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As they say, no newts is good newts

another thing , very important to bear in mind is that a widebeam will be as ugly as sin ........ I think " Widebeam narrowboat s" have all the grace and aesthetic appeal of a shoe box . But thats a personal opinion only ...... cheers ETA : Whereas a dutch barge style boat either real or relica looks " right " & i really admire them . Id even own one perhaps at a later date

My narrowboat is 58 ft long . Im on my todd too . For me it has more space than i need . After 4 years living aboard i still have empty cupboards on board . Its a liverpool boat co build . A much maligned builder but the layout of mine is excellent. Visitors when they first enter through the bow doors often comment that it " feels " spacious . I think to some extent serious thought needs to be paid to layout . Mine is open plan . Saloon at bow with a huge full size Ikea sofa , dinette , U shaped kitchen to port and a corridor down to the bedcabin via the bathroom. No internal walls - i can see all the way from bow door to rear door . High ceilings, painted white , cream paint on the walls adds to the feeling of spaciousness . I deliberately keep clutter minimal , because i like to live simply . There are huge storage spaces on board & if i removed the black water tank from beneath my bed i'd have more space than id ever need for storage . Thinking about storage from the outset will help . Needing less clutter will help . I think that one person on thier own really doesn't need a widebeam . If you WANT a widebeam then go for it , but i really wouldnt want one as a single handler . Ive never been in a widebeam so cannot comment about the space , but from my own experience on my narrowboat i would consider the extra space as either a waste or a luxury . A full size proper bed and bedroom are the only benefits i can imagine , but then i love my little bedcabin and its size is perfect for me . Less is more - atleast to me it is Other possible considerations : cost of build & fitout , cruising range , single handling , heating of a larger space ? Resale value ? I think the best bit of advice on this thread so far has been the suggestion you buy a secondhand boat . It is 100% the way forward . You get more for your money & will be able to learn from its ownership - you may go on to commission a wide boat afterward but you'll have learnt what you really want or need through experience rather than theory. To me i think narrow beam , 58 ft long , well thought out interior- open plan , lots of storage , pay mind to electrical systems - inverters , solar , etc and you can have yourself a very nice , functional & enjoyable boat without the need to go wide . cheers

Currently moored at Star City on the B.C.N.. The boat in front of us, Rosie Day, Index 503 967, has two broken windows on the offside, and two at the cratch. Reported to CaRT, and posted here in case owner is a forumite, or anyone knows owner.

When we were kids playing in the street dogs poo strewn about was all part of the happy scene. It was everywhere, sometimes nice, fresh and steaming, sometimes like rocks, bleached white in the summer sun. We often slipped over on it whilst playing Hop Scotch and rolled in it when falling of our soap box carts. We could even identify which dog had done which out of all the jolly little dogs that were always trotting about. My sister used to make dog poo pies as well as mud pies. We loved it. Playing in the street wouldn't have been the same without it.

Agree with muntjac Maybe your cat has just been scared off? Cats have an uncanny knack of disappearing and ignoring all attempts at calling them and vigorous biscuit shaking at the exact same moment you start worrying about them. Hope your moggie is home soon.

The thing is, rather like the gas regs, I suspect these regs are drawn up so ridiculously tightly not for the purposes of routine enforcement to the letter, but so whenever an 'incident' occurs the operative concerned can be illustrated to have breach one or another part of the law and prosecuted. No matter that there could be a hundred million incident-free drone flights across Foxton locks, on the day there is a collision or something, the authorities need to put up a show of scapegoating and prosecuting someone.

What a crap thread!

all OK on Android, thanks o mighty Rich!

It is

Excellent, Thanks for sharing, looking forward to more Tim

If someone is in cardiac arrest outside office hours you simply kick the door in to get the defibrillator and worry about the damage afterwards

Well I enjoyed the footage.

It's what we, the users, see and navigate with. It determines colour, layout etc and has no effect on the underlying mechanism by which the forum operates. Put differently, two different skins could appear quite different to each other but the basic underlying function of the site would be essentially identical. On the old site the mobile skin removed a lot of functionality (like post numbers, which is why I'm indifferent to them) but it was the same forum I was posting to.

