boatyboy

Utter cobblers ! To say the loop is not strong enough is wrong.They are usually 9mm steel heavily welded to the pin.If your rope manages to 'A' break the weld on the loop,or 'B' stay in the dirt and break the weld. Was the pin put in By pile driver into cement ? We've been mooring up like that for nearly thirty years.When i had to weld on my own loops. Mind you..The ones you buy in chandlery's have a habit of the weld cracking after several months of being beaten on the head.

This might help..There is a company advertising a 'fit it yourself'side hatch in the latest Towpath talk.

Spell check

I agree that it makes no differance if your ropes are inwards or outwards.(As long as you don't have one in and one out of course)Reason being the pivot point is the bollard on the deck.therefore its ok to do it both ways(IMHO).I've done both ways for years.Main reason for being inboard is mooring between other boats when space is tight.

If you have just come up the horrible Rochdale nine.Turn right under the buildings,just as you come out there are some moorings on the right.Its quite secure.But that also means its a bit of a job getting out of this mooring to go shopping.Alternativly after coming under the buildings carry on left under the road bridge.Turn left. There are quite safe off tow path moorings on the right.Right outside some nice respectable looking houses/flats.We've moored on both,and found it to be safe.Plus you can get to the city from there. Hope that helps........Dave

No its not Rubbish!!Firstly i never mentioned a word about passing boats at speed!!Do you not possibly agree that people emptying locks before a boat was out is not good? Like you,i love doing long days,though maybe not 12 hours a day. My point was about people rushing up to the lock on bikes and taking over operating the lock without even asking,as i always ask if its ok to help. Whilst we are on the subject of Tardebigge.Three years ago we arrived a the top lock to go down.Before i could fill the lock i had to shut the bottom gate.No problem i thought,must have been the wind. No it was a single hander driving out and leaving them open. After 6 locks left like this i was getting more peed off.Obviously as we were a crew of two we caught him up.Even though he could now see us behind him he continued all the way down leaving them all open. There you go pick the bits out of that,and give me a reason why its ok to do that!!

If you are in a hurry on your holiday.you are on the wrong type of holiday

In a word no.old Sp***gers are crap.I've had one.It was about as thick as bacofoil

We did the Tardebigge last year going up.Another boat started coming up 3 locks behind us.They had bikes.I hate people who roar up setting the locks on bloody bikes,as much as three locks ahead of the one they are in.When there is no way they can see if there is a boat coming down just around the corner. They caught us up in no time.Running to the top of the lock my wife was in,and winding up the paddles before she was happy with her position in the lock.I let it go the first time,but it happened the next lock.I'm afraid i flew off the handle at this guy and his lady to "can you please leave the paddles until i say its ok to help".Which the guy replied...But we are in a hurry Geazer.That was it.I' don't like being called a Geazer!!I told them to go away and wait their turn.(or words i can't tpye here).Which they did much to my wifes relief.Why do people have to be in a hurry so much that they use a bike to do locks because they are in a hurry.This was a private boat.not a hirer. Forgot to mention what really set me off.As my wife was exiting the lock,they were starting to wind up paddles to empty it before she was past the gates.Hence making the gate slam on so hard it could have damaged the lock. By now i guess that you have worked out that i hate lock wheelers on bikes.Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Cheers Kev. I will lurk a bit.

Afternoon all.Well the time has finally come to sell our beloved Narrow boat Urquhart Castle.We set off three years ago with a plan to do one continuous year.Well we enjoyed it so much,and met some really nice people. But we got a bit carried away and stuck with it for a couple more years. So now we have part moved off the boat and she is for sale at the N** and U*** B*** C****** at M****a Marina. I would like to thank everyone who has responded to my questions in the past. Bye for now Dave and Di xx

Don't know if any of you have seen this....Boats going along with their dog running along side on the tow path. We were Just coming down to woodsend lock at Fradley.The driver of the boat coming the other way was shouting at his dog to "COME ON" very loud.As it was in the middle of emptying its arse on the tow path.He could see what it was doing,and just carried on going ahead.The Dog was an Alsation.So how could he possibly be in control of it regarding walkers and other dogs.Plus the bloody great heap on the tow path,just right to be stepped in.

It's the other way around on our boat.We have been going along solid for 3 years now.And done nearly 4 thousand locks.My wife takes the boat into the lock all the time, and hardly ever hits the sides or the end gates.I think i can count the amount of locks i've taken the boat into on one hand,at least six times. Dave

One for the guys ....We had just come down the locks at Etruria,my eyes nearly popped out of my head .I had walked on down to set the next lock.And came across a couple of photographers shooting a set of pictures for a girlie mag.It was certainly for a mens mag. Both girls were posing on the lock beam.They carried on as if i was not there. How do they get away with that in a public space? I'm not complaining mind :wub: