floatingphil

Thanks for the advise chaps, we are intending to set sail early Friday so hope the weather improves for our last voyage Phil

Thanks for that Dave, im expecting some hard graft. I'm told the rubbish in the water at Burnley is horrific and to carry bolt croppers with us to cut the shopping trollies off the prop!! Many of the locks from Bingley to Leeds are locked after 4pm. I was wondering if we will hit that problem going the other way Cheers Phil

Hi everyone We are planning to take our NB from Skipton to Nantwich ( via Wigan ) shortly. Sadly this is to sell our boat, but just wondered if any of you could offer any advice on this trip, ie negotiating Burnley and Blackburn and anything else we should know that may hinder our progress!. I'm allowing a week, would this seem reasonable ? Anyone fancy a really nice 47ft semitrad and save me the trip!! Cheers Phil

Hi Folks We are currently trying to sell our NB due to house purchase. Not much luck with it at the moment so was just wondering if push came to shove, whether selling a share in the boat privatley was an option to release some equity. Has anyone done this and what are the pit falls. I guess finding the right investor would be difficult in the first place.Maybe a 50 /50 split or maybe 3rds. I potentially have a private mooring next to the house which would enable us to look after the boat and moor fairly cheaply. Wondered what the legal aspects may be and what agreements would need to be drawn up.......... Or is this a non starter!! Thanks Phil

Many thanks chaps, that tells me what i needed to know Cheers Phil

Hi Folks I,m looking at a property with a canal side garden and own mooring. Does anyone have any idea how the BW charges work if i put the boat on it (if any?) Ive tried calling BW but as ever, its the answering service and then disconnection! Thanks Phil

Thanks for your thoughts guys, think i will run an advert for the boat on its current mooring and see what happens. Good moorings on the Leeds / Liverpool seem few and far between. Anyone for a 47ft semitrad? Will post in 'For Sale' when Ive cobbled everything together Phil

Hi folks I,m thinking of selling our 47ftNB and building a new longer and/ or wider boat. Question is.. would my current boat be easier to sell or more desirable if it is sold with the possibility of transfering our leisure mooring with it? I,m tempted to go down the widebeam route but realise the cruising restrictions that has. Has any one gone from narrow to wide craft only to regret it later? I suppose its all a compromise. Thanks Phil

Many thanks for the replys , we are now at Sowerby. Had a great week, weather fantastic, going to Hebden tommorrow. Bronte now have my heater and are on with it, weirdly i managed to get a spike from the lockies at Nr Rodley for a £10er. Just chewing over whether to go on further down the Rochdale or return to base camp alpha in a few weeks. Ahh work gets in the way!! Phil

Hifolks We thinking we may venture to Sowerby Bridge next week. Never been out on to the Aire and Calder before so was just wondering if its reasonably plain sailing up there and on to the Calder Hebble. Is there anything we should know having not done rivers before? Also we need to purchase a hand spike. Can anyone tell me were we can get one on our travels on the way up there. Maybe Wakefield or Brighouse? Ive tried locally to Skipton and no one keeps them.Also, does anyone know of a mobile Eberspcher repair service on the L&L / West Yorks area Many thanks Phil

I would agree with that, so if I want to use it 2 or 3 times a week, cant see the problem. Phil

Yes i asked the owners of the mooring, seems a bit unreasonable when I know there are liverboards on liesure moorings Phil

I asked this question about my leisure mooring this week. Im told 2 or 3 night a week on board is not considered leisure, so i would need residential mooring which Im unlikely to find on our stretch of water Phil

Thanks for that chaps, I would have to obtain a PO Box for my business anyway, If i appeared to live full time with my partner, that would effect tax credits, divorce settlements etc etc. All sounds a bit of a grey area!! Phil

Hi Well I have owned my 47ft NB now for 15months and learned o lot on our short travels. I have hatched a plan to switch to a longer NB or widebeam at some point in the future. I would spend 3 night a week on board ( semi livaboard)the other nights with my partner. If my existing house is sold which it will be,( Divorce)! and I live between two places, which is my permanent place of residence and how do I go on with rates, post etc etc. Am I an official water gypsy like my kids say!!. The boat is likely to remain on a leisure mooring unless I could find a residential one, of which the chances are slim. Thanks Phil

No not upset anyone, we are on private and quiet mooring near Skipton. Could a Mink get through a 3in x 1.5in drainage hole though? Phil

Well ive started something now! The whole thing is giving me a haddock!. Still cant make 'head' or 'tail' of it. Seriously though im still puzzled Phil

On a leisure mooring with a private carp ark

Sure looks that way

Visited the well frozen vessel last week to check thing was ok. Fancied a mug of soup so trundled down to the bow, lifted the gas locker to switch it on and to my amazement its full of fish!!. 20 or so of various sizes on the ledge above the level of the bottles. Stood scrathing mi bonnet for a while and noticed the big one still moving. Chucked it back in, slid across the ice ( must have been a Skate!)and off it swam!! Then I opened the cratch and there some in there to. How can this be? They could have jumped in through the drainage holes I guess looking for warmer climates but all seems very clever and the 2 large ones would have struggled Has anyone else had this happen. Puzzled Phil

We couldn't easily drain the calorifier - the reason seemed to be that frozen plumbing was preventing any air being able to get into it, to replace water we were trying to pump out. This is the furthest I have ever pushed things, but I think we have pushed it one step too far, and I'd not be surprised to find some splits or other failures once everything thaws out. Same problem here, managed to drain a bit out the calorfier before it got too bad and taps were all open. I have hep pipe and fittings throughout so fingers crossed it will be ok. Pump still connected though so bit worried about that. Phil

Thanks for the advice guys, I was reckoning that they had seen better days so I think 4 new ones are in order Phil

Hi Sorry to ask but we a quick battery related question. We have 3 x 110ah batteries on board. They are 4 1/2 years old and work fine in general. When we are moored with the inverter is running a tv for 3 or 4 hours plus the lights and eberspacher etc, how long would you expect the power to last before the heater wont play anymore and the inverter alarm sqeeks!? Is 3-4 hours average or am I being optimistic expecting longer. If when the time comes I replace them with say 4 x 115ah, would this make significant difference of should I stay with the same arrangment Many thanks Phil

Ok thanks for that, will have a search around phil

hi Guys Just returned from an eventfull and very wet tootle from Skipton to Gargrave and back. Saturday started off great, sun shining and everything good in the world. Then just after niffany moorings a huge hurricane appeared out of no where blowing our folded tonneau off the roof inta the water. By the time we had reverse up it had gone the same way as the titanic! No amount of trawling and prodding could find it( including my eldest lad diving in / very cold ! So its a replacement we need or maybe a pram hood instead. Ive checked out Canvasman which look great if not a touch on the expensive side. can anyone suggest alternative quality suppliers? Skipton area ideally. Then on Saturday night, the Eberspatcher packs up. On start up it started blowing large amounts of smoke out the exhaust and the (tick tick tick) noise you would expect dosent happen then it shuts down. I lifted the engine cover and that same smoke is escaping fron the body of the burner unit. Anyony any ideas. I think the previous owner serviced it regularly, the whole boat only has 780hours on it! On the bright side, all restrictions come off tommorrow and there is more water pouring in than you can shake a stick at! Phil