Tom Spence

Thinking about riding on or renting a canal boat while in England next
Spring. Any experiences or suggestions anyone would like to share?
--
Tom Spence
[email protected]

Jack Campin - bogus address

    > Thinking about riding on or renting a canal boat while in England next
    > Spring. Any experiences or suggestions anyone would like to share?

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Tom Spence

Thanks for the tip. Great newsgroup.

Tom Spence

--
Sent via Travel Newsgroups
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The Reids

Following up to Tom Spence

    >Thinking about riding on or renting a canal boat while in England next
    >Spring. Any experiences or suggestions anyone would like to share?

you want at least three people to make it relaxed and enjoyable,
take gardening gloves for working the locks. The Ocford canal or
the Kennet and Avon are good choices.
--
Mike Reid
Walk-eat-UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Walk-eat-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos of both "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"

Martin

On Sun, 31 Jul 2005 12:01:47 +0100, The Reids
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >Following up to Tom Spence
    >>Thinking about riding on or renting a canal boat while in England next
    >>Spring. Any experiences or suggestions anyone would like to share?
    >you want at least three people to make it relaxed and enjoyable,
    >take gardening gloves for working the locks. The Ocford canal or
    >the Kennet and Avon are good choices.

Two people are enough. My wife and I have had no problems having canal
holidays by ourselves.
If you do the K&A be prepared to operate road bridges by yourself and
for lock gates on their last legs.
--
Martin

Katyjane

    > Thinking about riding on or renting a canal boat while in England next
    > Spring. Any experiences or suggestions anyone would like to share?

My lessons learnt from helping a friend to relocate her newly-acquired
future home from Birmingham to Bristol during May:-

1. It can be colder and wetter than you ever thought possible. I
don't know how much you know about narrow boats (assuming that's what
you mean by a canal boat), but there is no shelter for the driver -
take full waterproofs and a golfing umbrella. And warm jimjams and
bedsocks. And good non-slip shoes.......

2. You can buy excellent little map books/guides that tell you where
all the water points, fuel, and toilet pumping stations are, and give
detailed diagrams of the locks so you don't head for the weir by
mistake - these are absolutely essential but stupidly not made with
laminated pages, so take a large clear plastic bag for when it rains.

3. Canals are tricky in that they can be extremely narrow (just a few
inches clearance on either side when passing under some bridges).
Rivers give you more room to play with but the flow means that slow
manoeuvring can be very difficult - sometimes it's easier to turn round
and approach upsteam.

4. Optimum crewing level on a canal is 5 - 1 to steer, 2 to operate
the lock, 1 to walk ahead to set the next lock, 1 on kettle and toast
duty. On a river the locks are further apart and the boat can go a
little faster, so the walking ahead system doesn't work. You can it
with 1 person but it's tediously slow as you have to keep tying up at
locks, or even to go to the loo or make tea.

5. A 'single' bunk is barely 2ft wide. Don't even think about trying
to turn over.

Pootling along waterways is a fabulous way to spend your time,
especially if you take a bicycle with you so you can do little
side-trips. It's so peaceful (even with the engine noise) and you see
places from a totally different viewpoint. The big surprise at the end
of each day is just how little distance you've covered - even when you
didn't have a 2-hour lunch stop at that nice pub you saw.....


Katyjane

Martin

On 31 Jul 2005 04:24:17 -0700, "katyjane" <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >> Thinking about riding on or renting a canal boat while in England next
    >> Spring. Any experiences or suggestions anyone would like to share?
    >My lessons learnt from helping a friend to relocate her newly-acquired
    >future home from Birmingham to Bristol during May:-
    >1. It can be colder and wetter than you ever thought possible. I
    >don't know how much you know about narrow boats (assuming that's what
    >you mean by a canal boat), but there is no shelter for the driver -
    >take full waterproofs and a golfing umbrella. And warm jimjams and
    >bedsocks. And good non-slip shoes.......

Yes!

    >2. You can buy excellent little map books/guides that tell you where
    >all the water points, fuel, and toilet pumping stations are, and give
    >detailed diagrams of the locks so you don't head for the weir by
    >mistake - these are absolutely essential but stupidly not made with
    >laminated pages, so take a large clear plastic bag for when it rains.

