Tigerr

I'll say thanks to Vlockies at Foxton for when we we went up back in November, and certainly did at the time. It was raining heavily, cold and a miserable day to be doing that. But they were cheerful, welcoming. They were very helpful, without topping the knob. Generally I have found them to be thoroughly good folks. can understand though that some of the 'customers' are extremely difficult individuals. Life on the cut attracts people with underlying social adjustment problems. I don't quite know what it is about canal boat cruising that brings out the inner expert, intolerant characteristics of people but it certainly seems to affect some people that way, and it's an environment where that tendency can be indulged. Luckily though, it's only some people.

That is a monster. Where on earth are they going to put it if it gets evicted? It must have cost an incredible amount, and been bought in good faith, despite being a complete eyesore. On reflection - there's plenty of room further east, but I suspect the owners bought Chelsea not Rotherhithe marsh.

Big tilley lamps - lovely things. I expect they will turn up on eBay in due course.

They will end up on the K&A for sure.

That’s the stuff I got. Cost £80 delivered. Instead of a recess fixing I put heavy staples onto the gunnel edge. You need to be able to lift it inboard occasionally for very narrow bits and that’s harder if it’s run to a recess fixing.

Yes black rose, that is the setup I used to have. I got the tubes from Seals Direct back in 2012. But they cost a fortune now to have made, can't find a supplier for them. I've seen rope fenders like that, also very costly and not convinced they do as good a job. So I am trying out truck bumper tubes instead. Very much cheaper but might not be quite the thing. The main aim is to have a shock-absorber in the contact area, to reduce the effect of being knocked about in a lock, or misjudging a landing.

I will take a picture next week when back on board. The lorry bumpers sit quite handsomely, but I do have an additional 6 inches width at the bow. To my mind, the boat design issue is very obvious, and evident in all the boats one sea with bashed and scraped damage just abaft of the bow strake. I completely understand that the hull design is about space maximisation and minimal steel curving, but it has always looked to me to be a poor considered area. there is a similar area at the stern of most NBs, in my opinion. However, the things I have hung weigh too much, and that's going to be an issue when, as will certainly happen, one or both need to be lifted in a narrow lock situation. What puzzles me though is why this sort of protection is not universal.

On the previous boat, Reeves, the area just behind the bow strake steel used to get trashed up. I see the same thing on a lot of boats. I had some thick butyl rubber tube fenders made, hung low festoon-style to heavy staples on the gunnel just behind the cratch. These were marvellously effective in cushioning, for instance, the impact of an unfortunate swing in a lock, or the evil gouging of a section of exposed steel siding. Brilliant. Only a couple of times in 10 yrs, at e.g Hurlestone, did we need to lift a fender tube to pass. I always wondered why this wasn't much more common. Seems obvious that the space-maximising square design of almost all NBs is inherently flawed in the bow-to-main square hull join. Loads of scrapes, rusting etc. That was over 10 yrs ago. Imagine my shock to discover how much today it would cost to have another 3m of 80mm butyl tube made for the new boat! After a lot of internet searching, I have found HGV lorry bumper D extrusion tube. It's heavy stuff, a lot stiffer than butyl, and possibly a bit fatter. But at £80 for two 3m lengths, must be worth a shot. Hang and used it this weekend and so far I am impressed. I see some boats with long knotted bow festoons, but interested to know if anyone else has tried my idea. I should say, Knowing the forum, that I couldn't give a toss for the holy helmsmen who never make contact with the edge. It's a canal, not the med.