Smoggy

For leaving over winter now we have E10 fuel I'd be tempted to run it on the likes of aspen to purge the fuel system as that doesn't go off like regular fuel and shouldn't attack the seals and hoses, use a small amount and let it run out of fuel, it's not cheap but has a shelf life of five years once opened and you won't need much to fill the system. It makes a hell of a difference in my chainsaw, I can pick it up after standing for a year and a few pumps of the primer and it starts and runs fine, I was forever having to nurse it for ages or clean the carb on regular fuel. I always kept my mariner 15hp down in the water but I was prone to using regularly all winter as my boat was close to home then, it got iced in a couple of times in a marina lagoon but never had any problems from it.

I wouldn't fancy trying to moor stern on from the inside helm on that, visability looks pretty poor from the pic.

I read it as a new post over in the side moorings, a very welcome addition.

Best not mention stinkies and raggies or dare I say it "wafi's".

I am guessing I now know where you live Carole, I saw the shop front on the local news earlier, looked a mess. It seems another was done in cambridge too.

Sorry I only read the last few posts, I'd forgotten the first ones, too busy working out where to park my horse...

I've not had a problem with butane on my current or previous boats and have been out down to minus5c. Bottles are in a covered locker and under a canopy so that must help and being on board means heating is likely to be running, some heat will get through from engine bay too. I'd probably not get a coffee on arrival but once a short way along the river always been fine.

That's the pubs job, boat cookers are for coffee and brekkie only in my view.

Mine is butane and I'm sure it's also LH threaded. <smug mode> And I have a full spare 4.5kg bottle </smug mode>

Probably too short now but a small croc clip could act as a heatsink on the insulation.

Just tried another lateral flow test, now that is a better result!

Warmer winters tend to be wetter and windier unfortunately. Cold usually means dry and bright.

Well after waking up with a sore throat during the night the first job this morning was a LFT before going to work, Negative! Oh crap I've got to go to work instead of going back to bed was the first thought, I'm starting to feel left out now.... I think I'm now pretty much resigned to the fact it's gonna happen sometime so may as well get it out of the way while it's a milder version, still gonna be careful and follow the rules though.

Looking good Mr. G.

Yes I know that but there's has been a "last 7 days" number since the start, how much has it changed since the latest rise in numbers? I've only really looked at the "last 24 hours" deaths and a lot of those did not die from covid, they died with covid so I have not dwelled on those numbers, I know of one (a friends father) that was involved in an RTA and was almost decapitated, he lasted two days and covid was on the death certificate, covid certainly didn't cause his death.

What was the last 7 days figure for the last 6 months? Has it shot up nearly as much as the positives? (I don't know I've not looked at those figures) I'm not dismissing the risks just looking at the increases, I won't be licking shopping trolleys any time soon. None of the people I spoke to said they had died.

Especially once you get into the fenland bits (like where you were), the middle levels are even worse where most of the anglers were considered too aggresive for isis membership.

I've not been up there for a couple of years but last time I got under at 8'2" on the board, I need 8'8", the board may have been changed since but you can walk under both sides with a tape measure and check for yourself, they all look low when you are not sure.

Ditto to that, but luckily the hospital numbers have not gone up to the same degree, I've been watching them since waiting for a hernia op to get an idea if it was going to happen or not, job done a month ago now but still watch the numbers just to see whats happening, let's hope it stays that way.

In the last few days I've come across quite a few folk I know that have just emerged from isolation and they all said the same, more of a head cold with a bit of tiredness than a flu, one carried on working as she was working from home anyway, another said in normal times he would have took a couple of paracetamol and gone to work as normal. It does seem to be a far less serious version. All the folk at my work have agreed we'll all do LFT before we turn up on tuesday just in case. I got back from the boat thursday to find a PCR test kit through the door with my name on and the leaflet said my medical records indicated I was elligable for new treatments should I get covid but only use the test if I get symptoms otherwise test through the normal channels, one of the guys that had been positive had similar (same condition) and said they called him to discuss treatment options but he said he wasn't bad enough to justify it, so just goes to show how things are going on behind the scenes to look after us in case which I find quite comforting.

Why can't nhs staff that are positive but not ill still work on a covid ward? They all have it already.

There is no such thing as an annual boating season, boating season is when you wish to go boating and lots like the winter when it's quieter.

Don't do that, she'll only drag her bum along the carpet.

I've never used a thruster but would quite like a "girly button" at the helm as my boat has no keel whatsoever and very small rudders and goes sideways in the slightest wind but I'm way too tight to fit one so will have to live without. Two engines helps a lot but if one is down for any reason it's an absolute git to manouver and a burst or reverse will spin it round by 90 degrees when you least need it.

Sod you then being miserable and browsing the net while out on the rivers, hello Tracy, at least you were doing something worthwhile and being friendly.