[Stability of cafe boat]

I assume there are no low bridges between there and a dry dock

[The Ian Moss (AKA - Magpie the Elder) Collection]

100045E depicts sign reading UKW22//UKW78. UKW are the Dutch or German versions of VHF and it indicates which VHF channel you are to use for communication with Port control (Locks etc) in either direction. It seems to be among several photos of the Rhine but I can't identify where. The signs are common, but it would be possible to check in which pound(s) there are a lock with ch.22 at one end and ch.78 at the other.

[Mooring (Riperarian Rights)]

As you would be changing the use of the land planning consent might become involved.

[An introduction to the Grand Surrey Canal]

I've had a quick look, and the best is the link  https://londoncanals.uk/historical/the-croydon-canal-20-route-maps/  of maps and photos of the route.

 

I see it was opened 1809 at the same time as the Grand Surrey, and was originally planned as the Croydon & Rotherhythe Canal. The Grand Surrey was supposed to get to Portsmouth, but rail development put paid to both of them.

 

It closed in 1836 and was the first canal to be abandoned by Act of Parliament

[An introduction to the Grand Surrey Canal]

Somewhere I have reference to research done probably by a canal enthusiast society which gives a lot of photos of what traces they have found. It should be on my computer so I'll see if I can locate it.

[An introduction to the Grand Surrey Canal]

The Croydon canal joined the Grand Surrey at New Cross, but only lasted for about 30 years in the early 1800s. It was  just over 9 miles long with 28 locks, and South Norwood Lake remains as one of the two reservoirs that fed it.

 

[Home made wine]

We made a variety of wines in the 60s when we lived on Progress; elderberry and rose petal come particularly to mind. The elderberry was disgusting and I shoved it under a bench and forgot about it. Several years later I stumbled on it and tried it again, and it had really come good. Now we spend a lot of time in Burgundy it's not worth the bother.  😃

[Collapsible Wheelhouse: £ and method]

It very much depends upon how elaborate a structure you want. Matty40s' concept would be far cheaper - it would just be a matter of finding someone to do the job. The most basic would be the sort of rainshed that several working boatmen used - 4 squares of ply, one for each side, one with a viewing slot at the front, and one for the top. all held together with hooks and eyes. It could easily be worked up into something a bit smarter and more permanent  😀

 

 

[Best route from Gloucester to Lechlade/Devizes]

In that case I apologise. People do appear on here and take exception to the replies, and are then never heard of again. I did feel that you were a she but with modern mores it does get problematic and writing (s)he too cumbersome.

[Best route from Gloucester to Lechlade/Devizes]

The OP hasn't been back since midnight Saturday. I've a feeling he thinks we aren't regarding him seriously. Their reading hadn't told them about narrow canals, nor that they would not be able to move 1-2 miles every two weeks on the upper Thames, but they may well get away with that interpretation of Continuous Cruising on the K&A - George Ward seems to have.

[Old paintings of London Docks]

Most of ours were too. And one possibly of interest to the historically minded - it is the Gravesend end of the Thames and Medway canal. Bernard Sickert is the brother of the famous Walter, and his pictures don't fetch much  😀 (not that we could have afforded it if it was by Walter)

 

[Old paintings of London Docks]

We got this limited edition print in the 80s when Julian Trevelyan's workshops were being cleared out. He was one of the painters commissioned to paint scenes at the beginning of WW2 in order to preserve the memories. We have one by Grace Golden, another of this group, of the Regents Canal

 

[Old paintings of London Docks]

We have a fair number too, but none of scenes within the docks. This is the closest geographically, though we have others more stylistically similar to yours:

 

[Old paintings of London Docks]

Are they paintings you have?

[Best route from Gloucester to Lechlade/Devizes]

8 hours ago, 999 Neets said:

Who’s to say we don’t have boat knowledge?

 

The only thing you say is that you have done a lot of reading. I think the question was do you have practical experience too?

 

8 hours ago, 999 Neets said:

Yep, we’ve read and read and read! Like I said, we were ready to buy this boat but became a little concerned about lack of direct routes.

 

[Yarwood's Fuel Cap]

1 hour ago, Ray T said:

From a video

.... at Bulls Bridge.

[Severn towing - butties?]

I'm not convinced by that interpretation. It does say 'through' Sharpness Docks, not 'from and to .....' the Docks, and any vessel coming up off the Severn through the lock will in reality pass through the Docks en route. It is simply that the tidal waters below the lock are outside of C&RT jurisdiction. The application form is headed TOWAGE REQUIREMENTS: SHARPNESS PORT; GLOUCESTER AND SHARPNESS CANAL AND RIVER SEVERN which makes it  clear that they are regarded as separate - it does not simply apply to a journey from the Dock along the G&S Canal and continuing up the Severn Navigation, but would apply to each of the three waters mentioned individually, e.g. a tow confined entirely to the Severn Navigation.

