addicted

Brilliant Timbo! Good old Uncle Albert could always be relied on to tell it like it should be! Carole

I wish you many years of the joy you will undoubtedly have! Carole

Narrow boats use entirely different fenders , flatties and pipe style ones. Wevfound the flatties were useful when negotiating a particularly narrow lock. Carole

Just going boat hunting is the greatest fun. I find it's a bit like buying a house, the minute you get on board THE one you know! Carole

We always roll them and secure with the straps, sometimes Tony used to roll them round a deal rod to get a neat finish. Carole

Doing it that way will certainly prevent damage to your canopy from being rubbed by the ever moving tarpaulin, if you can secure it properly. A chap who worked at a marina we used to moor at told us that wind getting under tarpaulins had caused huge damage by causing boats to shift while on hard standing. Carole

Happy birthday Inge, make the most of your respite. I'm sure I can rely on Gracie to join me in raising a glass to you! Very best wishes, CarolE

While entering a lock pen in a howling wind we got pinned up against the concrete wall at the entrance, a hired narrow boat being helmed by rank novices attempted to go past us into the lock pen and was slammed by the wind into the side of our boat, if we hadn't had fenders all along the side of our hull at staggered levels the damage would have been catastrophic. As it was we had none at all, unbelievably So I disagree with your assertion Robin -big time! Carole

Yes we discovered the merits of silicone spray sometime ago, I believe it's original intended use was for plastic curtain rails, having said that it's great for zips. Carole

Oh! You've done it now! Bought a boat? That' s decided what you will be doing with your spare dosh (and not so spare) for the foreseeable future! You won't begrudge a penny of it! You've just bought in to a new way if living your life. Hope you're prepared for it! Welcome to my world! CarolE

Not sure if this is the right site for this but thought some of you might find this a good idea. We put loops made from cord roughly twice the guage of an average shoe lace through our canopy zip fasteners tabs. It makes them much more user friendly and altogether easier to operate. Most chandlers selling ropes have cord in the right guage. We got ours at Hoveton. Carole

I watched this, thought it quite entertaining, although to be honest I find Jane McDonald a bit irritating. I'd like to have seen more of the boat than just the glimpses we got. Was I even vaguely interested in a Jane McDonald look alike Russian doll? Well no! But then the last series was full of this sort of gratuitous minutiae as well. I will watch the next one as anything boat related is attractive to me. I'll grin and bear Jane McDonald! Carole

I remember on one occasion Tony had just bought some new fenders and inflated them The next day was very hot and we were sitting on the bank by the side of the boat when we heard a very loud bang! 0n looking round we found a fender had been somewhat over inflated (Tony doesn't do anything by half!) And had exploded in the heat. We never stow fenders for river use,You never know when they will be needed as protection . When mooring at spots with drastic rise and fall we do sometimes stagger the levels and we do that if we're moored anywhere where we're vulnerable to being clouted by passing or manoeuvering craft too. We have much larger black fenders in fender pods and we use these when mooring to give more protection and to help keep the white fenders clean! We have no blue fenders at all. Carole

A warm welcome from me also. Hope you have a very happy birthday and a great weekend! Carole

That sounds like a good result all round. When are you planning to return? Carole

I rarely if ever listen to radio, On the day of Diana's demise for some bizarre reason I turned on the radio only to find it playing funereal music on every station! 9/11 I returned home to Soham, where I then lived, from shopping for a birthday present for my daughter in Newmarket, switched on the t.v.in the kitchen to catch the lunchtime news while making lunch and watched it unfold before my horrified eyes. Carole

I see in this morning's Daily Express that a BBC executive is quoted as referring to the present obsession with Diana as "Mawkish Drivel"! I never thought I would find myself agreeing with anyone from that particular establishment. Well said I say! Carole

Am the only one who is fed up to the back teeth with the present obsession with the Late Princess of Wales? Is never a big fan and found the papers' preoccupation with the minutiae of her life tiresome in he extreme. However my reaction to her death at the time was "sad, but at least maybe we will be able to open a newspaper without it being full of her activities in which didn't have the slightest interest. I think it is grossly unfair that in the wake of the present wallowing in the anniversary of her demise that Prince Charles has suffered downturn in his popularity. Carole

Is mooring in that short supply? It doesn't seem to be much of a problem on the Southern side. Sshh! don't spread it around! CarolE

Hope to make it to one of the meets one day Charlie, when I'll be happy to pour you a glass or two! CarolE

Looks like those of us who sadly were not able to make it missed a right good do! CarolE

documentary not really my bag, although I do like history matters Tend to go for quizzes, if | correctly answer a question on University Challenge it makes my day! Also quite like crime drama (Morse, Lewis etc.) some cookery programmes (not bake off!) and Judge John Deed was my favourite programme of all time, thought the scripts were so cleverly conceived. How could you have watched the first series of Downton Abbey without getting hooked? Beats me! CarolE

We couldn't just pass by a boat in trouble either but you're right there is not the same boating spirit out there that used to be the norm. When my husband and I were first married and he decided to get a boat ( he'd had several before) we were out going round various brokerages and I noticed people spoke to him as we walked by. I expressed my surprise that they should remember him after being out of the boating scene for quite a few years. He was enormously amused at this and between chuckles explained that boat people were always friendly and acknowledged complete strangers in that environment and so it always was. In the old way we always give a wave to acknowledge passing craft on the river, and are disappointed how these days so many look right through you or else view you as someone who clearly needs sectioning! Carole

May have been pure endurance to you but to me and several hundred thousands I should think, it was pure enjoyment, and I wish it was still around. Knocked spots off reality garbage - Big Brother and the like or "talent" shows. Carole

This is what makes this forum stand out from the others, We don't do "heated" on here! Carole