Hi hi, kitties! Me and my clowder were thinking that it’s about time for
an Adventure. Then last week I got a message from some of my buddies in
the UK talking about canals and narrowboats and stuff, so
we figured that we needed to do a canal cruise.

My buddies Devon and Maria (a silver Devon Rex and a long-haired calico)
live at a marina on the Shropshire Union Canal, and they have a couple
narrow boats set up just for kitties and doggies. They are working on a
boating cat guide, and they really want someone to verify the accuracy
of it. So we were thinking that we could take their boat, named The Fat
Cat, and cruise the canals.

So far I’m going, Ranger has agreed to try handling the tiller, Milton
thinks he can handle the engine and the gearbox, Benni has agreed to be
bow lookout, and Francesca has agreed to come boss everybody around and
whap any strangers that get in the way. Zeus the doggy has agreed to be
in charge of mooring when we need to tie up at the side of the canal.

Devon and Marie tell me that there are bunches of pubs and restaurants
and parks and historic places to see along the canal, as well as a bunch
of really cool kitties, doggies, and other animals to meet along the
way. And the boat has a teleporter built in, so any kitty who wants to
drop in for just a little bit can do so easily.

So who’s interested? I think we’re going to load up the boat and cast
off in just a few minutes.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

[chonky hoomin crawls through the teleporter and comes out on Samuel Redcat's boat]

Can I come too? I would be happy to act as ballast. I also have opposable thumbs, and I can swim!

Fangu,
Meowmie Debby
(BradentonDeb2021)

On Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 2:04:48 PM UTC-5, Samuel Redcat wrote:

Hi hi, kitties! Me and my clowder were thinking that it’s about time for an Adventure. Then last week I got a message from some of my buddies in
the UK talking about canals and narrowboats and stuff, so
we figured that we needed to do a canal cruise.

My buddies Devon and Maria (a silver Devon Rex and a long-haired calico) live at a marina on the Shropshire Union Canal, and they have a couple narrow boats set up just for kitties and doggies. They are working on a boating cat guide, and they really want someone to verify the accuracy
of it. So we were thinking that we could take their boat, named The Fat
Cat, and cruise the canals.

So far I’m going, Ranger has agreed to try handling the tiller, Milton thinks he can handle the engine and the gearbox, Benni has agreed to be
bow lookout, and Francesca has agreed to come boss everybody around and
whap any strangers that get in the way. Zeus the doggy has agreed to be
in charge of mooring when we need to tie up at the side of the canal.

Devon and Marie tell me that there are bunches of pubs and restaurants
and parks and historic places to see along the canal, as well as a bunch
of really cool kitties, doggies, and other animals to meet along the
way. And the boat has a teleporter built in, so any kitty who wants to
drop in for just a little bit can do so easily.

So who’s interested? I think we’re going to load up the boat and cast off in just a few minutes.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 12/14/2022 1:45 PM, BradentonDeb2021 wrote:

[chonky hoomin crawls through the teleporter and comes out on Samuel Redcat's boat]

Can I come too? I would be happy to act as ballast. I also have opposable thumbs, and I can swim!

Fangu,
Meowmie Debby
(BradentonDeb2021)

Abso-fur-lutely! I know that the boat, while being designed mainly for
kitties, also has human accommodations as well. The more the merrier!

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

[Maria continues showing them around.]

Now let's go up to the stern.

Here is the tiller that a human would use to steer the boat. We can too,
if we want to, but we can also use the tablet when we want. And for
those times when a human is steering, this digital display shows the
front camera view. This allows the operator sitting way back here to see
easily what's ahead. And since the camera is sensitive to infrared
energy, we can even see what's ahead when it's foggy! And of course
there's a litterbox right here.

These steps lead up to the roof of the boat. This is actually a very
useful area on a narrowboat. We store a lot of bulky stuff up there,
since we don't have much room inside. Our bags of coal and firewood get
stored here, along with our towpath wagon, tieout pins, and other stuff.
But we also have some nice kitty play areas here. The cat trees that you
see sticking up collapse when we approach a low bridge, and can be slid
to the ground beside the towpath when we're moored for a while.

I'm sure I've forgotten a bunch of important stuff. What questions can I
answer for you?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

I'm sure I've forgotten a bunch of important stuff. What questions can I answer for you?

Oooh, oooh, I got a question! How long are the canals? Are they long
enough to really keep a kitty going for a while?

[Devon answers]

There are around 4,700 miles of canals and navigable rivers in the UK!
Some of them are isolated from the others, but the connected system of
canals and rivers is more than 2,700 miles long. A kitty could spend a
really long time cruising the whole system. In fact, there are a bunch
of kitties and humans that do exactly that.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

[In a quiet little marina beside a quiet little canal, a couple kitties
are tidying up the docks. A shimmering light appears near the office,
and out of the light a somewhat oversized Jack Russell Terrier dashes
out, followed by 5 kitties. The local kitty, a large guy with curly fur, notices the arrivals and heads toward the new arrivals.]

