DeanS

I watched someone enter Castlefield basin once. His boat had 2 speeds. Full forward and full reverse. It was a nightmare to watch, and his wife wasn't impressed either.

I once came around that bend in Lymm, in high winds....so had to go fast enough to be able to compensate and stop my bow being blown over into moored boats...I remember the face of a man pressed up against the inside of his nice cosy moored boat screaming..."slow the ^%&^%^& dowwnnnnnnnnn". :)

Looks like they got something stuck in the weed hatch....

Just for the record I am not insecure, nor underconfident. It could be said that insecure boaters may feel obliged to let a volockie do what they want......

In REALITY there won't be enough elsan, water points along the route which will mean you will spend time hovering around those services...then dashing to a distant services point and hover around that.....All boaters spend as much time around the service points....it's just natural. Of course if CRT increased the number of services, then the number of boats on the system would spread out and there would be zero congestion...but then of course people wouldn't stay in marinas and CRT would lose the percentage they get from marina operators. Did I miss anything.

Very funny:) ok then...a simple question to weed out a simple answer... When a boater enters a lock...WHO do you feel is "in charge". SOMEONE has to be "in charge". What if something goes wrong, and there needs to be clear quick communication, and no one knows WHO is in charge. If a volockie things THEY are in charge, and the owner of the boat feels differently, surely you agree it adds a danger to the mix which should't exist. and yes...I do have a personal chip on my shoulder about people helping, interfering, helping without asking first, after nearly having my kids and boat hooked up on a side brick in a lock on the L&L. As a disclaimer....I don't know the locks the OP was going through..perhaps they are very slow and you have a point, but I am talking generally peace to all.

Hi Nick. It's lovely to see you stubborn as ever. ...but in this case, you're wrong....(my view of course )

My view. Someone who opens a paddle in a lock without first checking with the person in control of the boat should be removed from working locks forever, banned, end of. It's a simple rule that even as newbies we perfected. Anything could happen.

wow those signs are big.... not. i did see some in the actual water 2 weeks back, and thought to myself....those are directly in the way of any boat trying to wind at the end of the arm... so it wouldn't surprise me if they're under water by now.

Started with a narrowboat. Upgraded to a widebeam. Now have a widebeam and a narrowboat. The kids live in the narrowboat. Missus and I live in the widebeam. B L I S S

awesome. thanks

but in water it might feel lighter..lol

Hello. If I have an anchor with a chain, attached to another long chain, is that acceptable. compared to .... anchor with a chain...attached to a long rope. I'd prefer to keep the rope for other things and I have a spare piece of long chain.

Just a thought...if you were to throw 2 huge weights overboard attached to ropes to your boat...wouldn't they keep your boat from floating away...and do away with the need for moorings pins

"Driving" a widebeam is as easy as most other boats....with less swaying to the left/right...more stable.......it's only bridges that might need a little more attention. Click my signature link and it should open an old blog

THANKS

Hi. Is it common to connect 2 solar panels in series....so Controller negative to Panel 1 negative. Panel 1 postive to Panel 2 negative. Panel 2 postive to Controller positive. I ask because I'm pretty sure this is how mine were connected, before a storm disconnected them... My panels are 230Watts each... and I had 2 panels connected to an MPTT controller. I'm pretty convinced they weren't in parrallel. 95% sure.........but thought I would check with you lot.

Apparently the Upper reach of the Salford Quays area is a river, which is locked upstream...so no flow to it. The docs say,...."a suitable anchor and line.....for a depth of up to 8m"

Hi all. Recommendations on buying new ropes.....what type, and good online suppliers? I'm travelling onto the Manchester ship canal (the Upper bit at Salford Quays). I'm not sure..but I think I need longer ropes for that. Also, need to get an anchor and chain...so recommendations would be appreciated Thank you.

Hi If you move your boat off CRT waters, does anyone know the process you would take to tell CRT, and how to stop payments to them? We pay via debit order. Also, as far as I remember when we did our boat safety, we didn't receive a paper copy of the BSC...it was just updated on CRT side (I think they use some sort of PC based system now that inspectors submit directly to? Is it possible to get a copy of a BSC by asking CRT...

If the solar panels go over a few mushroom vents, would it work to use chain through the vents to the solar panel frames to keep them from blowing away, and then use decking as edging around them to steady the sides? I need to secure my own panels down, and I like the idea of decking edges...to hide all the tat I'm going to store under them

Thanks everyone:)

Hi all. Does anyone know what is required in order to travel through Pomona lock in Manchester, onto the River Irwell..down to Salford Quays, but NOT through the lock which lies after Media City/Lowry. Would I need to get a Manchester Ship Canal boat safety for that, or are boats allowed to make that trip without one (as apparently you only go onto the ship canal through the 2nd lock I've mentioned. Would I just need to arrange for Pomona lock to be opened..and that would be all? Thanks

Thanks Peter.

the thought did cross my mind I should paint the boats camo green, to be less conspicuous There's a guy on the Bridgewater who had an allergic reaction to my boat colour..made him keep knocking to tell me I only had a day left...lol