DaveP
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Posts posted by DaveP
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Are that will be the yard that moors their boats right in the bridge hole, not very considerate to other boaters who want to use the canal.
Indeed - that would be a 9' clearance past the carpenters/fitters imediately to the North of bridge 206; we did block the canal for 10 mins the other day whilst maneuvering various boats around to clear a path to the wharf for one of our dayboats to offload a wheelchair. If you were the southbound boat we held up at that time, then I do sincerely apologise for the delay caused.
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Hi
I have seen the shower facilities but cannot remember what you need to get them to work, prepayment ?
Last September, it was just the button push for the hot water (on the wall left of the door if I remember correctly)
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Dave
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How much data are people generally using in a month out of interest? (Obviously depends on the usage, but would be interested to hear how far a Gb goes!)
I'm using as close to 5Gb/mth as I can - but only because I've paid for 5Gb....
2Gb/mth in podcasts; mostly R4
2Gb/mth in general web browsing and email - about 2-3hrs/day
and a balance of iplayer stuff at the end of the month to use up the 5Gb
[that's when I've got a decent 3G signal]
Dave
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last time I looked you.were only allowed 2 weeks temp absence courtesy of an es90. Will be happy to che k
Sorry - didn't make myself clear - each ES90 is used to sign at a temporary office on one occasion (giving you two weeks absence from main area); offices were happy to issue up to two of these, thereby allowing a total of 4 weeks absence before having to move 'properly' or return.
Dave
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Hi Jo,
Glad you found some bits useful...
Currently ( this year probably) we will be on the K and A mostly with a trip down to the Thames planned at some point and even an excursion up to the Southern end of the Oxford. The 3 coverage is almost continuous / complete, until approx Hungerford where the canal turns a bit more South, and then quite quickly drops off to being patchy. At least that is what we found last year - I am currently working on a better aerial for a '3' E220 dongle, and have opened it up to hard wire a co-ax socket on to it - I will be wanting to try it out in the next week or so.....
All the best...
Nick
Hi,
Presumably that is a long USB extension cable ? The probable reason is that the volt drop is too much ( cable too thin ) and the 5 volts at the supplying socket is less than 4.5 at the dongle - they take a fair bit of current and thin cable drops too much voltage - only way round is to get a better cable really.
Also to have the extension in one piece as each connector may be losing another 0.1 or 0.2 volts if you have two or three shorter leads all plugged together.
I was going to look at supplying better power to the dongle by grafting in an extra (1602) wire on the outside of the extension lead to carry the power up - the braiding is thick enough to use as the negative and return it.
I use a 3M Belkin extension cable which seems fine as standard, but I think cost nearly £20 - it is somewhat thicker than most though.
Nick
I'm currently on the South Oxford between Heyford and Thrupp - 3 confirmed that there's no 3G coverage in the valley here (and northwards until Somerton I think). But they have given me a top-up on my linked 'phone which is allowing me to connect (albeit slowly) on 2G. They've also said that they'll sort out 3G coverage within a month - but somehow I doubt that this going to happen!
Dave
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Made redundant after 23 years....
cc'ing and claiming job seekers allowance since last February. Most Jobcentres are fine with no fixed address; many have allowed me to use their address for benefit purposes. However, Congleton and Stoke wanted daily signing. They seem to make a distinction between 'No Fixed Abode' and 'No Permanent Address'; if they decide the boat counts as the latter, then daily signing becomes a likelihood.
Most useful is the use of a ES90 form (going away from home to look for work form) which allows, if agreed in advance, you to sign at a different office twice before having to move your claim to a new office (or return to the original). The rules seem to have changed recently and Stratford-on-Avon and Banbury Jobcentres are interpreting the use of these forms as limited to 2 per period of unemployment, rather than limited by signing office.
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Dave
Due to being practically forced to move due to mooring price hikes i have had to hand my notice in in work in preparation to move my boat.I have worked all my life being ex forces and have worked on the railways for the last 5 years so am pretty un sure on the procedue to claim benefits or just pay my stamp until i find other employment.
The marina i will be going to i cant use as a postal address so am i right in thinking that a PO box is the way ahead? and how would/does this effect claiming? do i have to have a permanent address?
Sorry if these are bone questions
i just havent a clue!!!Many regards
Ollie
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Clearance is now over 2m and the indicator board is moving down from red to amber....
The Cherwell is high and still rising. Clearance under Nell Bridge is now <1.7m--
Dave
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The Cherwell is high and still rising. Clearance under Nell Bridge is now <1.7m
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Dave
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Hi.
