I would like to say how much I enjoyed this site. Its wonderful! I get a daily Google News for various animal rights subjects and your site was listed. It was lovely to read about your boating (something I have always wanted to do but current domestic circumstances prevent this), and the wildlife you see. Despite all the grief you must suffer (BSS checks), you have the life that many people dream of. Me included.
Yes, SHMO, I'm getting my barnacles scraped off. Blackbird will have to wait her turn...
Hello David. Yes, I AM incredibly lucky and my problems are of the insignificant kind. I wish you beautiful wildlife wherever you are and the leisure to enjoy it.
Sorry to hear about the dilemma with the mooring. Isn't there anywhere else that isn't connected with animal rearing? You also say 'I want to be able to leave the boat for weeks at a time and go gallivanting'. For landlubbers like me, why would be a boat left on a mooring on farmland be safe to leave? Are there other boat owners nearby?
Hi David Farmer's field moorings are on the non towpath side of the canal, so I guess they're more secure. Sometimes there are liveabords too who can keep an eye on things. But my main reason for finding a mooring is so that I don't get hassle if I leave my boat unmoved for a while. If you don't have a mooring, you're not supposed to stay longer than 2 weeks in one spot. Near towns, shops, pubs etc, there's usually a time limit of 24hrs, 48hrs or 5 days. If I get a mooring, I could leave it all year if I wanted. - Carrie
Thanks for explaining. Its always nice to 'drop in' here and see what's happening! Do you know how long will you have to wait before you know if you have secured this mooring?
In my wilder moments when I dream about living on a boat, I look on the WWW and see a few, admittedly only a few, UK moorings to buy. I've even seen some that are big enough to take up to 4-5 boats in total and are in lovely secluded areas although the £40,000 required for the freehold is a bit of a problem! Nonetheless, I think this could (could!) have more benefits than renting and if four or more people all bought together, this could work out nicely. Plus when you want to move on, you could sell the mooring and get back most of,all of more than the money originally paid. It may come across as a bit capitalistic, but in reality it means that some like-minded people who care about the rivers and wildlife are taking some control of the situation, and are escaping some of the control exerted by the unthinking authorities. Or is this idea completely wacky?
Not wacky at all (I hope, as I've been trying to do this for some time now!) A small group of us like-minded folk have been looking out for land to buy as a land cooperative but we got out-bidded by marina developers. Seems there's always someone with more cash ready to swoop in. But that's still the plan - this renting a mooring malarkey is just a temporary solution. Enjoy the lovely Spring weather, Carrie
I am DELIGHTED that you are continuing with your blog. I appreciate the permanent mooring changes things but reading of your adventures is a welcome escape for the 'many trapped' in towns and cities with no way of escape. I do hope you will continue your 'diary'. What are your neighbours like? Was your earlier apprehension about the owner realized? And just out of interest, how do you maange with getting shopping and getting a doctor (and countless other things that come to mind)? I'm sure readers would be fascinated to hear how you deal with the complexities of 21st century living! Best wishes
Many thanks for the 'Settling in'. Well, it looks really beautiful where you are. Your dog (couldn't find his/her name) looks very contented. Its amazing how adaptable dogs are! So is this where you will be for evermore, or is there a time-limit? What is the lifespan of your boat - will it last you (with TLC, repairs & maintenance) or will you have to get another sometime in the future? How do you get your food and other essentials? Bike? Do the users of the marina nearby affect your peace and quiet? Be nice to hear more about your new location/home.
David - thanks for your interest and good wishes. My doggy friend is called Milou. Aka Miloupuppydog and Woofything. When you ask about my boat's lifespan, I'm tempted to give the reply my Grandad used to, when asked about his one remaining tooth: "It'll see me out!" and at 98, it did. As for the boat, it's 24 years old and I'm 45 so our bottoms will rust together for a few years more yet I hope. They last ages and can be replated to last even longer (hulls, not bottoms). Every 2 years they need blacking (tarring) to keep the water on the right side of the steel! My mooring contract with British Waterways is for 3 years though I can opt out of that anytime after the first 6 months. I shall still go off on the odd wander I expect... I have NO noise from other boat users. It's beautifully peaceful - the occasional small train, but not noisy and I like that sound. Shops are a 10 minute walk away and the little town is blissfully free of giant chains, Tescos's, Starbucks etc which is good for my rage management ;-)
If you're ever up Derbyshire/Manchester way and would like to visit, let me know. I can be e-mailed via my craft website (link on the right) - Carrie
oops, sorry, didn't receive it. I've just updated the link and hope this may have solved the problem. If you can bear to re-send it, my e-mail addess is cmackinnon(at)hotmail.co.uk
Embarrassingly, I still didn't get it, although I seem to be receiving other e-mails as normal. Not sure what to suggest. If you can still persevere with me, perhaps you have another e-mail address where you could paste my address? - Carrie
I've just sent email again from another yahoo email address (does your email address refuse yahoo emails?). I sent it to cmackinnon(at)hotmail.co.uk Hope you receive it this time. David
Many thanks for the description of the Goyt valley and celebration. Its good to know these customs survive! The cave-shrine looks really amazing. Presume everything is going smoothly for you at your mooring? Best wishes David Nicholls
Many thanks for the beautiful photos. Very refreshing. Sorry to hear about the recent display of bad manners. I have always assumed that the rite of showing one's backside was a compensatory act to make up for being inarticulate. PS. There must be rules that apply to the use of rivers as there are for roads, etc. When someone acts irresponsibly/anti-socially, isn't there any way of reporting itto prevent a repetiion?
