C&RT Complaint - escalation

This relates to this issue - click me

Well if you thought you were safe on the waterways think again. From my dealings to date with C&RT over the selection of competent contractors and the management of those same contractors - they are woefully and shockingly NOT IN CONTROL of their contractors. This extends to them not even knowing how many complaints they have received in relation to the work Fountains undertake.

My complaint is now at stage 2  - C&RT having accepted  blame but passing it to their contractors and passing me to their contractors as well, quality customer services - this is not how it should be done.

They have a responsibility to engage competent contractors and have knowledge of their contractors - they do not. How can they guarantee safety of users if they have such an ignorant approach to what their contractors are doing......??

It gets better. You will have seen the lock volunteers, well C&RT are considering asking volunteers to clerk the works of some of their contractors - yep they are that ignorant of their responsibilities.

I have been patient and will still work with C&RT but I have such doubt over their ability to manage I have made enquiries for a marina berth such is my lack of trust over how they might manage me and my boats safety while on their linear moorings.

I'll update more as I progress to stage 2 but for now, not impressed.

Staying multifuel rather than oil.... for now why??

I have asked on a couple of occasions for advice on replacing my Squirrel multi-fueled back burner for an oil burner.... mainly for dust/allergy issues Rachel suffers from.

I received the manual for the corner bubble from Hepworth heating today after I sent an enquiry on the layout of the back boiler in and outs.

It is a good manual. There is an excellent section on chimneys and the impacts on performance which is an eye opener and put me off, and that is before consideration of performance using the non pumped back boiler I have now. No bends, double skinned, 28 inch chimbleys to note a few bits of performance advice

It just made me feel;-

1. There would be a risk after the install it would not perform as well as the stove I have now
2. There is more to go wrong with it
3. I can find stuff to burn in an emergency (run out of money, need to dispose of a body etc) I have so far never cruised past a discarded jerry can of diesel!
4. I could find better things to spend £2,000 on (price I estimate to replace with a new Lockgate diesel stove)
5. Sue, Bruce, Les & Jaq, Geoff & Mags, Mandy plus many more on the right who live aboard and are the real experts can't be wrong ;-) Those on the right who are oilies please do not be offended!

In defence oil it is cleaner and may - may resolve the allergy issue. Plus I would not wish to put anyone off buying one - Hepworths seem a decent company as do Lockgate.

So for now I will use the little portable Dyson and be a cleaner boater, but I reserve the right to change my mind and be a dithering idiot - I am getting better at that the older I get !

Next post an update on C&RT response to my complaint about their contractors. 

Is it just me...?

Sitting here watching BBC Countryfile and they are telling us of a new 500 mile route NC500  - Taking in the 'Pass of the Cattle'... the 'Applecross pass' 2,000 feet up in the clouds over 6 miles  - why am I going to work tomorrow when there are such challenging things to do and see...

There is LEGOG, Lands End to John O'Groats, the West Highland way, the Pennine way ... so much to do so little time

Have you ever been to the 'Rest and be Thankful' ?




Then there is the 2000 miles of beautiful canals that needs traversing.

Going to work is going to be hard tomorrow !

Narrowboat nightmare

I have dreamt about it and I am sure most owner have done so to. That is their boat going on its own journey. Closest we have come was when someone loosened off the ropes from Waterlily when we had her and a kind boater re-tied her. I knew it has happened as the knot holding her was not my type of knot. On a canal it is not so bad, on a flooded river it is an altogether different risk/outcome

This popped up on one of the Facebook canal groups

Click Me....



The above is a screen clip from the video - showing the fire officers catching the boat and getting it back to bank.

I have a worry about rivers. Only ever having done the Trent at Alrewas and the Churnet on the Caldon. I will do more and I know Percy has been to Sea across the Wash so no reason not to, apart from my confidence !

I did call over to check on Percy the other day, I have a good neighbour who keeps an eye on Percy whilst I am away from her. This time last year it was not such an issue as I was living aboard. Thankfully all was well and the auto greaser was keeping the bilge tin dry. She was just sitting waiting patiently to go travelling !

Wanted - More bloggers, your canals need you.

I have been following canal blogs for many years, well before I owned my own boat. We were sharing within the Ownerships scheme when I discovered Snecklifter, a dry witted and entertaining blog of 3 year life that extended to 5 years on the cut. It was regular, informative and entertaining. I exchanged a few email with Mike the blogger and was saddened when he went back to the bank - somewhere Matlock way I recall.

Since then I have followed many and still have an extensive blog roll on the right. There are a few that sadly pass on, not so many pleasingly, but there are a few who give up and take to the land and a few who just stop without notice.

