[Long Weekend Break Reccomendations]

Advice for a friend of my son, not us.

 

Youngish lads (wwell late twenties) sensible but lively looking to hire for a two/three day trip.

 

v\ery flexible for starting point, Oxford/Bath/Birmingham/Rugby/Leamington - any suggestions for where to go for with a nice run of pubs and other things to see and do?

 

As a side remark, I stopped at the Greyhound at Hawkesbury Junction the otehr week on my way to watch Banbury RUFC play Bedworth - what a great pub in a great position, fantastic open fire, definately pencilled in for a visit on the boat. Speed of food service would improve mind.

[A BIT NERVOUS ABOUT WRITING A POST]

I am relatively new to the site and recognise none of the above.

 

I was asisted in finding our moorings from a couple of folk here, have had lots of helpful advice over many issues, including how to turn the inverter on and have even met up with a couple of posters.

[Southern Oxford]

Many thanks for this PJ - exactly the information I needed in advance of the weekend to colour my decision as to which way to head!

[Thie weekend 15th June starting from just north of Elkington's Lock (22)]

Got mid-day Friday to Sunday.

 

Do I head North and get stuck in the lock restrictions, or south and risk not being able to get under Nell Bridge.

[About Anchors]

I would suggest a chain that's three times the (greatest) depth that you'll be cruising on, and a similar length of rope (correctly spliced to the chain of course)

 

You'll should be using 8mm chain,

 

I am just off to order an anchor, so would really appreciate anyone with knowledge of the Thames giving me a view as to what three times the greatest depth that I'll be cruising on is likely to be?

 

Edit - Likiely to be cruising up to Lechlade and then down as far as Marlow (maximum) - sorry realised my previous post wasn't especially explicit on this.

[Anchors]

So I am thinking of venturing onto the Thames in June and understand it is reccomended I acquire an anchor.

 

It seems that a Danforth type one is probably best for a NB, but I have a few stupid questions:

 

1. Presumably Tooleys can order me one in or I guess I could just buy one of the interweb easily enough?

2. What size/weight would I need for a 45 foot boat.

3. What length of chain should I have before switching to a normal line.

4. How and under what circumstances whould I deploy said anchor.

 

Thanks in advacne etc.

 

Also any other hints on navigating on the Thames for a first timer gratefully received.

[Fuel Boats Tracking Section]

Just passed Dusty moored by Morrisons in Banbury driving into work.

[Giles Coren - Our Food]

Did anyone else watch this last night? I had really really bad boat envy when he was on the Norfolk Wherry.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00qqf38

[Uninvited Guests]

We were moored in Banbury Saturday afternoon and there was obviously a wedding nearby as the photographer started arranging the bride and bridesmaids on the boat moored the opposite side of the canal to us in order to get some "interest shots."

 

I think the owner was aboard though and he looked OK with the whole thing.

[Diesel Declaration]

I think this is due to the EU as red is not allowed in other parts of Europe even if you have paid duty

 

Yup the detailed background and all the boring blurb is in the detailed link I posted, but the nub is the additional wording required in the declaration. I just wanted to make sure that any of our valued mobile iesel vendors are OK on their paperwork.

[Diesel Declaration]

I wasn't sure where to post this, but when I was going through the Budget press releases for work I noticed a procedural change that might affect anyone on here that sells diesel. No change to the substance of what goes on as far as I can see, but a procedural change in the wording required on the declaration:

 

Under the current arrangements any person purchasing red diesel for a private pleasure craft must make a declaration at the time of purchase of the proportion of fuel being used for propulsion purposes.

 

From 1 April 2012 the declaration will change to include an acknowledgement that the use of full duty paid red diesel to propel private pleasure craft is a UK procedure applicable to UK territorial waters under UK national legislation. Users must be aware that if full duty paid red diesel is used to propel pleasure craft within the territorial waters of another Member State they will be subject to the national legislation and consequently any prohibitions and restrictions of that Member State.

 

What is the declaration?

The wording of the required declaration is:

 

I declare that [ ]% of the fuel purchased will be used for propelling a private pleasure craft.

