The canal / narrowboat thread.

[Simpo Two]

Gretchen said:

Yep gas lockers. Probably put there for weight balance.

I don't think two 4.5kg gas bottles are going to make any difference to the trim of that steel behemoth!

I'd get rid of them, then you can sit on the foredeck more comfortably.

[Gretchen]

Simpo Two said:

I don't think two 4.5kg gas bottles are going to make any difference to the trim of that steel behemoth!

I'd get rid of them, then you can sit on the foredeck more comfortably.

You’re probably right. But the lockers are made of heavier stuff. The water tank is under there too for more weight. I do like the idea of opening that front hatch and sitting out there with a coffee in the morning or chilling at night under the stars.

[Simpo Two]

Gretchen said:

You’re probably right. But the lockers are made of heavier stuff.

It's faily common for liveaboard types to spend most of their lives noisily angle-grinding something...

Gretchen said:

I do like the idea of opening that front hatch and sitting out there with a coffee in the morning or chilling at night under the stars.

Try it tonight, you'll be 'chilled' in about 30 secs...!!

[Gretchen]

Simpo Two said:

Gretchen said:

You’re probably right. But the lockers are made of heavier stuff.

It's faily common for liveaboard types to spend most of their lives noisily angle-grinding something...

Gretchen said:

I do like the idea of opening that front hatch and sitting out there with a coffee in the morning or chilling at night under the stars.

Try it tonight, you'll be 'chilled' in about 30 secs...!!

Had the portholes and back hatch open last weekend at night. Other half moans but I love it! The little Pip Squeak stove and small cabin bed in a pallet lined lifeboat is like a Swedish sauna.

[Gretchen]

Well we’ve worked from dawn to dusk lifting out the fuel tank, cleaning out, changing filter, fiddling with a few other bits but seems the battery we have hasn’t enough cranking power so have called it a day until tomorrow. Made a new friend in the meantime.

[Gretchen]

Hope everyone is doing well on the water. Tonight I’ve been watching Otters play and hunt for ages. It didn’t occur to me I had my phone in my pocket and to take a photo! I was mesmerised.
I’ll write about the amazing houseboat I had a tour of the other day at the weekend when I update about our bigger boat

Does anyone watch David’s Cruising The Cut videos on YouTube? The lovely Jenny who I follow on Instagram was recently featured in a cautionary tale of what can go disastrously wrong when buying a narrow boat

https://youtu.be/4amHhPpR8LI

I can be a bit of magnet for small causes and Jenny’s got me, so I ordered a couple of keyrings from her small shop she’s started to fund the work required on her boat. They arrived today and are beautiful. So much so I’ve ordered a good few more for family.



I love that these were made by someone who lives on a boat, loves the water and as well as working full time is doing this to float her boat.

Her shop is here https://www.floatmyboatdesigns.co.uk/ for anyone looking for hand made unique boat related gifts.

If anything the video is worth a watch for anyone considering buying a boat and not having a survey / taking insurance without legal cover.

[The Mad Monk]

Gretchen said:

Does anyone watch David’s Cruising The Cut videos on YouTube? The lovely Jenny who I follow on Instagram was recently featured in a cautionary tale of what can go disastrously wrong when buying a narrow boat

https://youtu.be/4amHhPpR8LI

I wonder whether the moral of the boat buying story is........

Consider very carefully whether it is worth buying a 30 year old boat.

There is a reason why they are cheap.

[Gretchen]

The Mad Monk said:

I wonder whether the moral of the boat buying story is........

Consider very carefully whether it is worth buying a 30 year old boat.

There is a reason why they are cheap.

We’ve just bought one over one hundred years old

[geeks]

The Mad Monk said:

Gretchen said:

Does anyone watch David’s Cruising The Cut videos on YouTube? The lovely Jenny who I follow on Instagram was recently featured in a cautionary tale of what can go disastrously wrong when buying a narrow boat

https://youtu.be/4amHhPpR8LI

I wonder whether the moral of the boat buying story is........

Consider very carefully whether it is worth buying a 30 year old boat.

There is a reason why they are cheap.

Or make sure the survey is performed by someone trusted and try to be there when it is done so at least you know it was completed. I think in this scenario I am not sure what else could have been done to avoid it. 30 year old boats aren't the problem here.

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Gretchen said:

....Does anyone watch David’s Cruising The Cut videos on YouTube? The lovely Jenny who I follow on Instagram was recently featured in a cautionary tale of what can go disastrously wrong when buying a narrow boat ....

