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Act quickly if you want to enjoy a holiday in the slow lane this summer


Ray T

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4 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

we'll be heading out of Dunchurch on Saturday in the direction of Great Haywood Junction, the last time we were on a certain storm beginning with C stopped us leaving the marina so we don't care if we have to queue an hour at each lock we come to just as long as we are on the boat :D

 

hopefully they don't close Atherstone in the meantime...

 

There was low water in one of the pounds yesterday.

 

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/drained-canal-between-atherstone-polesworth-18602482

 

The paper said "between Atherstone and Polesworth", which it couldn't have been because I'm moored on that pound and th level is above normal for this time of year.

 

Give us a wave as you go past.

 

 

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6 minutes ago, Dave Payne said:

Lock 9 is playing up, short pound between low on water all year, now draining very quickly down through 9, top and bottom gates need work...

It was about 18" down when we came through last week.

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On 16/07/2020 at 11:00, Ray T said:

PRESS RELEASE

 

16 July 2020  

 

ACT QUICKLY IF YOU WANT TO ENJOY A HOLIDAY IN THE SLOW LANE THIS SUMMER Autumn

 

 

Well we have taken the plunge, having had to cancel our planned two weeks in France, and three years after selling our boat have booked a hire boat for a week in September, and there were not many available for hire.

Edited by David Schweizer
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10 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

Well we have taken the plunge, having had to cancel our planned two weeks in France, and three years after selling our boat have booked a hire boat for a week in September, and there were not many available for hire.

Hope you are ready for it, Slow down, Dont wind that paddle to fast, you can't moor here. Do you want me to turn it round for you.

 

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34 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

Well we have taken the plunge, having had to cancel our planned two weeks in France, and three years after selling our boat have booked a hire boat for a week in September, and there were not many available for hire.

You may find this useful:

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/a-guide-to-boating/boaters-handbook

 

:captain::D

Edited by Ray T
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2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Hope you are ready for it, Slow down, Dont wind that paddle to fast, you can't moor here. Do you want me to turn it round for you.

 

Are you suggesting that private boat owners will treat me like a novice? if they do my response may surprise them.

1 hour ago, Ray T said:

Very Amusing Mr Thorpe.  ??

Edited by David Schweizer
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16 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

Well we have taken the plunge, having had to cancel our planned two weeks in France, and three years after selling our boat have booked a hire boat for a week in September, and there were not many available for hire.

 

Careful, hiring a boat can lead you down the slippery path to boat ownership...

 

 

 

 

 

(Again in your case) ???

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17 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

Are you suggesting that private boat owners will treat me like a novice?

 

They will - we bought an ex hire viking many years ago and were disgusted as to how we were treated before we repainted her esp when meeting at/in bridge holes.

Edited by Halsey
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1 hour ago, Halsey said:

 

They will - we bought an ex hire viking many years ago and were disgusted as to how we were treated before we repainted her esp when meeting at/in bridge holes.

Helvetia was an ex-hire boat from Braunston Boats(Hire) Ltd, but I can only recall one person making a derogatory comment based upon the boat's origins. Having said that, apart from the signwriting which was painted out, Balliol's boats did not look much like Hire boats.

 

656944578_Braunston005.jpg.0fc69ffe791473f2784a7d22af6f728a.jpg

 

803894912_Braunston003.jpg.f3d48b8271e56603825b34fbd769198a.jpg

 

Helvetia when still a Hire Boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by David Schweizer
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1 hour ago, matty40s said:

You might find this useful David.

 

 

Very Amusing. ? The best bit was getting a good look at Sweden. I remember it in the 1960's when it still had it's original single cylinder semi diesel engine, although I thought it was a Seffle, not a Bolinder, after it had been donated to the Beachamp Lodge Settlement in London

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3 hours ago, Halsey said:

 

They will - we bought an ex hire viking many years ago and were disgusted as to how we were treated before we repainted her esp when meeting at/in bridge holes.

I love meeting hire boats, especially on the GU, makes life much easier when the other boat has 6-10 crew.

 

Balliol was the chap I asked to survey Old Friends, ABNB weren't too happy as he wasnt on their list at the time, happily it worked out well.

Edited by matty40s
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4 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

Helvetia was an ex-hire boat from Braunston Boats(Hire) Ltd, but I can only recall one person making a derogatory comment based upon the boat's origins. Having said that, apart from the signwriting which was painted out, Balliol's boats did not look much like Hire boats.

 

656944578_Braunston005.jpg.0fc69ffe791473f2784a7d22af6f728a.jpg

 

803894912_Braunston003.jpg.f3d48b8271e56603825b34fbd769198a.jpg

 

Helvetia when still a Hire Boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know I remember her in her "day" and much later when we moored a few boats away from you when at Napton with "Benji" and 3 dogs - just the other side of Ray and Liz - nice boat

Edited by Halsey
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If you are in search of quiet waters, the section I'm on at the moment probably fits the bill, River Nene, Middle Levels and the Great Ouse, we don't seem to be passing many boats. To be honest though I'm happy to see things getting busy for the hire boat businesses, or do we want them to go out of business?

