adam1uk

I understood that the New Boat Co had decided to concentrate on the upper end of the market with their Polish boats, and had dropped the Liverpool built ones. This, of course, could well be the reason Liverpool is downsizing.

My understanding is that they had two gates at the bottom because they're lighter than one big gate and thus easier to install and operate. Weight isn't a problem at the top end, as the gate is usually quite short. However, it was cheaper to make one single gate than a pair, so when the canal companies needed to save money they went for that option. I'm pretty sure the explanation in the Pearson's guide to the Oxford canal says the single gates south of Banbury were for financial reasons.

Why would you go by bus if there's a canal alternative? As others have said, the stretch into Coventry isn't very special, but the basin is lovely and it's only a short walk into the city centre (which also isn't very special, apart from the Cathedral). There's a ranger at the basin who'll probably pop out and give you an information pack.

Not so cheap if you use the figures quoted in this article. £12,500 per linear foot would make a 58 footer cost £725,000!

That's right, Goosemoor is one of Debdale's sisters! We'd had a right game trying to get out of Calcutt bottom lock because of the wind, and I think the people who were waiting to go up (who were pinned to the side by the wind) had spotted you coming and were planning to wait for you.

I think you passed us too. It was probably last Thusday, somewhere between Calcutt and Stockton. By the time I'd registered the rainbow on the side of the boat we were past.

Has it got the name curled over a porthole? If so, we say it at Norton Junction last week!

All the programme are available on the internet: www.itvlocal.com/central for Water World, and /granada for Locks and Quays. Water World is clearly constrained by being shown in Wales as well as the midlands. They've had to find enough Welsh stuff to go in, but it has diluted the focus of the programme. A similar thing, although not as bad, can be seen on Locks and Quays. The programmes that focused on the Yorkshire waterways contained features about the north-western ones, and once they had boated into Lancashire, the Yorkshire feature items popped up.

Everything Allan says is true. The systems do work very well, provided there are no trees or buildings in the way. To guarantee the system finding the satellite, you have to moor so that it's clear in a generally southerly direction.

If they're going that way, we should see them near Calcutt this afternoon then (depending on what time each of us sets out).

How about an extended Leicester Circuit? From Market Harbourough, head up the Leicester Line and River Soar through Leicester to the junction with the Trent. Along the T&M through Fradley, right the way along to Great Haywood. Onto the Staffs and Worcs, through the Tixall Wide, to Aldersley Juntion. Up the Wolverhampton 21 and into Birmingham via either the New or Old Main Line. Worcs and Birmingham Canal to King's Norton Jct. North Stratford Canal, down the Lapworth Locks to Kingswood Jct. Onto the Grand Union, down the Hatton Flight, through Warwick and Leamington Spa, to Napton Jct. Along to Braunston, up the Locks, onto the Leicester Arm and back through Watford Locks and Foxton. We did this a comfortably in a fortnight a couple of years ago. It works out at 198 miles and 194 locks. You might want to do it the other way round, so you get the potential hold-up of Foxton out of the way at the start.

Or Alistair, even.

Of course they might think that the point of a boating holiday was to go boating. It's quite possible to be relaxed and do long days.

You'd have to take a trip to Napton Junction to meet them! The rate they go, there'd be no time for wine anyway. By the time you'd got the cork out, they'd be on their way again!

I've no idea if your suggested route will work, but here's what I'd do if I had three weeks from Stone and wanted to go south: Along the T&M through Fradley (one of my favourite places) right to the end at Trent Junction. Down the River Soar and the GU Leicester Line, through Leicester, Foxton Locks, Watford Locks (plus a possible diversion into Market Harborough) Onto the GU Main Line through Braunston, left onto the shared GU/Oxford section. Right at Napton Junction onto the GU, through Leamington Spa and Warwick. Up the Hatton Flight to Kingswood Junction. Left onto the Stratford Canal to Stratford. Along the River Avon to Tewkesbury. Up the Severn to Worcester. Onto the Worcs and Birmingham, up the Tardebigge flight, into Birmingham. Old or New Main Line (Old is more interesting, and you can visit the Black Country Museum at Dudley) to Wolverhampton and its Locks. Right onto the Staffs and Worcs to the Tixall Wide and its junction with the T&M, which takes you back to Stone. Canal Plan says that's 307 miles and 292 locks, and would take 18 days. That allows you a bit of flexibility should there be a hold up.

