angel afloat

Well you just never know whats going on inside when you pass a moored boat do you? Twisted underwear can make a dissgruntled face! or a bigger smile

The queing at locks is due to inexperiance and onlookers [ boat crews facing their first lock and just wanting to look at how it works first!] and the sheer volume of boats wanting to get through the lock. What you do have to remember is to slow your head down to the 3mph, your on holiday and not the M25! Last year i experianced two crews at 'logger heads' over the amount of time the boat infront was taking to get through the lock. By the time the 2nd boat had got to the 2nd lock fists where flying!!! not a good sign for young kids...not to mention spoiling your holiday.. Also with regards to early morning cruising and late evening...do check what time your hire company says you can cruise till. owing to the fact the insurance cover is different than that of a private owners insurance. And please please pass moored boats slowly!!!!! very much appreciated, especially when you have a hot kettle in your hand and trying to fill a cup!!!! or worse still stiring a hot pan of soup etc. [Although i now have getting my jeans back up after being on the loo, down to a fine art, i no longer stumble, or head off into the shower, i brace myself with my head against the wall.!!]

Hi mark, There are three other companies I would recomend for your 1 weeks holiday. Chirk marina, based at Chirk. 01691 774558 Canaltime, based at blackwater meadow marina, Ellesmere, shropshire. 01691 624391 Anglowelsh, they are based in Trevor. 01978 821749 www.anglowelsh.co.uk I have given you the above as I have recently heard that there are extra costs that you may encounter ie pump out charges, with wrenbury boats and some non too happy holiday crews. And depending on your group size check this site out www.bettisfieldboats.com 2 boats owned by Ian Fletcher for crew size 2 or 3 My partner and I cruise the Llangollen canal all season. www.shoponthecanal.co.uk I hope the above info will help.

Hi again. go to www.waterscape.com and you can view maps of the canals, but have your pen and paper ready to note down the route you want to take... [the route of the canal is high lighted in red after map is loaded.]

Hi. Really depends where you want to start from.... If you dont mind a bit of a drive here are two you could try. www.ukboathire.com 0845 126 4098 And for up north west area try www.middlewichboats.co.uk 01606 832 460 also 'viking afloat' and 'cheshire cat' but I dont seem to be able to put my hand on their details at the moment.. [filed away so neat i cant find them ] julie nb 'Teila' on the Llangollen canal.

Hi vince, are you not near any other boaters, to have a sqwint at one of their maps. im sure if you went with pen and paper they would help you write it down. I must admit i'd go with the route from alan. so much nicer.....

Food for the trip with a bit extra. and snack food for the waiting time at locks and bridges. [bank hol weekend and wana be boaters are out] Kettle, pots and pans, calor gas, coal, wood...... lets see what did we forget when we moved on board to move to our moorings..... change of clothing to get out of wet attire. plenty of bread and butty fillings, sweeties. MAP for the trip - making sure your facing the right way when you leave the boat yard ha ha ha ha. All the paperwork and manuals for the boat. BW licence!!! Windlass.... A good sturdy pair of boots with good tread for on the locks. dont want you loosing your footings do we. Have a great time and enjoy the adventure.

hi phillip, was the pub open at willeymoor lock?[after grindley brook] when we have passed, only on the odd occasion have we seen it open, but patrons have commented on the good pint or two. when you get to nantwich, head for 'welsh row' you can zig-zag down the road from pub to pub. [sorry we missed you nb Teila -shop on the canal] If you decide to walk from nantwich to middlewich, [walking the shropshire branch canal to middlewich] no pubs along the way alas. but take care after church minshull lock as 4 dogs from neighbouring farm like to come through the fence, onto the towpath, and can be quite terrorising to walkers and boaters alike, they have been reported but nothing seems to have been done about them. so just a word of warning, as i stay onboard until were at the lock..