Nicholson's Guides

    >3. Canals are tricky in that they can be extremely narrow (just a few
    >inches clearance on either side when passing under some bridges).

It's possible to get decapitated.

    >Rivers give you more room to play with but the flow means that slow
    >manoeuvring can be very difficult - sometimes it's easier to turn round
    >and approach upsteam.
    >4. Optimum crewing level on a canal is 5 - 1 to steer, 2 to operate
    >the lock, 1 to walk ahead to set the next lock, 1 on kettle and toast
    >duty. On a river the locks are further apart and the boat can go a
    >little faster, so the walking ahead system doesn't work.

On the Thames the locks are operated by a lock keeper.

    > You can it
    >with 1 person but it's tediously slow as you have to keep tying up at
    >locks, or even to go to the loo or make tea.

Yes! and there is nobody to blame for cock ups.

    >5. A 'single' bunk is barely 2ft wide. Don't even think about trying
    >to turn over.

Double bunks are not unknown.

    >Pootling along waterways is a fabulous way to spend your time,
    >especially if you take a bicycle with you so you can do little
    >side-trips. It's so peaceful (even with the engine noise) and you see
    >places from a totally different viewpoint. The big surprise at the end
    >of each day is just how little distance you've covered - even when you
    >didn't have a 2-hour lunch stop at that nice pub you saw.....

On the other hand there are those who motor flat out for twelve hours
a day pausing only for locks, and bridges that need to be opened.
--
Martin

The Reids

Following up to Martin

    >>you want at least three people to make it relaxed and enjoyable,
    >>take gardening gloves for working the locks. The Ocford canal or
    >>the Kennet and Avon are good choices.
    >Two people are enough. My wife and I have had no problems having canal
    >holidays by ourselves.

So have we, you can work a boat with one, but if you want to be
relaxed 3+ is better, especially if unskilled. With only two
people, whenever there is a lock or lifting bridge (nearly
always!) both must be working the boat.

    >If you do the K&A be prepared to operate road bridges by yourself and
    >for lock gates on their last legs.

same on Oxford for the odd bridge. Its worth mentioning that its
quite physical, although no doubt the discussion has moved to
waterways.

A "big dick" on the canals:-
"http://www.fellwalk.co.uk/oxford3.htm" :-)
--
Mike Reid
Walk-eat-UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Walk-eat-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos of both "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"

The Reids

Following up to Martin

    >>4. Optimum crewing level on a canal is 5 - 1 to steer, 2 to operate
    >>the lock, 1 to walk ahead to set the next lock, 1 on kettle and toast
    >>duty. On a river the locks are further apart and the boat can go a
    >>little faster, so the walking ahead system doesn't work.
    >On the Thames the locks are operated by a lock keeper.

but the Thames isn't a canal!

    >> You can it
    >>with 1 person but it's tediously slow as you have to keep tying up at
    >>locks, or even to go to the loo or make tea.
    >Yes! and there is nobody to blame for cock ups.

but you can drink and drive :-)
--
Mike Reid
Walk-eat-UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Walk-eat-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos of both "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"

Martin

On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 08:23:56 +0100, The Reids
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >Following up to Martin
    >>>you want at least three people to make it relaxed and enjoyable,
    >>>take gardening gloves for working the locks. The Ocford canal or
    >>>the Kennet and Avon are good choices.
    >>Two people are enough. My wife and I have had no problems having canal
    >>holidays by ourselves.
    >So have we, you can work a boat with one, but if you want to be
    >relaxed 3+ is better, especially if unskilled.

One of our trips was much more relaxed after a close relative mutinied
on the second day and went home. :-)

    >With only two
    >people, whenever there is a lock or lifting bridge (nearly
    >always!) both must be working the boat.

It becomes boring otherwise :-)

    >>If you do the K&A be prepared to operate road bridges by yourself and
    >>for lock gates on their last legs.
    >same on Oxford for the odd bridge. Its worth mentioning that its
    >quite physical, although no doubt the discussion has moved to
    >waterways.