Went to the Boat and Caravan show at the N.E.C, yesterday. Suprised how limited the display onboard equipment was, but hey ho, we are in a recession.
So, with the onset of the "Digital revolution", how do you receive your T.V.?
All the systems i saw were massive, not suited to life on a narrowboat roof as a permanent fitting, and far to complex for moi.
Cheers
John.
I'm cc'ing, so it's a bit hodge-podge....
Outdoor log aerial found on the towpath at Fradley feeds into £20 Aldi DVB-T dongle on a laptop; aerial is mounted on a long pole that fits into a pair of pipe clips on the front of the cratch. Mounting is quickly undoable for switching between horizontal and vertical polarisation. Pole lives along roof with aerial athwarts.
Signal acquisition - www.streetmap.co.uk to get boat alignment and postcode then www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/ to obtain transmitter bearing and details. Let the laptop scan channels and then reset aerial as halfway between signal dropoffs; rescan and see what's on.
Works 95% of the time (no signal here in Banbury though!). If I find a pub or suchlike with free wifi then iPlayer gets used to suck down BBC for later viewing.
Biggest issue is strong winds from astern have blown pole into the cut - a spot of gaffatape usually cures the issue for the rest of the evening...
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Dave
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Hi Folks
I've been doing a lot of work around Paddington Basin recently, in connection with the proposed major works around the station. Every time I go I see signs saying "visitor moorings just towards the basin end from Bishops Bridge Road...
Waterscape claims they don't exist, although as waterscape also thinks the Slough Arm ends at Canvey By Sea and Stoke Poges it may not be reliable at the moment!
Does anyone know how long you can stay here. I'm writing a report that mentions them and it doesn't matter what the restriction is, but I need to say what it is!
When I stayed there 14 months ago, the limit was 7 days. Closely monitored; I got an A4 leaflet on my cratch sometime during the first morning I was there. The office boat (Jena) is moored between Little Venice and the basin - they should have an idea!
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Just take it slowly and plan ahead. If you're not sure, stop and consider (a cup of tea is always a good excuse for a bit of a ponder).
Mistakes will be made, just pick yourself back up and figure out what went wrong. Get a routine set up so that you don't forget to do things (or leave things behind). Like rgreg I've been pootling round England (just not got as far) - some swing bridges on the L&L were a challenge, but all were eventually solved.
As others have said; other crews are friendly and helpful - don't ever worry about asking for assistance.
I think the hardest bit of single-handing is not having someone else to go and change the gas in the rain.
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We intend to wander around France for a bit,(well quite a bit) and we want to know about Schengen visas.
I understand that they are for 90 days only and valid upto 6 months from date of issue, if we are still in France as is likely when the 90 days is up what is the next step. Hope that Tam & Di might read this.
If you're a UK citizen then you don't need a visa - or at least no-one's given me any hassle when entering/exiting the Schengen area in the last few years, even with many months spent inside the area.
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The prospect of living aboard got me and Jan thinking today...
What do/did you have in your life that you will need to shrink down or reduce to get on board to live.
Jan and I's first thoughts are:-
1 - Extensive Music/CD collection and a stacking music system to - an ipod with docking station/speakers.
2 - Desktop PC to - a laptop.
3 - Large screen TV to - a LCD panel TV to include a DVD player.
4 - Mountain bikes to - folding bikes.
5 - Built in oven to - a combination microwave.
Any other thoughts about how to condense your life??
1 & 2 - Backup, backup, backup. Keep them somewhere safe, accessable and away from the boat.
3 - use a laptop with a DVB-T dongle. If your finances extend, get a large one for this and 'proper' work, and a netbook for email/CWDF.
4 - Don't bother with bikes; they don't extend your range from walking much and provide yet another thing to stow/worry about being damaged/stolen.
5 - Bottled gas cooker - just as good as mains gas, refills widely available and cuts down on battery charging/engine running.
My biggest change was getting rid of 3m^3 of books - now I need to start culling again; they're breeding.
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Dave
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bit geographically distant, but another data point.
John Jackson on 'Roach' (07885 284812) - Taybright @ £9.30.
This was for a couple of bags in Macclesfield yesterday.
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Dave
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Boat ahead of me got stuck this afternoon (15 July) on the cill. I'm moored up in the throat of 4E awaiting further instructions from BW. Water is 12in down from lock bypass weir in short pound between 5E and 4E.
[Edit] Clear now [16 July], although the pounds are still low up to 12E...
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Dave
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In an effort to combat some negatives, what's the most pleasurable thing about living on a narrowboat, either in a poetic sense or practical.....and have you achieved what you thought it would be, if not then what would make it perfect?
