David Mack

Danish oil should be fine then. If it was permanently outside it would need a more durable finish.

When we were rebuilding the locks on the Droitwich Barge Canal back in the 80s, several of the locks had timber frames built into the brickwork and running back into the ground alongside. At the time we assumed they were some sort of tieback arrangement, for the lock walls but, but the wood was much decayed and must have long been ineffective. Perhaps there is something similar here.

Who built the Middlewich Branch? Is it a 'canal' or a 'branch'? Was the Wardle Canal built by the T&M company under the powers of the Middlewich Branch, rather than T&M company's own powers? If so then perhaps it isn't technically a branch of the T&M Canal, but a separate freestanding canal which just happened to have been built by the same company.

I can recall occasions in the past when there was unexpected failure of a lock gate and CRT simply reprioritised their work to fix the immediate problems, sometimes meaning that a planned stoppage for gate replacement elsewhere got deferred. In general there will be planned gate replacements on all canals, so even though the failed gate may not be precisely the same size as any others, they will have material in stock for similar gates which can be diverted for the purpose.

Is this a removable tiller which is stored inside the boat when not in use, or is it permanently outside in all weathers?

It just popped up on my YouTube feed.

And fastenings that probably do have fairly good metal to metal contact.

And the inside of the bow thruster tube if you have one.

I wonder if CRT are still 'liaising with relevant parties' to get the Springs Branch reopened, over 8 years from the closure and nearly 4 years from the last update.

How big is the biggest space between pigeon boxes/mushroom vents? How much space could you create if you replaced on of the mushroom vents with a low profile flying saucer vent and mounted the panel above it?

So after 10 years, the notified body can dispose of its records. Will brokers still want to see RCR/PCA documentation for a boat more than 10 years old?

I see the Co-op Live is still not live, the latest opening event having been cancelled 10 minutes after the doors were due to open! https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/may/01/manchester-co-op-live-arena-cancels-opening-concert-after-technical-issue

Epoxy them!

Canal (but not towpath or road) open from 8.00 tomorrow. https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/27972-between-deepdale-bridge-17-and-lowes-bridge-15-trent-and-mersey-canal

Indeed. But presumably anyone building a new marina from scratch is going to be doing the same.

Really? Two non stories which don't seem to represent any change from the current normal and sensible practice. In the first link, some problems were easily sorted and the canal soon reopened. In the second, a problem was reported this afternoon, an inspection is being made and it appears the problem can't be dealt with there and then. So CRT are preparing a repair plan. The stoppage notice says an update will be provided tomorrow. What else would you expect them to do?

You don't want the solar connected by the battery main switch, or you won't be able to turn the electrics off and have solar continue to charge the batteries while you are away from the boat. But whichever side of the main switch it is connected there should be a fuse or circuit breaker in the 12V line, as close as reasonably possible to the battery. I fitted something like this. Available in various current ratings. Note that these are DC breakers - some you see for sale are only suitable for AC systems. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/194580750402

Quite. To jam while it was open you would have to have the situation that the bridge is hot enough that it can only just be opened, and that in the fairly short time while it is open the beating sun heats it up a bit more, enough that it won't close, even with a bit of force. Unlikely I would have thought. By the same logic, if the bridge was normally kept open but only closed when a train was due, then you would get far more 'stuck open' situations and very few 'stuck closed'.

And what is the impact on prices of less competition?