At these speeds, fog won't typically pose a hazard. At typical road speeds, thick fog can - and does - pose a hazard. I've investigated lots of fog related road crashes and I sometimes have had to explain to witnesses that the fog didn't get less dense immediately following the collision, it is just that it appeared to be less dense when they were walking around the collision site compared to when they were driving to it (200 metres is quite a long way when you are walking around but not so far when you are travelling at 70 mph (31 metres per second)). Similarly, I've read loads of Police statements referring to 'torrential rain' when they were blue-lighting it to an incident which 'eased off' as soon as they arrived !

Sorry, it was us - We were just waterboarding a group of young-uns for hanging about looking shifty when the time got away from us .... .....I blame those limp wristed commie loving liberals that got all hot under the collar and made us geographically restrictify our secure 'West is Best' education facility where we used to do this kind of thing in the privacy of someone else's country without causing any trouble to the natives. And it worked even better when we had that 'special relationship' which meant that you lot used to pay for all the particularly shifty looking ones to be shipped out to it.

Maybe not, but I'm guessing a seal would improve the 'performance' no end ! [groan] And you do need a packhorse I'm sure : 2 x 9 foot long halves plus ballast = heavy !

I think the potential 'lift' on the bows issue might be just to do with the perspective of the photos and, as said earlier, not enough ballast at the front, giving the whole boat a pronounced slope when in the water. An amazing model - VERY well made that man .... ! I'm guessing you had to build it completely from scratch and that there were no plans to work from at all. It also can't be 'Action Man', he'd be too small at that scale .... Hopefully, we'll get to see it 'in the flesh' at a show sometime ?

And you've discovered sarcasm - whoop-de-doo to you It looks a hell of a model to me !

When you say 'more revealing', I'm REALLY hoping you mean of the boat !

Maybe not 'sneering' but its simply not nice to tell someone who was asking for advice that you think that their purchase - which they like - was an expensive thing to do ! Anyway, I bought a new boat once and asked the builder to fit it all out for me.... ...that is, except for the bathroom which, for some reason which I can't now remember, I didn't want him to fit out for me - and then [dang me] if, once I'd been using it a few weeks, I suddenly realised that it needed doing and went on the forum to ask for advice on how best to do it..... But then I'm thick and no sane person would do this..... As Blackrose should have known....

Hi Dank, My advice is not even to try and sort out the problem yourself. Why should you ? The boat is clearly not fit for purpose and anything you do to rectify the problem yourself will tend to legitimise any potential argument suggesting that it is your responsibility. There is clearly only one appropriate course of action and that is to get the boat builder to sort it out. Trading Standards should help with this and you could at least threaten their involvement and/or a Solicitor's involvement. It is simply not acceptable for a builder to operate in this way - but I would also be interested in understanding why the relationship between you ended up like this - which could be the root cause of why you are now being subjected to such an unhelpful attitude.

Quite an interesting thread I thought, then suddenly it descends into a personal slur on Robkg As it happens I am a friend of Robkg so whilst he appears to not want to put you straight, I am more than happy to. These testimonials are the ones I know of, there may be more. Ref. His first fit out of Alice: "A highly proficient fit out" Andy Burnett Ref. Waterways World Nov. 2008 Article on Grace "truly outstanding boat" "fitted out to an exceptionally high standard" "very high standard of workmanship" "The middle cabin is probably the most amazing use of space I have seen on a modern boat" "a fantastic cruising boat" Mark Langley IWA National Waterways Festival 2008 Judges comments included "a boat that any professional fitter should try to look at for ideas" and "full of innovative ideas" Waterways World Trophy:- Best amateur fit out - Winner Marion Monk Rose Bowl:- Best private narrow beam craft - Winner So soldthehouse, prehaps you should try to be a little better informed before you voice your opinions on other forum users competence.

Thanks Dave - and yes, I do recognise this point of 'free loaders' but that doesn't explain why there isn't a licence available to me to use the canal how I want to. If there was such a licence available, I'm guessing that there would be quite a few buyers and the overall situation would be clarified and thus easier to enforce. I take the point that the system is 'full'. However, your (slightly over the top, if I may say ! )) example would not apply if the licence to do what I do cost the same as a typical static BW towpath mooring.

Thanks Chris, I wasn't aware of that history. Yes, so far, I haven't had a problem - but I can't help feeling uncomfortable about having to 'push the rules' like this, and I can't help but feel edgy that one day, I'll get an enforcement notice. I'd far rather that BW had clear and sensible (even 'reasonable' ?) rules that everyone could obey, and then enforced those rules 100% of the time, than this situation of having unrealistic rules that are inconsistently enforced.

I, for one, would very much like to know what that reason is....any ideas ? (As I said in my original post, we're not talking about 'honey pot' areas here, where I fully understand that lengths of stay should be limited). My boat is 70 feet long and that's how much of the canal it takes up - it doesn't get any longer if I stay in the same place for more than 14 days. Are, but you see, there is not: (i) marinas aren't the right distance apart, (ii) most of my winter cruising is done at weekends and I don't want to spend most of my Sunday sorting out a berth. I go on a canal to relax and chug around, I don't want to have to organise and lodge a 'flight plan' weeks in advance...... And, as I said, I suspect I am not alone in this and the current licencing situation simply does not cater for it (i.e. as I said in my original post, I would be prepared to consider paying a premium if it was held to be necessary, so its not a question of fee dodging)

I couldn't agree more. Where has the "wrong" info come from? Incidentally, in my opinion his boats are the best replica joshers available.

I have a problem with the current mooring regulations. As I like to cruise the system rather than just my local canal, I "continuously cruise" around the country. I am not a liveaboard and have other commitments that mean that I cannot always move the boat within a two week period. My situation is not catered for by the current rules. I propose two alternative legislation changes that may provide a solution. 1. Areas that are not "popular" desirable moorings should have a longer time period for mooring. After all, why does it matter if my boat is at point A for four weeks as opposed to point A for two weeks and point B for two weeks? Those areas considered desirable should then be monitored more rigourously with fines for overstaying applied. (this doesn't need to cost more as the wardens could spend more of their time targeting the premium mooring areas and much less frequently cover the rest of their area) 2. Another category of licence in addition to "continuous cruising" could be available allowing a boat to moor for longer than two weeks in unmarked areas (i.e. not signed as 24 hour, 7 day, 14 day etc. moorings) for an additional payment. A sort of "mobile mooring permit". Without such a change to the regulations, if I wish to explore the system, I am resigned to occasionally breaking the rules. I suspect that I am not alone.

I've done self pump outs in a boat and I've done cassettes in a caravan - as the aptly (in this instance) Smelly put it above - sh*t stinks ! Do I want the occasional 15 minutes of a peg on my nose whilst holding a pipe or the frequent lug, splash and rinse of a cassette......hmmmmm.... Elsan blue can be used in both, so not a deciding factor.... hmmm... Every 3 days or every 3 weeks..... now that IS a deciding factor Pump out for me, I thank you !