My mothers family were boat people, No1’s on the BCN. Her dad came onto the land before she was born.
We’ve hired narrowboats for a week at a time for holidays.
First one was from L&L cruisers at Chorley, we went over to Skipton and back, stopping at the top of the Wigan flight on our last night.
The next year we hired a boat from Shipley, went through to Leeds city centre and stopped in the moorings above the Aire and Calder.Then back to Skipton before handing back the boat in Shipley.
Another year we hired a boat from Worsley and went over to Chester and back. We had wanted to get to Ellesmere Port and the canal museum there, but it proved to be a bit too far for a leisurely holiday trip.
The last trip was from Macclesfield to the top of the Huddersfield Narrow and back. The loose plan had been to do the Rochdale, but that would have meant a fairly busy schedule for weeks trip to do the ring. So we just pottered along to see where we ended up. We detoured off the main line to see the High Peaks and that big old change-over terminal as well.
Properly kitted out, they’ll be no worse in winter than a properly kitted out caravan and plenty of people get away at Christmas in those. We’d love to own a boat, but our location doesn’t help with that. There are no canals in Fife. There’s the Forth & Clyde and the Union, which join Edinburgh and Glasgow. Port Dundas is a canal port. But I’d soon get bored with that trip. Ideally we’d like a 56 footer, they can go anywhere. Moored somewhere on the English network. So we could just go wherever we felt like going.
Just caught up with this thread, was in its infancy last time I looked in. Some great pics Mr Monk, looks idyllic. Congrats on the purchase.
I came across this pic a while ago and thought of you. Was going to pm it to you but you seem to have that option disabled, so I’ll post it here instead:
How to keep dry whilst chugging along the canal on a wet day lol.
I too have spent a week on a narrow boat opening & closing locks in incessant rain.(many years ago).
Harry Monk:
And then there’s this. There’s a bit of a story behind the Cap’n here, but I won’t go into it.
There is quite a story. There was a fleet of these, one of each class of Navy boat; frigate, destroyer, cruiser, sumbrine, etc. The originals were built for the Navy.
Just a quick update, I’m going to lay the truck up this week. It needs some work doing, and the MOT is due. I’m going to get that done, put it on a SORN notice and lay-up insurance, and then I’m off on this little trip…
It’s 507 miles, and 343 locks. It’s a 36 day cruise but I’ll spend three months on it, stopping off on the way to look around at “stuff”.
While I’m away I’m going to have a long hard think about what to do next, whether to carry on with the truck or get out of transport altogether, my heart just doesn’t seem to be in it any more, not just running a truck, but the whole job in general…
Driveroneuk:
Why bother getting the truck tested if you’re gonna lay it up? Seems pointless.
Keep us posted re your “cruise” and I’ll try and pop down for a brew whilst you’re in the north west quadrant of that float plan.
Getting it MOT’ed gives me the option of selling it if needs be, and means I’d be able to come back to driving it if I had to at little notice. Yes, if you’re around come along if you want, I’ll be updating the thread as and when, with details of where I am.
The Mrs has decided, we’re going back on the L&L again this year for our holiday.
We’ll be picking up a boat in Shipley at the end of September and taking in all the sights between there and Leeds.
I hope Barry is still the lock keeper at Bingley, he’s partial to Guiness btw
Simon you get some lovely sunrises in October, sometimes with mist rising off the water. I remember from my one and only trip on the Norfolk Broads 19 years ago.
Harry Monk:
Just a quick update, I’m going to lay the truck up this week. It needs some work doing, and the MOT is due. I’m going to get that done, put it on a SORN notice and lay-up insurance, and then I’m off on this little trip…
It’s 507 miles, and 343 locks. It’s a 36 day cruise but I’ll spend three months on it, stopping off on the way to look around at “stuff”.
While I’m away I’m going to have a long hard think about what to do next, whether to carry on with the truck or get out of transport altogether, my heart just doesn’t seem to be in it any more, not just running a truck, but the whole job in general…
Looks like your gonna be hitting the Northside of Manchester, if you are give us a shout and I will buy you a pint.
I’ll post some pics as I go. I’m going to have to modify my route somewhat because I’ve checked my insurance and I’m not insured on the tidal part of the River Trent, but it doesn’t really matter, there are plenty of other places to go.
I should be setting off on Monday, or possibly Sunday afternoon, depending on whether my girlf is free then, the first leg will be to Llangollen which will take 11 days of cruising at seven hours a day. In reality I’ll probably take nearer a month to do it as my boys are coming up on the train for the final run-in and their school holidays don’t start until late July. I’m going to meet them at Wrenbury.
Driveroneuk:
Was there a few years ago Dave when I went on a motoring holiday to Scotland in the Triumph Dolomite Sprint I had at the time.
I remember that story.
If you’re at the bottom of Neptune’s Staircase at 10:30 - 10:45ish, you’ll get to see the Jacobite steam train go over the (very) nearby railway bridge.
(Pics in my second post in the steam train thread.)
