Galoka

If he stays on the Anglian waterways, then that's no issue. Plenty of places on the G Ouse as well as Foxes on the Middle Level to get blacking and maintenance done We have a non-liveaboard narrowboat on the Great Ouse, but if I was getting a boat just to mostly live on on a permanent mooring I'd probably get a 9-10ft beam boat, a nice amount of extra space, and if you want to cruise it, a good size to cruise on the G Ouse. and if you don't cruise at least occasioanlly, you are missing out. It's a lovely river

Missing: There is an EA waterpoint, elsan and pumpout in Ely on the Great Ouse W3W: ///shredding.backswing.desire

Yep. We bought a NB last year, it is insured it with GJW on thier standard policy, No where was how much we paid for the boat mentioned. I was just asked to supply a value I wish the boat to be insured for, and the policy just says they will payout up to that value (which is basically what we paid for it at th emoment) Clealry I could say anything, but in the event of a large claim I expect them to make an assesment of the current market value of the boat

Prestone just use standard Mono ethylene glycol as the antifreeze component. The ready to use stuff is a equivalent 50:50 mix. To make a 25%/75% mix as recommended by Webasto, dilute the ready to use stuff 50:50 (so dilute 1litre of ready to use with 1 litre of water)

Yep, it always was a short sighted policy. They are looking to reopen it now though https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/07/21/britains-biggest-gas-storage-site-course-reopen-autumn-race/

As a map addict I end up with multiples. my Favourite maps in terms of showing what’s where are the waterways routes ones. the pdf versions on iPad and old Android tablet (as well as laptops etc) I also print them out and pop in a folder. I find the maps in the Nicholson’s guides not so easy to read, eye site not so good especially in poorer light and the blue text is harder to read. But I like how they are overlaid onto OS maps i like the Heron maps as you get the route on a fold out map , so you get a good overview. But I find the symbols fit lots of things small and unclear Less useful if looking at whilst at the helm though. if you want an overview of the network, the online CRT map is fine. And there are paper ones from Heron, Nicholson’s and Imray (among others) In find Open Canal Map ok, but lacks things like a search, the display can be clutttered and unclear

Thanks Captain Birdseye, we were thinking of maybe going there. However things haven't gone to plan so far today. Wife and daughters were in a car accident last night. (tyre blowout it seems at 70mph, spun off the road, car is a write off, as the side smashed into a tree or post of something, the cill is bent in about a foot). They are ok, some whiplash, some bruises, various musclo-skeletal aches and sprains. (in the context of what it might have been, they are lucky, thinking of what might have been in rather scary)). They got back from A&E a couple of hours ago, and we all need a bit of kip first before we drive up. Middlewich Narrowboats have said if we arrive too late to go out someone will be there to get us on the boat and we can stay overnight on the base and head off in the morning. So, a change of plan might be in order. Doing the Cheshire Locks up to Hardcastle tomorrow might not be a good plan with half the crew a bit out of action. Maybe head up the Shropshire Union towards Barbridge (5 locks in 10 miles) and see how we go. Dunno. Gonna have some breakfast, load up the car ready to go, then have a bit of kip

Surreptitiously removes outfit from suitcase........ Doesn't that mean I can't get the kids to walk the plank when they misbehave? Isn't that what that board I see on the roof of boats is for?

That's the sensible option. a 30 minute walk becomes a 10 minute or so cycle. A folding bike is handy for commuting and could be easily stashed on the boat. Maybe useful then when crusing

Photochromic lenses :-) Actually, I have a nice pair of prescription polarising sunglasses that are good for driving, would be good for the boat, but they seem to ahve gone AWOL over the winter :-( The 16 yo has already done the too much drink makes you ill thing :-) She has the odd drink with us though. 12yo isn't impressed with it though no

It'sa good point. We aren't actually big drinkers and wouldn't be drinking whilst cruising. I like to sit back and relax and enjoy it. Though I suppose the chance of a lucntime pub pint is more likely better keep an eye on the 16 and 12 yo though :-)

4, so quite low for that size hire boat (more sitting around space etc.) should ahve got one with bunks for extra beer storage space.

so what's the maximum beer carrying capacity of a 65ft narrowboat? Just in case.

