Midnight

I think you will be proved correct when the ban on woodburning (maybe even all solid fuel?) in urban areas comes in. Does the ULEZ affect boats in London now or is that just for car emmissions? Can't see the NBTA accepting £12 per day to burn wood. Fortunately we live in the moors and when we cruise in summer we don't use the stove, but I can see issues ahead for boat diesel engines and central heating units as the government forces the green agenda upon us. Ingnoring of course the 18000 planes emitting crap at any one time and the pollution from destroying Ukraine and Gaza. @MtB is absolutely on the money. The planet will survive long after us beans have killed ourselves off for a quick profit. I wonder how long nature would take to reverse global warming? PS Was going to say "Can't see the NBTA accepting £12 per day to burn wood and move to the next bridge" but they don't move do they? 😆

The whole surcharge idea is a dog's dinner and will cause more problems than it fixes. It's going to be a nightmare to administer so I just cannot see how it will be cost-effective. It would be so much easier to manage and better for the budget if we all paid the same (higher) license fees. I suspect surcharges will be ditched before 5 years are up. About time Parry & Co were ditched too.

When we last stopped at the Jack Mitton, admittedly 2006, the food and service were excellent and it was busy. Cant understand why its been left to fall into such a poor state. The Willeymoor beer has always been okay food average but often not being served when we arrive. The Cotton Arms is big loss.

Have you accidently knocked the battery isolater switch off? It's easy done. Or is the red plastic key lying on the floor?

Tch! you suvern softies 😆

Another shout out for the South Oxford. A four day trip from Calcutt would include The Follie, Napton flight, Fenny Compton Cropredy and Banbury. According to Canalplan AC it's 45miles, 44 locks, 3 days, 4 hours and 45 minutes at 7 hours per day. Then following that for a second holiday - 'The Rochdale' - beware of wolves!

Thank you @dmr & @nicknorman opened up a new world. I've downloaded a strobe app for my phone just need to get down to the boat to play with it. UPDATE just checked the Beta panel wiring diagram and it looks to me like the tacho is driven by the starter battery alternator. Never mind, it's good to expand one's knowledge even at my age.

So does that mean when I get the new Mahle alternator I will have to fit the original 80mm pulley from the Iskra so that the Beta tacho shows the correct revs. Is it possible to DIY adjust the tacho and how?

Oh that's got me thinking. The pulley wheel on the original Iskra 95amp alternator on my Beta 43 was 80mm. The disastrous Mastervolt Alternator had a much larger pulley, probably 100mm. The Prestolite pulley was 60mm. Does this mean unless the pulley wheel is 80mm the rev counter will give a false reading?

Thank you I'm beginning to see how it all hangs together. I downloaded the Beta manual and although there is no 95amp alternator wiring diagram I think I can work out what does what

Thank you Tony I downloaded that. The Prestolite I had for 12 years was wired differently to any of those diagrams. Brian at Adverc sent me a link to a wiring diagram in their website library, specifically for the Prestolite AV28 using a relay for the green wire . The new Adverc website doesn't seem to have a documents library. I now have to fathom out which wires to use i.e. the original Beta wiring loom (for the Iskra 95 machine sensed) or the wires I installed to set up the Prestolite.

Yes the original is an Iskra 95amp which I still have. I replaced it when the boat was new because I was told by a so-called expert the Adverc would burn it out in no time. I contacted Adverc twice for a wiring diagram but no response. I did that when I got the Prestolite but they soldered it to the wrong brush which cost another £40 for an Adverc repair 😆 But I will probably do what you suggest. Lightening doesn't strike twice - does it?

I'm planning on replacing the no-name alternator on my Beta 43 BV1903 with a Mahle MG549 fitted with my Adverc Battery Manager. Has anyone got a wiring diagram the MG549 doesn't seem to have a handy F (field) connection so I presume I would need to solder one to the negative brush (yikes!)

Based on C&RT's recent record, the problem is he wouldn't get very far at all. 😆

Once spent a couple of days with Bill Maynard.

We all know who he was talking about. In his defence I've met him and he seems okay when not on his keyboard. Would I go for a pint with him? Yes, but we wouldn't talk about anything blue or called Parry.

Nice - no sniping there then? No he would argue it did shine up there 😆

You may be correct but this is all I can find on the disabled boaters FB page - 8 weeks old. Sounds like C&RT designed it then asked for input "This is a model of the proposed disabled mooring bollard from crt. It is tall with two sets of arms to make it easier to loop ropes round and will have disabled symbols on top in blue . This is a prototype and Crt would like your input. Feel free to comment here and I will pass on..........."

Brilliant example of you sniping or as someone said previously you do love to turn every post into an argument. Yes I read the @David Mack post and accepted it was Victor overplaying the Fleet Street journalist. "Thank you for the responses I had visions of large bollards and big signs saying "Beware of large bollards" while the lock was shut because the top paddles were both broken." I have no idea if my disabled friend was involved, that's not the point. The point was from the headline it looked like potential for another C&RT expensive waste of money - so relevant I think - and I asked forumites to tell me it wasn't true and they did without having a subtle dig like you always do. Reading the article it doesn't exactly make it clear that C&RT wheren't involved from the beginning or if they even asked for the group to look at it. "Dick Vincent, a boater and the Trust’s national towpath advisor, introduced a prototype of a new accessible mooring bollard. It was created in response to discussions on the Disabled Boaters’ Forum (on Facebook) over many months." Nothing there to confirm C&RT were not involved from the start. Still NOT the point! Evans and Co's three wooden bollards escapade is an example of a total waste of money. C&RT have demonstrated they can waste a lot of money, so very relevant to my opening post. To paraphrase: Presumably you know as little as anyone seems to about the justification/request for the new bollard design

The point of the original post was about a concern that C&RT are thinking of replacing lock bollards at a huge expense while the system - the locks themselves - fall to bits with alarming regularity. A bit like those unneeded three square wooden bollards Evans & Co installed then gave themselves a bonus for achieving the target. I remember talking to one of the contractors installing them on the Stratford. When I pointed out they were surplus to requirements and probably a trip or snagging hazard he told me he was being paid £200 a lock and would probably get another £200 for removing them when someone tripped over one and fell in. Like some have said, the disabled boaters I know cope very well with what there already is. Most boaters wrap their ropes around the bollards and tie them back on the boat. Maybe what's needed is to fix these things to the bows and stern of the boat instead of the land? 😆

Sometimes??? Nice bloke, shame about the keyboard.

Your figuring makes more sense than what I was told by Ray the Summit lockie about 2006. Leakage must make dent in the allowance. Coming up from Littleborough last year there were huge quantities of water cascading over top gates until we reached Punchbowl then the pounds above were very low. It was only touch and go that Billy allowed us to proceed over Summit.

I believe it is 1 lockfull per day but it rolls over if they don't use it.

Thank you for the responses I had visions of large bollards and big signs saying "Beware of large bollards" while the lock was shut because the top paddles were both broken.

https://www.narrowboatworld.com/15124-damian Please someone tell me this is bollards or is it another let's change the bollards and give ourselves a bonus for doing it?