That's yer lot I'm off.

[Laurie Booth]

I don't have a caravan yet.

I hope you have a better time with your caravan than I did. It was petrol bombed in Bristol. No one hurt thank God.

[The Bearwood Boster]

Blimey Laurie WHO did you upset ? !

Trina

[craftycarper]

We enjoy a boat and a caravan, joined the caravan club for its cc farm sites, circa £15pn, 5 vans max. Loads in the site directory.

how do you find getting through locks and reversing with the caravan on ?

I hope you have a better time with your caravan than I did. It was petrol bombed in Bristol. No one hurt thank God.

and don't come back ? Edited November 6, 2015 by craftycarper

[Naughty Cal]

We have had a great Summer and lovely Autumn.....that's after 466 miles of canal and river and 249 locks since July.

Got back to our base outside Chester last week.

No problems, reasonable weather, good banter with passing boats and CRT staff

 

Looking forward to next year

Absolutely.

 

We have a great years cruising lined up for next year.

 

Can't wait.

[Murflynn]

................ and there's me, having downgraded from a gurt big wide sewer tube to a manageable trailerable cruising/camping yogurt pot, enjoyed 4 separate weeks of unspoilt weather on 2 canals and 2 rivers between May and September.

 

because the boat needs a proper concrete slipway, limiting my options, I am preparing a lighter trailer boat, currently parked in the front yard while I construct a cabin shelter, dodging the rain. It will be easier to manage out of the water now I'm in my eighth decade (as everyone keeps reminding me), and I plan to use it till I drop.

 

I luvvit, addicted.

[twbm]

No I don't take what is said on here to heart. As I said I have had a lot of good advice and help from various forumites for which I am grateful. The spats have been great entertainment which I never participated in but I did read avidly. I'm just not enjoying it anymore. I do volunteer work for C&RT and I think they want you as an unpaid employee. To be fair I also volunteer work for the RNIB and that is the same. But bottom line is I'm just not enjoying my boating any more. So I think it's time for a change. I can't remember who said the bit about it's been a good year for caravaning and I cannot be bothered to scroll back but I wouldn't know I don't have a caravan yet.

 

 

Err, Yes.

[pete.i]

................ and there's me, having downgraded from a gurt big wide sewer tube to a manageable trailerable cruising/camping yogurt pot, enjoyed 4 separate weeks of unspoilt weather on 2 canals and 2 rivers between May and September.

 

because the boat needs a proper concrete slipway, limiting my options, I am preparing a lighter trailer boat, currently parked in the front yard while I construct a cabin shelter, dodging the rain. It will be easier to manage out of the water now I'm in my eighth decade (as everyone keeps reminding me), and I plan to use it till I drop.

 

I luvvit, addicted.

Well that's exactly what I did. I sold my narrowboat last year and bought a Shetland 4+2 with a trailer. My idea was to trailer it around and launch it where-ever. The Shetland is quite a biggish boat though and getting it in and out of the water wasn't quite as easy as I thought it migh be. So basically it sat on a mooring at Goole Boatyard. People there were fantastic helping me but that wasn't what I wanted. I wanted a boat that I could easily get in and out of the water by myself, park it up on drive and take it out when I wanted. Unfortunately, whilst the Shetland is a nice boat. it wasn't the boat to be doing that with it was a bit too big. So I don't know for sure yet. My overwhelming urge is to buy a small caravan and take that touring, not far and not for long. Maybe hire a smallish boat when we get there. Or I could buy a more manageable boat and trailer. As I say I don't know yet. First priority is to finish the outside work needed on the Shetland and then sell that. That wont happen until next spring at the earliest but at least my boat is not on the water incurring charges and not being used.

[MtB]

I wonder is a caravan and a canoe might press all the right buttons for you, from what you say.

[pete.i]

 

Err, Yes.

"ERR yes" nothing. I do volunteer educational work for the trust and I thoroughly enjoyed working with the children. I haven't given that up but I was doing it at Bingley which is 42 miles away from where I live. It isn't the easiest place to get to in the summer, in winter it is downright dangerous. Bingley Five Rise is not the easiest place to work in especially with children. It was hard on the children and us adults when the weather was bad and we didn't have, and still don't have, anywhere where we could get out of the weather apart from a small tent type gazebo that tended to blow away. I don't think the trust, or the trust employees I was working with valued, particularly, what we as volunteers did. I am still a volunteer and will continue to volunteer for the trust but I will only volunteer to do what I want to do rather than what the trust "tells" me to do. This volunteer work was all for East Yorkshire area and I live in West Yorkshire where the trust has no educational volunteers nor any educational ambitions it seems to me. There was supposed to have been an education officer appointed for this area and a volunteer group were going to be set up. I actually did a pilot with a local school and that seemed to go down extremely well. But since then I have heard nothing.