 

The form talks extensively of commercial towing operation involving multiple tugs, and of a tug and tow with maximum beam 8.5m and maximum airdaft 38m so they're not going to get far with those dimensions.

 

It's an extremely loose bit of wording though, and is applicable right up to where you come onto the river at Diglis and on up to Stourport-on-Severn.

[Severn towing - butties?]

1 hour ago, IanM said:

That’s hardly a narrow boat and butty as per the original post though. 

To be fair the original post said only that there was no apparent exemption for small leisure craft - they are simply part of a larger picture. It does talk specifically of craft coming from Sharpness Port so the emphasis is on large commercial craft.

The waterways mentioned would include pleasureboats on a voyage from the K&A round towards Gloucester, but I doubt that there are many doing that which involve a tow. 

[Boating etiquette]

13 minutes ago, IanD said:

 

And in "modern times" that anyone alive has boating experience of -- let's say since the Big Freeze in 1962-63?

For me it was when we first started, in the 50s, but given your definition I'd say '62, as the big freeze was the nail in the coffin of what little commercial narrowboat trade still existed to that time. We did still enjoy boating for several years after that, but by 1981 when the barrel boat contract ended there were already beginning to be too many continuous moorers, and too many of them expected you to pass impossibly slowly and shouted loudly if their boat moved even one jot. It was also when there stopped being lock keepers and lengthsmen to deal with local problems.

 

Tam

[Uni Students who live on Narrowboats]

20 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

I lived in a narrow boat for a few years while I was studying for my first degree as a mature student about 25 years ago and then later on my widebeam while I was doing my PhD.

It's perfectly possible if you have the money to buy a boat, licence, etc, and have the inclination to do the maintenance & upkeep.

In terms of the experience it's more or less the same as living on a narrow boat as a non-student.

 

Me and Di both went to University as mature students about 1969> - 3 year sandwich courses. We lived on Progress at the time and had two young children. Grants are obviously very different now and living costs probably take a greater % of income, but as Blackrose says the actual practicalities of boat life is no different to that of non-student boat dwellers. It basically comes down to whether or not the person has the capability required to live on a boat, period. Certainly if they are likely to find boat life difficult to cope with then the added stress of studying for a degree won't help a lot.

 

Tam

[Hoping to be a boater]

15 hours ago, blue mick said:

I live in the north near manchester, I intent to have it moored at a marina near a train station of work purposes.

Somebody I was speaking with said if I more it each week I would avoid council tax.

So I think just cruising up a down the local canal, certainly not constant cruising 

No don't know much about boats total beginner but so was everyone once

 If you have a permanent address on which you already pay Council Tax a don't think that a place you stay in part-time would also incur the tax whether or not it was occasionally moved. The suitability of this particular craft is a different issue.

 

Tm

[March of the Widebeams]

On 29/06/2023 at 23:32, magnetman said:

It is entirely probable that some bridges were made to accommodate narrow boats which were usually towed one behind the other but made wide to allow passing of boats under the bridge. I imagine they would have probably organised things so that nobody was fannying around waiting for the other one to get through the bridge hole.

 

I've certainly met/passed when loaded another loaded boat in a bridgehole on the Grand Union. That was early 70s which as I come to think of it was about half a century ago 😲 so lord knows what would happen with two deep drafted boats today. The bridge was on a slight bend so we neither of us saw the other coming, and as a trainee at the time I might have eased a bit when I saw him otherwise. But he was a born-and-bred boatman and we simply nodded to each other and went on our way with no problem at all.

 

I have also passed other craft in bridgeholes when empty and didn't even think twice about it.

 

Tam

[Filling a void space]

The Dutch barge grease is known as Owatrol. You can buy sprays for it on Amazon, but they're possibly a bit pricey for a 1-off job. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Waxoyl-6141711-High-Pressure-Sprayer/dp/B019CXRV16/ref=sr_1_5

 

Tam

[A good Idea? Could it be extended to all wide waterways?]

3 hours ago, enigmatic said:

does anyone actually cruise 12'6 boats on the GU?

No idea about now, but certainly the Grand Junction Carrying Company built the 12'6" wideboat Progress specifically for the purpose, and we were cruising it regularly at the time of the Fraenkel Report in the 60s when cruising waterway standards were established.

[Moorings which allow you to rent your boat out .]

It would be pretty obvious to any marina owner who visited his site regularly. Casting a blind eye over someone living on board is one thing, but accepting an AirBnB situation would be altogether different.