 

I am aware that the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979, which permits the use of marked diesel to propel private pleasure craft, only applies within UK waters. I acknowledge that nothing in that Act, or the making of this declaration, affects any restrictions or prohibitions that may apply to the use of fuel for propelling private pleasure craft outside UK waters, including any restrictions or prohibitions under the law of another Member State that apply within the waters of that Member State.

 

Full blurb here:

 

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/briefs/excise-duty/brief0912.htm

[The Thames from Oxford]

Planning (possibly) to have 10-12 days on the Thames dropping down onto it from Isis Lock at Oxford in late June.

 

Any advice/suggestions/must-sees gratefully received.

[Liveaboards]

CH still kicking in of an eneving in our house.

[Oxford Canal]

Sorry if posted before but just spotted this

 

Cherwell District Council and South Northamptonshire Council have appointed consultants CgMs to appraise the canal corridor.The aim of this piece of work is to identify the special character of the canal's entire length through both districts with a view to ensuring it is protected.

 

And the two councils will be consulting on the proposals until 16 March with three exhibitions set to take place before then. More here.

 

http://www.cherwell.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=8579&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

[Going boating tomorrow]

We were going boating for the weekend tomorrow, but the Mrs pulled the plug on account of the unfavourable weatehr forecast

[Where else could this happen but on a canal]

Saw a very lively fight between three cats by the old mill house in Cropredy last August where all three of them ended up in the canal. Typically for cats thy waited for me by to reverse our boat back to fish them, then sorted themselves out and were gone.

[Winding a 70 footer in Oxford]

Well hello Owen, I was beginning to think that you'd sunk.

 

Nope just emerged from the purdah imposed by the run up to 31st January and the months catching up on neglected tasks I thereofre face in February.

[Winding a 70 footer in Oxford]

It had jumped ship at some point. It's been replaced with an inadequate split pin

 

Richard

 

Ah precision engineering

[Cropredy Traffic]

It's worse - 10 am to 2 pm, and the locks are manned, presumably to persuade boaters to wait for boats travelling in the opposite direction if possible (most of us do that anyway don't we?)

 

Blimey if you can confirm this that would be most helpful.

 

If they are really closed I am stuffed as we are moored about three locks above Cropredy and I cannot feasibly get there fore 2.00pm on Friday, so I am thinking I can forget that idea.

 

Damn.

[Cropredy Traffic]

I really need to move our boat down to Banbury from Claydon on Friday 19th August.

 

How soon after Cropredy finishes do boats start to move off? I suppose in short, how much of a pain is it likely to be trying to get the boat through Cropredy on the Friday after, and how chocker do folk think Banbury moorings are likely to be.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Winding Hole south of Banbury]

Sorry I should really know this but I have left all our maps on the boat and am trying to plan our weekend's trip.

 

Once I am past the winding hole by Morrisons in Banbury is the next one Ayno? If so how long in hours is it approx down to Aynho and back?

 

Also does anyone know if the moorings by the two little hump backed bridges just outside Kings Sutton tend to fill up of a weekend?

 

Aplogies for the barrage of questions and thanks in advance.

[So.. What do you do? What would you do?]

Can you "clamp" a NB?

[Well they say you are not a 'proper' boater 'till......]

I fell in on the way back from a Cricket Club lunch, but before we had the boat, does that count?

[Thoughts on the Llangollen]

We found the "getting pushed over to the left hand wall" thing very noticable.

 

One otehr daft question the canal from Pontcysyllte up to Llangollen had the apperance of going quite pronoucedly "uphill" presumably this was/is purely an optical illusion?

[Oxford Canal]

Kidlington is probably the biggest best supplied village on the southern Oxford... isn't it?

 

Technically I had understood Kidlington was the biggest viallge in the UK full stop:

 

Several places claim to be the largest village in England. This title is disputed as there is no standard definition of a village and size might be determined by population or area.

 

One contender is Kidlington in Oxfordshire, which has a population of around 15,000. Whilst Kidlington might be described as a town in colloquial use due to its sheer size, it has not formally taken on this status and still has a parish council rather than a town council.

 

P.s there was very little mooring in Cropredy when we got there Saturday, although Banbury town centre looked reasonable free in terms of space when I drove over the canal a couple of hours ago.