john6767

In similar circumstances with rain and at the same time of the year about 8 years ago we ended pup having to stop at Upton and spending three or four days there while the river went up 10ft. If you decide to make a run for Gloucester, assuming that you at Worcester now, I don’t thing you will get there until Wednesday, as Gloucester lock like the whole G&S is closed on Tuesdays. Perhaps it is possible to get from Diglis to Gloucester lock in the 10 hour opening window tomorrow, but you need to be certain! Is Diglis lock working ok now, it was broken last week?

Not saying there will be a problem with used, but it seems strange that you can’t really buy a new one if it is not an old model. I will keep looking.

Thanks. All the UK supplied ones on eBay appear to be preowned, similar to Amazon? Is this actually a current product or has it been superseded? I take it back there seems to be one new one on Amazon, but £400!

I am thinking about getting a router, Instead of just tethering to my phone. A number of people are mentioning the B818-263 router, but as far as I can seen (on Amazon), these are an obsolete product or at lest one not available in the UK and what are being offered are used or as new non-UK versions. Is there a particular reason for going for this router given you can just buy a new UK one? What difference would I expect to see with a B535-232 which are half the price compared to B818-263 and are UK spec and new?

4 to 8 weeks is not really that long, so many more companies may be able to accommodate you, particularly early or late in the season. But the two companies that come to mind, where you meet hirers doing long term hire, are Rose Narrowboats at Stretton, Rugby, and Canal Cruising at Stone. When we were last at Llangollen, there was actually a Rose hire boat in the basin.

The services are shut and have been vandalised so it is just a derelict dump at the moment. There was a CRT update to the stoppage notice for their closure about a week ago, which suggested there may be some hope in the future when the surrounding area is redeveloped, that the services could reopen.

Not sure if this adds for or against this being a fake, but the actual image on the IWA web site is not cropped like the one posted here, it is a wider shot.

This is from July 2018, the boats were red then

The photo in York looks fake to me. At least some of the people on the trip boat would be standing up and looking at the train. Also the trip boats there go like the clappers and hammer moored narrowboats boats against the underwater concrete edge, much like the “Shroppie shelf”. That narrowboat’s front mooring line is hanging loose so the boat would be all over the place, those people would have difficulty in standing up. I would therefore say that the trip boat has been inserted into the image at the very least, possibly the narrowboat as well?

There are two of those signs, one each direction approaching Braunston Turn on the GU, they have been there a couple of years. They are supposed to book the passage, I get regular notifications from the stoppage system about widebeam movements, so some at least do book. Does not make it right though. The Notifications for widebeam transits of Braunston and Blisworth tunnels is getting very frequent as well.

I would say it is personal preference, but Meadows works fine for us. In Locks some of the pontoons are not full length, and some are shared, but it is cheaper. Also in Locks the pontoons are steel mesh, which is not so good for a dog, in Meadows the pontoons are wood. The biggest downside in Meadows particularly on the side furthest from the canal where we are, is the walk up the steep Bank from the car. Also if it is windy Meadows is more exposed and it can be fun getting back in sometimes. If you have not been there you should have a look round, and you can form your own opinion.

The South Stratford was a jungle when we last when down there, it would be nice if at least lock landings and lock sides got some cutting. I don’t buy that it is some environmental strategy though, as Wilmcote is mowed within an inch of its life by the volunteers there.

We moor there in Meadows marina, the pricing is different to Locks marina, so you need to understand how that works. It works well for us and I like having a well stock chandlery on site, and the knowledge that if there are engineering issues that I can’t deal with there is help for that.

I believe that was part of the area of confusion, and as of the 3 July those 14 day moorings have gone. Not sure if it has already been posted back in the thread, but this is the CRT map showing the trial that starts on 3 July to 31 Dec 2023, for me with the exception of all the 2 day moorings now being 4 day this does seem to be an improvement. Not sure why so many people want all the moorings to be 4 day.

Yep on the Main Line at the Old Turn End. I must admit I thought the simplification was mainly about the 14 day moorings there (both sides) and the 2 pontoons at Cambrian Wharf that were visitor mooring while the other are all long term moorings. What I don't understand is why all the 2 day moorings have now been made 4 day, the majority of the hire boats and others passing through only want 1 or 2 nights. We shall have to see how that goes I guess.

I thought that they treated the visitor licence number that you display as the boat name, but however it is technically done, as a boater you don’t need to concern yourself with this at all. You buy a visitor licence, display said licence and you are done!

Yes at the first manned lock you just say you need to buy a visitor licence, they take credit cards. Only complication can be the length, they are basically one day, one week, one month, some will sell you two weeks for example at 2x one week cost, others will not do that. You don’t need to produce any documents, you just fill in a form with your name/address/phone etc, the boat details, index number/name of manufacturer/year of manufacture/length/toilet type (as they don’t allow sea toilets)/home mooring location. I think that is about it. Enjoy the Thames.

I did not know that they had introduced some 5 day moorings, that is new, it was all max of 2 days previously. Do you have to stay/pay for the full 5 days, or can you stay/pay for say 3 days?

I would say you would be better arriving in the basin on a Sat if you can, but if you can’t then try and get there midday on arrival day and you will probably be fine. It’s just first come.

I doubt that, but with respect to the price, it is commercial premises so the price may well be in line with what you would expect, I genuinely don’t know.

It is indeed in private ownership, I will not say where it moors as that seems a bit unfair to the current owners.

If the OP is under a lot of time pressure to move the boat fair enough, but why not get a week licence for the Thames as it’s not that much more than a day and then you remove the time pressure. On the Reading to Oxford section the only place I can think you might want to pay is Beale Park, but if you object to a tenner there are other options that are free.

Hope everyone has made it back ok, and that the beer in going down nicely 😀

I don’t think GDPR would allow the licence holders name to be displayed on the licence, I would say that is an error.