....If anything the video is worth a watch for anyone considering buying a boat and not having a survey / taking insurance without legal cover....

Hi Gretchen .
I saw the video of Jenny's boat a couple of nights ago and thought poor lass - made her dream come true then it all went horribly wrong.
Correct me if I'm wrong please, but I think I recall that she did opt for the legal cover on her insurance. I hope that will be enough to get her and the boat sorted out. On the face of it she seems to have been badly let down by the surveyor and surely he must have professional indemnity insurance.
Fingers crossed she'll be okay eventually but it's a nasty setback all the same. I wish her well.

[Gretchen]

Jenny did have the legal cover and is pursuing this I believe. She sent me a lovely pair of earrings for Christmas with my order bless her. Whole family and in-laws have her handmade keyrings now.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas and has stayed safe in the rain. Thankfully the river where we have has dropped today.

Just took this photo at 8pm from the back deck of the lifeboat

[Chrisgr31]

I walked along the Medway near Maidstone last week, and a number of the boats on permanent moorings were connected by scaffold poles to the riverbank as well as ropes. Basically there was a scaffold pole hammered vertically in the land by the bank, then a scaffold pole connected at right angles to it, which was connected to the boat. I assume one of the connections allows the boat to go up and down. Presumably the pole is to stop the boat moving on to the bank when the water level is high?

[The ArtfulBodger]

Chrisgr31 said:

I walked along the Medway near Maidstone last week, and a number of the boats on permanent moorings were connected by scaffold poles to the riverbank as well as ropes. Basically there was a scaffold pole hammered vertically in the land by the bank, then a scaffold pole connected at right angles to it, which was connected to the boat. I assume one of the connections allows the boat to go up and down. Presumably the pole is to stop the boat moving on to the bank when the water level is high?

You’ve got the idea.

We can see a rise and fall of 7-8’ in places on the Nene, a boat being pushed over its mooring by the strong flow then settling down on it as the waters receded is a very real danger, these arms work extremely well in preventing that.

50mm tow ball and hitch works very well, particularly on a steel boat.

[Gretchen]

Gorgeous day on the Great River Ouse. Finally starting work on Florentine.



Have new windows to go in over next few weeks. Then spray foam insulation, lots of other stuff but excited to get stuck in and can’t wait for this to be my front door.

[Simpo Two]

Gretchen said:

Gorgeous day on the Great River Ouse. Finally starting work on Florentine.

I was there yesterday! Coffee and cake at Little Thetford, very nice.

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Great to see you back Gretchen.
Spray foam?
Can I make a wee suggestion? Consider installing some plastic cable trunking on the bulkheads and deckhead before insulating?
It might save a lot of grief when you inevitably discover you want to run in extra wiring in the future.
Best of luck with it. I'm a bit envious of your project. Please keep posting - I'd love to see how it develops.
We have only a little experience of canal boating but it's seriously under consideration for full time liveaboard when I eventually retire.
Cheers. 404.

[SimonTheSailor]

Simpo Two said:

I was there yesterday! Coffee and cake at Little Thetford, very nice.

I was about to ask you if you were a PH'er but if somebody didn't know what I was talking about I would look a little daft - and have some explaining to do !!

Did you finish cleaning your boat ?

Edited by SimonTheSailor on Saturday 19th March 22:13

[Simpo Two]

SimonTheSailor said:

Simpo Two said:

I was there yesterday! Coffee and cake at Little Thetford, very nice.

I was about to ask you if you were a PH'er but if somebody didn't know what I was talking about I would look a little daft - and have some explaining to do !!

Did you finish cleaning your boat ?

Good grief, you were the man setting off to Tesco! I thought you looked rather civilised for a liveaboarder, and your boat too well maintained


I cleaned one catwalk while waiting for the water tanks to fill. The rest can wait a bit!

I'll probably be up again next week so will PM you first.

[Gretchen]

SimonTheSailor said:

I was about to ask you if you were a PH'er but if somebody didn't know what I was talking about I would look a little daft - and have some explaining to do !!

Did you finish cleaning your boat ?

Edited by SimonTheSailor on Saturday 19th March 22:13

Thank God I didn’t ask the chap who went by and moored up near The Mill yesterday if he was Simpo

[Simpo Two]

Gretchen said:

Thank God I didn’t ask the chap who went by and moored up near The Mill yesterday if he was Simpo

Was he wearing an Admiral's uniform? That's the best clue.