Hi all, total newbie here, finally saved enough to consider boating options and need advice which may well be tedious for seasoned canal dwellers.
My gran was Crystal Hale, who set up the Islington Boat club and saved the canal basin from developers and her father was A.P.Herbert, author of The Water Gypsies. You can see why my mid life crisis time has driven me back to the water's edge! Now my son has grown up and I have time for myself I'm really keen to get back on the cut. I'm kind of desperate to.
I live and work in Sheffield so no decent rivers. There is the tinsley canal etc but I don't think you can get very far without involving a river or two.
I'm looking for adventure and want to get to know the UK better. I love water and boats, miss the River Leam and the Thames, which I grew up by and the yearning is now urgent.
I have to be in Sheffield most of the time still, but can take long breaks and work from away enough to make it worth it. I'd like to take regular 4 days breaks, on my own or with 1 other.
I've only ever been a passenger in an NB and a GRP so I'm looking for advice on how to sensibly get started.
With the Sheffield issue, is it possible to travel far on an NB from here or would I need a GRP cruiser so as to include rivers if I want to get out of Yorkshire? How limiting would a small NB be?
It's my first question because I imagine the training will be quite different.
Is this the right way around to be thinking about it or is there a better newbie approach?
Thanks for any responses, sorry if I'm boring you.