Oy, Sam! You came! [He gives Sammy a headbutt] I’m hopin’ you and your
lot can cruise some of the canals we’ve documented and let us know how
well we did documentin’ everything. We love cruisin', we do.

[A lovely calico lady comes up beside Devon and gives Sammy a whisker kiss]

Sam! So good to see you. And your whole clowder, too. I trust that all
is well?

Sammy: Hi, Maria. You're just as beautiful as ever! Everybody, these are
Devon and Maria, and they're experts on canal boating. Devon and Maria,
these are Ranger, Milton, Francesca, and Benni, and that furry white
streak with the brown spots is Zeus da dog.

Maria: It's a pleasure to meet you all. Now, how about Devon and I show
you our canal boats? We've gone to great lengths to get them set up
properly for kitty use.

This first boat, moored just outside the office, is called The Fat Cat.
As you can see, it's shades of orange, just like dear Sammy. Let's enter
here at the bow. This enclosed area is called the cratch, and this clear weatherproof cover is retractable. Unlike the way humans do it, our is motorized. [Maria flips a switch, and the clear plastic sides of the
cratch cover roll up, leaving the bow open to the weather.] We have a
handful of storage cabinets built in, and several very comfortable kitty
beds. This cabinet here encloses a litter box. And since us kitties are
too short to be able to steer the boat comfortably from the stern like
the humans do, we've updated the control system with this tablet-based
system. [She picks up an iPad, and shows the assembled adventurers. It
offers forward and behind views from built-in cameras, as well as
paw-sized controls allowing a simple paw swipe to set tiller angle,
engine speed, and gear box setting, as well as controlling the bow and
stern thrusters. It also has a tab showing the canal system, with their
current position highlighted, also showing the locations of all the
locks and bridges.] We also have control from here of all the external
lights. Now let's go below.

[Maria leads them down the stairs to the main cabin.]

Here we have comfortable resting cushions, set beside these large
windows. The windows are triple glazed so they won't get too cold or two
hot, but are big enough to allow excellent views of the countryside.

Next we have the dinette. This table is pretty much the standard sized
dinette (he have to be careful, since the whole boat is only 6 feet
wide), but it does has an extension that slides out to allow it to go
clear across the cabin. And the nearby viewing cushions also have
supports for plates, bowls, and glasses, so can also be used for eating.

That's a flat screen TV hanging from the opposite wall. We have
satellite TV, video streaming, and satellite Internet, and all can be
accessed through the TV.

Here we have the galley. The refrigerator is a bit bigger than usual for
a canal boat, but we thought it important. We can store plenty of food
for a trip of over a week without having to restock, and that's allowing
food storage for cats, dogs, and humans. The gas hob - sorry, "stove" to
you non-Brits - is here beside the frig, and is connected to propane
bottles near the bow. Here's the convection oven, and on the counter is
the microwave. This is a large pantry, plenty of room for cans, bags and
jars.

Since we anticipate having human guests periodically, this next room is
the human quarters. Two bunk beds, with an attached bathroom with toilet
and shower. The port holes have heavy-duty curtains, in case someone
wants to sleep while it's light out.

Just past the human quarters we have what looks like a cupboard, but
when we open it you see is actually two litter boxes. Just beyond
you'll see the hatch windows. If we push the shutters open, we have a
nice, large opening to allow airflow through the boat. And if a kitty or
a doggy want to go outside, the hatch windows are plenty large enough to
allow access. The gunwales (the edges of the boat) are several inches
wide, so a sure-footed kitty should have no problem getting around the
boat that way.

Next is another bedroom. This one has a king-sized bed (or what you USA
kitties would call a queen size), and another bathroom with toilet and
shower. I know that some kitties are much more comfortable sleeping on a human-type bed, and this one is large enough to allow a bunch of kitties
to sleep comfortably.

This next area is sort of like a family room. It has the same type of
table as the dinette, as well as another flat-screen TV. Those stairs
lead up to the stern of the boat.

You probably noticed all of the elevated walkways just below the
ceiling. Kitties can get from the bow to the stern without ever having
to set foot on the floor of the boat, just using these walkways. And
those hatches set into the ceiling are weatherproof, and offer easy
access to the roof of the boat.

Here's one of our REALLY special features! See this little door, set
against the bottom of the cabinet? It lets into a passage under the
BOTTOM of the boat! It's a glassed-in passage that let's you see under
the water. I love time spending time down there!

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 12/14/2022 1:45 PM, BradentonDeb2021 wrote:

[chonky hoomin crawls through the teleporter and comes out on Samuel Redcat's boat]

Can I come too? I would be happy to act as ballast. I also have opposable thumbs, and I can swim!

