2727/0101/2011201120112011 by admin.

Hi all

A short note to let everyone now we are still around.

We went to the boat show by trainin January with two friends Dave and Keith and of course I managed to spend some money on a few more essential boys toys. (Honestly we did need them!) for navigation ergo: a Heading sensor which will make the Radar fully functional, a second VHF radio with hailer function and ATIS, needed abroad, a Navtex gives updated navigational information and Weather shipping forecast, NMEA 2000 network loom, a rescue strop essential if your unconscious and some Pilot almanacs.I have fitted all the gear but I am going to have a marine electrition wire in the critical stuff. I have also done more work on the boat as we discovered that the Nav lights fitted by the builder were rated for vessels up to 20 meters and we are over 20! although we would get away with it in UK waters they would not do for the continent. So having bought the new legal lights I found I would have to have light shades to be able to fit them. More cost! I had some fabricated in Stainless Steel  by a company in Marlow and they are now fitted and wired up. I removed the old lights and replaced them with waterproof deck plugs for connection saving drilling more holes in the steel structure. Everything worked first time. I must admit they are much better than the old lights and will increase the range that we will be visible. We also had a problem when traveling with the mast down with the masthead light, on the Rivers that is all the time. So I used the old masthead light made a bracket and fixed it to the flag staff I use on the mast when it is lowered so we now have a functioning masthead light at night when the mast is down.

WE shall be visiting the Midlands in February so will time our visit so we can go to the Birmingham Boat show. Happy Cruising.

The  Boat Marina at the Show

How about a Runabout?

With its own Garage

A Branson Barge ?

New Legal! Nav Light and Shade

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0202/0101/2011201120112011 by admin.

Our Claim to Faim 

Whilst we were cruising this summer we went through the filming of the take that video at Stains so I have put the link below, They stopped for us to pass and we had all five members of  Takethat blowing kisses at Carol.

The bit we interrupted was as they passed under Stains bridge with the chequered flag. http://www.takethat.com/news/2010/10/the-flood-full-video

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