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Month: February 2017

Measuring the draft

Measuring the draft

A new and sophisticated method of measuring the draft.

I once measured the draft; most marinas ask for it along with insurance details, length, safety certificated and other details.

However, this isn’t much good on the cut. Mooring up in somewhere more permanent, you want to get a decent depth so your not run aground which will cause your boat to sit awkwardly, and may cause damage to the hull.

Clench

Seeing as my walk was not far, I measured some of the depths with this new device I have developed.

Looking for moorings around Wootton River/Clench

Looking for moorings around Wootton River/Clench

Spent the rest of today, totally windy, looking for moorings around the vicinity.

This would represent my shift of ‘neighbourhoods’, which has to take place every 14 days according to the rules of the river.

Clench

Clench is the closest. At a bridge up, or around 1/2 mile.

I’ve been out today and checked the place out.

TBH, it doesn’t look any good. If I am staying here, it will only be for a very short period, and the reasons why are contained in the video.

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New button fitted!

New button fitted!

New fender
New fender

Fitted this new fender to the Bow myself the other day when I pulled in for water.

I anchored the boat right out in the canal, easy enough in the winter when there are no boats around.

When it was right angles to the bank, I fitted the new one.

It needs a tightener clamp on the other side

tightener clampAnd also the rubber bushes which protect the paintwork need to be cut and fitted to the chains to stop them rubbing.

Currently, with storm Doris bearing down, it’s going to be a day of drinking tea and playing video games.

 

Milkhouse Water, Wiltshire

Milkhouse Water, Wiltshire

Continuous cruising rules

  1. Each 14 days as a continuous cruiser; you have to move location.
  2. Not only that, each 14 days that move has to represent a move to a new neighbourhood.
  3. Not only that, each move must be linear, you can move from X to Y and then to Z, but not from X to Y and back to X again.
  4. To clarify that the CRT puts it on it’s site ‘consistent with the lifestyle of one who means to ‘navigate canals and waterways’.

It’s no longer possible to live on the canals and waterways of the UK under Canal and River Trust rules, you simply have the right to navigate.

There may be ways AROUND this. But strict enforcement essentially means; if you’ve got no ‘homebase’, you’ve got to be going from A to C, (with all the little b’s inbetween).

Milkhouse Water
Milkhouse Water

Milkhouse Water

This week, my little ‘b’ is Milkhouse Water. This is essentially the next parish along from Pewsey, maybe 2 miles down the road.

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Now in Pewsey, CRT mooring rules

Now in Pewsey, CRT mooring rules

Pewsey visitors moorings
Pewsey visitors moorings

Having not written a blog for a while; my status has changed slightly. I’ve moved down the road, from Devizes to somewhere called Pewsey.

It’s a small town on the Avon.

CRT rules state you have to move neighbourhood every two weeks, unless you have ‘permanent moorings’.

Currently, this applies to me.

Canal and River Trust mooring rules

The Canal and River Trust are pretty fuzzy about the meanings and measurements involved.

There is an article here about what a ‘neighbourhood’ represents for the CaRT.

The rules are pretty clear. You have to keep moving.

The advantage of it being Winter: All visitor moorings are 14 days, (unless otherwise stated).

Get into Stonehenge free

Get into Stonehenge free

That’s it.

That’s the title. Get into Stonehenge free.

In case you didn’t know. Stonehenge is one of the oldest monolithical worship sites in the world.

No-one really knows where the stones came from, (much like Egypt). No-one really knows how the stones were erected.

All we know, is that people came here, to this hill and took on a semblance, a vision.
Through their shared vision, they drew up a plan…. to draw together some stones.
Stones unavailable in the area. Shipped stones.
Stones that had to be erected.
All drawn in a vision….

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