harleyj

We are hoping to come back if not this year then March next year. We also paid £95 to get to watch AFL(Australian football) while we were supposed to be in the UK for six months. One game we watched before the season was postponed and now we are back home we can watch most games for free. Another one for the stiff s#@t book!

We signed up with 3 in mid March for two years, then found out that we could not get a new motor(water ingress during storms in early 2020) until the end of May so had to return to Australia on the 7th of April and now our government has closed our borders. Paying £28 per month and can't use what for three weeks was a very good service. Ah another one for the stiff s#@t book!😂🤣😭 You never know we may be allowed out in time for us to return in July.🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

Our boat is at Swanley Bridge Marina on the Llangollen. Somehow while on hard standing for the last 18 months(didn't come over in 2019, lost my brother & mother) water has got into motor. Only heard last night, waiting on insurance to see if they will cover it.

Thanks everyone for the replies. Our boat is a semi-trad and we have a Beta 37. 18 years old, old enough to drink which is what it has done!

Can anyone give me a rough estimate of price for a Beta 38 New Engine.

I have been a member of this forum since 2006 and have learnt so much from lots of the participants of this forum, it is a great resource. I also watch quite a few vlogs about the canals especially this last twelve months as we could not journey to our boat this year due to family bereavements. These vlogs have given us a lot of joy and in lots of cases great information, especially Narrowboat Experience. They are informative as well as entertaining. Sure they are not everyone's cup of tea but if we all liked the same thing it would be a boring old world. We look forward to all the vloggers that we watch posting their latest vid, it gives us our fix of the canals.

We helped organise a group of four friends, also from W.A., on a four day break from Oxfordshire boats at Lower Heyford. Complete novices, said it was the best part of their holiday. They went to Oxford so that is doable, north is just as good. You will have a ball either way.

We use hard standing for UK winter and save approximately £400 per year as we don't license the boat when out of the water. Other figures are about right.

Sorry I took so long to answer your query, but no we own our own boat. There is a hire company based at Swanley Bridge called Marine Cruisers. Never had any business with them. We have hired from Napton Narrowboats at Autherley Junction and Venetian Hire at Chlomoldsden. Both excellent companies.

As I am 10,000 miles away and have been since Sept '18, I have no idea!

We would like to give a huge wrap for Swanley Bridge Marina. We have used this marina since 2016 for our winter mooring and this year for the whole year as family health issues have precluded us from making our annual sojourn on the cut. From the owners parents, owners ,managers(especially), maintenance contractors, cleaning staff and gardeners the whole team makes us feel incredibly welcome when we arrive. Location wise it is perfect for us as we fly into Manchester airport and it is just a short train ride to Crewe where we hire a car for a couple of days while restocking the boat. Also being so centrally located you can head in so many different directions. The one downside is their wifi is c#@p, such a small thing. Harley & Shelley

Sure was last year when we went passed.

We love them all, that we have cruised, just wished we were there. My favourite is the Rochdale from Sowerby Bridge to the summit, the "boss's" is the Grand Union.

I watched it at lunchtime at Bunbury Senior High School, Western Australia

We travel from Australia every year(sadly not this year)and the first thing we purchase is a pay-as-u-go SIM. You may like to download e-canal maps, I think that's what they are called, which will give you most of the nearby amenities. With you having three weeks you will have plenty of time to do some of the short trips off the ring like up to Chester(simply stunning) and the Caldon Canal. If you don't mind a good walk(about 2 miles) when you get to Wheelock take a stroll to Sandbach. Make sure if you do take that walk visit "The Hall" especially the Ladies facilities, so my wife says. The pictures she took show probably the grandest "facilities" we have seen!