Kent Tool

We will be taking our narrow boat on the Erewash, Trent and Mersey and Coventry canals doing a round trip from Loughborough to North Kilworth Marina in very early May. We will have a well known Costa Rican bird guide with us on this trip and I'd like to know if there are good birding sites near these canals or close by.

Took our third trip down the Montgomery last July and was very disappointed. The overgrowth of reed and other flora, now seemingly much denser and "out of control", means that there is virtually no where to moor and the views are severely obstructed by the vegetation. There is good mooring at bridge 71 on the short branch off the main canal and then again at Queens Head where the food was OK. Booking ahead wasn't a problem but there is precious little room for boats to moor while waiting for passage in the early morning. Nice to have made the short journey, but not by far our favorite canal.

Have moored in basin on two different occasions --different years--and had absolutely no problems. No noise problems either. Very easy access to the walls and city center.

Since you people are so helpful, I'll rely on you for suggestions about mooring at Upton on Severn. We will plan to leave Worcester Marina and hope to moor at Upton for a least a day. What's the best time to try to arrive in order to find one of the rare ( I understand) moorings on the River. Or would it be better to try to moor at Upton Marina and taxi into town? Arrival date will be, I hope, June 2.

We are planning a circular trip from Overwater Marina to Tewkesbury and wish to take the Tardebigge Locks in one direction and the Severn in the other. So which direction, up or down, the locks is the most convenient? We will be traveling the Bank Holiday week and the first two weeks of June.

We wish to pick up a couple of crew members at Chirk Station. Is it possible to moor after the Chirk Tunnel and walk to the Chirk station from the canal tow path? If not, any suggestions.

Planning on traveling once again to Llangollen. We will do a crew exchange in Llangollen and both crews will want to spend a day or two in Llangollen. I note that there is a 48 hour limit for mooring in the marina. If one were to leave the marina, travel to the Sun Trevor, wind and return to the marina, would that be permitted? In other words, do they keep track of boats that leave and return within 6-8 hours? I know this will be a busy time of the year to visit Llangollen (in Llangollen 21 July). Will there be difficulty finding mooring in the marina? Thanks for your advice.

A former Ownership (self managed) boat is seeking a new location, preferably on the Grand Union or one of its branches. Full services and facilities are required--valet services, toilet/showers, electric hookup,laundry, periodic maintenance, car parking, fuel and pump out, etc. The boat is in use nearly full time (with week end turnovers) from March through November. Year long contract to begin May 2016. Suggestions from other former Ownership owners would be helpful.

How much in advance does one need to book passage into Liverpool? We plan to travel sometime during the last week of July and first week of August--maybe a busy time.

We will be taking the Fellsman steam train from Blackburn on May 18 and wonder where the best place to moor may be found. We would probably be moored the night of the 17t and 18th. Any suggestions?

Some 8-9 years ago while doing the Cheshire Ring we did have some problems with young lads while passing through Manchester. We will be going from Chester to Wigan this spring and I am wondering if trouble from young lads are still a problem. If problems continue, we will schedule a very early morning passage.

We are hoping to take our narrow boat from Great Haywood to Oxford, spending several days enjoying the city of Oxford. Ideally we would like a temporary mooring in Oxford with land based electric hook up so that we don't need to run our engine frequently to top up the batteries. Are there marinas in Oxford that would fulfill this need? If not within Oxford proper, can anyone suggest a marina near Oxford---maybe one where frequent bus service to Oxford might be available.

We will be taking our narrow boat to central Birmingham and wonder if there are good moorings with electric hook-up. We plan to stay put on the boat for 4-5 days, exploring Birmingham. Any suggestions?