We found the locks on the Oxford in much better condition than on the
K&A. The locks on the K&A have got much more decrepit since.

    >A "big dick" on the canals:-
    >"http://www.fellwalk.co.uk/oxford3.htm" :-)

What's new? :-)
--
Martin

Martin

On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 08:23:57 +0100, The Reids
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >Following up to Martin
    >>>4. Optimum crewing level on a canal is 5 - 1 to steer, 2 to operate
    >>>the lock, 1 to walk ahead to set the next lock, 1 on kettle and toast
    >>>duty. On a river the locks are further apart and the boat can go a
    >>>little faster, so the walking ahead system doesn't work.
    >>On the Thames the locks are operated by a lock keeper.
    >but the Thames isn't a canal!

Are you sure? :-)


--
Martin

The Reids

Following up to Martin

    >One of our trips was much more relaxed after a close relative mutinied
    >on the second day and went home. :-)

incompatible or mutinous crew are always a problem :-)

    >>With only two
    >>people, whenever there is a lock or lifting bridge (nearly
    >>always!) both must be working the boat.
    >It becomes boring otherwise :-)

depends what you want. I'm fairly happy to be working the boat
all the time, others might want to be able to cook or read with
the boat on the move. We encountered a lifting bridge (covered in
wet mud) that needed two just to open it.
--
Mike Reid
Walk-eat-UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Walk-eat-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos of both "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"

Katyjane

    > On the Thames the locks are operated by a lock keeper.

But they go for lunch from 1300 to 1400 and finish between 1600 & 1900,
depending on the time of year. On our first Thames day we made the
rookie mistake of thinking we would just stick to our own timetable and
operate the locks ourselves - you can, but it it takes about 10 minutes
fast winding for each gate/sluice movement.

    > Double bunks are not unknown.

Of course, but we were a constantly fluctuating crew as different
people helped out for whatever days they could spare and sometimes the
doubles were occupied by couples. Unfortunately my husband couldn't
get time off work so as a singleton I was sometimes banished to one of
the 2-tier bunks. On one occasion I even had to sleep under my best
friend's husband, so to speak ;-)


katyjane

Martin

On 1 Aug 2005 03:24:17 -0700, "katyjane" <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >> On the Thames the locks are operated by a lock keeper.
    >But they go for lunch from 1300 to 1400 and finish between 1600 & 1900,
    >depending on the time of year. On our first Thames day we made the
    >rookie mistake of thinking we would just stick to our own timetable and
    >operate the locks ourselves - you can, but it it takes about 10 minutes
    >fast winding for each gate/sluice movement.
    >> Double bunks are not unknown.
    >Of course, but we were a constantly fluctuating crew as different
    >people helped out for whatever days they could spare and sometimes the
    >doubles were occupied by couples. Unfortunately my husband couldn't
    >get time off work so as a singleton I was sometimes banished to one of
    >the 2-tier bunks. On one occasion I even had to sleep under my best
    >friend's husband, so to speak ;-)

LOL
--
Martin

shrbw

Tom Spence wrote:
    > Thinking about riding on or renting a canal boat while in England next
    > Spring. Any experiences or suggestions anyone would like to share?
    > --
    > Tom Spence
    > [email protected]

Can I suggest that you think about basing your canal holiday in the
NorthWest/Pennine area?

This is for the following reasons.

(i) You can fly in and out of Manchester International Airport.

(ii) The canal system here is based upon a series of circular networks
- you can undertake a trip that brings you back to your starting point
without covering the same ground.

The Cheshire Ring:- Rochdale Canal in Manchester city centre, Ashton
Canal, Macclesfield, Marple and Bollington, Trent and Mersey,
Bridgewater.

The Pennine Rings:- Rochdale Canal, Aire and Calder, Leeds and
Liverpool, Wigan Branch, Bridgewater. Or the varient, involving the
Huddersfield Narrow (with a very long tunnel!).

(iii) The scenery and experience is very different, a mixture of
industrial heritage (Wigan Pier, Castlefield in Manchester, etc) and
moorland landscape.

(iv) The people will give you "a reet good " welcome....

Dr. Barry Worthington