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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2020 18:54:30 GMT
I had a realisation yesterday.
I realised that I'm now a full time boater. I can't go back to my house, and this isn't a part time thing. I'm not going to step off the boat at the end of the day's cruise (which was something that subconsciously crept into my attitude at first), and book into a hotel.
This is it, for better or worse. This is now the way life is.
The thing that made me realise that I was a full time boater wasn't me labouring away up the 17 locks of Northampton flight on a hot August afternoon (we wont mention the homeless chap who helped on the last 9), or the fantastic views over the Cambridgeshire fens on the Great Ouse, or the whistling kettle, or the fact that I bob about slightly all the time, or even the fact that it a significant physical effort to pull over, get moored up safely, and have a cup of coffee.
Those things all contribute, but what made the canal boating lifestyle seem more real than any of that was taking my trolley from my mooring to the M+S in Rugby, loading it up, and then dragging it back up that road to the little path that cuts down and through to the towpath. That was what drove it home the most- lugging that trolley behind me up the hill, with passers-by and car drivers presumably wondering what the hell anyone under 75 would be doing dragging a trolley, in this day and age.
In that large and busy retail park, I never saw one other person who dared to be so uncool as to drag a shopping trolley. I have deliberately avoided using it so far, and I do feel that the trolley has perhaps come into my life at least two decades before I would have ideally wanted- but it is essential.
I do also have a 90 litre rucksack that I think might have housed all my stuff, but the effort required to carry a week's shopping plus beer for half a mile on may back would have been excessive for someone like me, who is in frankly lamentable shape.
I got a few curious looks and I realised that I looked like some kind of scruffy and impoverished pensioner, but it had to be done. I got past my trolley phobia, and I realised I didnt give a stuff if I looked like a proper scruff. I would not see shops again for about 5 days. This was a physical mission, not the Sunday afternoon pleasure stroll that it was for everyone else there. So that made me wonder- have other people had moments like that after they got into boating- whether full time livebaord, summer traveller only, or weekend leisure boater- did you have a series of moments when you realised that you had become a boater?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2020 18:58:44 GMT
We have much more important things to discuss like the whole CRT t&c debacle which is going to make living on boats in an itinerant way a thing of the past before you can say "knife".
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Post by naughtyfox on Sept 28, 2020 19:06:04 GMT
This is it, for better or worse. This is now the way life is. One of the good things about waterways discussion sites is that you can make friends / contacts and there can be a lot of helping out. A very small thing, but if we have a rental car when we're in England and anyone here* wants something picked up & delivered, we'd always consider doing something like that. It's helpful, and fun. (*if not on my Black List)
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2020 19:07:02 GMT
We have much more important things to discuss like the whole CRT t&c debacle which is going to make living on boats in an itinerant way a thing of the past before you can say "knife". I'm not convinced it is Mr M. Apologies if I've missed something, I only skim read the proposal thing- but it didn't seem to place any new restrictions on where a narrowbeam craft could go, or how long they could stay there- which is what would stop me personally doing the itinerant thing. I think the focus on regulation and documentation might mean some of the boaters who are on a strict budget may struggle to meet some of the requirements- I don't really know. If that happens it will be a huge shame, because those are the ones I enjoy meeting the most. Apart from the hire boaters obviously, who are an absolute hoot.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2020 19:12:01 GMT
We have his n hers matching trolly's ... sad but true. When the supermarket is a couple of miles away it saves a fortune in taxi fares. However as we're only 'part-time' boaters ... we'll be well groomed, clean clothed, shiny, car driving shoppers until January before reverting to scruffy, trolly towing, boaters. Everyone's a stranger when boating so there's no trolly shame Rog
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2020 19:14:39 GMT
We have much more important things to discuss like the whole CRT t&c debacle which is going to make living on boats in an itinerant way a thing of the past before you can say "knife". I'm not convinced it is Mr M. Apologies if I've missed something, I only skim read the proposal thing- but it didn't seem to place any new restrictions on where a narrowbeam craft could go, or how long they could stay there- which is what would stop me personally doing the itinerant thing. I think the focus on regulation and documentation might mean some of the boaters who are on a strict budget may struggle to meet some of the requirements- I don't really know. If that happens it will be a huge shame, because those are the ones I enjoy meeting the most. Apart from the hire boaters obviously, who are an absolute hoot. It will affect people like you mention. Please take the time to consider that rather than just think this doesn't impact me directly. You have a voice.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2020 19:24:48 GMT
I'm not convinced it is Mr M. Apologies if I've missed something, I only skim read the proposal thing- but it didn't seem to place any new restrictions on where a narrowbeam craft could go, or how long they could stay there- which is what would stop me personally doing the itinerant thing. I think the focus on regulation and documentation might mean some of the boaters who are on a strict budget may struggle to meet some of the requirements- I don't really know. If that happens it will be a huge shame, because those are the ones I enjoy meeting the most. Apart from the hire boaters obviously, who are an absolute hoot. It will affect people like you mention. Please take the time to consider that rather than just think this doesn't impact me directly. You have a voice. I saw the email blacksheep, so I do know already that I have at least one voice- and I will not think selfishly when I use that voice. You may rest assured my objections will be made when I complete that questionnaire- the waterways would be so much poorer as an environment if we only had retirees as boaters, or those with decent incomes who can afford to dot every "I" and cross every "T". Some of them are frankly batshit crazy, but the majority are lovely and decent people who make the waterways community really vibrant, and who just want to live their dream, and like you I strongly object to any measures which will have the effect of removing some of them.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2020 19:43:37 GMT
Tell you what, let's close this topic for now.