Ha ha - just seen your comment David! I haven't seen them again as they are 'weekenders' and I often seem to be busy away from the boat. I did think about reporting them to the marina where they moor near me, but chances are they are all 'best mates'. It's all a bit blokey over there ;-) Hope you are well and still dreaming boats - Carrie
As always, lovely to read about your adventures! I can appreciate your reluctance to report nuisance behaviour - I always hope the boats of these types will hit something sharp below the water line! And yes, it would be nice to run a vegan cafe on the waterways - it could be very useful for daytrippers and might, with luck, convert them, or at least make them think.
>Wish I could put all our shitty >politicians on a boat and send em >off somewhere, but I can't think >of any country that quite >deserves them.
And the chances are that the shits would claim that wherever they ended up was their second home!
Very best wishes for Xmas and 2010,
David
(Rather concerned to read about the boats being loosened - this is absolute stupidity and both parties - the owners who moor in stupid/dangerous places and the idiots who loosen them should both be prosecuted. There should be some rules on mooring and the river authorities should enforce this, but also ban anyone who loosens a boat from its mooring - after all, this is likely to be someone's home!)
20 comments:
"I'm booked in to a boatyard to get all my BSS work done. Hope that's the last of the expense for a while now ;-)"
Are you having any work done to NB Blackbird at the same time as yourself?
I would like to say how much I enjoyed this site. Its wonderful! I get a daily Google News for various animal rights subjects and your site was listed.
It was lovely to read about your boating (something I have always wanted to do but current domestic circumstances prevent this), and the wildlife you see. Despite all the grief you must suffer (BSS checks), you have the life that many people dream of. Me included.
David Nicholls (Dr.)
Yes, SHMO, I'm getting my barnacles scraped off. Blackbird will have to wait her turn...
Hello David. Yes, I AM incredibly lucky and my problems are of the insignificant kind.
I wish you beautiful wildlife wherever you are and the leisure to enjoy it.
Sorry to hear about the dilemma with the mooring. Isn't there anywhere else that isn't connected with animal rearing?
You also say 'I want to be able to leave the boat for weeks at a time and go gallivanting'. For landlubbers like me, why would be a boat left on a mooring on farmland be safe to leave? Are there other boat owners nearby?
David Nicholls
Hi David
Farmer's field moorings are on the non towpath side of the canal, so I guess they're more secure. Sometimes there are liveabords too who can keep an eye on things. But my main reason for finding a mooring is so that I don't get hassle if I leave my boat unmoved for a while. If you don't have a mooring, you're not supposed to stay longer than 2 weeks in one spot. Near towns, shops, pubs etc, there's usually a time limit of 24hrs, 48hrs or 5 days. If I get a mooring, I could leave it all year if I wanted.
- Carrie
Thanks for explaining. Its always nice to 'drop in' here and see what's happening! Do you know how long will you have to wait before you know if you have secured this mooring?
In my wilder moments when I dream about living on a boat, I look on the WWW and see a few, admittedly only a few, UK moorings to buy. I've even seen some that are big enough to take up to 4-5 boats in total and are in lovely secluded areas although the £40,000 required for the freehold is a bit of a problem!
Nonetheless, I think this could (could!) have more benefits than renting and if four or more people all bought together, this could work out nicely. Plus when you want to move on, you could sell the mooring and get back most of,all of more than the money originally paid.
It may come across as a bit capitalistic, but in reality it means that some like-minded people who care about the rivers and wildlife are taking some control of the situation, and are escaping some of the control exerted by the unthinking authorities.
Or is this idea completely wacky?
Best wishes
David
Not wacky at all (I hope, as I've been trying to do this for some time now!) A small group of us like-minded folk have been looking out for land to buy as a land cooperative but we got out-bidded by marina developers. Seems there's always someone with more cash ready to swoop in. But that's still the plan - this renting a mooring malarkey is just a temporary solution.
