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I am thrilled to say that as of today I am the very proud owner (next custodian really) of Tycho! A boat that I have very fond memories of from the late 80s and 90s. The first boatman's cabin i ever stayed in aged 10 and then lucky enough to do bits of towing wirh her as a teenager. More to come... but so as to allay any fears or rumours, the ram stays, as do the blue tops, certainly for now. And of course the reinstatement of the back cabin. Bear with me, I've not had a boat with rivets for 16 years! Thank you @Derek R. for your recent help in filling in the gaps of the last 20 years.

Thank you to the lovely couple that just towed me to hawksbury canal folk are the best of people

I would normally stick a plastic bag over a boat prop going back into the water. Not only will this keep it clean, it will also allow you to practice your weed hatch moves for when you finally cruise your boat to its brokerage for sale.

That sounds serious! Something like the boat in the recent Wallace and Gromit film?

I think that's very much a minority view. Most say that you can overcoat old epoxy with new epoxy providing you abrade the surface first to provide a mechanical key.

The past week has been a spin. Well two weeks. The crane had issues so we had to reschedule the surveyor. He was okay about it. Apparently it’s a boating mindset where everyone takes everything on their stride. Being at Stanstead Abbots for a few days I rather fell in love with the lifeboats they have there. My great grandad being a coastguard who died at sea. So after a volume of calls juggling, no phone charger. We got everything in order tucked away in a little spot where narrow boats hide between Abbots and Roydon Managed to get a berth at Roydon marina and a van on Sunday to move in. Im not planning to take her out much if not at all. This is going to be, hopefully, home for me. Photos later. Thank you to everyone who gave me advice.

In the last ten minutes I've found this in a box of books that I've collected from dad's house - it's not very long so once I've read it I'll post a summary!

Some years ago, when we lived in very rural Wales, the nearby village seemed to be a target for developers, there always seemed to be planning applications being submitted - these came to a halt when it turned out that there had been Otter footprints seen alongside the brook. An otter expert was called in and it turned out that the Otter appeared to have only one leg/foot, (the right fore leg). Further investigation led to a local who had carved an otter foot and was using it to make tracks wherever a planning application was being submitted. Unfortunately he only made the one-foot.

I always wondered when I first got onto Boats what would happen if public opinion swayed from 'oh what a nice alternative lifestyle' to 'what a load of filthy squatters'. Some of the Elmbridge land is in a terrible state and will be very expensive to clear up. Add to this the fact that at least half a dozen vessels (I heard it was closer to ten) went onto or through Sunbury weir in the January 2024 major floods and this problem needs to be dealt with. It is not just moored and sunk Boats there is also junk and rubbish on the land alongside the River. It really is quite bad in some bits. Also there is a flood management question if weirs are getting blocked. Public opinion may now be moving towards viewing those living on Boats as a problem which is very sad. It's no use pissing off the locals because they will always win if you get into a fight. There are a lot more of them and they have a vested interest in their neighbourhood... It is obvious. NBTA is an anti establishment political group. Nothing to do with Boats it's just that one can live on them then try to claim rights which don't exist then when the rights get clarified one can moan against the draconian authorities. Persecution complex.

I do not understand why anyone would wish to destroy a piece of waterways history by chopping off the ice breaking ram. It's been there for 63 [corrected] 83 years. A magnificent beast. - And, NO, it doesn't get you bridge'ole precedence. Few see the blade until it's on top of them. Once seen - never forgotten.

The opening paragraph of the booklet pretty well sets the scene a little further reading shows the boat was very similar to the one on the Union Canal. The text also states that Packet services had been run since the 1790s but these weren't especially fast. One note of interest, which changes my understanding of the operation, is that the fast boats did go through Tewitfield Locks. Many passengers chose to walk alongside but they didn't have to. The fast boats had priority and also two men who worked and set the locks. There is an instance where it was alleged that the fast packet demanding priority obstructed the possible rescue of someone who had fallen in, the skipper working the lock even though there was thought to be someone in it. The skipper denied this... The vessels were long and narrow, and to my mind astonishingly light 34cwt and 23cwt - 1.7 tonnes and 1.15 tonnes if I've got my conversion right. No wonder these things could shift! There is also a comment to the effect that the horses took a beating (metaphorically) and that after 4 miles a change was not just needed but essential

maybe it should be morelike this?? where as this would simply be upside down and wrong?

they said to me they sell 200 boats a year. received an email from an estate agent i use who said the tenant wasnt renewing the contract in a flat i rent out so ive decided im going to move in there instead of buying a boat, its actually cheaper than what i thought i was going to have to spend on a boat. i just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has commented on here as youve all been very welcoming, your comments have been very helpful, insightful and informative. I think this is a great forum. A special shout out to Russ T who might be old and miserable but is also a very good guy! Stay safe, keep well and all the very best.

