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Showing content with the highest reputation on 27/12/11 in all areas

  1. Indeed, a broken shaft and no tools. could only find half of the z drive release handle..... We managed to free the boat with a combination of rocking and shoving. All sorted now though and back at the moorings. Thanks for all the offers of help.... :cheers:
    2 points
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  3. Don't forget the gas cooker you left on, and the coal fire you didn't quite put out and forgot to pull that (insert any flamable object) away from the still lit fire, or the rope you didn't tie good enough. These thoughts usualy kick in as I'm half way home in my car.
    1 point
  4. This was discussed here some months back. I was surprised to hear that around 50% of those who insure each year make a claim. This struck me as a lot of people doing very little basic servicing. We had excellent service from RCR on my first call-out this past summer. I could tell on the phone that the contracted engineer was bushed -- he and friends had just spent the last five days covering over 100 locks in the Midlands and he was literally on his way driving home in the SE to have dinner with his daughter when he was asked to ring me in Henley with our fuel filter problem (spewing fuel!). Anyway he showed up, fixed the problem, was friendly and even managed a few jokes over the procedure. He even rang me back that evening with the serial number of a different fuel/H2O filter he recommended. He told me that the biggest drawback to the contracted part of his job was boat owners who thought they knew more about the problems than he did - trying to dictate over his shoulder, as it were, and sometimes refusing to believe/accept his evaluation and method of repair. If you're going to call out an expert, it's probably a good idea to let him/her get on with it! Built into the RCR service, though, is a bit of non-incentive to look after the engine yourself: if you bugger something up yourself during servicing or fixing an engine, then you are not covered by the RCR insurance. (I think they will come out and help, but you will be fully charged.) So you need to be sure of what your are doing. With the new parts replacement offer - which effectively jacked up the annual insurance fee by about 80% - the fine print list of parts IS limited. I think they basically make their money on this by having access to parts at extremely competitive prices.
    1 point
  5. OK, This has run its course. As the orginal post would suggest, I've worked out that of all the things I could and should be doing, participating in the canal community isn't one of them. I Originally Posted this thread to ask for a bit of help with a problem from this part of the boating community, I feel Ive had all the sensible answers I 'm likely to get and it's degenerating into a series of criticisms of my approach and conversations about the Amish, neither of which is much use to me. I'm going to attempt to unsubscribe now, as I have made clear my intent to leave the boating community, there seems little point in me sticking around in this forum. I'd just like to thank the people who did make an effort to help me, and I'm sure that your goodness will be rewarded appropriately, as that does seem to be the way things work out eventually. I've made a small contribution elsewhere, so this hasn't been a totally selfish endeavour, but as some of the more sensitive contributors have realised, this has been a bad experience for me, and I really did start the thread as stated in an ongoing and increasingly desperate effort to get away from the situation. I've been continuously ripped off in one way or another by an extraordinary high percentage of the people I have dealt with, I have a nutter stalking me by telephone and in other ways, and I've lost a shedload of time and money all as a result of me venturing out into your community, and frankly, I don't need it. My normal life although not perfect, isn't anything like as weird and unpleasant as my canal life has been, and I'm clear in my mind this is not for me. So please excuse the sharp exit, I mean no disrespect and I'm sure at least some of you will understand it's the best thing I can do in the circumstances. Thank you all, Steve C.
    1 point
  6. well hello! We are Steven and Anne - together with Fizz the dog! We have been bitten the canal bug (a better class of bug than the midgies of Western Scotland!) in a very short space of time! We had our first canal holiday experience in the summer - hiring from Anglo Welsh at Great Haywood! (1st class introduction - I rate them very highly). The first day was a nightmare! Mrs couldnt get to grips with the steering lark, and wasn't strong/confident enough to manage the locks! So I did it all - and I was wrecked by the end on day 1! However - after a little while, the whole driving-the-boat lark sorted its-self out, and Mrs got the hang of not crashing and bouncing her way into the locks and bridges, and the holiday got a whole lot better! By day 4 it was a dream! Teamwork of the highest order! A fortnight later and we were gutted that it was over! So - we booked up for October half term out of Sawley! This time we made sure we addressed issues that became apparent during our first holiday afloat! We had an even better holiday that 2nd time - even though it was colder! Top tip for us for the next time = look at the map and don't plan a cruise that shares a route with a railway line for the WHOLE duration! We now have an even more defined set of boat requirements for our next hire. And all this is before we buy our own boat! We are looking at a whole range of boats and layouts that we might consider for our own boat in the future. So - here we are - looking to share (take advatage of?) the wealth of information available here while we decide and make decisions!
    1 point
  7. Hi all Just a quick update and thanks for all the good wishes from the forum! Merry Christmas and Yule to everyone from our new boat that is now sat in Penton Hook Marina on the thames. The launch went well despite the driver of the lorry dissappearing for two hours and leaving the crane and crew standing on the key waiting! Then to watch our pride and joy dangle in the air 30 ft above the river was heartstopping (pics to follow!) Now we are on our own in the river to find the boat builders have reversed our thrust controls somehow so the boat goes back when pushed the lever forward and forward when it goes back. Everyone has dissapeard for xmas well you cant blame them but we wanted to get out there, and will soon, despite reversed controls! Fueled up and ready to go, one working toilet, two lights, camping gas stove, fitting a hand made kitchen, squirrel stove keeps us warm and cosy! We are out on the furthest pontoon close to the river (where we can do least damage im guessing) and waking up to watch two kingfishers catch fish off your mooring ropes, swans landing in the morning light, cormorants fishing, ripples on the water - well i dont need to go on about that experience to you old hands but for me - wow this is the life isnt it?! Everyone we have met so far has given us so much good advice and we are starting to settle into the life although only half way through our fit out. I will try and post some pictures very soon. If i have learned one thing its that a boater needs to develop a skin as thick as a rhinosorous, so the odd quirky comments from this wonderful forum are so outweighted by all your good wishes as to be insignificant. And besides we cant all be expected to be civil at that time in the morning can we? Thanks again all Andrew (and thanks Mike for your kind offer i would like to take you up on that hope we meet up soon
    1 point
  8. I'm sure that Aharg is encouraged by your good wishes. Aharg, I hope it goes smoothly. If you could post a photo or two on here, that would be good.
    1 point
  9. walking, cycling or even a bloody space hopper shouldn't matter, consideration is all that is required.
    1 point
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