Québec

We were in exactly the same position, and undertook one of David Thresh's 'Taster' weekends. Took us/talked us right through everything we needed to know. http://www.missmollycruises.com/cruiseoptions.html

Feel free!

Ensure you have thick, smelly smoke pouring out of your chimney. That should deter space invaders. :-)

Advice from Police: - Get your bike security marked and registered at BikeRegister. Getting your bike security marked and registered is a visible deterrent to bike thieves. They know that if they are caught in possession of a registered bike, the rightful owner can be traced and they will be arrested. Find out if your local Met Police Safer Transport Team has any marking events planned. - Record details of your bike. Frame number (normally found underneath the bike between the pedals or where the back wheel slots in), BikeRegister number, other distinguishing features, and take a photo. - Use locks of gold 'Sold Secure' standard. Also, use two different types of lock, with at least one being a high quality D-lock. It takes thieves a few seconds to cut through poor quality locks - make it as difficult for them as possible. - Lock the frame and both wheels to the cycle parking stand. - Make the locks and bike hard to manoeuvre. Secure your bike as close to the stand as possible. - Take parts that are easy to remove with you. For example, saddles and wheels. Or use secure skewers, which can increase security by securing the bike's components to the frame permanently, making it difficult for thieves to steal parts such as saddle or wheels.Heavy duty motorbike security chain and padlock.

This is interesting. Our batteries are in a cupboard with a vent to the outside via the old boatman's stove chimney. We had terminal covers, and they were boxed in securely at the sides, but the inspector required us to place a wooden cover over the whole lot which then passed inspection...but no mention of ventilation holes. So the cupboard is vented, but the batteries are now enclosed within it.

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm considering using flexible laminate edging strip to give a clean (ish) surround to our portholes. Anyone tried it? Example only:

Apologies if someone's already mentioned this, but if you're boating single handed, and need a view from the bow, there are plenty of relatively cheap wifi cameras - with a pan function to view left/right - that one could link to one's phone or a small screen. A bit OTT perhaps, but if it saves an accident.....

We were moored at Vale Royal on the Weaver, standing on and around the towpath chatting with fellow boaters when a bloke on a bike, in full cycling battle gear, shot out of the trees bellowing 'I don't f*****g stop for anyone' as we leapt out of the way. Thank goodness dogs and children were still on board!

Complete, readable and downloadable versions of some of the older books, and other canal related books not in the auction, can be found online at the Internet Archive. Examples: John Phillips (1803) A general history of inland navigation https://archive.org/details/generalhistoryof00philrich Priestley (1831) Historical account of the navigable rivers etc. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_eUqIucVmZjwC James Brindley and the Early Engineers, by Samuel Smiles (1864) https://archive.org/details/jamesbrindleyear00smilrich

Ooops! I forgot that CWDF is an irony-free zone! :-)

Oh, I dunno. If you put together all the things we complain about I reckon it's a pretty accurate depiction!

Just to say a big thank you to RCR. Our gear cable came apart today at a critical moment leaving us with the boat in forward gear and no way to stop other than by cutting the engine and throwing a rope to a helpful fisherman on the towpath as we approached Grindley Brook. Rang RCR, who seemed pleasantly surprised that in three years of subscribing this was our first call out. They said they'd send out an engineer who'd be with us in about an hour, at c. 4pm. At 3.55 he was with us, pleasant and helpful, fixed the problem and we were on our way by 4.30. Great service, and also thank you to the several people, boaters and walkers, who stopped and asked if we were OK and if they could do anything to help.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34372281 Pass the hat round!

Can recommend Willow Boat Painting, based at Swanley Bridge Marina near Nantwich. http://www.willowboats.co.uk

We did Swanley to Trefor and back, mid-July a couple of years ago. Surprised, after all the warnings, about how quiet it was. Hardly any waiting at locks including Grindley Brook, we had New Marton and that whole stretch entirely to ourselves, and no problems mooring. We had such a good mooring at Trefor that we decided to walk to Llangollen. By chance we timed it right. Left Swanley on the Sunday, back by the following Sunday.