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Melbourne_Boaters

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Everything posted by Melbourne_Boaters

  1. Hi Colin, We did that ring but anticlockwise - including a side diversion to Coventry it was 58 hours of cruising time - Coventry was about 4.5 hours of that so you're up for 50+ hours which is doable but much prefer having done it over 10 days than trying to do it in 7. In reverse we went Napton > Rugby > Hawkesbury Engine House > Tolson's Mill > Cambrian Wharf > Wharf Tavern > Cape Moorings > Blue Lias Pub > Napton - from my vague recollection, Cape Moorings on your first night would be a challenge? We always buy the Nicholson's and the Pearson's guide - given what you spend on a hireboat, no point skimping on the guidebooks. We used both. As many said, Canalplan is also great and download OpenCanalMap to your phone too. Enjoy it - might be years until we can boat again...
  2. Hi Dave, It is reviewed in the January 2020 edition. A nice feature on p32. Darren
  3. Dizalot, Enjoy it - that's a lovely part of the world. Canalplan is also your friend when it comes to thinking about how where you can go - 6 hours a day is a reasonable balance on a short trip - cruise more than a few miles, but not spending all day at it. Given what you're investing in a week's holiday, as well as buying the right Nicholson's, could be worth buying the right Pearson's guide too. They compliment each other.
  4. All good, it is Friday night here, so will have a better look tomorrow. The Oxford price comment is vs. Napton / Wyvern who we think rent very good boats (or put another way, we have always been happy with them). Original plan was 14 day trip with a stay in London - we have done Packet Boat and Battlebridge in the past, so all good for power. Less of an issue with 4+10 trip where we will end up cruising most days. I'd happily do Napton again with their bigger beds but the family wants to do K&A...First World Problems....
  5. Thanks Athy, Looks like doing a 10 day trip plus 4 days in the capital is going to work better. Oxfordshire Narrowboats are quite pricey I see...
  6. We did the Warwickshire Ring last year in 11 days - with a few longer days possible thanks to June / July daylight hours. With 14 days you should be fine apart from the last few days on the Hatton flight etc. A few locks to think about, but with a crew of 4 or 6 you should be fine (famous last words). Coventry Canal was ok but not a highlight. We moored in the centre of Birmingham for a couple of nights and with 14 nights you could extend this. Warwick was another highlight where we were able to moor right by the Cape of Good Hope for two nights.
  7. Thanks Simon, Good point re the Teddington-Brentford leg. We have done that a couple of times before but should check. Our plan B could be to do a 4 day stay in London and a 10 day boat hire so that opens up the Napton/Autherley option so we could add a new waterway to our collection. The other option that would open up is to try the Eastern end of the K&A for 10 days? We are keen to see the countryside, but not in a rush.
  8. Thanks all. Torn between doing another waterway and the kid's preference to spend some time in London. Also, would be neat to cruise through London with them at an age they will remember.... Decisions...
  9. Thank you for the suggestions - feels like the Wyvern / GU combo isn't all bad? But some new suggestions to google this weekend.
  10. Long time reader, first post on the forum. Looking to plan a trip to UK next year in June/July with a 10-14 day narrowboat journey near to London as part of the trip. Our thinking is we could hire from Wyvern and decide on our journey to stop where we are and just train into central London for a day or three using the boat as a base. We did a similar thing a few years ago and moored at Cowley Peachey. Over the years have done the GU, Thames Ring, Warwickshire, etc so feel like we are half competent. Hiring from Wyvern or Napton Narrowboats on most occasions to give an idea of the boats we've used. Before we commit to another Wyvern hire which would mean doing the Southern GU for a third time, thinking of where else would be closer to London to make the cruise > moor > cruise model work? I was thinking e.g. from somewhere near Oxford on the Thames or on the Eastern part of the K&A? We just don't seem to be able to find hire companies with similar standard boats in those locations? Would really appreciate anyone's thoughts on hire companies who would have good boats for a party of 6? Thanks!
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