I had to google that word..... malcontent noun [ C ] literaryuk /ˈmæl.kən.tent/ us /ˈmæl.kən.tent/ Add to word list a person who is not satisfied with the way things are, and who complains a lot and is unreasonable and difficult to deal with Isn't that a bit like the epoxy calling the kettle blacking? or maybe the e-poxy calling the bitumen blackening.

Or boaters could just burn the same smokeless fuels as are currently required for land-dwellers.

I know that all our retailers are having a tough time these days with a shaky economy and massive competition from the online multi-nationals. So I thought it might be good to post praise where praise is due! Having decided to purchase a Statesmen Legacy 50x50 LPG free standing stove to replace our failed Vanette we shopped around for the best deal. Eventually we decided to go with Midland Chandlers because they are currently offering a 10% discount and free delivery on these. We placed our order on Wednesday and it was delivered this morning. Nice One!

It depends on whether you believe in innocent until proven guilty and due process, or trial by social media. As I understand it no-one has been charged with any offence yet, never mind found guilty in court. There are suggestions of a hate campaign from disgruntled ex band members. Personally I don’t think people should be “cancelled” purely by the power of social media and without the backing of fact.

"It comes after people connected to the Old Time Sailors were understood to have been among those arrested by Devon and Cornwall Police last week for possible exploitation and modern day slavery, following a crash involving a van and a lorry in Tavistock" It's nice to know that you approve of, presumably, people trafficking, illegal immigration etc etc and never, ever, suffer a knee jerk reaction without looking for more information. You lefties are all the same. There's a bit of a difference between volunteering and forced labour. Let's hope you never find it out. Mind you, as a folkie of many years standing, I have no real objection to the banging up of people jumping on the sea shanty bandwagon...

Anyone wish to hazzard a guess at @Gybe Ho s next question? Possibilities:- 1. When balancing lithium cells prior to assembly, is it better to balance them on the roof or the floor? 2. Will my bifacial solar panels need regular eye tests, and will they work in the dark? 3. What is the best eco friendly washing up liquid for otter preservation? 4. When reversing my new boat, do I look at the front, the back or the reversing camera?

Thank you all for your opinions. I was actually thinking the same. Also, I am thinking now it is overpriced compared to the one shown in replies. I will ask seller more questions. I want everyone to know I really appreciate and value all your replies 😊

It amazes me that we can end up with an entire government in which not a single one appears to have any 'running a business' experience.

Schrodinger's forumite. Enough knowledge and experience to be confident telling everyone else they're wrong, whilst simultaneously knowing little enough about the same subject that they have to ask strangers on the Internet for advice.

So, this is what the Jotun 90 data sheet has to say, though the OP, obviously may not have Jotun 90: TL;DR Read the data sheet of your chosen product. Obviously, any commercial outlet is going to suggest grit blasting as the only solution. To do anything else would be negligent. Here in the real world where some boaters simply want an improvement on the rubbish bitumen based products, they are willing to risk having a go at DIY, without grit blasting. I am one such person. As long as the job I did last longer than the bitumen based product it replaced, I am a winner. It's a bit like the LA v Lithium situation. People want the new product without paying the big bucks. I might have to start another thread to see how successful those people who have DIY'ed and since inspected their hulls view their jobs. I know at least 4 or 5 people on here have done so, Or better still, find out what epoxy is in use and contact the manufacturer, or at least consult the product data sheet.

I just can't understand it why the OP doesn't follow the expert advice he sees on other places and get on and get the job done . Why, I wonder does he feels he has to raise the matter on here then when folk try to be helpful and make suggestions he belittles them ? Most odd !

I think the point is that the links are to something put up by a commercial operator who may have a vested interest in promoting his work and disparaging others work. You and others on here have very little incentive to bend the truth, but as you and others are not You-Tube presentations, some people find it easier to ignore personal experience. We all know good prep is needed and if it is not done to an acceptable standard ANY coating is likely to fall off in sheets.

Being a similar age and suffereing with joint-problems I think you have done a wonderful job. If you do not manage to solve the remaining issues you should still be proud of what you have done, virtually alone.

Possibly, if there is another space to be had. If you have a long hallway in your current accommodation, here's an experiment you can try. Move all your worldly goods into it, mattress, cooker, toilet, books, clothes and TV. Have your TV turn on and off randomly to simulate someone unplugging your shore lead. Hang on the walls every 6 foot or so some porthole sized or bus window size pictures of other boats, and try living there for a week. You can pretend your front door is the entrance to the marina. Don't forget to chuck some water around occasionally to simulate the inevitable water leak.😂