Angry Sheep

Barney boat Lil' Fin for sale at Great Haywood: https://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/narrow-boats-traditional/597862

I don't think there was a connection, aside from them both being based in Liverpool. I guess staff might have jumped between the two over the years.

I wonder if the boat in the OP is a Triton fit out. They used a combination of John White and Liverpool shells, IIRC, and favoured Lombardini engines.

Yup, we bought an Aintree and are very happy.

Thanks for the suggestions. Bollington Wharf were very helpful

What a horrible turn of events. My condolences.

Hi, I'm joining my parents for a few days on their boat over the bank holiday weekend. They're currently on the Macclesfield (heading towards the Peak Forest), and I'm struggling to find somewhere to leave my car for a few days while I join them. I wondered if anyone who knows the area better than me might have an idea? I'm looking for somewhere between Bollington and Whaley Bridge. I don't mind paying for somewhere more secure than a random layby. Thanks!

No problem. If you're on FB, it's worth joining the Aintree Beetle Owners group. They're a friendly bunch and will welcome any questions you have.

We've also got a 30-footer, launched in December. It took a while to arrive but we're delighted with it. Seems to be very cleverly designed and well fitted out. Although we initially ordered a 25' with intentions to use it as a day boat and with the odd weekend, we decided an extra 5' would be useful. Glad we did, as my parents have just spent 7 weeks out on it! Wouldn't hesitate to recommend one. Do ask if you've got any specific questions.

It might be worth having a conversation with Aintree. Their Beetle range starts at 25' and offers a fixed layout but, as they make their own shells, it's not unreasonable to think they might be able to provide a 20' shell. Like most builders, the challenge might be convincing them it's worth their while - there obviously wouldn't be as much money in it as producing bigger, fully-fitted boats. They're an approachable bunch, though.

Exactly. I can remember a few instances of shuffling boats mid-BBQ to help squeeze another in, followed by drinks and general good spirit all round. Last time I was at Llangollen (admittedly early in the season), there were just two of us on the online moorings. Seemed a bit of an anticlimax after all of the efforts getting there. Yeah, not being able to moor isn't fun. But part of the attraction of a place like Llangollen is the movement of boats coming and going, and if extra spaces combined with compulsory mooring fees mean most don't bother, the atmosphere isn't the same. Next time I think I'd be tempted to go as far as Trevor and make a day of walking/cycling/getting the bus into Llangollen itself.

It added to the bustling atmosphere of the place... hire boaters from Trevor and Chirk all turning up at the same time and squeezing in. A throwaway comment, apologies if it offended.

We've got a 30' Aintree Beetle. It's compact but cleverly designed and I reckon I could just about live on it on my own. Heating would be the main issue, but I think (?) the bigger Beetles come with a fire. Aintree have been excellent to deal with and we're delighted with the boat.

We're based on the Llangollen and would echo these comments. It's a lovely canal, but the last few weeks have been noticeably busy. We struggled to find a space in Ellesmere on Sunday lunchtime and have had a few incidents with out of control hire boats. Thanks to the new basin, mooring in Llangollen is much easier than it used to be. We still prefer to moor online but it's not as busy as it used to be - a shame in some ways as we used to like the atmosphere and watching the entertainment as late-comers tried to find spaces, but it does take some of the stress away from passing through the narrows wondering if you'll be able to find somewhere to moor. There's a lovely (free) mooring near the lift bridge slightly out of Llangollen, but most have cottoned on to this so you'll be lucky to get a spot.

This is Blakemere, our 30-foot Aintree Beetle. Launched on Wednesday.