Having been down in the Smoke for a couple of days, and talking with friends over a couple (cough) of beers;
{credit: Bones} It's mine, all mine
{credit: Gibbo} The wildlife
The sense of challenge (if you want it now), or the ability to actually calm down and take life at the slow; it's down to you and no-one else
Realisation of the enormity of the creation, maintenance and restoration of the waterway systems over the last couple of centuries
The continuing search for the most perfect spot on the cut is eternal and is always (beautifully) doomed to fail. The journey, not the presumed arrival, is the sublime moment.
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I go up the L&L quite a bit, but have almost always had a crew, when single handed I've managed to follow other boats through, I did do one easy swing on my own coming out of Skipton (Leeds Direction) by the hotel which was pretty easy, as it has a long offside area to pull the boat along but had major problems just above Silsden as it was a bigger bridge, farm traffic etc, and pulling the boat with the bow rope from the open bridge kept pulling it into the bridge, kept getting stuck, so lots of fending off. It is also a sod to get shifted at the best of times, particularly with hot weather causing metal to expand and be stiffer than normal.
So any advice as to technique on this stretch with these particular bridges would be appreciated. I'm particularly interested to hear how people have managed the big bridges such as Bradley that tower over the boats. The issues seems to be that pulling on the bow rope when you're on the bridge pulls the boat ahead but also towards you and into the bridge structure.
I've read the posts about long poles and working from the towpath with ropes so you pull the bridge back after steering through, but thats not going to cut it on the heavy bridges, or the power operated ones where operation is on the offside.
I've just (several days age - now I'm lazing in the sun and eating scones) come along the same stretch single-handed.
Where I've not been able to pull into the offside to stop and open the bridge, Ive stopped close on the towpath side, taken the bow rope to the far rail on that side loosely, opened the bridge and then gently pulled the boat over to the opened bridge, boarded at the bow, gone past under power and either been able to stop on the offside at the other side to close the bridge or towed it shut on a stern rope (drifting, not under power) and then shut it. With the power bridges, I've so far managed to put the bows in on the offside and clamber up to operate the bridge from there and then reboard, motor through and remoor on the off-side to close.
Two bridges refused to open under muscle power - attached bow-rope and reversed them open; it worked without drama.
Micklethaite (199) confused me (someone's nicked the operating instruction panel), the road barriers are manually operated, but the actual swing is electric...
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If you become unemployed (and millions do!) will the DSS pay the mooring fees just as they would pay housing costs if you lived in a house? Just wondered?
It's not the DSS who would cough up - it's your local council; but, yes, Housing Benefit is designed to contribute towards mooring costs of your dwelling. [i don't know personally - because I'm CC'ing, but my first benefits office were keen on me claiming!]
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We're just at East Marton on our way home from Skipton. Brilliant weekend as always. Even the weather was kind for a change, pity about today though.
If any of you saw the boat with the garden railway on top, that was me!.
PS. Madmark, if you saw the transvestite Dr Dolittle walking about, he's a Barnsley lad, 'tha knowez.
edited for PS.
I'm moored up at Gargrave - walked into Skipton on Sat - the sight of the railway was the most convincing reason to buy a wide-beam I've come across. I was thinking about coming in again today but the rain decided me in favour of engine tinkering...
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The towpath side is piled so I would guess that you could get in there, but I normally use the offside on the old wharf next to the goods in gate and near the pipe bridge, so on the store side of the canal. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie...mp;t=h&z=20
The closest that you can get a trolley is the bus stops as they have wheel locks, but it would be worth asking at customer services if they have a non locked trolley.
I've moored against the piles - only problem is that the vegetation is a bit overgrown so staking and egress/ingess can be a bit of a pain.
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Hi - I'm Dave and I'm new to boating....
Last time I was on a narowboat was something over 15 years ago for a couple of weeks.
Now I'm 45, unemployed and have bought a boat to overwinter on and explore the system from London to (where I lived) to Blackburn (where my brother lives); been on it for two weeks now and there's lots to learn - and enjoy!
Next year, I'll get a job again, but I'm enjoying myself as a (faux) crusty to much at the moment....
I've been lurking on the forums here, absorbing info and advice (thanks - and it's awesomely useful; hopefully I'll be able to make useful contributions at some point).
Currently my issues revolve around the mysteries of diesel engines, porta-potties and the Ambridge Christmas Panto.
Cheers,
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Dave
i just havent a clue!!!
Narrow Boat Trust - where are you?
in General Boating
Posted
They passed through Lower Heyford this afternoon going South. They've got further than Dashwood lock - 'cos that's where I am at the moment.
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Dave