Fangu,
Meowmie Debby
(BradentonDeb2021)

Meowmie Debby, I'z gots a idea. A couple of dem, actually.

First, a bunch of kitties can't sleep real well unless they're snuggled
up to a hoomin. Would you consider being an official kitty snuggler? Da
big stateroom does haf a big bed dat would be great for hoomin/kitty
snuggling. I know dat Milton sleeps much better when he can snuggle up
with a hoomin.

An here's da big one - I'z watched a bunch of videos made by a couple
folks named Ben and Emily and dere kitty Alan. From watching da videos
I'z seen dat a lot of times when narrowboats pass each other, the
hoomins on board allez wave an talk to each other. I remember from our motorhome trip along Route 66, when hoomins see kitties driving when dey
expect to see a people, dey get furry surprised. So I was wondering if
you might like to be our official waving-to-hoomins hoomin?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

[Devon tracks down Sammy]

Ok, Sam, it's time to get crackin' 'ere. If you're going to be runnin'
the boat down the canals, you'll need a little practice first. Here at
the marina we've got a pretty good sized lagoon you can motor around in,
so let's give it go, shall we? Maria, my luv, would you be so kind as to
untie us? [Maria unties the bow, midships, and stern lines. She tossed
the bow line onto the well deck, the stern line onto the stern, and lays
the midships line along the roof towards the stern.] Now, start the
engine just any other infernal combustion gizmo. That's it! The throttle
is here, and the gearbox control is here. Set the tiller to middle,
gearbox to reverse, and give it a little gas. There's we're backin' out
of the slip. See that switch for the stern thrusters? Give it a nudge to
the right - there we go, we're away from the slip. Now see, the box is
clear of the slip as well. Throw the tiller all the way to the right,
and the bow will come right will the stern back to the left.

Now put the gearbox in neutral, and when we come more or less to a stop,
but the tiller back to middle, gearbox to forward, and give it a little
more gas. That's it, we're moving! Now practice moving the bow with the
tiller - and by goosing the bow and stern thrusters just a little -
there you go! Now throttle back, gearbox to neutral, and when we're at a
stop, hold the bow thrusters to left and stern thrusters to right - yep,
just like that - and we rotate in place. Now flip the switches the other
way, and we rotate in place the other direction.

Ok, you're doing well. Now motor us back towards the slip closest to the office, swing the bow into the lagoon, and reverse the boat into the
slip. No, don't worry, it won;'t hurt anything if you bump the slip a
little. That's what the rubber bumpers hanging off the side of the boat
are for.

Now, Maria and I have decided that we could use a few days off too.
We've got a couple of our mates coming in to run the marina, and we're
going to travel with you in our narrowboat, the Tubby Tabby. If that's
ok with you, that is.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Community Cats wrote:

[Devon tracks down Sammy]

Ok, Sam, it's time to get crackin' 'ere. If you're going to be
runnin' the boat down the canals, you'll need a little practice
first. Here at the marina we've got a pretty good sized lagoon you
can motor around in, so let's give it go, shall we? Maria, my luv,
would you be so kind as to untie us? [Maria unties the bow, midships,
and stern lines. She tossed the bow line onto the well deck, the
stern line onto the stern, and lays the midships line along the roof
towards the stern.] Now, start the engine just any other infernal
combustion gizmo. That's it! The throttle is here, and the gearbox
control is here. Set the tiller to middle, gearbox to reverse, and
give it a little gas. There's we're backin' out of the slip. See that
switch for the stern thrusters? Give it a nudge to the right - there
we go, we're away from the slip. Now see, the box is clear of the
slip as well. Throw the tiller all the way to the right, and the bow
will come right will the stern back to the left.

Now put the gearbox in neutral, and when we come more or less to a
stop, but the tiller back to middle, gearbox to forward, and give it
a little more gas. That's it, we're moving! Now practice moving the
bow with the tiller - and by goosing the bow and stern thrusters just
a little - there you go! Now throttle back, gearbox to neutral, and
when we're at a stop, hold the bow thrusters to left and stern
thrusters to right - yep, just like that - and we rotate in place.
Now flip the switches the other way, and we rotate in place the other direction.

Ok, you're doing well. Now motor us back towards the slip closest to
the office, swing the bow into the lagoon, and reverse the boat into
the slip. No, don't worry, it won;'t hurt anything if you bump the
slip a little. That's what the rubber bumpers hanging off the side of
the boat are for.

Now, Maria and I have decided that we could use a few days off too.
We've got a couple of our mates coming in to run the marina, and
we're going to travel with you in our narrowboat, the Tubby Tabby. If
that's ok with you, that is.

Luko and Gentle Jack join them at te pier.

Got room for 2 passengers? Gentle Jack will use a litter box at need
and he;s very neat about it!

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)