 

With regards to helping out at locks though it can be easy to prejudge. One of the few occasions we met a boat coming the other way was a hire boat at Priory Lock on the Middle Levels. After helping out with the lock I then took my boat in to go up and once in position a helpful young girl with a windlass started winding up the gate paddle on the opposite side to where I'd positioned the boat. I mistakenly thought that it was a girl off the hire boat and after she had wound the paddle halfway up I called across to say,"That is fine there thanks" she didn't take the hint and continued winding the paddle to the top whilst I called across a bit more forcefully. I turned out that she was nothing to do with hire boat and was a young relative of the lady sitting on the balance beam, who turned out to be the lock-keeper. She didn't seem that pleased for a mere boater to be telling her what to do, asking,"Have you been down here before?" I haven't, but I do know how I like my locks to be operated, and winding the gate paddle to the top on the opposite side to the boat isn't my preferred method.

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  • 2 weeks later...
1 minute ago, Hudds Lad said:

we did but saw nobody, just a shiny boat and some washing :)

 

did pass @ditchcrawler though who seemed a bit nonplussed at my enthusiastic greetings :D 

 

Pity we missed you, did you pass yesterday morning? I was out attending a hospital appointment.

 

Maybe next time.

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3 hours ago, cuthound said:

 

Pity we missed you, did you pass yesterday morning? I was out attending a hospital appointment.

 

Maybe next time.

Weds or Thurs, can't remember which. back on next week but not sure which direction we're headed, really enjoyed the part of the Coventry that we did, far nicer than we'd anticipated.

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5 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

Weds or Thurs, can't remember which. back on next week but not sure which direction we're headed, really enjoyed the part of the Coventry that we did, far nicer than we'd anticipated.

 

I have hospital appointments in the morning and also in the afternoon of this Thursday but will look out for you if I'm in.

 

Yes the Coventry canal from Hawkesbury to Fradley isn't at all bad, even Nuneaton is much better than it used to be. The bit from Hawkesbury into Coventry is a bit dirty, but was improving when Excellence Afloat had their hire base there. Time will tell if the improvement continues or if it reverts back to its old self.

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On 18/07/2020 at 21:32, Wanderer Vagabond said:

She didn't seem that pleased for a mere boater to be telling her what to do, asking,"Have you been down here before?"

 

If she had known anything about the subject she would have known that the person on the arsend of the boat is in charge of locking operations. Without exception.

 

Back on topic. it occurs to me that the busier it is over the school holidays, the better the chances that we'll still have a reasonably well maintained network. Use it or lose it!

 

 

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1 hour ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

If she had known anything about the subject she would have known that the person on the arsend of the boat is in charge of locking operations. Without exception.

 

Back on topic. it occurs to me that the busier it is over the school holidays, the better the chances that we'll still have a reasonably well maintained network. Use it or lose it!

 

 

Interestingly I had a conversation with the owner of a boat who breasted up alongside me in Ely last night, and it appears that as a lockie she does indeed leave a lot to be desired. They narrated a tale to me of where they were going though the lock a while back when a former bridge was over the lock. As the boat rose the tiller jammed under the low bridge and started to force the back of the boat down. The lady on the boat who I was talking to said that she saw what was happening immediately and began to shut the paddle on her side. The 'lockie' asked her what she was doing and why she was doing it, apparently totally oblivious to the trapped boat. I think I shall take even more care on the way back:unsure:.

 

As far as how busy the waterways are, I am glad to see it and hope that the hire firms get a really good season out of it. Talking to hire company in Ely, all of their boats are out on hire at the moment and he said that bookings are looking really good at the moment. I like to see busy waterways because 1) I'm in no rush and 2) I like a bit of a challenge.

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On 18/07/2020 at 21:32, Wanderer Vagabond said:

If you are in search of quiet waters, the section I'm on at the moment probably fits the bill, River Nene, Middle Levels and the Great Ouse, we don't seem to be passing many boats. To be honest though I'm happy to see things getting busy for the hire boat businesses, or do we want them to go out of business?

 

With regards to helping out at locks though it can be easy to prejudge. One of the few occasions we met a boat coming the other way was a hire boat at Priory Lock on the Middle Levels. After helping out with the lock I then took my boat in to go up and once in position a helpful young girl with a windlass started winding up the gate paddle on the opposite side to where I'd positioned the boat. I mistakenly thought that it was a girl off the hire boat and after she had wound the paddle halfway up I called across to say,"That is fine there thanks" she didn't take the hint and continued winding the paddle to the top whilst I called across a bit more forcefully. I turned out that she was nothing to do with hire boat and was a young relative of the lady sitting on the balance beam, who turned out to be the lock-keeper. She didn't seem that pleased for a mere boater to be telling her what to do, asking,"Have you been down here before?" I haven't, but I do know how I like my locks to be operated, and winding the gate paddle to the top on the opposite side to the boat isn't my preferred method.

You crossed Maureen 

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