Shazbat

Thanks to everyone for the helpful advice. I had printed off a route from RiverCanalRescue [i'll look at CanalPlan too thanks, Bottle]. I'll print off all these suggestions and see where everything is. Hopefully we'll be able to start out on Friday. My husband, being self-employed, is able to take time off for the trip - unfortunately work [and school for the children] mean he'll have to continue after Sunday on his own. We're going to have the added problem of leapfrogging with 2 cars - shame we can't think of anyone who could take us to Whilton Friday and pick me and the boys up on Sunday afternoon !! We reckon we'll be able to make Foxton by Sunday, then he's on his own. He is far more experienced than I am - the cruiser was his hobby, so he's not too fazed about doing it alone. I'm quite happy to do the locks but not confident enough to drive. The cruiser was moored at Sawley and he's done the Soar quite frequently but I don't think he's been further than Zouch. Still by the time he gets there it'll be familiar waters from there on in. Have already done quite a bit of food shopping [thanks for that, Tony] - plenty of tins and dried foods - and teabags and long-life milk. May well see you around, Nigel, during the summer - we often used to run from Sawley to Shardlow at the weekends. Thanks again to you all - it's really appreciated!

Yes, we've done locks before - but only single ones. I've looked at your page, supermalc - very useful! With not knowing this stretch of the canal system I'm just not sure how to determine where to stopover. What I mean is, it's OK saying we'd average about 10 miles a day, but if there are a lot of locks in that 10 mile stretch, 10 miles could be too far in one go. Does anyone know of reasonable stopping points - not too far from civilisation - along the way? Shaz

We have finally bitten the bullet and after selling our little cruiser last year, we are about to complete purchase of our first narrow boat from Whilton. Then .... we have to bring it back to Sawley. I have downloaded route details but am a bit concerned about how far we'll be able to realistically travel each day and where to moor up along the way. Also a bit [to put it mildly ] worried about tackling staircase locks. Can anyone advise, please? Many thanks Shaz

Daniel Yes, it has a long highfronted bow Tobytimothy It's called Claydon. Shaz

Liam Someone at the marina mentioned the bars - and it does have 2 'tubes' obviously for posts of some sorts between the lattice steel foredeck and the 'well' at the bow! I said they'd do for a sunshade on the bow!! Daniel Have looked at this site but the layout is different - and this one has louvre windows. Wish I knew how to draw on this forum!! Imagine central double doors at stern, steps down into saloon with L-shaped seating (converting to double) to starboard [actually removed and replaced by freestanding armchair]. Walkway to port side veers to mid-line through kitchen (cooker/fridge to starboard, sink unit to port), then toilet to starboard with double doors, which each open across corridor, shower with curtain to port. Vanitory basin to port in rear cabin - wardrobe + shelved chest to starboard, then single berths each side with table (which presumably can slot between singles to form cross-cabin double). Central double doors to bow. Make an estate agent of me yet!! Would love to know where she travelled! Shaz

Hello all! We've spent quite a few months thinking about getting a narrowboat [having to use up 2 weeks of holiday over Easter and being members of RCI, we decided to take the plunge and hire one to see if we could handle it], hubby has been getting the Waterways magazine regularly and we've had a good look at a fair few boats for sale in Sawley Marine (where the cruiser was berthed). The boat we've taken a fancy to is a 1982 Harborough Marine - yes, ex hire! We love the layout with the saloon at the rear [though the L-shape seating converting to double bed has been removed] the passageway down the middle and 2 single berths at the front. And the windows make it very light and airy. For us it is the ideal layout. The interior is very dated, but we are both practical people and would relish the challenge. It has a pump out toilet in a cross-cabin bathroom - the shower/basin are awful! We took a test 'drive' in it and it did seem to handle better than the hire boat. The layout of the hire boat was similar, but there was a fixed double at the front with no access to the bow - which we didn't like. The kitchen was U-shaped with the corridor running down the side rather than through the middle - we wouldn't mind that but the middle corridor just made it all seem more 'open'. We both like the idea of a cruiser stern but also a fairly long bow, which again, the Harborough has. As has been said, I'm sure there are plenty more out there should this particular one go before we make our minds up - and as I said to hubby, if it goes before we get to it, it probably wasn't meant to be! Shaz

Hello Daniel Thanks for the response! We did find it much more responsive than the hire boat - hubby drives but even I noticed how much easier it was to steer. How does one find a reputable surveyor? Have I missed a link somewhere? Shaz

We have owned a small cruiser for over 3 years which is now up for sale as we have always fancied the idea of a narrowboat. So have just spent the past few days on a hired narrowboat - to see if it is for us. Have seen a narrowboat for sale in the local marina which is quite unusual (to us Newbies) in that it apparantly has a steel hull with a fibreglass superstructure, and all the windows are louvred. As newbies could someone please advise: * should there be a plate somewhere detailing who made the boat / the year of manufacture etc? * how does one go about organising a survey? And would a survey give an idea of the 'reasonableness' of the price asked (given that I've never seen another similar boat in any publications for comparison)? * are there any particular pros / cons associated with this type of boat? * any recommendations for financing purchase of narrowboats? I'm sure we'll think of a whole load more questions soon, but these are the main queries we have at the moment. Shaz PS Am spending hours going through posts learning all sorts - love the site!!