 

So all things taken into consideration these and my other posts have outlined why I am despondent with the canals, boating and the Canal and River Trust. As I have said everything may well change by next summer one way or the other but at least at the moment my boat is off C&RT's waters and not incurring charges for something that I am not using.

 

I will say this. My little narrowboat Keb was much more enjoyable and infinetly easier to handle than my cruiser. But I couldn't easily get that off the water. "What about a trailable narrowboat" I hear you ask. Keb was only a 30 footer so a trailable narrow boat is certainly worth thinking about. That doesn't get rid of the other problems that I perceive though on the canals.

I wonder is a caravan and a canoe might press all the right buttons for you, from what you say.

Well I do have a four man inflatable and a small outyboard LOL so you never know.

[colmac]

Although not liveaboards, we do spend a large part of the year out on our narrowboat. We just get on with our day to day boating and pay no heed to C&RT politics or officialdom. If the weeds are overgrown or the towpaths not up to scratch then, such is life.. I know it's probably being a bit of an ostrich but we are now retired and just want to enjoy our lives on the cut. I wish you all the best in your caravan and hope it lives up to your expectations.

[Ray T]

Took my boat off the water today. Parked it up on it's trailer in my wife's uncle's farm for free. I've had enough of the way that C&RT are treating boaters, the weather has been rubbish this year so I have only had the boat out 5 times and I am generally just not enjoying boating any more. Plan now is finish the small amount of work that I have to do on the boat and trailer and then put it up for sale. Then, possibly buy a small caravan and do a bit of touring. We shall see.

 

It's been fun, sort of. Tried a narrowboat and enjoyed that for nearly 5 years then bought my cruiser, Shetland 4+2, but now it's time to try something else before I get too old.

 

Bye all and thanks for all the help that I have had on this forum and the entertainment.

 

Try this:

 

 

 

Or one of these:

 

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/caraboat-aka-caravan-boat

[haggis]

 

I will say this. My little narrowboat Keb was much more enjoyable and infinetly easier to handle than my cruiser. But I couldn't easily get that off the water. "What about a trailable narrowboat" I hear you ask. Keb was only a 30 footer so a trailable narrow boat is certainly worth thinking about. That doesn't get rid of the other problems that I perceive though on the canals.

 

We have a 26 foot Sea Otter which is an alluminium trailable narrowboat and we have trailed it around a fair bit over the years. Our finding is that not every slipway is suitable - if they are too steep, the stern is under water before the bows leave the trailer and if there is a stop of some sort at the foot of the slip, you may be able to launch but not retrieve. Two of us launch and retrieve her in minutes. I believe some folk have launched and retrieved on their own but it can't be easy.

 

haggis

[nb Innisfree]

Funny how the higher our income the more possessions we need to be content . Looking back I think we was most contented for the several years when we had young children and had to watch the pennies, no hankering after anything as we couldn't afford it. Sort of a freedom from deciding what to do with our money.

[GreyLady]

At least you have some good memorys of boating, best luck with your next adventure.

 

One door closes another one opens.

[zenataomm]

Having volunteered in many sectors myself and having been a Human Resources Manager responsible for volunteers I've always been a bit puzzled by those who feel aggrieved.

 

Of course employees are likely to feel nervous of volunteers, they're people who are prepared to do for nothing what they are employed to do, they feel threatened.

Also as the volunteers usually don't have the experience or knowledge, the employees feel put upon to keep an eye on them.

Many employees won't see that as their job.

"I'm paid to dig holes, paint wood, not be a nanny to a load of do-gooders"

 

Volunteers often think that because they're not being paid they can call the shots about what they do, where, when and under what circumstances. That way chaos lies. If you have a manpower (Personpower?) requirement on a certain day at a certain time to match arranged resources then it'd be hopeless if you had to wait to see who turned up on the day.

[pete.i]

Having volunteered in many sectors myself and having been a Human Resources Manager responsible for volunteers I've always been a bit puzzled by those who feel aggrieved.

 

Of course employees are likely to feel nervous of volunteers, they're people who are prepared to do for nothing what they are employed to do, they feel threatened.

