Jo_

Steve Hand: 0790 888 5034 to speak to Steve or email steve@boatsurveyor.org

Many in the CWDF family will remember both Bruce and Sheila Napier. Bruce passed away in January 2020; Sheila continued boating, swapping ‘Sanity Again’ for her new bespoke and very beautiful hybrid Braidbar ‘Salodin’ (which featured for the boat test in Canal Boat December 2021). Sheila has now decided to return to bricks and mortar and settle near the family. She is about to set off for her spring and summer cruise, after which she will be selling Salodin. She will carry the good wishes of many friends on the water as she moves to the next phase of her life but, thankfully will be close enough for visits and excursions! (posted at Sheila's request)

Aqua Narrowboats are superb (acquanarrowboats.co.uk). They say get in touch for longer hires. A lot of boaters around us have boats built by them and they have a hire fleet but sponsored co-owned boats. Well worth an explore since they would meet your requirements in terms of layout and size, hire base at Barton Marina and the boats are all recent builds. Justin Hudson-Oldroyd is the MD and a great guy.

Philip Martino, Andrew. He's on Facebook

https://newandusedboat.co.uk/used-boats-for-sale/2093 Here is a pretty new Aintree Beetle

He has 3, I have EE. Between us there's never a problem but, on balance, I usually get better coverage than him. (And when I rang a month ago to say I was thinking I ought to leave EE because of the April increase, they reduced my monthly cost to below what was it and there is no increase in the next year and then they said ring again to negotiate the next contract!)

My priority nowadays is skin moisturiser, stuff like bepanthen, indigestion remedies, savlon gel for insect bites, plasters, paracetamol ...... etc.! Don't use make-up but I do care how my skin feels when on the boat and outdoors in the sun and almost guaranteed to get bitten, graze bits of body and so on. As for clothes - one clean evening set (which is nice to change into), shoes for on the boat and for off the boat and the vague list up there from Bee seems about right!

We certainly have spare cassettes and so able to plan in case of closures. The recent survey CRT send round about Facilities had me commenting repeatedly that it wasn't about the numbers of services increasing so much as the absolute important of keeping them maintained/regularly serviced, accessible and efficient (i.e. flow rate in water tapes etc.). And they should site them near or with 'partners' (boatyards, marinas, etc.) and pay them properly to do the maintenance and servicing.

Come on CWDF members - there are thousands of us. There should be lots and lots more signatures.

Setting up a glue factory was prohibited in our last house

Assist Insurance https://www.assistinsurance.co.uk/ Ask them for the benefits of their liveaboard policy and if you have a good quote for a like for like (ish) policy, tell them!

Our liveaboard policy (as well as rehousing etc.) also includes (because I asked for it to be so) insurance of our items away from the boat. Like we had when we were in a house. So all our belongings are covered wherever they happen to be.