Enjoy the lovely Spring weather,
Carrie
I am DELIGHTED that you are continuing with your blog. I appreciate the permanent mooring
changes things but reading of your adventures is a welcome escape for the 'many trapped' in towns and cities with no way of escape. I do hope you will continue your 'diary'.
What are your neighbours like? Was your earlier apprehension about the owner realized? And just out of interest, how do you maange with getting shopping and getting a doctor (and countless other things that come to mind)?
I'm sure readers would be fascinated to hear how you deal with the complexities of 21st century living!
Best wishes
David
Many thanks for the 'Settling in'. Well, it looks really beautiful where you are. Your dog (couldn't find his/her name) looks very contented. Its amazing how adaptable dogs are!
So is this where you will be for evermore, or is there a time-limit?
What is the lifespan of your boat - will it last you (with TLC, repairs & maintenance) or will you have to get another sometime in the future?
How do you get your food and other essentials? Bike? Do the users of the marina nearby affect your peace and quiet?
Be nice to hear more about your new location/home.
Please give your dog a hug for me.
Regards
David
David - thanks for your interest and good wishes. My doggy friend is called Milou. Aka Miloupuppydog and Woofything.
When you ask about my boat's lifespan, I'm tempted to give the reply my Grandad used to, when asked about his one remaining tooth: "It'll see me out!" and at 98, it did. As for the boat, it's 24 years old and I'm 45 so our bottoms will rust together for a few years more yet I hope. They last ages and can be replated to last even longer (hulls, not bottoms). Every 2 years they need blacking (tarring) to keep the water on the right side of the steel!
My mooring contract with British Waterways is for 3 years though I can opt out of that anytime after the first 6 months. I shall still go off on the odd wander I expect...
I have NO noise from other boat users. It's beautifully peaceful - the occasional small train, but not noisy and I like that sound. Shops are a 10 minute walk away and the little town is blissfully free of giant chains, Tescos's, Starbucks etc which is good for my rage management ;-)
If you're ever up Derbyshire/Manchester way and would like to visit, let me know. I can be e-mailed via my craft website (link on the right)
- Carrie
Thanks. I have emailed you, using the email address given on Blackbird Tree.
David
oops, sorry, didn't receive it. I've just updated the link and hope this may have solved the problem. If you can bear to re-send it, my e-mail addess is cmackinnon(at)hotmail.co.uk
- carrie
That email address was one that I emailed. I've just resent it.
David
Embarrassingly, I still didn't get it, although I seem to be receiving other e-mails as normal.
Not sure what to suggest. If you can still persevere with me, perhaps you have another e-mail address where you could paste my address?
- Carrie
I've just sent email again from another yahoo email address (does your email address refuse yahoo emails?). I sent it to
cmackinnon(at)hotmail.co.uk
Hope you receive it this time.
David
Many thanks for the description of the Goyt valley and celebration. Its good to know these customs survive!
The cave-shrine looks really amazing.
Presume everything is going smoothly for you at your mooring?
Best wishes
David Nicholls
Many thanks for the beautiful photos. Very refreshing.
Sorry to hear about the recent display of bad manners. I have always assumed that the rite of showing one's backside was a compensatory act
to make up for being inarticulate.
PS.
There must be rules that apply to the use of rivers as there are for roads, etc. When someone acts irresponsibly/anti-socially, isn't there any way of reporting itto prevent a repetiion?
David
Ha ha - just seen your comment David! I haven't seen them again as they are 'weekenders' and I often seem to be busy away from the boat.
I did think about reporting them to the marina where they moor near me, but chances are they are all 'best mates'. It's all a bit blokey over there ;-)
Hope you are well and still dreaming boats - Carrie
Hi,
As always, lovely to read about your adventures! I can appreciate
your reluctance to report nuisance behaviour - I always hope the boats of these types will hit something sharp below the water line!
And yes, it would be nice to run
a vegan cafe on the waterways -
it could be very useful for daytrippers and might, with luck, convert them, or at least make them think.
Look after yourself,
David
>Wish I could put all our shitty
>politicians on a boat and send em
>off somewhere, but I can't think
>of any country that quite
>deserves them.
And the chances are that the shits would claim that wherever they ended up was their second home!
Very best wishes for Xmas
and 2010,
David
(Rather concerned to read about
the boats being loosened - this is absolute stupidity and both parties - the owners who moor in
stupid/dangerous places and the
idiots who loosen them should both be prosecuted. There should be some rules on mooring and the river authorities should enforce this, but also ban anyone who loosens a boat from its mooring - after all, this is likely to be someone's home!)
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