One comment about wide beams is that they are based on the narrow boat style, which isn't brilliant if you actually want to use the boat for cruising. It's not the size it's the style features that make it that little more awkward than a "proper" boat that's 10ft-12ft wide! So if you're tempted for a wide boat I would take a look at the old working boats (like dutch and english). Most of these will still outlast a new build, and they are many that are just asking for a refit. They will also be more suitable for the waterways of Europe if you find yourself wanting to venture in that area as well.

I'm in total agreement with Bruce and Adam, in terms of space it is absolutely no contest but a WB is really seen as a cheap way of getting a country cottage or second home these days. Yes you get a lot more for your money but you won't be going anywhere. You can't dismiss this from your considerations. If you want to explore the uk waterways narrow is the way to go. The increased popularity of widebeams IMHO is a significant factor in the reduction of moving traffic on the canals these days. Some might see that as a good thing but it certainly isn't good for the long term health of the network and its infrastructure.

horseshit doesn't carry Toxocariasis; it smells better; it's easier to see and avoid; horses don't crap on the pavement or in childrens play areas. Plus, you would need a bin liner to carry the stuff!

I also wondered about the revs thing as the OP did not identify the actual Lister mode. It could be the camshaft driven engine pulley thing again. No harm in giving it a good rev to see. However once the belt is checked I expect it will turn out to be the alternator.

No need, here it is: Now isn't that a friendly and helpful way to point folk to posts?

I would say you may have been quite lucky over the years. I have been stoned once and been set adrift once by having my ropes actually cut within probably the last 20 or so days I have cruised on the BCN. What you have to remember is that you are talking about the BCN rather than Birmingham and that's 100 miles of canal with over 2 million people in pretty close proximity and much of the system is in areas of real social deprivation. There isn't anything else comparable on that scale. In truth it may be getting a little worse as I dare say many of those folk possibly feel they aren't getting much help at the moment. Some may possibly see boating as a rich person's hobby as well. That doesn't make it right but it's part of what the BCN is and a reason why it's such a great amenity for the 1.99999999 million decent folk that live in close proximity to it. That's why I support it with a very modest amount of my time and money and would be delighted if you did come back but do try and understand it for what it is, and join the BCNS if you aren't already a member. JP Edit - note to self that I haven't paid this years BCNS subscription yet!

Don't worry... I often do a search and dont find the answer. A lot depends on the search terms used and the order of the threads found. You can read the first five or ten, not find the answer, and get fed up. In addition, if all the answers to all the questions are available with a search, there would be no need for the forum to continue... it could be closed to new stuff, and remain as a resource - but that's not the point Ask away... whatever it is. Some will enjoy answering and trying to help. Others will tell you to do a search

Sorry, if you can't be bothered to link to the post I certainly can't be bothered to search for it

There is one at Sowerby Bridge wharf, but nothing to do with the boatyard, being outside the gates in a public area. I note that it is opened with a keypad, the code for which you get by dialling 999.

On the other hand, if the section 8 recipients made compliant boating THEIR priority C&RT could concentrate more time and money on the things we'd rather they did.

I think you will find modern defibrillators are almost automatic. You fit the pads to the part of the chest indicated and the machine basically does the rest (or so I am told).

I am not concerned about displaying licence discs but I am much more narked about boats with no or deliberately hard to see boat number. When boats severely misbehave, eg doing damage to other boats or mine or the infrastructure it is difficult to involve the relevant authority if the boat can't be readily identified. Reading the tiny licence disc is not usually possible in a confrontation situation. Any boat found persistently without a number should be surcharged at licence renewal time. The boat name is no use, it is usually Kingfisher.

Yes. You miss the point, which is about social pressure. If all boats have visible licences, there is pressure (or if you like, the paradigm) that everyone should get a licence. If half the boats don't display a licence, some people will think they don't need to bother. You may feel that you don't care if other folk have licences but ultimately that is a foolish viewpoint since if you become the only person to have a licence, you won't be able to use it because the canals will be derelict.

I like to display our licence . Just because it's an expensive bit of paper and I don't see the point in not displaying the fact that we managed to pay for it . I know that probably doesn't make sense .

4 years to find these two. Both watertight. Both second hand. Price £110 total Didnt want to repaint thaxted and Mecca's cans. Our cans are home painted always have been . They are not traditionally painted but show aspects of our life at the time we own them. So Thaxted is towing Atalanta on her can and the cats and bikes have a place too. We reckon that in itself is a tradition, rather than buying from a shop. I like these new ones. Sue might get them finished this year drawing ...Australia on a can is tricky.