Stroudwater1

Don’t worry you will hopefully love it. Some canal rings are temporarily closed which could partly account for things being quieter. Boating on canals is changing and there’s much more livaboards who don’t necessarily move that often. Holidays are changing too. It was very difficult to get an available hire boat at times during Covid. They were fully booked. Now we are free to travel folk are going abroad to make up for lost time. We passed 10 boats round the Braunston end of the North Oxford canal a couple of weeks ago - still lots of boats around.

As Per David Mack’s Google image it’s definitely the M6. The M40 starts near Earlswood South Birmingham peeling off the M42 quite a bit further South.

Still for sale. We walked past yesterday evening. Though the M6 is overhead the elevation is insufficient to hide much noise. It’s really incessant and quite deafening. Shame as otherwise with its layout and paddock it would be very pleasant. There is a brook that flows through with an overspill feeding it from the canal too.

Diggles paddles are very angled aren’t they? Are they the only top ground paddle mechanisms that are both on the same side, and also the only ones that face into the canal? that means winding them standing sideways to the canal, and not facing the canal as they are wound? Longford Lock, Staffs and worcs tonight and Diggle from above And below And a repair at Diggle

I think that is the Wye invader 2- they have traveled up Maisemore and Llanthony weirs. Saves bothering the lockie at Gloucester I suppose ?

Yes but it’s likely to be fine, though surveys can be picky too on certain things. It’s a 13 year old boat that’s likely to be well maintained so all should be good survey wise. I imagine any issues are likely to have been addressed as the monthly direct debits usually accrue to give a decent fund for remedial work. Well done, looks like a nice boat. Enjoy! https://www.boatshare.co.uk/shared-narrow-boat-eos

There’s also the Wye invader that regularly cruises the Severn estuary/ tidal River Wye. Theres much YouTube on their exploits. Folk here do regularly make crossings of the Mersey or Ribble link or tidal Trent to Keadby and less navigate the Trent into the Humber Thames/Medway or the Wash . Care needs to be exercised of course. A few narrowboats have gone over to the French canals though most of these have got craned out in the UK and craned back in on French canals. Several detailed blogs exist , and I believe some are members here. Theres a change in times you can’t generally have unrestricted stay over in Europe but one for you to look into if you are wanting that. (cue posters muscling in on Brexit debates- please don’t, it’s as boring as the RCD/RCR comments ) Im sure some on here can advise about the electric motor side. @IanD has recently had one built. I imagine he will want to do some of the occasional trips mentioned above. I fear you will be compromising too much if you concentrate on sea worthiness though and you will lose much cruising time with the sort of alterations you describe. Best to focus on what your main wants are. If it’s mostly marine cruising then the compromise maybe unnecessary and best buy a different type of boat A posting on here re the Wye invader

There’s also canal cruising hire from Stone and possibly Union canal cruisers at Braunston that do long term hires https://www.canalcruising.co.uk/long-term-canal-boat-holiday/ https://unioncanalcarriers.co.uk/availability/

Certainly enjoyed it last year and were fortunate to pass a couple of large ships entering and exiting Eastham Lock with a few tugs around. The entry of the ship from the Mersey was inch perfect, Tug holding her from the stern as the tide pushed the ship into the lock, using its bow thruster for steering in. Stuart the pilot was excellent. He produced a printout of anticipated ship movements for the day and talked us through it all really well. We crossed straight over from Brunswick Lock then were pushed up with the tide on the Eastham side of the Mersey, pretty near to the bank. It was rather rougher then mykaskins great video. Hope you enjoy the day.

Yes, that would make for a very enjoyable trip, with varied canals and much to see. Best to moor no further into Birmingham than Catherine de Barnes until you get to the top of the Farmers Bridge flight. Its not too easy to moor and isnt ideal mooring overall.

I suspect it will bash into a more rounded shape with a lump hammer, thats what we were advised to do recently with a tipcat fender? We have some car tyre cut up across the tyre and attached onto the front of the fender so the tyre tread runs up and down the front of the bow and thus when we seldom touch the bow on the top gate when ascending. This seems to give it some additional protection, and may reduce the chances of getting stuck on bolts . Ive seen a few boats with that set up. However your fender has a nice section that would be covered by such a tyre, which you may prefer not to do.

I would call the hire firm who may get further advice and details, some will know who to contact for up to date details ahead of the website updates. Navigating all the way from Droitwich to Tewkesbury then having to turn back to Worcester means you do probably the most uninspiring part of the network twice. Theres very little mooring available either as the thread mentions. It’s Upton, often moored against another boat or two or tying up in trees, not usually recommended . You could head on to Sharpness but it’s not a good use of a 2 week holiday. Less the Avons cleaned up rapidly I would rethink and go up Tardebigge Astwood and Stoke Prior locks or head up to Stourport and do rings that involve Birmingham which is far nicer and more interesting than many folk realise.

That could be up near Chalford on the Thames and Severn canal? It’s Cotswold stone/ limestone structure of the supporting wall, house and some of the bridge by the looks of it. @IanM would I’m sure locate it better than I can.

The idea of a payment per night to moor is surely a non starter other than at honeypot locations. How will it be policed? It will give rise to all sorts of games to avoid it. Sadly it may well see boaters use their boats less too.

Rather to my surprise all eight of the top locks paddles at Hillmorton, in fact all paddles on the Hillmorton lock flight are now functioning (apart from all the paddles between the pairs of locks…) The top lock bottom paddle must have been fixed between end of November 2023 and March 2024. First time all are OK since September 2021!