Also as the volunteers usually don't have the experience or knowledge, the employees feel put upon to keep an eye on them.

Many employees won't see that as their job.

"I'm paid to dig holes, paint wood, not be a nanny to a load of do-gooders"

 

Volunteers often think that because they're not being paid they can call the shots about what they do, where, when and under what circumstances. That way chaos lies. If you have a manpower (Personpower?) requirement on a certain day at a certain time to match arranged resources then it'd be hopeless if you had to wait to see who turned up on the day.

Having worked as an employee all my life and having had to deal with human recources managers and ordinary managers who have absolutely no idea of "man management" (or should I call it people management these days), that is exactly where the problem lies. As a volunteer that is what we are. We volunteer to do things as when WE want. If the C&RT, or any other employer, want people who are prepared to be at their beck and call then they should pay a fair wage. I do realise that that little phrase has very little meaning these days but that is the way it is in reality.

 

Now I'm out of here. So long good bye.

[zenataomm]

A volunteer who only wants to be present when they want and only do what they want and how they want to is a liability and possibly dangerous. Not only to themselves but those around them.

 

I agree totally that most volunteers today are doing work that should be paid for. That's what I think is quite wrong and would support anyone wanting to protest about volunteering today on that basis.

 

However anyone prepared to volunteer anywhere doing anything has to be prepared to take instruction, declaring U.D.I. simply because "I'm a volunteer and not being paid" is not only selfish but unrealistic in their thinking.

 

When I do Canal Clearance I agree when I'm doing it, I sign the "Risk Assessment"(although I think R.A. is a load of cobblers) I wear Hi Vis and a lifejacket although I never do when on my own boat. And I do whatever they ask me to whether it's litter picking or dragging motorbikes out of bridge'oles and I do it the way they want it done.

[Ray T]

 

Now I'm out of here. So long good bye farewell.

 

Que a song:

 

Edited November 6, 2015 by Ray T

[David Mack]

I got chatting to a couple of guys. Cutting hedges at an English Heritage property a year or two back. They were employees. They said volunteers were fine supervising visitors in the house, but in the gardens they were more trouble than they were worth. They couldn't use machinery because of training/insurance/risk reasons, they would only do jobs like weeding for an hour or two before going off for a rest and a cuppa, and they generally didn't turn up when it rained.

 

My experience of canal volunteers is rather better, but this does indicate the underlying issue.

[The Bearwood Boster]

My dearly beloved is a volly in Brum.He helps paid CRT workers with litter picking(in & around the canal) on a Monday after a weekend of peeps partying.He also helps folks down the locks.His quote is that as soon as they ask him to do someone's actual job-he's off.By the way,some of the stuff he helps clear up(especially under the bridges down Farmer's Bridge)is disgusting.CRT staff appreciate his help !

[sueb]

The powers that be are wanting more volunteers to man the police force. That could create chaos.

[LEO]

 

 

I will say this. My little narrowboat Keb was much more enjoyable and infinetly easier to handle than my cruiser. But I couldn't easily get that off the water. "What about a trailable narrowboat" I hear you ask. Keb was only a 30 footer so a trailable narrow boat is certainly worth thinking about. That doesn't get rid of the other problems that I perceive though on the canals.

 

 

Cheers Pete,

 

Good Luck for the future, pleased Keb gave you so much enjoyment - she did the same for us for about 16 years.

 

Boating has changed over the years, but I have never really had any problems with CaRT.

 

Volunteering can be very frustrating - I gave up my last 'Volly' job recently (I had done it for 7 years) because someone ordered a print run of 25000 booklets and did not proof read it properly and one word had to be amended with a sticker, after 2000 I thought there has to be a better life than this, so now I help elderly people who can't get about with lifts etc.

 

Hope you both have fun and remain well and enjoy life!

 

Kind Regards.

 

Mike.

[patty-ann]

I have not managed much time on boat this year but cannot wait for next as end in sight(ha ha) to Horror House...I considered caravan or camper van instead of boat but decided traffic was a stress filling exercise that would detract from enjoyment of that life....I travel to boat silly o'clock to avoid motorway madness.

Anyway if I had purchased camper van one or more of my offspring would have borrowed it..my boat they haven't a scoobies and thats the way it'll stay.

[Laurie Booth]

Blimey Laurie WHO did you upset ? !

Trina

Quite a few.

Not as bad as my father who had over 200 people after him.

[zenataomm]

Laurie ... you once told me your Dad was a champion Marathon Runner.