Welcome to the latest edition. In 2016’s penultimate Boaters’ Update you’ll find the usual broad platter of news, opinion (yours) and events along with an assorted mix of mild festive cheer – and the odd request for help!
Welcome to the latest edition. In 2016’s penultimate Boaters’ Update you’ll find the usual broad platter of news, opinion (yours) and events along with an assorted mix of mild festive cheer – and the odd request for help!
As always, if there’s a particular topic you’d like to see in a future edition, or a regular feature you think will be useful, then please get in touch. In the meantime, click on the links below to jump to the article of your choice:
Happy boating,
Damian
Since the last edition you may have heard, or seen, that:
And if you’re wondering what you can enjoy on or by a canal in the next couple of weeks then you might be interested in:
Of course there are plenty of other activities and volunteering opportunities around the network so please visit the events section of the website to find the perfect one for you.
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If, at this time of year, you can often be found retorting ‘bah, humbug’ then you’re unlikely to be bothered by underwhelming Christmas decorations. On the other hand you may revel in celebrating the festive season with a dazzling display.
Whichever camp you fall in to there’s no denying that decorating a boat comes with it’s own challenges. With years of experience, colleague and boater Debbi Figueiredo shares her thoughts on the options.
“December already and it’s barely three weeks before the big celebration. This year has disappeared so quickly, sadly most likely a symptom of my advancing years.
“Christmas celebrations are a bright spot of colour and fun during the darkest part of the year. I just can’t wait for the dark to be over and like to brighten up the boat with festive decorations. In the confined space of a narrowboat cabin you can’t go too mad. A full size Christmas tree, in my opinion, is rather over the top.”
Christmas Tree or seasonal alternative?
“We’ve never had a tree whilst I’ve lived on a boat and I do hanker after one, haunted by childhood memories of pine scent, the hanging of sparkling glass baubles and twinkling fairy lights. Sadly we don’t even have a spare shelf or table space for a mini tree so this year is going to be a compromise: hanging up my sustainable willow and foraged foliage swags on the exterior of the boat from the rails.
“I am always somewhat envious of other boater’s trees, proudly displayed atop gas lockers, cratches and tug decks, some even with lights! Maybe one day I will win over my partner and we will have a tree too.
“Decorating the interior of the boat is done with economy bearing in mind the limited storage space. We run a long line of ribbon from the galley bulkhead to the bow doors on which to hang our Christmas cards.
“I embellish the line of cards with home-made cross stitch & felt decorations hanging below the cards which gives the boat a very festive feel. After the holidays are over the decorations are small enough to live in my sock drawer.”
Garlands and lights
“We’ve tried in the past using the traditional holly, ivy and mistletoe but found they made closing the curtains tricky and they didn’t last particularly well due to the heat from the solid fuel stove. This year I might try making garlands for the cabin by stringing up popcorn and cranberries for an extra festive look that’s easy to recycle. I also can’t resist fairy lights, the lighter the cabin is during December the better for me so I’m going to treat myself to some new LED lights that won’t eat too much power.
“If you want to see lots of illuminated and decorated boats and have some fun with the family you’re in luck if you are within easy reach of Foxton. Otherwise there are many other festive events where you are likely to see decorated boats if that’s your thing. I, for one, will be seeking sparkling inspiration for next year to see me through the bleak mid-winter.”
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You’ve not disappointed me! Lots of you have been in touch after the last edition’s round-up of your views on the best practice when cruising past moored boats so a big thank you!
Below is a brief summary of the next round of comments you’ve sent in. As before, it doesn’t cover it all – there’s far too much to include here – but, if you’ve got the time, it’s well worth reading them.
In the last summary I included an overview of the general opinions being aired. So how have they changed? 57% of respondents thought that most boats go too fast past moored boats (down by 1%) and 69% (down from 74%) said you should be at tickover when passing moored boats.
Slightly down, from 32% to 30%, is the proportion of you who think that, ultimately, it’s the moorers responsibility to ensure their boat is securely tied up. Those are the hard statistics but, for those who haven’t the time to read all the responses, here’s a summary of some of the advice, suggestions and opinion given:
I would have liked to include more comments and the above covers the most frequently mentioned points. If you’ve got the time do have a read of them all.
Reading through the responses the two messages that didn’t stand out in the last article but have been mentioned more since are, firstly, that there are too many boats moored on the line of the canal causing long delays and, secondly, those on moored boats tend to complain if they hear high revs before seeing what effect the passing boat actually has.
It’s pretty clear by the passion and volume of replies that this is a topic that needs following up in the new year – watch this space for more discussion, and suggested solutions based on your feedback, in January!
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Now that we’re deep into this winter’s major restoration and repair programme the list of works that may affect your cruising is quite long if you actually planned to traverse the whole of the network!
So as your cruising may be confined to a particular region of the network I’ve provided links below to the respective stoppages. Just click on the one where you’ll be and a webpage will open listing the stoppages for that region. If you’re not quite sure which region your planned cruise falls in to please take a look at this map.
When any restrictions to navigation happen we get them up on to our website as soon as we can – always best to have a scan before you set off for a cruise.
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Happy boating!
Damian
Think of this blog as your one-stop shop for up-to-date boating news. It's packed full of useful information about boating on canals and rivers as well important safety announcements and upcoming events.
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