I thought 'tother half was having a mid life crisis, when he suggested we went afloat! [i had been a widow for near on 9 years when i met my partner] I had put the house up for sale in the july06 and mid november06 accepted an offer and on dec 4th 06 handed the keys over...The money was in the bank!!! after paying the balance to my husband's debts-as not all debts die with you!!!! My now partner of 4.11 years, and I looked at a new way of life- [fresh start some call it.] Buy a run down place, and live in a caravan and do the work ourselves..... buy land and do a self build......... but looking to do something for ourselves semi rat race kind of stuff.! Semi-retire kinda life, more to the point.. Then the idea of living afloat!!!!!!!! We found a boat during the time of oct-dec 06, paid for her and moved onboard 16th dec 06, took 2 days to move her by canal system, to what would have taken 25mins in the car!!! had moorings in a marina for winter so as we could get sorted, boxes too-ing and fro-ing, from storage at our parents. Kids thought we were mad and questions of their inheritance was in the air.... it wasnt even a passing thought to us. Both 'tother half and I had travelled all over the country on a weekly basis with our jobs, 'tother half hgv driver-long distance, and I was a team leader for a merchandise company, and now we had something that was 'Ours'. That we could make a home, no more living on the road, living in bed & breakfast's and working 12hr shifts we are in march issue of Towpath talk pg 46 'shop afloat'. Life afloat...fantastic, we keep with-in the B.W guide lines to CC's and enjoy life greatly in the slow lane. we have since returned to a marina for two days and were kept in an extra 3 days due to storms., but we couldn't wait to get out, so much like an institution, open your curtains and 1 foot away is your neighbour, on both sides of you too!! Well we are off the radar, and out of the rat race, just couldn't no way, go back into bricks and mortar, if I do / when I do, i hope i've lost my marbles and the will to live, because it wont be long after that till I'm dead. I worried a little as to becoming a bird twitcher and even naturisum came to mind. [but only in the pitch black when the dog wont come in after her mid night wee.] and when we are out in the wilds, but the cow print wellies are not part of the naturist's attire..... are they? we dont like built up areas anymore and as to noise of traffic.... I'll put up with the mating calls of the phesant and things that get snatched out of trees and bushes and are murdered in the dead of night ..... ha ha ha. This life afloat. Love it, wouldn't swop it, cant compare to anything Ive experianced before. love the friendliness of other boaters, even the toffs i find amusing! love being our lockie, and swopping ideas and tales of the cut.... Sorry if i rambled on but Im happy and content for once in my life.

when I first saw the 'barge-thingy' photo I thought it was ugly too, and didnt like to say....but as you've all had a go , and for a self build-thingy not bad if it was first attempt! at least it goes.... It is ugly though.

we went last year by boat, and if you want a decent mooring best get there handy as in at least 3 days before hand!! And best to go to the 'BOARS HEAD' just up from the old church, heading out of town, as most musicians meet for a 'jam' after all concerts,later that night, but dont expect to be in bed before 2am! It was great way to meet old and new friends, but no good if you have to be up early. [unfortunately we were burning the candle at both ends due to us being a floating shop and so where open for business around 9am!! After the weekend we retired up the middlewich arm, [shropshire branch] and caught up on our sleep and 'gave our livers a rest'.. We heard later that the street performances were good too, unfortunately we were too busy to go look see.

Live aboard and love it! No way would we go back to bricks and mortar. [And I thought 'tother half was having a mid life crisis when he came up with the idea] Missed my lilac tree from the back garden, but saw a beaut last summer so had my fix an I'm alright now. Dont miss the long deep bath. Dont miss the big freezer. certainly dont miss all the hoovering and the cleaning, of several rooms, used to take me all morning and after dinner to get done. Now it takes me about an hour or so to do from pointy end to blunt end. [inside of course]. Although my brass work does take from 10am - 4.30pm-ish but find it very theraputic!! so always set aside a day to do that, every fortnight..

Havent ironed since we slipped the marina back in march last year. but still have mini ironing board, purchased from 'Home and Bargain' hanging in wardrobe, and the iron is wrapped up in a carrier bag in a cupboard somewhere. A good old car-boot sale and I'm hoping to see one of them old flat irons [ remember my nan had one], I can put it on top of squirrel fire, then iron when its hot enough to use, if ever I attend a car-boot sale or decide i should need to iron again.

To be honest i dont see how/why we need a tv licence cos c.c's how can they catch you unless your by a built up area? Haven't spotted any detecter vans having lunch by a canal pub or on a deserted towpath! Have they even thought of wandering into a marina? now theres a thought.!!! unless someone moors their boat on marina and they happen to work for licence peeps!!