Airbed

Hi everyone, Thanks for even more replies. Liz and I have walked from the Trent for a few miles one Sunday, but are now looking forward to getting on with our boat (Solace), once I can put my hands on my Pearsons, which has done a walkies. I have tried Canalscape at default settings (7 hours per day), which gives 8 days. We have six, that may be a problem, as I don't want to be making a wash and/or upsetting everyone to keep too tight a schedule (wrong Dog House???). Our home mooring is Great Haywood, we don't mind long days on the move, just not moving too fast, but as I said at the start, it's not the T&M I'm worried about, it's the Erewash - new waters. We'll see tomorrow, when I've found the Pearsons. Peter

Hi, Some very detailed replies here, really grateful. Also, I've been contacted by a co-owner who has made the trip, so I'm less worried about depth than I was. I appreciate the reasoning that we're more likely to be welcomed than not, and Ilkeston is the name which keeps coming up. I had a window broken from the offside by 10 year olds playing with BB guns on the Caldon. I've been back three times. Things happen, and treating kids as human beings certainly is the first approach, with a camera the second. Same with anglers, by the way. So I hope I can make this work this spring, before the weed. I was intending this as a week out and back from Great Haywood, so it's out with the Pearson's to see if it works. It'll only be Liz and I, so I think Liz is going to have to learn to steer or push hard. Double gates - mmmm! Anyone else, please do chip in. I used help from this forum to plan a trip clockwise round the Leicester Ring, and enjoyed it immensely. Depending on Old Father Trent, I'd like to go round anti-clock this summer, and include the Ashby. Fairly slow fortnight this summer. Peter

The boat I share is at Gt Haywood, and I wondered about an exploration of the Erewash Canal. I'm familiar with the joys of getting from Ashton into Manchester on the Cheshire Ring. Also, Tyburn on the outskirts of Birmingham. Aren't school holidays fun when you're passing through such areas between moorings. However, I've read that even mooring on the Erewash Canal - the dangers thereof - make any trip very risky. Perhaps some readers of this forum have recent experience that could help me choose the right moorings, or help me decide they don't exist. It's hardly that long that it needs more than one or two safe places, surely. Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance if you can help. Peter

Hi and thanks to everyone who responded. Restrictions on Wolverhampton 21 and Minworth (Brum & Fazeley Canal) forced me to go t'other way round to intended route (anti- instead of clockwise), so went to Dudley first (well worth entry fee to Black Country Living Museum), and also managed to visit Stoubridge and Birmingham on the way round, with plenty of time. We moored in the basin at Stratford, and enjoyed looking round the town. We especially enjoyed rambling round the river, and having investigated licence costs, will look at cruising the river another holiday. For what it's worth, the only problem was misinformation spreading about the availability/non-availability of the Wolves 21 and Minworth. At one point, we considered returning via Tewkesbury or Braunston to Great Haywood!! Happily C&RT completed their work on time, we ignored the Wolves 21 and went through Brum, overnighting round the corner from Sea Life. If you worry about noise in Stratford - well, we were right next to a building site in Birmingham, but it stioll didn't wake our teenagers!! Had a thoroughly good two weeks, thanks to all again. Peter

Many thanks to everyone for their contributions. I'll cut&paste and edit everything into notes later. Things change quickly, I believe the Wolverhampton flight is blocked, might knock Dudley on the head, but one of my co-owners recommends Stourbridge. So the maps will be out this weekend or next, to get down to the nitty gritty. Canalscape estimates look good on daily timings to allow for onshore days, anyway. Thanks again.

After 20 years mainly holiday boating on a shared boat based on various popular parts of the system, I'm heading in August from Great Haywood straight to Stratford On Avon, hoping to stay a night or two, intending to explore Stratford for a whole day. I'd be interested on recent information on mooring - free/paid/river? I've been on the Trent/Soar while enjoying the Leicester Ring, and went up the Severn in one go from Worcester to Stourport, but never moored in flowing water. Sharp end to the flow, but might I end up with nowhere to go if it's busy if I go onto the river? I'm intending afterwards to either explore the BCN/central Birmingham from Worcs Bar area (preferred) or go to Dudley Black Country Museum (family prefer), the whole thing from Friday to Thursday week as you'd expect on a shared boat. Thoughts on Stratford are why I've posted, particularly regarding moorings from anyone who's been this year. Any comments about the BCN, accessible from my return route would be just as welcome. Many thanks, Peter.

The Llangollen or a ring on a popular canal will probably suit you fine, as they suit so many holidaymakers. Just remember you won't be leaving the world behind altogether, and the wealth of humankind on the bank are represented on the canals too. So you'll find helpful people, chatty people, and folks who would rather die than meet your eye. After 20 years mainly holiday boating on a shared boat, I've done everything wrong at least once and so will you. I'd agree the Llangollen may be busy but chatting in a lock queue may be fun for a newbie, and informative. A day spent in a marina moving boats with a 70-something was the most valuable lesson I ever received. Like slowing down will help you in most situations and avoid aggravation. Many canals are shallow so move over for oncoming boats, but don't be bullied by fast oncoming boats into grounding too close to either side. If you can't go on a course, read up on boat-handling, manoevring without thrashing the prop, and learn the value of a centre rope for control from the bank. "Private boat versus Holiday boat" - meaningless. Some hire boaters know more than some steerers on gin palaces, and vice-versa. (And enjoy yourself, of course, though the moment you relax is the moment the front aims for the bank without you noticing).