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comfortably numb

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comfortably numb last won the day on November 9 2013

comfortably numb had the most liked content!

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Occupation
    part time
  • Boat Name
    Comfortably Numb (Formally Hobo)
  • Boat Location
    West Midlands

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  1. Many thanks to chesire rose, Ssscruddy, and Jerra for your helpful advice. I suppose getting only 3 sensible answers out of 50 replies is par for the course for this forum. It's reminded my of why I rarely visit here any more
  2. Our marina is over run with Canada Geese. Many people on the marina have issues with them crapping everywhere, the noise they make, and the disruption they are causing to the other wildlife. Rather than the option of culling them people have tried making life difficult for them by regularly shooing them into the water when they see them in the hope that they will move get brassed off and move to one of the many lakes in the vicinity. One chap even operates a remote controlled speedboat in an effort to disturb them. But they are still here. Presumably many marinas have similar problems and I'd be interested to know how others have dealt with the problem, or don't they perceive them as being a problem perhaps?
  3. I don't think it's changed much over the last 20+ years. There's always a chance of becoming a victim if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but generally if you're sensible about where you moor and what times you travel in certain areas then it significantly reduces the chances. I also think engaging with potential trouble makers rather than ignoring them helps too. We've cruised much of the system including the BCN regularly, and in 25 years all we've had is some kids throwing stones on the rural southern Shroppie, and on 2 occasions in Stoke on the Calden Canal. The 2nd time we were wiser and when I held up my phone and filmed the 2 kids they dropped their stones and decided against it. Ironically these two incidents happened in exactly the same place but 20 years and a day apart. Perhaps these kids were the offspring of the kids who'd stoned us before!
  4. Having spent 30 years on hireboats cruising mainly canals, after buying our own boat a couple of years ago we began to explore the rivers, and have since been on the Trent to Keadby, the Yorkshire Ouse, the Severn, the Avon, the Soar, and the Weaver. It's given us invaluable experience but every time even though we've managed to go on them when they've been calm and fairly sedate it's made me very aware of how different to canals they are and how one has to give them so much respect. I've always prepared well such as keeping the engine serviced, fuel polished, buying the charts, the correct anchor and ropes/chains, navigation lights, lifejackets etc, and I have my VHF and licence for advice and in case of emergency. But despite this preparation and having had some experience on rivers now, I still worry about high river levels with fast flowing 'fresh' and because I'm now retired I can take the easy way out because I have the time to sit it out and wait for calmer waters, but by bottling it in this way I'm not going to gain any experience of faster flowing waters. So with this in mind I've read this thread with great interest, but I'm not sure if it's made me more confident to venture onto them or whether it's made me more paranoid than I already am
  5. Brilliant folks, and a great help thanks. Whether or not we actually moor overnight there depends upon time of day we get there as well as things like the weather etc. So long as it's safe and reasonably quiet and there's somewhere to exercise the dog then that's fine and if we are able to get out of the compound and have a mooch around then that'd be a bonus.
  6. Thanks all of you for your replies, very helpful suggestions about winding (my boat is 62'), but not many about actually over-nighting there . I'm fairly certain the chain is no longer there which should help me with winding and if the need arises I now know that mooring there is an option. I knew I could rely on you lot
  7. I'm planning our latest venture on the wonderful BCN (filling in the few parts we haven't 'done' before). I'm looking for potential overnight mooring options and was wondering if it's possible to moor at the end of the arm outside the Bradley Works, or perhaps other safe moorings elsewhere along the arm. . Researching some old posts on here I see that a few have moored outside the works unofficially, but that was 3 years ago so I'd be interested to find out what the up to date situation is please? I prefer not having the restriction of planning our trips too specifically but like to have a few options available for when we're actually there and this is one I'm considering.
  8. We're just coming up to 3 years. We bought an older boat so managed to keep the house in case we didn't take to life afloat. We rent it out and the income has helped allow us to retire early. We love life afloat so much I can't see us ever going back to live there. We're marina based because the wife likes to have a base, but we do go out for weeks and sometimes months on end. I'd love to CC all year round but the misses doesn't so I can't see this happening.
  9. When we were looking to buy a boat I couldn't make up my mind which type to go for as I could see the pros and cons of both. So I accepted that whichever loo the boat we bought had would be fine. Now 3 years on and living aboard I'm really pleased ours came with a pump out and I really cannot see why some hate them so much. But of course it's all down to personal preference so I can see why it's such a divisive subject.
  10. A fair point, but if CRT were to throw more resources into it how do you suggest they go about it? What measures should they implement etc?
  11. I thought there were a few inaccuracies in there, as well as the omissions. At least it ended with the cautioanry note from CaRT saying that it should be chosen as a lifestyle change and not cheaper living option.
  12. Thanks for all your helpful suggestions. I was going to give Norton CBB at Glascote a call but then my 'prop man' phoned me and said he's now arranged it with Streethay. They are the nearest to me but I'd disconted them thinking they might be very expensive but their price is very reasonable. Some of you have queried why I need a propeller specialist and whether there is such a thing. It's a long story but I have my reasons, LOL. If it cures my problem I might bore you with the gory details in due course. You have been warned !! Thanks again everybody.
  13. I need to have my 62' out of the water for some work to be done with the prop so I was wondering if anybody knew the cheapest place within a maximum of a couple of days cruising from Fradley Junction. It doesn't have to be a dry dock of course, as a pull out onto hardstanding would be fine. I've already put the feelers out and some prices seem to be around £300 plus an exorbetant daily standing charge both of which seemmvery high to me. One problem might be that I wouldn't be using the on site/marina staff because I plan to use somebody who specialises in propellers. I believe that Aquaduct Marina on the Middlewhich Branch are very competitive but it's a tad further than I'd like to go really. I realise that winter stoppages may also be an issue however although I'd like it done ASAP I'd accept I might have to wait until after Xmas or the Spring. With the wealth of knowlege on here I'm hoping somebody might know of somewhere I hadn't thought of, perhaps a smaller concern which may be cheaper. I once used somewhere like this (Clattercote?? on the South Oxford) which was were very cheap, but it's further away than I really want to go. Help and advice would be much appreciated.
  14. This problem could be solved very easily if councils did as Dagenham Council have started doing recently by using DNA testers. It would probably be a less costly option than having wardens trying to catch people in the act which must be very difficult to achieve. To be fully effective it would have to become law to have all dogs microchipped, something which should be done anyway. The revenue from the increase in succesful prosecutions would surely pay for the equipment and manpower. The chances of people getting caught 'in the act' are minimul but knowing that they could get caught retrospectively should significanly reduce the amount of problems. If CRT introduced it for the towpaths I would certainly volunteer my time for free.
  15. No of course not! We are experienced narrowboaters but it was our first time on the Caledonean Canal and with this type of boat so it was essential and useful for us. However I doubt they would make returning customers go through it all again each time. Common sense would prevail.
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