I think i have just bought a boat, at last !

[Chalky]

If there's no insulation in it it would be worth trying to get some insulation into the hull before you start your trip. The first night on our boat when moving it was absolutely freezing. A steel hull with no insulation is like sleeping in a very efficient fridge. If nothing else think about a thick duvet and sleeping bag. Also something for the windows to avoid entertaining the neighbours when you get up! Well done, you'll have a great trip.

Edited February 18, 2012 by Chalky

[micky44]

If there's no insulation in it it would be worth trying to get some insulation into the hull before you start your trip. The first night on our boat when moving it was absolutely freezing. A steel hull with no insulation is like sleeping in a very efficient fridge. If nothing else think about a thick duvet and sleeping bag. Also something for the windows to avoid entertaining the neighbours when you get up! Well done, you'll have a great trip.

cheers, its all spray foamed and lined out, so iwill have a little bit of comfort

[Arthur Brown]

Rope for bow and stern lines would come in handy, along with a water container with tap -you will need 20 litres a day each! Mobile phone charger or several spare batteries. Maybe some old carpet to sleep on. Does it have 12v?

 

A portable gas camping stove used with care will cook tea and hot food but used as a room heater will kill you.

 

Get some mooring pins too!

 

Are yo being driven to the pick up point or is it bus travel?

 

Who will supply you with propulsion diesel?

 

 

Single handing that much travel will be HARD especially for the first hard learning day.

 

ten days at ten hours may use some oil and may even incur an oil change -you may need the correct oil!

[Guest wanted]

Sounds like you'll learn loads in a very short space of time. If tring is open and you do come via Brentford and it's a weekend let me know and I'll help you up the hanwell flight. good luck

[magpie patrick]

Micky, subject to availability I can give you a very substantial hand from Bristol to the top of Devizes locks, the only condition being that you stop each night at a place where I can get home to Frome, which is to say most villages and towns along that length! Not your company or your accommodation, it's just I prefer to get back to Val for the night

 

I'll send you a PM with my mobile number and email

[TimD]

ha ha i have just looked at canal plan , over 200 locks, i have never been through 1 on my own yet, and i will be on my own this trip, my maiden voyage, guess if i get back i will be quite experinced and quite slim, no cooking facilities !

 

Personally I would say you shouldn't single hand your boat through locks until you have spent a day crewing a boat with others. Singlehanding locks is not difficult but there are lots of things to look out for/consider/be aware of. Also the first bit of your journey is tidal river and I'd be concerned that you'd be doing this with no boating experience.

Please try to do a one or two day course for narrowboating or if that's not possible find someone to crew for for a day.

 

Caen Hill is very hard to singlehand, either get a few friends together and make it a fun day out, or tag along with another boat which has at least 4 people (and buy them all a pint at the pub at the top ).

 

 

 

 

 

That said, don't be put off singlehanding, I love it and I'm surprised how many experienced boaters have never done it.

 

Edited to say: Canal plan never has details of stoppages, it is not it's job to do so. You need to check the stoppage pages on the Waterscape web site.

Edited February 19, 2012 by TimD

[micky44]

thank you all very much indeed for all your offers of help, im so pleased i joined this forum regards fuel, it has two massive balanced fuel tanks full length of the engine room, not sure of the capacity at the moment. my uncle has a large farm and has red deliverd of course at quite a saving i take it i would not be braking any kind of law or rules if i was to fill up from some 55gallon drums (the old man has a pick up ) from the farm ? my plan is prior to setting off give the good old Lister a full service and box, take spair fuel/oil filters and oil ! get every thing ready a couple of weeks before i set off. drive back to derby, then get a train back to bristol and set off ! thanks again friends.

Edited February 19, 2012 by micky44

[micky44]

hi all, i am a complete newbie to canals yes. how ever me and the wife lived on a ex Thai fishing boat in the Andaman sea for nearly 7 months. Had a great time island hopping just the 2 off us. some of the little islands were completely uninhabitated. so i have some experince, just hoping it will transfer to canals !!

[Alan de Enfield]

............my uncle has a large farm and has red deliverd of course at quite a saving i take it i would not be braking any kind of law or rules if i was to fill up from some 55gallon drums (the old man has a pick up ) from the farm ? ...........

 

 

I believe that you would be breakng the law (well - Customs & Excise)

Agricultural red diesel doesnt have the same tax paid on it as does boat diesel for propulsion.

 

Agricultural red diesel is taxed at 4.22p / litre I think red diesel for boat propulsion is taxed at 46.81p / litre

 

I'm sure many do do it but I wouldnt advocate advertising it on a public forum.

Edited February 19, 2012 by Alan de Enfield

[mrsmelly]

I believe that you would be breakng the law (well - Customs & Excise)

Agricultural red diesel doesnt have the same tax paid on it as does boat diesel for propulsion.

 

Agricultural red diesel is taxed at 4.22p / litre I think red diesel for boat propulsion is taxed at 46.81p / litre

 

I'm sure many do do it but I wouldnt advocate advertising it on a public forum.

