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Showing content with the highest reputation on 29/09/14 in all areas

  1. Your boat should not exceed the following dimensions: Length 55', Beam 6' 8", Water draught 15". The air draught should not exceed 6' to avoid damage to overhanging vegetation. Your boat must be electrically powered. It must be governed so as not to exceed 2 m.p.h. There must be a pre-set on the throttle which limits the speed to 0.8 m.p.h. This is to be used when passing moored boats, locks, tunnels, aqueducts and members of the public whose enjoyment of the waterways is there by increased. Your speed will be constantly checked by G.P.S. Steerers must hold a Steering Qualification. This is available by attending the course run by our nominees the I.W.A. and must be renewed annually. This entitles you to 30 days navigation each year. The boating season runs from April to September inclusive. You must not move at weekends or out of normal office hours. Locks may only be passed if a member of our staff is present. they have attended a two day course and therefore know what they are doing. Whilst locking, apart from one designated lock worker and a steerer, all other crew members must sit in the cabin area wearing life jackets.Ask our staff member to stamp your progress card at the completion of the locking. All locks now have the universal 8" x 8" paddles . The set time for passing a narow lock is 20 minutes. There are no longer any wide locks because of the cost of maintenance. Tunnel passages must be booked at least two weeks in advance. All the crew will remain in the cabin area and the boat will be steered by our staff. They have all been on a two day course and therefore know what they are doing. You must only moor at designated sites.These are open to the general public. Everwhere else is, at the insistence of English Nature an S.S.S.I. Moored boats are fitted with sensitive motion sensors.These are linked to pre-recorded messages. These messages must not include more than one expletive and be played at no more than 110 decibels. We are no longer allowed to use mechanical dredgers. Our manually operated dredger is making its way around the system. However the operator, Mr. Geller, has informed us that the spoon is bent so progress has paused but we still hope to reach our target of a channel 15' wide and 2' deep by 2120. All steerers must have beards. In the rare case that the steerer is a lady this requirement may be waived at the discretion of CART. Lock workers, to show competence, ability and experience must wear a dress. The rare male working locks will be subject to this requirement. Scots may substitute the kilt. The dress should have a modest neckline so as not to agitate our elderly volunteers. The small hut at Great Haywood is our tool store. It is where we keep our barrow and spade. Do not add to the graffiti on the door. The Obudsman system has ended. Its replacement is an arbitration panel made up of representatives from Cycling, Angling and Ramblers associations. If their meetings are not quorate then the H.Q. tea ladies will make up the numbers. In the case of a medical emergency you should call us, during normal office hours, and a Waterways Medical Assistant will be sent. They have been on a two day course andd therefore know what they are doing. Because of the lack of volunteers it is a condition of your licence that you provide five days unpaid labour each year. This will usually be spent cleaning sanitary stations and will include a statutory lecture by a representative from English Nature on the mating habits of the newt. And some of this is already happening. Regards, HughC.
    5 points
  2. I have often done it this summer in France. It's just fantastic. I'm not a nudist in any other way, but going along I just felt the urge to be naked, I have no idea why, My wife took a picture. If I get 10 greenies I will post it.
    3 points
  3. Dear all, Whilst out crusing a few years ago I met an old boater in just shorts and over a pint he told me that he often boats naked when no one is around. I tried it last year and this year on my own and this year I managed to persuaded a friend who is a Girl not a GF to do the same when we were out. She thought it was a unique experience and we managed to do this on a few trips over the summer. I was so beautiful standing on the back of my trad stern sailing down the Lower GU south of Cowley out of sight of everyone with just a warm breeze around the stern. Does anyone else do this? Before you say its not legal “Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 it is not an offence to be naked in public in England and Wales. It becomes an offence if it can be proved the person stripped off with the intention to cause distress, alarm or outrage.” So Becomes offence if it can be proved the person stripped off with the intention to upset and shock but the Complainant has to prove this… But as I pull the shorts up when I meet anyone I think I have it covered (in both ways) Bob
    1 point
  4. I don't think the clip shows an interaction between the two hulls and a collision due to both ships increasing to full speed in shallow water. I think it shows a collision as the result of both skippers being complete fools!
    1 point
  5. You do seem to have a bit of a spoiler attitude! Bob
    1 point
  6. I stand to be corrected by my learned friends - but - I dont believe that to be the case. Legally - the broker is the Vendors agent, so by paying the broker, the buyer is paying the vendor. It is not like a Farmer selling milk to Tesco, who then sells it to Jo Public, as the Farmers transaction is with Tesco, and it remains his 'propery' until paid for in full by Tesco, and it remains Tesco's property until paid for in full be Jo Public. If you are selling your boat, but cannot make the meeting with the seller to collect the money, you send Tattoed Stan from the pub to collect it for you, on the promise 'you'll see him right with a pint or two'. He collects the money, gives the buyer a receipt to say they have paid, hands over the keys and the new owner disappears down the cut. On the way back to the pub, with a pockefull of money, Stan decides a last minute holiday sounds a good idea, pops into the travel agents and gets himself off on a world cruise departing that afternoon. Stan has stolen the money from you and your only possible action for recovery is to start a personal legal action against him. If there is no 'client account', or there is, but it is empty - It is simple theft. For boats on brokerage, but unsold, they need to produce proof of ownership (+ copy of the brokerage contract) to the Administrators which should enable them to recover their own boats (at their own costs)
    1 point
  7. I have had another very interesting reply from Varta, including a copy of a Word Document called 'Charge Recommendation - Flooded Batteries'. One paragraph which stands out for me is the one that says: "The maximum charging voltage should be 14.1 – 14.4 V. In automotive applications this voltage will be enough as the vibration during the use will prevent from acid stratification. In boat or ship use a higher charging voltage (up to 16 V) is needed to prevent acid stratification. This overcharge ‘with’ 16 V should only be used for short time period. A permanent charge with 16 V will cause increased water loss." They have made a couple of other suggestions which I will investigate in 2-3 weeks time after I have got back from my American trip. Meanwhile they will be on float charge. It is good to see that the manufacturers are continuing to take an interest in this problem.