The mood of the contributors here is clearly one of anger at the proposed CRT regs changes, and that is totally understandable.
Rather than have every thread turn into a discussion of those very damaging changes, or dilute the strength of opinion with frivolous discussions, let's respect the mood of the members here, and park my topic until a better time.
I shall make no further contribution on this one for a few days.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2020 20:32:00 GMT
It would be a shame if this thread is abandoned ... there are plenty of purposeful, directed, serious threads ... why can't we have a few that are for 'chit-chat' and a light hearted look at ourselves ? Some of us enjoy the harmless banter. Been to the boat today ... filled with diesel and six bags of coal ... and got a new boat safety certificate too. I can drag my shopping trolly around with pride now I know I've 'been certified' . I enjoy your threads @tonyc ... I think a lot of us view your jottings with great pleasue, and nostalgia for our own early days of boating Rog
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Post by phil70 on Sept 28, 2020 21:29:52 GMT
^^^^^^^^^ Phil
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Post by Clinton Cool on Sept 28, 2020 22:12:59 GMT
Tony now that you've realised you're a boater, and when you stop work completely, have you given any consideration as to how you'll spend your time?
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Post by JohnV on Sept 29, 2020 5:31:29 GMT
Tony now that you've realised you're a boater, and when you stop work completely, have you given any consideration as to how you'll spend your time? Boating, you fool !!!
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Post by patty on Sept 29, 2020 7:22:57 GMT
Tell you what, let's close this topic for now. The mood of the contributors here is clearly one of anger at the proposed CRT regs changes, and that is totally understandable. Rather than have every thread turn into a discussion of those very damaging changes, or dilute the strength of opinion with frivolous discussions, let's respect the mood of the members here, and park my topic until a better time. I shall make no further contribution on this one for a few days. It would be a shame if every topic became derailed into discussion over CRT email... So the thread title here I cannot really comment over as sadly my boating days over for the foreseeable future..however.. I now feel I can obtain a shopping trolley(forbidden by daughter as I'm not in the age bracket) for those treks uphill...I just dunno why all the shops have to be at the bottom of a hill. Now the question I ask myself is do I buy a camouflage type colour scheme to blend in with the place I live or do I go and get a brightly coloured be seen and safe type of model......
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Post by dyertribe on Sept 29, 2020 7:47:57 GMT
Tell you what, let's close this topic for now. The mood of the contributors here is clearly one of anger at the proposed CRT regs changes, and that is totally understandable. Rather than have every thread turn into a discussion of those very damaging changes, or dilute the strength of opinion with frivolous discussions, let's respect the mood of the members here, and park my topic until a better time. I shall make no further contribution on this one for a few days. It would be a shame if every topic became derailed into discussion over CRT email... So the thread title here I cannot really comment over as sadly my boating days over for the foreseeable future..however.. I now feel I can obtain a shopping trolley(forbidden by daughter as I'm not in the age bracket) for those treks uphill...I just dunno why all the shops have to be at the bottom of a hill. Now the question I ask myself is do I buy a camouflage type colour scheme to blend in with the place I live or do I go and get a brightly coloured be seen and safe type of model...... ? www.google.com/shopping/product/10979489888401305426?q=shopping+trolley&bih=748&biw=1024&rlz=1C9BKJA_enGB590GB590&hl=en-GB&tbs=cat:505961,pdtr0:2753438%7C2753440,vw:g,init_ar:SgeyBAQIlOMg,ss:44&prmd=sinv&sxsrf=ALeKk03Z5ihRY_vD_7T_lesAyNPHfwwRKQ:1601365545968&prds=num:1,of:1,epd:13835537687673586646,paur:ClkAsKraX_UK6nYBKg7Z17yX10DpIyEydE_e2Q4uWv3wV6VgTcePzLgN719sBusso3JwASII60aXlutRuyjvp1Mlx5p97KlOlLWIBz4wrzbSuV2CZkRoLrENLBIZAFPVH72pR_xazh3DpXtAExHWmqJVxsC2Lg,prmr:1,cs:1
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Post by patty on Sept 29, 2020 11:27:57 GMT
It would be a shame if every topic became derailed into discussion over CRT email... So the thread title here I cannot really comment over as sadly my boating days over for the foreseeable future..however.. I now feel I can obtain a shopping trolley(forbidden by daughter as I'm not in the age bracket) for those treks uphill...I just dunno why all the shops have to be at the bottom of a hill. Now the question I ask myself is do I buy a camouflage type colour scheme to blend in with the place I live or do I go and get a brightly coloured be seen and safe type of model...... ? www.google.com/shopping/product/10979489888401305426?q=shopping+trolley&bih=748&biw=1024&rlz=1C9BKJA_enGB590GB590&hl=en-GB&tbs=cat:505961,pdtr0:2753438%7C2753440,vw:g,init_ar:SgeyBAQIlOMg,ss:44&prmd=sinv&sxsrf=ALeKk03Z5ihRY_vD_7T_lesAyNPHfwwRKQ:1601365545968&prds=num:1,of:1,epd:13835537687673586646,paur:ClkAsKraX_UK6nYBKg7Z17yX10DpIyEydE_e2Q4uWv3wV6VgTcePzLgN719sBusso3JwASII60aXlutRuyjvp1Mlx5p97KlOlLWIBz4wrzbSuV2CZkRoLrENLBIZAFPVH72pR_xazh3DpXtAExHWmqJVxsC2Lg,prmr:1,cs:1
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