Excellent! We'll look out for the green Mummin-mamma!

I see you're starting out from Napton on the 14th. We're out on Debdale from Stockton Top the same day, so we'll look out for you. You'll have to find a way of identifying yourselves from a distance as Norwegians!

Allan's suggestion is a fantastic one, as you'll get to see some of the best bits of the canals. Fradley Junction is a particular favourite of mine, and you'd also go through Tixall Wide, get the industrial scenery of Wolverhampton and Birmingham, and the pretty Lapworth locks. Alternatively, you could do the Leicester Circuit. Go up through Braunston, onto the Leicester Arm (which gives you Watford and Foxton staircase locks), onto the Trent and Mersey to Fradley, where you can either return via the Coventry Canal, or do what we did and continue to Great Haywood (which gives you Tixall Wide, Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Lapworth on the return). This would be a bit more energetic than Allan's suggestion. On the other hand, if you wanted a quieter fortnight, you could head down the southern Oxford, spent some time in Oxford itself, go out onto the Thames, back in at Duke's Cut, and back the way you've come. Actually, there probably are twenty ways you could go. It all depends how much time you want to spend travelling each day, and how much moored up eating/drinking/sightseeing. Where ever you end up going, I'm sure you'll have a great time.

We hired a couple of times from Kate Boats and have happily recommended them many times. They tend to be cheaper than the likes of Black Prince. Warwickshire Ring is a great route, particularly if you like locks. The Oxford is also very attractive. Haven't done the Ashby, partly because "lock-free cruising" doesn't appeal!

When we did the warks Ring, we did Birmingham city centre to Fazely Junction in a day -- 15 miles and 38 locks -- so it's not impossible although it is hard work. We also got flashed at by a boy sitting by the entrance to Curdworth tunnel!

Yes, and having moored there it can be very noisy. I'd much rather moor just up the main line from Old Turn Junction, near the Sea Life Centre and the NIA. It's a residential area so it's much quieter, yet it's close to Brindley Place etc for bars and restaurants. Use one of the loops to turn around so you're facing the right way to continue the Warks Ring.

We didn't like the Challenger Boats, so ruled them out because of that. Carefree Cruising had a complicated system of red and yellow weeks, which meant that it seemed difficult to go on holiday when you wanted. JB Boats sell fixed weeks, and the agreement has an end date. That's why we ended up with OwnerShips. Because the boat we bought into had a couple of other shares for sale, we've managed six weeks on board this year. I'm sure you'll enjoy the show. It's easy to do it all in a day, but it's worth taking notes on which boats you like and which you don't. Although they look fairly standard at first glance, they're actually all slightly different!

Yes there are a few of us on here who own shares. Advantages are that it's significantly cheaper than hiring, you get to know your own boat, and you have a real sense of ownership. Disadvantages include not being able to go out on the boat at the drop of a hat if a sunny weekend comes along. There are several schemes, all of which seem to do things differently. Things to check: Do you (and the other owners) actually own the boat, or is it just time share; is the allocation of holiday weeks fair; can you get extra weeks, and how are they organised; how easy is it to move mooring location. I know there'll be people along shortly who say they'd never go for shared ownership. One day, we too will have our own boat, but while holiday time is limited it works for us as a cost effective way of getting on the canals. If you have specific questions, feel free to PM me. Adam

When we did the RYA helmsman's course in the autumn, one of the exercises was to stop the boat quickly (and from a much higher speed than you'd normally be travelling at). I was very surprised just how quickly you can stop a narrowboat, certainly within its own length, if you give it enough reverse. Of course you never know which direction you'll end up facing (although when I did it, I managed to keep the boat dead straight!) On the horn issue, there always seem to be plenty of people giving a good blast on the horn at Napton Junction. We always do, and occasionally get an answer. Interestingly, the local car drivers using the canal bridges near Napton all know to do two blasts, so they can tell whether it's a car or a boat.

Here is Sarni. This was on the Staffs and Worcs, just outside Wolverhampton, May 2006. And this gives you an idea of how small Sarni really is.