Ray T

I use 50/50 water / antifreeze in our system, had no problems in 4 years. Radiators heat up ok. Eberspacher, by the way.

For me it would have to be answer B. As I was a Project Manager in a previous life I look for problems where there may not be ones, but there again there may.

I've used Tamyia model masking tape with some success: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0000WS000/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3/279-1145208-9193615?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_r=0E18W7KMXNBFZXWP7XW8&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_i=B000BN9R1Y Obviously because it is narrow it needs additional masking tape on top. Comes in various sizes: 6, 10, 18mm

Before getting rid of the cratch board it might be an idea to see where any rain water drains. Our boat has a Reeves hull with a full depth cratch. Any water which gets in this area drains to the engine bilge via a tube down the length of the boat on each side. A cratch cover is essential in our case as we do not live aboard. I endeavour to visit the boat once a week at least but occasionally once a fortnight. If we left the cratch area open to the elements a lot of water could drain into the engine bilge. We also have an automatic bilge pump as a additional safety measure.

Apparently now marketed as Brasso: http://www.amazon.co.uk/kitchen-home/dp/B001CIZ5GI

I've noticed it is not so "creamy" as a few years ago. Also if left it appears to seperate to a liquid with lumps in it and no amount of shaking will make it re constitute.

Well worth doing IMHO. I have been sailing offshore for 40 odd years and narrow boating for about 20 and I still learnt a few tricks.

When we bought our boat it was called Frogmoore III with Rickmansworth below the name. Two things happened which made us want to change the name: 1 We got fed up of people asking if we were from Rickmansworth. 2 Just after we bought the boat we were ascending Calcutt locks with another boat. The woman on board the other boat said "Have you bought that boat?" On my affirmative reply her repost was "We looked at that boat, didn't think much to it". During a previous cruise on a hire boat round the Cheshire Ring we spent a beautiful idyllic summers evening moored off Croxton Flash, a couple of Great Crested Grebe were swimming and diving in the flash. I mentioned to Mrs T that when we got our own boat I would like her named in memory of that evening. So Croxton Flash with a painting of a Great Crested Grebe below the name.

Not the Northern Waterways Martin, the title is reserved for the bit of The Coventry Canal through Nuneaton. This may or may not be fact just my humble opinion to avoid any threat of litigation.

Can't see it Richard, I believe it is this: http://www.youtube.com/embed/JyU6SonN6mc?html5=1&fs=1

Examples of £20K boats here: http://www.whiltonmarina.co.uk/used-narrowboats/20000-30000.aspx My preference would be to wait and go for a more expensive boat. We bought a 1998 45' boat in 2009 for around £30K which needed some work but the metalwork was sound. We have had work done on her and done a fair bit ourselves. I know we will never get that money back but we have a boat we are happy with. It was on sale at a brokers for a few grand more than what we paid but we used the faults to haggle the price down. As as been said before it is a buyers market at the moment and you may be able to haggle a £25K boat down to £20K Good hunting.

Mark, sad this is I know, but I have put 3 lengths of split clear (car windscreen washer tubing) polly tubing round the bottom of the can at approx 120 degree spacing. This protects both the boat roof and the bottom ot the can.

Terence has painted several items for me, like you I am very pleased with them I know not all, by any means like "Roses and Castles", But I do.

Get a dog ETA Mrs T works part time so I try to get to the boat once a week to do all the "tatting" which needs doing. Top Tip: If you want to get those jobs done, don't take a bottle of wine with you.

I'm just awestruck by it all.

This section has what's on: http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showforum=38

Wasn't by any chance Whitefield was it?

I can second Hack Green as worth a visit. http://www.hackgreen.co.uk/

I am aware of this having done a "offshore sea survival" course in the relative safety of a swimming pool. A proper self inflating life raft was used and the course members all had full offshore clothing plus an inflated life jacket on. The life raft had a weighted all rope ladder which hung down at the entrance. As you say the ladder and me did swing beneath the raft when I attempted to climb into the raft. One of the tests was to climb in unaided - very difficult just in a swimming pool let alone a rough sea where the raft would be used in anger. However it was easier to use when there was already others in the raft able to help. I know my solution isn't perfect but to my mind, something is better than nothing. Also it depends on having others on the boat. If you are single handed the only useful aid may be a self inflating jacket but then that in it self becomes a barrier to getting out of the cut, if the sides are concrete or Armco, and getting on to a boat.

With regards to Imperial vs Metric. Fuel is delivered in litres, yet I work out how many miles per gallon my car consumes. Also a little while ago some dodo in government suggested a cheap way of converting the MPH road signs to metric - just use the existing signs but call them KPH, so, eg 30mph would now read as 30kph. The added advantage was sited as massive fuel savings. So the Motorway speed limit would be 43.5 mph ! KPH MPH 30 19 50 31 60 37 80 50 100 62 120 75

There is a "disabled mooring" at Braunston. The bollards have a wheelchair motive on the top and at one time the motive was painted orange although the paint has now faded somewhat.

I was under the impression that any one could used a "disabled mooring" until a boat with a "disabled" person came along. The original boat was then obliged to move. However I may have been mis informed..................?

I've made a rope ladder with wooden rungs. It has a big snap shackle on a loop at the top. The loop can be popped over a dolly, T stud etc., whilst the shackle can be attached to mooring rings, Armco and so forth. We've not had to use it in anger yet and hope we never do...... As it is rope, the ladder can be stored in a collapsed state, in a locker or any where to hand and does not take up much room.

I use this on rope buttons, tipcat's etc. http://www.diy.com/nav/decor/paint-woodcare/general-wood-care/wood_treatment/Bartoline-Creocote-Wood-Treatment-Dark-brown-4L-11517591?skuId=12028299 Bartoline creocote

The above make my marina mooring good value. I may be in a "caravan park" but it suits me.