Tom and Bex

With this many entries best start the planning even earlier this year! Our main planning tool was the book The Other Sixty Miles as I think has been mentioned above. We found the map on the centre pages the easiest one to use as it has all the junctions and canal names listed. It's also really interesting to use as you're cruising to help identify what you can still see from the canal. Tom

As the above posts, we had a great time last year and were made to feel very welcome by the crew of tawny and others on Sunday evening - we might even being some food this time instead of eating everyone else's! Really really looking forward to it and just received confirmation today that my annual leave form had been signed so this thread is very timely for me. Planning has started already but still really need to get the application form sent off. Also looking forward to the finish being on the southern BCN as haven't cruised that way much. Surprised to come 2nd last year in our first year but feel everyone will be watching us more closely this time! All our crew from last year have already confirmed they'll be there with or without me - they said if I couldn't get the time off work they would hijack the boat anyway! Hope to see many of you there again this year. If you've never entered before give it a go. Tom Diesel & Dust

Push to left is closed and right is open. If you look at the back of the stove on the top right corner you'll hopefully see the flap move (opposite direction to the lever from memory). Seems a stupid system to me and meant to give air wash to glass but can't tell any difference to the 1410 version. Hope this helps. Tom

I've been thinking of solving this using a solar pump controller circuit from www.reuk.co.uk and a 12v motorised valve from eBay. Basically the circuit can compare the temp of the input pipe and the temp of the calorifier and could be connected up to a 12v motorised valve to send water via the calorifier if the input pipe is hotter or bypass the calorifier if that is hotter. This should solve the problem we currently have of the pump from the fire pumping the hot water from the calorifier round the radiators overnight and cooling it down as the fire cools down. This is just my thinking at the moment and can't see why it won't work but open to suggestions. I'm surprised more people don't have this problem to be honest. Tom

Debdale have stopped stocking stoveglow now as they were told it was "no longer approved for use in smoke controlled areas". We've used it the last 2 years and despite what others have said found it very consistent over that time and great value for money. Initially we were disappointed they stopped selling it but the above reports make me glad they have even if the supertherm they now sell is more expensive. We have a squirrel stove with back boiler which is a real pain to clean cos when you sweep the chimney it all falls down behind and on top of the boiler. Tom

Well I have to say there was no problem finding a space (as expected) but the whole area around the junction looked very desolate compared to normal with no boats there at all so nothing for the visitors to see when they come. This is an area that used to be full of life all year. Also no boats at all between the 2 swing bridges - why did they have to make that whole stretch 2 day and 7 day - surely that stretch should have been 14 day as I can't ever remember seeing many boats moored there. As for the (un)welcome signs how on earth do they expect boaters to read them? I've no idea what they said or if they mentioned winter mooring as the writing is so small is impossible to read unless you stop directly underneath, and even then you almost need a magnifying glass -despite the signs being so big the writing is tiny. As already mentioned I've never had a problem mooring at Foxton before these restrictions came in but deliberately avoid the area now preferring to go up to Smeeton bends on our own rather than Foxton. The only place we have had problems mooring before is at Braunston which they haven't included yet but even there we have always managed to moor along the puddle banks but you need the plank for that. Now moored at Harborough not wanting to outstay our welcome at Foxton! Probably head straight back to Debdale tomorrow rather than stop at Foxton again. I want boating to be relaxing not to put up with the kind of signage and warnings you get at private car parks! Anyway sorry for the long post. Tom

Thanks for that info. Never had a problem mooring there before all this came out but just can't be bothered with all the off putting and at times confusing signs. The businesses there have definitely lost out on our trade this year. Will give it another go today though.

Can anyone say exactly where we are allowed to moor at Foxton now? Getting confused by all this signage and maps and to be honest have been put off visiting since the new restrictions came in. The signage looks horrendous. Will be heading up there from Debdale direction tomorrow for 1-2 nights. Can we moor this side of the basin as I understand you can't now moor there or will we have to go through the swing bridge to moor? If so we'll then have to reverse back through to turn or carry on through Foxton swingbridge (twice!) to turn. Thanks Tom

If you know anyone at university most of those also have student access to British standards online. I was able to download and print a full copy of BS8511 via someone who was doing her nursing! Tom

That's a great idea. I was trying to work out if I could get that plate off from the outside only the other day. Wish I had thought about it when fitting the stove now! It's certainly a challenge cleaning behind the boiler. Tom

I'm going down Somerset first weekend of November and happy to pop down rest of the way if that's any good. Got an estate car so should fit in easy enough. Let me know if I can be of any help. Would probably be coming back quite late Sunday but happy to drop it off as come back a46 usually. Tom

It was definitely worse a couple of weeks ago than when we went through earlier on in the year. Foxton seems worse too but not as bad as Watford. Hopefully they'll do something about it in this winters stoppages.

I believe its due to the leaky gates. We had a scary moment going down Watford locks when the boat following us filled the lock behind and caused water to cascade over the back of the boat and straight thorough the open slide (back doors were shut) and we ended up with several inches of water in the back cabin bilge not to mention the soaking the back cabin got. We were told that it's only full length boats it applies to but that may have changed. It was definitely water coming through\around the gates not over the top. Tom

Same here. A few years ago we spent much longer than planned at the black country museum and had to get our hire boat back to autherly junction the next morning so got to the bottom of the flight at 10pm. I feel there are already far too many lock flights locked overnight and strongly object to any suggestion there should be more. This doesn't just apply to lock flights of course but any restricted hours on the canal system takes away some of the enjoyment out of a cruise.

