Hieronymus Bosh

Thanks ditchcrawler, what a great list!

Hi all, Still alive.. got my new purple tickets.. so I don't feel like a bludger so much. However.. I am getting a bit piddled off with this mandatory 60/40 split chat from diesel sellers. Anybody got any places within 10 gallons north of Alrewas on the trent and mersey? Has to be canalside.. I don't have the luxury of a car.. or jerry cans etc.. All constructive replies gratefully accepted.. Martin

We were at Braunston a couple of weeks ago. The Wheatsheaf is under new management, but was ok. The "Millhouse" has been renamed "The Boathouse", and yes, it is Marstons. (Free Wi-fi, but very slow download speed... still managed to get some progs for the BBC iPlayer though). We didn't eat there, but the food loked good, and the service efficient and friendly. Martin

Hi all, I'm really disappointed with the replies. I was hoping someone would come up with the definitive straight answer as to how a continuous cruising boat with liveaboards, who have no land based property, and therefore cannot sign a form saying "this is where i moor near" (apart from a royal mail redirection address for mail to some dear friends). Does anyone have some seriously constructive replies? Maybe it is an urban myth, but i heard that it is possible to turn up at ANY polling station, and , upon proof of your identity, exercise your franchise? Really need an answer to this and the OP's post. Come on people.. I know you have it in you!!

Amen to that. Most of the pubs and shops / fuel outlets are now defunct or trading under "new management" (At least that is, the trip we have made from Northampton to Polesworth). However.. most of the notable places stuff seems accurate.

by gum you lot are bored today.. lol

Thanks David, I used to work in the music biz.. wish I'd taken more of an interest in the "stage weights" I used to lug around lol. *mutters.. Harry Hindsight , I hate you......*

Hi all, Not sure what to do here. I finally got back to my postal address, hopefully looking to pick up my CC licence tickets(tax discs? stickers? not sure on the jargon). Said Licence was paid for in full (prompt payment), and handed in to the BW office at Birmingham basin(nice lady there.. she helped me with the form). All I have to show for this at present is a black and yellow "Acknowledgement of Application" (part of a triple form i think.. yellow to me, blue to accompany application.. White to be retained in log[eh?]). Cheque for the full amount has been cashed, (very promptly lol). The licence and yellow form are correctly dated as 5th Feb. 2010. This now seems like an inordinate length of time to wait for something that isn't exactly cheap, and I'm feeling like a bludger while I chug around the waterways. Any comments, ideas and advice gratefully received as always. Martin

Hi all, We too list a bit to port, but i was wondering if anyone could tell me where to source the 28 & 56 lb weights that PhilR mentioned. I have a couple of these onboard already.

Hi all, Juat a few lines to update the state of play regarding my dilemma. The Owner of the firm has spoken to us just now, and what has been agreed is that we will be put back in the water at @ noon today (@ 18 hours or so since the 2nd coat of blacking was applied). This has to happen as our boat is blocking another boat from being put back into the water (its a bit complicated to explain.. suffice to say that the other boat should have gone into the water before ours came out, but the crane that was supposed to do that broke down, causing the firm a bit of a logistical nightmare). The owner has said that once this shuffling of steel has been achieved, he will happily pull us out of the water again and apply another coat of blacking at no extra cost to us. I think this sounds like a fair deal, the only drawback being that ( in the boss' own words) "unfortunately it means you won't be able to move off until Monday". This sounds like a reasonable outcome, as I'm assuming the extra coat will be going on on Saturday, giving us at least 36 hours time to dry before Monday? Hope this all makes sense, and i would be grateful for any comments. Martin.

ty alan.. pm sent Hi Hutch.. 60 foot long boat at 7.80 per foot plus vat makes a bit of a difference on my wallet .(for two coats)

Hi all, I've had tons of constructive advice so far, all gratefullly received, BUT I am desperate for purely serious help this time. I am currently moored up at an important junction, just about west of a tunnel 1 and 1/4 miles long on the grand union. I have been slipped out this morning, with the intention being of having two coats of "Intertuf" put on my hull. We left the boat at 12.20, after having it pressure washed about an hour before. Weather here was good.. firm breeze, no rain, so hopefully the boat was nearly dry. We returned to the boat @ 6 hours later, to be told that we had had TWO coats applied, and that we would be back in the water tomorrow. My dilemma is.. the people KNOW we are new to this, but I can't sit around and distrust people all the time? Therefore, is this feasible? Two coats of intertuf in one day? I'm seriously worried about this, as its a lot of money... and please.. no gibes about hanging around and watching the whole process.. we had other stuff to do, and had no reason to distrust this firm? If your advice comes back that its all well and good, then fine; however, if you think I'm being taken for a ride, any ideas how to proceed? Really crap*ing conkers here, Martin

Hi all, thanks yet again for your great replies.. so much appreciated