I have made a list of 24 hr super markets near the canal. Though a bit concern about the risks of beer shortages going up the Caldon

We also will have our standard staying in odd rented places kit of decent knife, , bottle/can openers, cafetiere, a decent sized saucepan for cooking pasta, a decent frying pan in case it's one of those special sticky ones they sell for rented houses

This is just the intial beer supply, should last ok until we can restock :-) We can always just moor near a pub and not move. Have various guides, canal maps, OS maps, paper maps, digital maps, GPS for a bit of geocaching :-)

Thanks for the suggestions. Walkies talkies is a good idea, youngest daughter has a set if we can find them Will pack in holdalls, so storing those isn't a problem on the boat. WE will do a fair bit of self catering rather than eating in pubs all the time, so already have a shopping order booked for collection on the way. For the basics stuff and the first couple of days meals. Including beer and gin :-)

As in my other thread, we are heading off on a hired narrowboat on Friday, and I'm sorting and packing some of our stuff. Anything useful that should pack that I might not have thought of. Don't want to take unneccessary stuff, but since often camp it doesn't feel like we are taking that much :-) Would camping chairs be useful for sitting out on the towpath? (SWMBO has a dodgy hip and doesn't like sitting on the ground much anymore. Thanks

Yes, of course. If we made good time up the locks from Wheelock to Hardcastle we might consider it. We can continue down the T&M for a bit before finally deciding. But I doubt it. There doesn't really feel like any slack time and we will probably want to do some other things off the canal rather than crusing all the time. Take in a museum or two in Stoke etc. Thanks again folks

Quiet is fine. i'm avoiding the LLangollen because it's likely to be pretty busy. I did consider doing the 4 Counties, but I've no idea how fast or slow we will travel, or how much we will want to do. But we can alwasy change plans :-)

Thanks zenataomn, Yes, I',m sure we will have fun whatever, but for me the planning of what we might do before hand is part of the fun :-) Locks are fine, keep the kids busy and I figure by the time we get to Harecastle we will be dab hands :-) If I wanted lock free I could cruise my local waterways, we live a few miles from the Great Ouse in Cambs. As it happens Chester is where we went on our canal holiday when I was about 14. Where we had an exciting time going down the triple staircase locks there. I driving the boat and was in the middle lock when I realised I had got to the bottom (literally, the boat was resting on the bottom of the lock). Details are rather hazy now, but there was another boat waiting to go up and they were helping , I think they left the bottom paddles open on the bottom lock at some point and we didn't realise. Anyway thanks for all your comments again :-)

Thank you for all your suggestions, it's all useful. After some pondering, playing with potential routes etc. and in part dependent on boat availability and price we have hired a boat from Middlewich Narrowboats (Via Latelink for a good price, thanks for the tip Timx). We are a bit undecided at the moment (got a week to go to weigh them up) but am planning on heading south down the T&M and then either up the Macclesfield Canal or down to Stoke and up the Caldon Canal. Pros and cons for both the options for us. I appreciate the potential of going to Brum, but we would like to go to a bit of the country we haven't really visited before. And the things around Brum we might visit off the canal we have been to at least once already. Thanks for you help folks. I'm sure where ever we go we will have a good time

Thanks OldGoat, Am considering around Brum. But have visited there a few times, so have done quite a few things. But yes, we do like it there. Toying with the Stratford-on-Avon Canal (which does skirt Brum I guess), Never been to S-o-A, and there are various boat possibilities aroudn there. But all suggestions welcome, it all helps :-) (And actually, eldest daughter likes scenery as she likes landscape photography :-) )

Thanks for the comments. I'm not expecting a definitive answer (not that there can be such a thing):-) I'm just looking for suggestions from people who know the canal network of areas to consider, to short circuit the process of deciding really, since I've limited time and want to book soon. There still seem to be quite a few boats available, especially from the bigger companies, i'm sure they will do us fine. So what put the Macclesfield high up the list? Thanks