I always remember Braunston as the last weekend in June as it always clashes with my sisters birthday. Braunston wins every time though! Tom

Same here! Seems silly to have 2 events so close geographically on the same weekend. We'll be driving to Braunston rather than cruising or walking to Foxton. Tom

I know this doesn't help but I've just had exactly the same problem but with different brand paint so glad it's not just me! I practised on a box that I painted in oil based undercoat probably 2 years ago and am quite pleased with the results for a first attempt but when I tried on the rear doors that I undercoated 2-3 weeks ago with the same paint had exactly your problem and could not get the scumble to take at all. Was thinking of getting a waterbased paint or even emulsion mixed to the correct colour and trying that so will watch this thread with interest!

Not for want of trying! Wish we did it on our last hire boat holiday in September 2009 now but we ran out of time after getting stuck at the top of the Titford. We guessed it was 3 years since the last boat but looks like 4. We did take a couple of runs into the weed but no way would you get a boat through now (unless it was a shallow draft ex hire boat...). Shopping trolleys should be removable with a boat hook enough to get past - maybe make a report with the new trolley app! I do think the pollution issue is overstated a bit though - I don't doubt the heavy pollution in the silt but still believe if boated carefully it it is no worse than many other areas on the BCN. It is people who don't plan ahead and thrash around needlessly using very high revs in forward and reverse that would cause a problem. I would love to see some photos of your 2009 trip as a comparison to how it is now. Tom

I work in stroke rehab and recently we had a patient who lived on a narrow boat and he refused offers of alternative accommodation offered by the local council. Eventually the council agreed to fund some big alterations to his boat including cutting out a section of the gunnel at the front to allow level access and modifications to the front steps possibly to include a ramp, can't remember exact details now. This was in addition to the usual additional handrails etc inside. He also went home with a package of care although whether this included emptying loo cassettes and topping up the water tank I don't know! So it is possible to stay on your boat longer than most people think. Tom

Must of been racing along too fast for that! Tom

We've just come back from 2 weeks cruising from Debdale to tthoroughlythe BCN Challenge. Our route took us along the Leicester line, through Braunston and up the north oxford and Coventry to fazely junction then back via the north Stratford and grand union all of which can be quite busy canals at times. We had a lovely 2 weeks and met some great people on the way including several from this forum and a couple of lovely families on hire boats who we shared some locks with. Not once in 202 locks and 230 miles did we have a lock turned on us, have difficulty mooring a 70' boat, have any speeding boat go past (although we did make sure we were properly moored and pins were in securely), or encounter any anti social behaviour by anyone! Only once did someone run their engine after 8pm and they came out and apologised as we were mooring behind them just after 8pm to say he had to run his engine for 30mins but would then switch it off for the night and sure enough after a short time he came back out and turned it off. Sounds like we must have had a very boring trip then as we have nothing to complain about, but we thoroughally enjoyed it - even the queuing at Atherstone locks which were the only locks we had a slight delay at. Tom

I always thought the bit from Ryder's Green Junction to Swan Bridge Junction is the Wednesbury Old Canal which is what I refer to it by. I know the remains of the Ridgacre Branch starts the other side of the new road but most guides now seem to refer to the whole section from Ryders Green Junction as the Ridgeacre Branch which can cause confusion. Anyway, here is some pics of what it was like when we attempted it on the way home from the BCN Challenge. Pics and captions pinched (with permission) from Steve Miles Facebook page. So, lets get started on this branch. Looks nice and easy. I stood on the roof at the front looking out for obstacles. Weeds closing in but still no hint as to what is round the corner! This is what we met at the corner and is as far as we could go by boat! So we pulled back a bit to get the bow into the bank and walked the rest Tree appears to have been deliberately placed across the canal at Swan Bridge Strangely this section up to the cut off at the end isn't too bad... Former railway basin at Swan Bridge Junction. So reverse back to Ryder's Green Junction... with some help with a long shaft to keep us in the centre and prevent stirring up unnecessary silt and pollution. Tom

Some photos of the event. Pics and captions shamelessly pinched from one of our crew Steve's Facebook page (thanks Steve!) Just want to say a thank you to him for keeping our cruising log up to date and keeping track of any questions in the log to answer on our route - without him we would of lost our bonus points for getting our log handed in on time! Diesel & Dust with Cobbett behind waiting for the start time at Curdworth Top Lock Passing under Spaghetti Junction at the start of the Tame Valley Then along the Titford canal. This time we turned at the junction of the Causeway Green and Portway branches, last time we were here we made it along the Portway branch. It didn't look particularly deep this time... Kat deals with some interesting rubbish along the Titford For most of the day we saw very few boats. Then we ran into two along the Titford. Here we play dodgems with Tawney Owl. Only real problem with the Wednesbury Oak loop (apart from the weed...) was trying to turn a 70' narrowboat at Bradley Workshops Then up the Cannock Extension to the colliery basins And journey's end! At Longwood Junction. Tom Diesel & Dust

We managed that on the Titford but seemed to be down the weed hatch every other lock on Ryder's green. Some of the Leicester locks we did at Easter took 15mins or more and that was just to make enough of a level to get the gates open! Tom

Plenty of weed hatch trips on the BCN but give me that rather than Leicester any time! At least all the locks we did on the BCN were easy to work. Tom