This last group I find the hardest to contend with as it is like a friend walking out of your life with no goodbye, selfish on my part to think this I know.

Some you can see the writing on the wall so to speak and I cannot blame them for seeking out a little home comfort especially when they have done much of the system, more than once.

I hope one day to be one of the group on the right giving others a vicarious fix of canal life, even if it is 8-10 months a year. Of course this time of the year only the hardy are out and about and I include those I know who spend a good deal of time aboard on my moorings. I did it last year and it is cosy, satisfying but ultimately  hard work and can be lonely.

But for now and the reason for this post is to add another new blog to my blog roll.

My view from the loo please click the title to take you to the blog.

I'll leave the explaining of the title to Mandy, I know it will be an interesting read so I would encourage you to bookmark it or whatever you do to get a reminder there is an update.

If anyone else reads my musings and wishes to have their blog linked to on the right please drop me a line  - happy to oblige and get another slice of canal life to read about.

Possibly why people end up living on boats?

This is quite a 'foot on the breaks' equation.

It comes from this blog post.... Click me 

We all have a reality, it is the expectation that is sold to us via many different channels and peer groups. It is all predicated on pressure to do well. Work neighbours family and friends all contribute in some way, some give us the feel good some add to the pressure. 

The internet is devious, it cleverly knows what I have been 'aspiring to' and feeds me images and reminders of what I think I want to the point I start thinking I need them. Top notch subliminal marketing - not allowed on TV but everywhere on the internet. 

Clever, it really is a mind altering experience.

Ironically it is the internet and its global availability that is selling the western dream to those aspirational people in less financially stable counties to come and 'achieve'. Economic migrant they are called. 

I guess it is a real privilege of those that have seen their future, or  arrived at it to know it is not all what it is sold to us to be. So we live on boats and downscale our lives to remove the pressures of what is sadly seen as success. 

The real success is achieving happiness which is your reality if you can remove those expectations. Better still if those expectations are less than your reality you are living a positive experience?

Of course the internet is fill of blogs like the one in the link but every now and again one comes by that does make you challenge your thinking on life - well it does for me anyhow. 

One final thought, slightly depressing and delivered to me by my recent raw experiences of supporting ageing loved ones into the final stages of their lives, it arrives sooner than you think, we all will take those last days weeks months or in some cases years of relative non existence to what we have lived in the time leading up to the final chapter, albeit however brief.

So the learning point, manage your expectations, they impact significantly on your reality which in the end is your happiness. 

Misty last cruise of the year.... Maybe ?

The blog post is a little misleading as we are now able to go a long distance if we wanted to (tempting). Sunday we were pointing into the stoppages with no winding hole between us so we either left Percy as she was or took an autumnal cruise to point her back the way we prefer - to Hunts lock and cruising routes beyond.

In reality we may not move again this year but that will not stop visits and maybe some work parties. 

Sunday when we got to the boat was misty and foggy - I have always wanted a foggy cruise, very atmospheric. I would of course prefer a real pea souper, this was more heavy mist I guess, but still a nice cruise. 

What we did not expect was the amount of boats moving. I guess they were all scurrying past the stoppages that start at Bagnall lock today (Monday 2nd November). We were even quizzed by a boater as he came up Bagnall - "am I clear of the stoppages now?" The tell tale surveyors marks on his newly acquired P&J showed he was either a new boater or a boater with a new(ish) boat.

The fencing was ready for the shutdown. A couple of my boating neighbours were looking forward to the peace of 6 weeks of no boat movements.

What was noted since we last did this run was the new moorings between Common and Bagnall locks. Plus the mooring x 3 above Common lock.

Interesting since when I enquired about two pieces of land in the area on both occasions  was advised it was unlikely under the mooring reduction program - remember that as I think it might have been lost in the BW to C&RT change over  !!

Another blogger passing through, this time Barry and Sandra from 'The Home Brew Boat'  Sadly  only got time to exchange a few pleasantries with Barry before they went off to their winter trade mooring at Mercia (a great idea) As I am less than 5 miles from Mercia  based I may visit to check out their merchandise.

I took this photo to remind me how the rear fenders are installed as I have brought them home to 'creosote' them as advised by Joe Hollinshead who made them for me. The same Joe that was helping Tim and Pru down those challenging Knowle locks on TV last night.

Finally a little YouTube video to keep me reminded of what my boat sounds like ! The wobble half way through was me dropping to neutral as I thought there was a boat coming down.... the reality was Rachel was waiting for me to deliver a windlass - basic boating error - we were rusty !