    1 point
  8. Apologies for spelling error
    1 point
  9. I seem to recall that Albert's mate was Tommy Almond, and that his surname was shortened to Haymer or Aymer. Tommy usually steered the motor and Albert the dumb boat. Regarding hatches and coamings, these were removed on boats working to Wigan Power Station to make the hold wide enough as they were unloaded by grab. Boats working to Trafford Park did not need this as coal was removed by suction, so much less damaging to the boat.
    1 point
  10. We have a lady who is is happy to donate a couple of rolls of ribbon and give out posters to boats on GU. It might help jog someone's memory.
    1 point
  11. The seller has several interested buyers. The other buyers may gazump you. Unless you have agreed a sale price with the vendor, and the survey is just going to be a meaningless formality, what are you trying to achieve. If you have already decided to commit, and the survey isn't good, the seller is in a very good position to stay put at the price agreed. Your deposit won't really count for much if the seller can get a higher bid, unless you have already made the sale agreement at the point you pay the deposit. You may find the seller is very reasonable and will accept a little negotiation after the survey, but don't bank on it. You're so keen to buy the boat, what's the seller's incentive to re-negotiate. Maybe, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. It makes your position weak in my opinion. You should go into this purchase and be ready to pull out.
    1 point
  12. Have to admit that I am now concerned. I have been purposefully looking at boats through brokerage as I have had the impression that my money would be safer than just popping onto ebay and making a bid. Am now beginning to wonder as to how to buy a boat safely.
    1 point
  13. Unfortunately, the faults were entirely caused by the servicing mechanic at Braunston, the alternator belt was fitted running over the alternator bracket, wear was very clear. More rubber than an Australian sheep shearing contest. There was wear anyway, as the cooling system seems to be sitting slightly proud of where it should be, so a washer on both alternator brackets is a temporary fix. The fuel leak identified by the surveyor has also now been fixed. Another thing not done by Braunston, but charged for. It really pisses me off, new boaters not just ripped off, but then rudely treated and blamed by operators that should be upholding standards, not abstaining from responsibility.
    1 point
  14. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  15. London is crowded, go by bus, it's crowded, go by car, it's crowded, why would it be any different by boat. There's lots of peaceful empty room in the countryside. The myth that overcrowding on visitor moorings is down to the liveaboard community has been debunked so often you'll have to find something else to sneer at. And yes, it is a community in London it works exactly like any other community. I suggest you follow the Facebook link above if you want a flavour. I also suggest if you are having difficulty boating in London ( I never have) you put pressure on CRT to provide more facilities and stop trying to blame someone else.
    1 point
  16. Another reason why we need a trip advisor type section in the absence of one I would advice ops to write letters to boat mags if Braunston do not do the right by them. I wonder if RCR had been called out to this problem would they assist in a claim against these cowboys ?
    1 point
  17. I don't know if it's hilarious or sad that so many people seem to have such a negative response to the idea (not even the sight, just the idea) or someone else's naked body! What do you think you look like under your clothes? Do you all hate the sight of yourselves!? It's just a body, it poops, farts, pees, produces snot, tears, blood, new life, funny smells... It's part of human life. It's just a body. We've all got one! You don't have to like the look of someone else's (or your own) but getting queasy about it just seems odd to me! /Unrelated, isn't there a hardcore naked rambler who keeps getting arrested and doing time for his naked rambling, and yet fails to be put off- how does he keep getting done, assuming that the statement that nudity is not illegal is correct?
    1 point
  18. If anybody wants to have a racist rant then they can expect me and others to offer the opposing view. There is no nit picking or point scoring. Redfastlad has been banned from the forum for his bigoted outbursts and threatening and abusive behaviour and never learns that this isn't the place for it. Every time he comes back he can't help himself and has to have an odious off-topic rant. His post had nothing to do with fishing from his boat and I am not the only one who objected to it but he chose me to be portrayed as the lone troublemaker. I am not the only person who objected to his bile and if he had turned on Graham, Alan Fincher, Alan de Enfield, Machpoint or Bazza I suspect they would have responded in a similar way to me. Write racist rubbish and I will always react, just as others have who he has chosen not to respond to. You are welcome to your opinion of me but I'm afraid it will not influence the way I respond to bigots.
    1 point
  19. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  20. Yes of course petrol boats can and do exist, and be used safely. And Diesel boats do sometimes catch fire, but I don't personally know of any that have been caused by the deisel or engine igniting, usually it seems to be the solid fuel fire, or electrical or gas faults that start it. The presence of a spark with diesel isn't a hugh problem, the presence of a spark with petrol vapour is. You say bilge blowers should be used. I'm sure in the right circumstances you are correct, I also don't know of any narrow boats with one, and if I was thinking of a grp boat I wouldn't, without knowing to ask the right question on here, know they exist or should be used. (I do now of course) Therefore I would be at more danger on a petrol boat because I wasn't using it correctly. We are coming up to the known unknowns and unknown unknowns here aren't we? If I don't know about something, and don't know it should be present and used, then am I fair game for being blown up because I didn't do the right thing, and deserve no pity. Not all boats have or need the same equipment, and I'm sure many of us have done something wrong, or omitted something important at the start of our boating careers and got away with it. It's just that some situations are more tollerant of mistakes and ignorance than others. Sue
    1 point
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