Our 2011 cruising started iced in at Lancaster on the Lancaster Canal and finished yesterday at Loughborough. We've covered 834 miles and worked 540 locks. For anyone interested this is a summary of Iona's travels in 2011.

We crossed the Ribble Link on the first crossing on 21st April. As we ended up at the head of the convoy Iona was the first boat over the link this year. We then cruised to Sale on the Bridgewater to meet up with my mum and dad on their boat, Monty.

We bimbled around for a few weeks with a cruise to Middlewich and back and to Castlefield until mum & dad were ready, then we set off for Coventry Basin in convoy on 16th May. We then cruised to the end of the Ashby then back to Coventry Basin.

On 4th June we set off from the Basin for the Lapworth Link so we could partake in the 2nd Great Lapworth Banter. We did the journey in two very long days as Dave had some work the following week.

After the Lapworth Banter we set off for the newly opened Droitwich Canal, followed by a short cruise on the River Severn, then up the Staffs & Worcs to the Trent & Mersey, Coventry Canal and the Oxford as far as Hillmorton Locks. We were planning to carry on from there to Loughborough, but the water shortages were badly effecting the Leicester section of the Grand Union so we winded at Hillmorton and went back up the the Trent and Mersey then the River Soar to Loughborough.

From Loughborough we cruised to Stourbridge for the Stourbridge banter in early October. We then had a little explore of the BCN, visiting the Black Country Museum, then back onto the Birmingham & Fazeley. It was at this point that I got a winter contract in Nottingham so our next journey was to take the boat to Beeston Marina on the River Trent where we are moored for the winter.

Our final outing was to take Iona to the Loughborough banter on 29th December.

Looking forward to 2012!!