 

But of course you are only breaking the law if you get caught !! Just dont mention it on an open forum

[micky44]

Well now i now i would be short changing the very nice people at customs and excise ,who IMHO do a sterling job for this country i have put that ideai completely out of my head

[Dyertribe]

i really appreacate that mr smelly.thank you very mush for your offer dont suspose you have any of that dehydrated food they have in the army do ya ?

Pot noodle

[Arthur Brown]

Without much thought food can be found in ring pull tins. Heinz big soup, Lidl's Rice pudding, lidl's clementines in syrup, Lidl's canned herring in sauce -keep looking! Dried milk, corned beef.......the lot

[DaveC]

Personally I would say you shouldn't single hand your boat through locks until you have spent a day crewing a boat with others. Singlehanding locks is not difficult but there are lots of things to look out for/consider/be aware of. Also the first bit of your journey is tidal river and I'd be concerned that you'd be doing this with no boating experience.

Please try to do a one or two day course for narrowboating or if that's not possible find someone to crew for for a day.

 

Caen Hill is very hard to singlehand, either get a few friends together and make it a fun day out, or tag along with another boat which has at least 4 people (and buy them all a pint at the pub at the top ).

 

 

 

 

 

That said, don't be put off singlehanding, I love it and I'm surprised how many experienced boaters have never done it.

 

Edited to say: Canal plan never has details of stoppages, it is not it's job to do so. You need to check the stoppage pages on the Waterscape web site.

CanalPlan does list stoppages, not sure if you have to log on for it to do so.

Dave

[Athy]

Without much thought food can be found in ring pull tins. Heinz big soup, Lidl's Rice pudding, lidl's clementines in syrup, Lidl's canned herring in sauce -keep looking! Dried milk, corned beef.......the lot

I have even found some varieties, such as bread and fruit, where you don't even need to pull a ring. The bananas need unzipping, though.

[Arthur Brown]

But fortnight old bread is less usefull than fortnight old tinned beans/rice pud etc.

 

Single handed this trip is rather epic for a new narrowboater. When a friend made the move from southern wide canals to the birmingham ring she found the first narrow lock rather small! but now they are normal.

[ditchcrawler]

CanalPlan does list stoppages, not sure if you have to log on for it to do so.

Dave

They are not ALL in there as I understand it only logs them when the notification comes out, so any that came out BEFORE Nick added the facility wont be on there.

[StephenA]

They are not ALL in there as I understand it only logs them when the notification comes out, so any that came out BEFORE Nick added the facility wont be on there.

 

Only stoppage emails since a couple of weeks ago have been processed. There's no winter stoppages in there - we're hoping that when that comes out for next winter we can bulk load it. Also at the moment we're only processing incoming stoppages once a day so if you're doing some very very tight planning date wise its possible that it might miss a stoppage.

 

And no - you don't need to be logged in for route planning to pick them up.

 

Steve

Edited February 19, 2012 by StephenA

[Arthur Brown]

BUT please remember that canalplanAC is a labour of love not a commercial service, so things may change and things may not be up to date! Things can change while you are on route even.

[StephenA]

 

Edited to say: Canal plan never has details of stoppages, it is not it's job to do so. You need to check the stoppage pages on the Waterscape web site.

 

Canalplan doesn't offer lists of stoppages like the Waterscape site because its not its place to offer such details, but it's slowly building up a list of stoppages, restrictions, navigational advisories etc. and uses them when planning routes

 

BUT please remember that canalplanAC is a labour of love not a commercial service, so things may change and things may not be up to date! Things can change while you are on route even.

 

And we have a disclaimer saying that we're not responsible for anything - information is provided for guidance only. So don't try to use us an excuse for speeding down the Oxford.

[Peter Reed]

Congratulations and good luck with your trip.

Army rations can be bought at this site http://www.armyrations.co.uk/

[Seagull]

Just take loadsa beans and leave a window open

 

AHAAAA! Now we know why you have chosen the handle "mr smelly" .

 

A camping stove and a store of tinned and dried stuff will suffice. A Porta Potty would be sort of handy. Note that dried soya meals have the same effect as beans. Kerpow!

 

Check if there are going to be any problems on the Oxford. Last time I took a narrowboat up there many years ago in drought conditions we got stuck at Banbury and had to turn back.

 

Best wishes for your trip.

 

 

Seagull.

[terryvanman]

have you thought of working out weather or not it might be just as easy/cheap/less stressful towards the lorry cost......it would take about 4 hours by road...just a thought.

and the time you save could be spent on fitting out the boat

Edited February 20, 2012 by terryvanman

[Seagull]

have you thought of working out weather or not it might be just as easy/cheap/less stressful towards the lorry cost......it would take about 4 hours by road...just a thought.

and the time you save could be spent on fitting out the boat

 

Given the cost of diesel and the aggravation due to the drought this seems a very good idea.

 

Anybody know what costings will be involved ie. crane, transporter etc?

 

 

Seagull.

[mrsmelly]

Given the cost of diesel and the aggravation due to the drought this seems a very good idea.

 

Anybody know what costings will be involved ie. crane, transporter etc?

 

 

Seagull.

 

I had a boat craned and transported in 1994 from Gt yarmouth to Gloucester it aint cheap. A guesstimate for me would be that it will be about ten times cheaper by water than road at least................