Bobbybass

I covered the bullseye for several years. One day came back to the smell of burning...and the lens had focussed the sun onto the board I had used as covering. It was just.....one freak time....when the sun was at a certain angle. Another half hour and the boat would have been gone.

Movable ballast is good. You may view an empty boat at a brokers...and it's nice and level. You move on board and fill the cupboards with tins and bottles.... normally on one side...and it starts to lean. Also...some boats have toilet tanks on one side that fill and pull them over. A heavy wife sat on one side....may get you rethinking the ballast situation. 😃

I've owned and lived on three boats. You get the regular items.... license... insurance etc...but then you get the unexpected failures... pumps.... alternators ...and unexpected stuff. Realistically....£5-7k if you are going to maintain the boat in good operational condition.....but that is in my opinion

I totally agree with that.

That's why I said......maybe....😃

I had a silencer similar to the photo. If you cover the outlet with your hand and blow into it....it should hold pressure. Although mine looked continuous welded it leaked badly. I obtained a tubular stainless silencer to be on the safe side. I'm sure the BSS inspection would fail this... maybe....🤔

Yes....I did the K&A at that point. I went back to it as I had a marina mooring there...and was on it four years until recently. It's a lot worse...in fact in terminal decline. If you thought it bad in 2010 you should see it now !. I did a run ... Newbury to Devizes with some newbies. At Devizes they all said they wished they'd never done it and wanted to sell . End if the dream.

A spent my last 4 years on the K&A. It was becoming a total nightmare. The canal itself is in a terrible state with the obvious lock gate problems....but worse than that the locks themselves. About 75% of the locks from Newbury to Devizes have failed pointing on the brickwork and many have big chunks where the bricks have fallen out. I can't imagine where they could begin to find the money to close and repair all of those?. It's only a matter of time before a section actually falls across a boat...with the result that Elf and safety will inspect/ close and condemn the lot. Also....the number of new boats, particularly wide beams....means you are on constant tick over...and your chance of a mooring spot is very limited. I've had plenty of run ins with the owners of the largest wide beams...who put out deliberately long lines so you don't get anywhere near there glossy paintwork. Maybe you would find that elusive residential spot on the K&A but I think it's the worst canal on the network for a new boater.I met many "newbies" there that longed for a house again.

Not really.... I stayed onboard a boat for a few nights...while helping the couple to move it. The portaloo was for liquid...so easy to deal with. The pump out was for more.... solid items...and so didn't need emptying very often..

I'm always curious about the people you see on TV....on the various programs like small spaces...who buy a cheap boat then spend ages fitting out the inside. They often give the hull a quick coat....but don't realise that painting the outside is like the forth bridge. There will be many times when you can't relax you have to scrape rust and repair. That along with the amount of time they spend on the inside compared with a quick scratch of the hull. It's like restoring train lines or canals. You can't just rub your hands and say..."that's finished" and walk away. There is ongoing maintenance... painting....oil changes if you're living aboard and running the engine...new batteries every few years....abides....ongoing repairs. " Always look on the bright....side of life " 😀😀

Was it insured? 🤔

I thought this article about sums it up....apart from not mentioning getting frozen in and running out of water or loo tank 😳😀 Please read it with strains of " always look on the bright side of life" ringing in your mind. I did think it was pretty accurate though 🤔 https://livingonanarrowboat.co.uk/fifteen-reasons-why-living-on-a-narrowboat-is-a-bad-idea/

Well......lots of TV and newspaper coverage saying it's cheap to live on a boat. Why should the mooring owners not cash in on it ?

I briefly moored near this boat on the Way...but didn't know she was for sale. She looked quite tidy....so worth considering. Can't think she'll stay on the market long at that price point.

I had a boat survey on the Thames. I was bored and asked the surveyor what qualifications you needed to become a surveyor. He replied ...none...😳...you can just get some business cards printed and call yourself a surveyor...making sure to put the liability exclusion at the end of the report...in small writing. Can this be true ? 😳

I have been down this section several times. Because the boats can't move...they often tip their cassette toilet contents down the bank..When I complained to CART they put up a sign on the towpath. " Human excrement in bank ..please stay on footpath" ☹️

Clear now .... brilliant!

Not a total stoppage...but a caution. We have just come off the Thames... through Reading town centre and then the County Lock. Heading for Waterworks lock...105...the canal is quite low. As a result many trees have their roots exposed ...which have dried out...and the trees have either fallen over or are just about to. There are now quite a few across the canal. We managed to pass through with our narrowboat...just...but if you had a wide beam you are going to part with a lot of paint.! You are also forced to go away from the centre of the river into the shallow reed section. Over the years...I've seen many leaning trees...but there are now a lot of substantial trees in this section about to go over....so take care !

We are currently at the Cunning man pub..but won't be able to get much past Aldermaston for the next day or so. The canal...and towpath is totally closed. https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/22856-kennet-and-avon-canal-300-mtrs-east-of-bridge-29-frouds-bridge

I bought two from Wilko for £5.99 each and they're excellent.... Solar power...and movement detection. My complete CCTV system was stolen and all I had was a nice photo of a hooded scrote holding up two fingers....sent to my phone. The CCTV system was the most valuable thing on the boat !!

I use a multi tool...and a stack of blades..it's like a power chisel and can undercut the bitumen.

I use a battery multi tool......and slice with the blade like a power chisel to remove the blacking. You need a lot of blades as they heat and melt the blacking. Then.....flap wheels...... Sorry....but I think you're back to square one.....

Just seen a news article....that although the UK is ok for petrol supplies, a sixth of diesel comes from Russia with suppliers running short. The government is supposedly pondering a diesel rationing system in the near weeks. I wonder how that would affect us...🤔

I didn't read the question properly...so deleted. .