ranworthbreeze

Hi Geoff, I hoped it would be the Scottish Canals next week, but it would be good for you to see the program whilst you are there. After the program had finished (we recorded it and watched it later) Tan wished that the next episode was on next, we could watch this type of program for hours, the only issue is that we then long for another canal holiday. Given the time and the cash we could certainly spend a good deal of time on an extended canal journey. Are you setting off from the Falkirk Marina and have you planed your route yet? Regards Alan

Oh the luxury of having an island bed on boat rather than a mattress that is next to the walls on almost three sides. The problem with most boats you trade off one thing for another. I am still waiting to find that perfect boat out there. Maybe one day, I guess we will have to just have to slum it till then. Regards Alan

Now if someone could come up with a better way of getting the mattress protector onto the mattress on the aft berth without rebuilding the bedroom they would be on a winner Regards Alan

Hi Alan, Danish Oil does soak into the wood on the first coat and dries to a dull sheen and unlike other oils does fully dry, I normally give the dried coat a light rub down with the finest wire wool and then wash down with a lint free cloth using meth's or white spirit, when full dry reapply more coats of Danish Oil, wire wool down the surface prior to the last coat. Regards Alan

Hi Alan, I have not used Danish Oil on the boat but I have used it on hardwood outdoor furniture, I apply it at least once per year and build it up using a few coats allowing plenty of drying time, I also used this on my dresser but it had over twenty thin coats. Regards Alan

Maybe it is down to the The Marine Policing Unit (MPU) being a police force rather than just wardens. They are responsible for policing 47 miles of the River Thames between Dartford and Hampton Court and have been existence since 1798. http://content.met.police.uk/Site/marinepolicingunit Regards Alan

In Sheffield you have to apply and because of when my birthday is I had to wait until I was 62 and the age is going up all the time. Regards Alan

I have edited the filter to allow the word gay. Regards Alan

Hi Monica, I have edited that message for you. Regards Alan

I have just looked on the Brian Ward website, they currently have an special offer on automatic lifejackets (complete with a strap) for £45:- http://www.brianwards.co.uk/waveline-auto-lifejacket-red.html Regards Alan

Most boats have a filter fitted in their water system basically to protect the water pump impeller from damage from foreign bodies from the water supply. I can see the point of having another filter, carbon or chalk bases filter. Regards Alan

The service kits for the automatic lifejackets are less than £20 with the NBN discount from Brian Wards. The usual shelf life on these is not much above 2 years, when I replaced ours in 2013 the expiry date was 2016. Regards Alan

Hi Strowager, To get the scale correct they would need a lot shorter and narrower truck to display their product. Regards Alan

Hi Ian, I wouldn't bother you will never get the taste of the sterilizing solution out of the water, it makes for lousy tea and coffee and ruins a good malt I am told. If you use bottled water for drinks and brushing teeth then go for it. Regards Alan

Hello Inormski, Welcome to the NBN forum from Tan & myself. Here is the link to Richardson's website for the Jolly Richie:- http://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/boats/the-jolly-richie/ I would have a look at their information and instruction videos access can be found on the above link (see the tab First Timers) or in our forum information pages, look under Visiting the Broads. Regards Alan

Hi Marina, Regarding Creme Eggs the centres used to be runny but that was altered quite a few years ago. Since the American company that took over Bassett's and Cadbury the chocolate used is poor quality and not dairy milk that we are all used to. Mars bars could have fed a family of six for a week when I was a child, I am sure they were about 40mm thick with loads of toffee and chocolate. When Mars ran the campaign quite a few years ago "The biggest Mars Bar ever" I was dumbstruck. It was far smaller and tasted like the original Milky Way. Cadbury Star Bars I liked but you don't see them these days. Regards Alan

I thought the Bridge Stores was ideal as it was, somewhere where you could buy milk, bread and the odd tatty gift for someone at home. They had beer & wine and just a small walk from the moorings, other than Lathams there is not a lot of other shops to get anything you need. Another cafe or hairdessers is not going to cut it Regarding Costa Coffee I despair when I have ever gone in these places having to queue watching the staff prat about to try and keep up with customers waiting to get their drinks and more importantly seated. Regards Alan

Hello Mandy, I am surprised that Moonlight Shadow does not have adult life jackets as part of its inventory. Childrens life jackets tend to be left to its owners needs aboard Ranworth Breeze but we provide 4 x adult auto inflate life jackets plus a few standard life jackets in large, medium & small as standard, these are all maintained as part of the safety equipement onboard. Maybe it could be a topic for you to bring up at your next AGM. Regards Alan

Hi Alan, Yes being at the tiller can be a problem in the rain especially if you are on a ring route or have to get back to the boat yard. On a bad day you see boats moored up going no where, or you see one or two people on the back of the boat in their foul weather gear, or one of them holding up a fishing umbrella. The umbrella is not a bad idea when going through some of the tunnels that have roof top vents. Not any worse than being partially under the canopy with the screen zipped out, glasses covered in wind driven rain for nearly two hours getting up the Chet for a safe haven out of a storm. Any form of boating where you are cold and soaking to the skin is never good, fishermen on the other hand seem to revel in it Regards Alan

I liked this, I hope you do, good to see the improvements on the A47 are working https://www.youtube.com/embed/nq2jY1trxqg?rel=0 Regards Alan

Hi Strowager, Have you got your boat yards mixed up or just having a bad day Regards Alan

The word fashion Muppets springs to mind, there are far to many people with little brains and too much money they can fritter away. Regards Alan

A good idea is to have a burgee mast set to a forward rail so the top of your NBN burgee is set just above your highest point of your boat. No doubt you will have seen a whip of some sort with a ping-pong ball attached to the top on some boats, the NBN burgee would be a better touch. Regards Alan

Hi Doug, We found the canal through Banbury very good, it was safe and well used, the lift bridge by the shopping centre is a nice touch and the paths up to and around the lock are also well planned out. We moored in Banbury for two nights on the way there and on the way back, because mooing was restricted due to their canal weekend festival we had to moor through the lock near to the station, on the way back we moored through the town near the park. We felt the town had embraced the canal. One of the worst cities for lack of interest in the canal is Manchester, there some of the canal is under buildings and is an haven for druggies & drunks, a lot of the towpaths/locks have no access, where the waterfront has been built to accommodate bars and restaurants they are run down or closed to canal users. The locks are hard to work and not in the greatest of condition. Regards Alan

Here is a link to the Nikwax website and their waterproofing section:- http://www.nikwax.co.uk/en-gb/productselector/waterproofing.php Regards Alan