matty40s

It appears safer at the rear.

I always check for stoppages, and plan around them as I cruise myself and move boats all year round. The issue here is that you can plan all you like, then the stoppages get changed with little or no notice.

This is what really Pi€€es me off about CRT now, the last 3 years they have changed planned winter stoppages at a whim (translated-customer feedback) and messed around with my plans. If they had shut the Leicester Line in mid September and said, we will open it for a day before the stoppages kick in, I would hav planned accordingly. Instead, I have planned to move the long way round before the Leicester Ring shuts completely losing several days work. Yesterday they announce a 3 hour opening on 4th November, not only is it announced too late, anyone planning will already be moving, but you cannot guarantee that CRT will actually open it(customer feedback said we don't need to bother) therefore leaving you with no chance of getting round the other way. The worst example was when I made an 8 hour cruise to get to a booked winter mooring and they had shut the river lock which was 500 yards from the mooring 3 days early as they had finished the previous lock work early!! If you announce stoppages, bloody stick to them.

I have a pump out bog but make sure I use all available work and supermarket facilities when available. I used to pump out twice a year, now it's every 6 weeks as I don't expect t'other half to cross her legs until she gets to work. ☺

you would be amazed how far you can boat if you put your mind to it....and probably faster than CRT's emergency response team gets a message filtered through from the switchboard who don't know Sawley from Shirley.

Just waiting for a proper Winter to catch people out again. In 2010, spotted lots of cassettes discarded as people had left them outside and they had frozen and ruptured. Decent plastic pump out tank and watching the weather forecast meant I didn't have a problem.... Or have to risk icy towpaths taking kilograms of shit to frozen Elsan points.

Because it's half term and most of the hire companies have most boats out in this area, and lots of private boats too. They would be out every 10 minutes unlocking it, and what happens if said idiots arrive and come into shop threatening or assaulting again? ? Do we have boat names or more accurate descriptions, as there are more and more plastic boats around nowadays.

Can you bugger off back brother Brexit thread please. Where's the boat been sighted now? Glascote ?

Every lock except one was against me, and the one of 5 volockies who 'helped ' me do one lock actually slowed me down......and then he left the gates open and a paddle up! !!

Don't go too fast, should be catching you up by the weekend

Yes, seen several times recently. Buckby, South Oxford, and somewhere on the T& M

Travelling by a canal has many variables. It may be as part of a ring for a hire crew who have to do 8 hours a day to get back to base on time. It may be moving a boat from A to B for a customer and you may have other work planned. It may be as part of a long term cruise, with a specific lock passage or sea pilot booked so you have a deadline. It could be a swift trip taking a boat over a weekend to a booked blacking or other boatyard activity. Or it could be a lovely pleasure cruise with no deadlines and no itinerary. I did it single handing in May, left the middle of the North Stratford after a 61 lock day at sunrise, entered Tardebigge top lock at about 12pm, and moored at the Droitwich canal junction at 7.30pm.

You obviously havnt got to the Coventry yet.........

I imagine the marina owners will regret the decision come may, when they realise how many hire boats and other boats fill their water tanks at the Fazeley offices water point. I didn't realise the Cudworth and Minworth facilities had gone as well!!! This announcement came from the BCNS, I havnt seen it from CRT themselves, I wonder if they are keeping it quiet to avoid complaints..

What will open?? What time will it open?? The section from Kilby to kings lock? ?

The Fazeley offices water point was still working last weekend, the marina is now completely empty.

It'll be a fair old turn off the Leicester Line to get water and empty your loo soon........and no use outside marina hours...... Message from CRT:- "We are pleased to announce that following the closure of the Fazeley office and the associated customer service facilities, as of the 1st November, Fazeley Mill Marina on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal, managed by Pridewater Estates, will be opening up their Elsan and Bin facilities to canal users on our behalf. These services are located just inside the marina entrance. A water point is also available and is located on the canal by the entrance. These facilities will be available for 7 days a week between the hours of 9 and 5." From BCNS email

I went to meetings , told a reality, got sneered at by an IWA chairperson who knew more than me, oh yes, Leicester still had a water point, even though CRT confirmed my assertion that it was removed 2 years earlier. I went to other meetings, said my piece, corrected others, made contacts( which remain useful) but see CRT as pretty much the same as BW without any .Gov accountability now.

If you don't know the difference between a lap and a desk now, you might as well retire.

It took me bloody ages, got there on mobile , then had to go and do the same on the laptop, which was even more painful, it was more than 6 months ago and don't want to go through the same again for a while thankyou. Netweather uses the same forum base and has gone through 2 changes in the last 2 years, I havnt had to do a thing. !!!

The stupid thing is, CRT can't get it into their heads that even charging £2k a year for a widebeam isn't going to stop the flood of these floating flats onto the network. An extra 1k a year on a boat licence as opposed to a £1k a week rent in a lot of central London area is an easy decision to make. The fact that it is going to pi €€ off a lot of longterm boaters who own large and historic boats is irrelevant, they have had their management think tank meeting, have agreed the way forward and the consultation questions....it will work won't it????

Just click on the chickpea stew thread a couple of times and then start a new composting bog thread.

Now Paul has got a decent length boat, we may be able to come along occasionally.

Well Kathy has just informed me that we are going. saw the thread and handed it to her, so yes, we will be there.....if CRT can keep the canals open long enough for us to get close. Leicester Line shut, other way round shutting soon, and bagnall lock being held together with 2 pieces of 2 bi 4 and a couple of bolts. Am aiming to sink a red Plastic Pos if he gets in the way over the weekend.... We may well have to use the mondeo with its secret smoke cloud machine, egr valve needs a good clean.