The Big Getaway....or not...

[matty40s]

Easter used to be the first big holiday on the canals, hire boats all out, and lots of private boats dusting off the cobwebs, even if just for the long weekend.

So where is everyone?

We have only had one boat pass us this morning, a Kate Boat, other than that, nothing since leaving the mooring after work at 4 yesterday.

Apparently yesterday the Watford flight only saw 7 boats all day.

What a glorious day to have the canals to ourselves.

[Mike Hurley]

That looks great, enjoy the break.

[MtB]

I think its the weather. We still aren't getting any.

 

 

[Guest]

Given the price of hiring a boat, especially in the school hols. I would say not particularly surprising.

 

Can't comment on private boats though, other than possibly the price of diesel and general living costs are possibly curtailing people's plans.

[MtB]

 

I'm still lazing about in the country cottage rather than being out boating...

 

[PCSB]

I think they are all heading towards Chester & Ellesmere Port. Loads have past us in the last couple of days. Many have been historic or working boats too, and lovely it has been

[Lily Rose]

Seemed pretty busy Napton to Braunston earlier this week, plenty of moving boats along there but not so many moored. They all seemed to end up in Braunston, we had a very limited choice of moorings when we arrived mid-afternoon on Tuesday. Lovely weather on Tuesday, rather less lovely Wednesday and Thursday. Of course it's lovely again now we're back home for Easter!

[haggis]

Quite busy at Anderton with a couple of boats on the holding mooring. 

[Bacchus]

Well they say every picture tells a story, and this tells the story of the  Thames today (well, yesterday, but it hasn't changed...)

 

[MtB]

53 minutes ago, Bacchus said:

Well they say every picture tells a story, and this tells the story of the  Thames today (well, yesterday, but it hasn't changed...)

 

 

 

This is good news, Shirley! 

 

The canal reservoirs might stand a chance of being half full by now...

 

 

[jpcdriver]

Beautiful sunny day up in Yorkshire this morning and 3 boats went out of the marina in convoy.

Edited April 7, 2023 by jpcdriver
improve clarity

[matty40s]

19 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

The canal reservoirs might stand a chance of being half full by now...

 

 

 

[MtB]

Excellent news. I heard on the BBC at the end of Feb the country's reservoirs were approximately half full and we faced water shortages early this summer unless we had sustained heavy rain for a couple of months at least.

 

I imagined this applied to CRT reservoirs too but clearly not.

 

 

[Paul C]

Aren't most hireboat handovers about 2-3pm Saturday? I know a few do Friday handovers to space things out.

[Annie cariad]

Just got to long itchington plenty moorings only seen four boats since Leamington .Duck on the pond calling for dinner tonight 

[robtheplod]

We've been moving the boat from Ventnor up to Chester this week.... weather is great one day, soggy the next!  not many boats moving...  have noticed on maybe 40% of the dual locks one of them left not working...

 

[Bacchus]

1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

 

This is good news, Shirley! 

 

The canal reservoirs might stand a chance of being half full by now...

 

 

 

 

Half full of what though? I have just been for a walk in the beautiful sunshine and seen an EA warning saying that the river is "polluted with raw sewage". We always know that, but it must be pretty bad if they think to put a warning sign up...

[matty40s]

1 hour ago, Paul C said:

Aren't most hireboat handovers about 2-3pm Saturday? I know a few do Friday handovers to space things out.

Most hire companies in the midlands seem to run Friday to Friday now, allows them to do weekend breaks and midweek breaks if a full week isnt required

[magnetman]

46 minutes ago, Bacchus said:

 

 

Half full of what though? I have just been for a walk in the beautiful sunshine and seen an EA warning saying that the river is "polluted with raw sewage". We always know that, but it must be pretty bad if they think to put a warning sign up...

Was this in the Thames? 

 

 

Red boards all over so not many people out on boats this weekend I think. 

 

 

Interested by the signage I've never seen such a thing by the River. 

 

Maybe you meant a smaller river. 

[GUMPY]

3 hours ago, Bacchus said:

Well they say every picture tells a story, and this tells the story of the  Thames today (well, yesterday, but it hasn't changed...)

 

Much the same in Anglian Region. Would have been a nice few days boating this week only one wet morning, still never mind boat is nearly empty of all our stuff, so I think the pub is called for.

[Lily Rose]

2 hours ago, Paul C said:

Aren't most hireboat handovers about 2-3pm Saturday? I know a few do Friday handovers to space things out.

I think Friday, Saturday and Monday afternoons are still the busiest for handover but after the first Covid lockdown they started spreading them throughout the week. One of the Calcutt staff told me at the time that Hoseasons had encouraged this. It seems some (many?) hire bases have continued this to some degree. We went up Calcutt locks last Sunday and a Calcutt hire boat was in the top lock getting tuition. They were doing Sunday to Wednesday.

[Guest]

Possibly all doing non boating breaks in Yorkshire - the roads around here have been extremely busy this morning, with a constant stream of traffic heading towards Whitby, Scarborough. Cant recall it being this busy since the end of lockdown.

[matty40s]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

Was this in the Thames? 

 

 

Red boards all over so not many people out on boats this weekend I think. 

 

 

Interested by the signage I've never seen such a thing by the River. 

 

Maybe you meant a smaller river. 

Its every bloody river at the moment, got to keep Athys shares dividend up.

[magnetman]

Indeed. I'm in Berkshire and out on the launch shortly. Doesn't seem to be a shit problem here so I am wondering where it got in. I think @Bacchus is further down in Surrey so maybe there has been an event somewhere. 

 

River still going like the clappers and most weirs fully drawn. I did see Marsh lock shut in a few feet on his gates yesterday afternoon so its slowing down. Marsh always a good one to watch as it is a gauging weir with no overspill. 

 

More rain next week in the forecast. 

I suppose the reference to sewage could be something to do with the idiot swimmers. There seem to be fewer of them this year maybe the effect if the covids has worn off. 

Actually looking at the levels quite a few more feet shut in at Marsh lock earlier today as well. 

 

Maybe some people can use their boats on the Monday?

Edited April 7, 2023 by magnetman

[Rob-M]

Been fairly quiet between Great Haywood and Stone.  Was busy in Great Haywood but it was all traders there for the floating market over the weekend.