john6767

More like phone autocorrect 😀 In my experience Tuesday and Wednesday are the peak nights, I would be interested in you experience if you go then

But Hillmorton does have restricted opening hours when they kick in.

It is on 8th to 13th, we are not planning on going near that end until after then, but would assume would be ok right now, abut really you generally want to avoid mid week as that is when the baulk of the hire boats get there

Crikey, at least the car did not go in

And guess where we are heading! Finger crossed for it not to be too severe.

There is, I received it at 14:55 today. The text quoted is from the stoppage notice, so I think we can assume it is real!

I wouldn’t avoid the Old Main Line if that is the way you would prefer to go, it’s not that bad

We came down Wolverhampton from Tipton yesterday. The weed is quite bad on the Old Main Line, it that stuff with big leaves and is not far under the surface so you are chopping it all the time, but regular blasts of reverse easily clear it off. Also New Main Line for the last mile to Factory has a lot a blanket weed, as has the W&E from Bentley Bridge to the motorway.

When we came out of Liverpool docks we went to Maghull in the day, you could go further, but certainly no need to stop before then. Watch for the timing of the bridge that has restrictions on when it can be open, we got through before the restriction.

Never had any specific issue with rowers in Stratford, although mr shouty on his bike can get a bit anoying 😀 What can be a bit hectic on a sunny summer weekend is all the hire rowing boats, they are all over the place.

It was a restaurant, so I think it will count as a new pub. Don’t like to wooden shack that the pub next door have erected though.

When they ask if you want help, I always say it would be great if you could set ahead. That is a big help for us particularly on wide locks like Hatton.

Well done Rebellion, very well deserved, and a creative route to boot. A worthy seconds for Tatty Lucy, who seemed to be smashing it last night.

All ready to go, got up too early!

You go through Canning Dock to get to Salthouse Dock where the moorings are.

Presumably it is planned as the gate from Canning to Albert is shut.

I think the new guy lives in London, so do we think he will be more London boating focussed, particularly given his housing background? To his credit Richard always seemed to get out and about, for example he has done the BCN Challenge at least twice and has been at most if not all finishes over the last 10 years. He was walking the towpath at Hatton today and greated me as we were coming up! Will the new guy be so visible, I fear not, unless you are in London. I hope I am proved wrong.

Don’t get that at all, it’s not really that big, and don’t the locks on the A&C/New Junction as well MSC dwarf it

None of the three explorer cruises this year are using the Walsall canal, with the exception of Ryders Green from Tame Valley junction to Pudding Green junction.

For fitting 2 centre lines I have a stainless steel bow shackle with both ropes in it. Not had any issue with it damaging the roof, I kept the shackle just big enough, and the ropes are between the shackle and the roof anyway.

In Oxford to moor on the canal it is the stretch before Isis lock at Jerrico, but I think it is 2 days. For water I would say fill in at Thrupp on the way down. if you just want a couple of hours on the river go upstream from Sheepwash channel, you can turn before you get to the first lock if you don’t want to go through any lock, but if you turn below any Thames locks take care as it can be very shallow, and there is often a buoyed channel below locks. If you can spend a bit more time continue up the river past Kings lock, where Dukes Cut joins, and there are mooring on fields at both sides of the river and that will give you more of the sense of what the upper Thames is like.

It is the council bin men that are on strike, can’t see that it would impact private contractors

We did it last year, Mann Island at 8:00 and through the swing bridge before it shut at 2pm, including a stop at Litherland for services. We stopped for the night at Maghull.

They do on the Thames

Well nothing other than the fact you should have a Thames visitor licence to do that, and the fact that you just do not need to do that you can can turn below Isis lock, there are even instructions at the lock telling you how to do that. Alternatively you could choose to have a day on the Thames and go on at Isis go upstream a bit and then come off at Dukes Cut.