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Marinas for lock free cruising?

Drizzt

By Drizzt
in Moorings & Marinas

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Drizzt Explorer

Drizzt

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Hi All,

 

My wife and i have been taking narrow boat holidays for a few years now and are very keen on the idea of getting a small 30-40 foot narrow boat for a month or two cruising at a time. We would probably spend 6 months on the boat cruising.

We have been on the T&M and the Bridgewater canals & would love to have a marina mooring that gives us a fair few miles of simple cruising either lock free or limited number of locks.

This is mainly from a health/physical point of view rather than anything. We dont do huge miles when we cruise probably limit our cruising to around 4 hours max a day.

 

As our experience of the whole network is limited, i would be very grateful if others have some views on sections that we may find suitable.

I have looked at the Lanky & its very appealing (although a bit of a travel for us) but welcome others views and advice.


Many thanks.

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beerbeerbeerbeerbeer Veteran II

beerbeerbeerbeerbeer

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Posted (edited)

Gas Street Basin. 

Lots of 4hr cruises from there
and if you do 3 locks you get a whole other level to explore and can go Wolverhampton. 
You can get on the Wyrley and Essington and go Pelsall. 


You can go Alvechurch

Hockley Heath

..and all the places in between. 
 


 

 

Edited by Goliath
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Jon57 Rising Star

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Posted
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59 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Gas Street Basin. 

Lots of 4hr cruises from there
and if you do 3 locks you get a whole other level to explore and can go Wolverhampton. 
You can get on the Wyrley and Essington and go Pelsall. 


You can go Alvechurch

Hockley Heath

..and all the places in between. 
 


 

 

Some good pubs on this stretch as well. 🍺🤪 

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doratheexplorer Veteran

doratheexplorer

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Posted (edited)

Do you specifically want a marina, or just a permanent mooring?  There's are lots of linear moorings on the Southern part of the Shroppie, and you'd have 25 miles of cruising with just one easy lock in the middle.

 

Or from the top of Grindley Brook to Llangollen is 32 miles and just 2 locks, and it's a very pretty canal (although popular).

Edited by doratheexplorer
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GUMPY Veteran II

GUMPYDonate to Canal World

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14 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

Yelvertoft or Crick?  Gives ~20 miles or so without locks on GU Leicester Arm....

And the locks at either end are manned so that adds even more places to go. 

Pity there is a lock to get to Welford 😱

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RichLech Community Regular

RichLech

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We used to be moored at Ventnor Farm. Once through the three Callcutt locks (can be avoided if you moor at Wigrams Turn) could travel along to Braunston (always worth a visit) and then north on the North Oxford. Through Rugby to just three locks at Hillmorton then one very easy lock at Hawkesbury junction. On to the Coventry canal and access to the Ashby.  

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Drizzt Explorer

Drizzt

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Not too bothered really. In an ideal world it would be a marina so we have others around us, access to electric to keep the batteries charged & somewhere to park. But if a linear mooring was much cheaper, would be happy to look at that providing we could park nearby.

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doratheexplorer Veteran

doratheexplorer

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6 minutes ago, Drizzt said:

Not too bothered really. In an ideal world it would be a marina so we have others around us, access to electric to keep the batteries charged & somewhere to park. But if a linear mooring was much cheaper, would be happy to look at that providing we could park nearby.

Whixall Marina then

 

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Silent Flight Collaborator

Silent Flight

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15 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

And the locks at either end are manned so that adds even more places to go. 

Pity there is a lock to get to Welford 😱

Good point about the manned locks either end.
 

Welford lock is pretty new. Not newly designed just recent refurb. So a nice lock as locks go!

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MtB Veteran II

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Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Drizzt said:

Not too bothered really. In an ideal world it would be a marina so we have others around us, access to electric to keep the batteries charged & somewhere to park. But if a linear mooring was much cheaper, would be happy to look at that providing we could park nearby.

 

CRT online moorings have become so expensive recently that marina moorings with car parking and power laid on don't cost much more.

 

Mind you, mooring on line can be worth it to avoid other boaters ;) 

 

 

 

 

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Arthur Marshall Veteran II

Arthur Marshall

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Bear in mind you need to be fairly close to the boat so it isn't a chore checking up on it, or just going out for a few days. I rarely do more than three hours running a day, and it's seldom there's more than a lock or two unless you're on the T&M. And they aren't really a problem, they break the journey up a bit. Just chugging lock free gets a bit dull.

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Tim Lewis Veteran

Tim Lewis

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Drizzt said:

Hi All,

 

My wife and i have been taking narrow boat holidays for a few years now and are very keen on the idea of getting a small 30-40 foot narrow boat for a month or two cruising at a time. We would probably spend 6 months on the boat cruising.

We have been on the T&M and the Bridgewater canals & would love to have a marina mooring that gives us a fair few miles of simple cruising either lock free or limited number of locks.

This is mainly from a health/physical point of view rather than anything. We dont do huge miles when we cruise probably limit our cruising to around 4 hours max a day.

 

As our experience of the whole network is limited, i would be very grateful if others have some views on sections that we may find suitable.

I have looked at the Lanky & its very appealing (although a bit of a travel for us) but welcome others views and advice.


Many thanks.


Willowtree Marina or Highline on the Paddington Arm, best part of 30 mikes lock free cruising 😀

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GUMPY Veteran II

GUMPYDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted (edited)

To Cowley lock, Camden lock and Norwood top lock.

Won't find many places to moor 

OH I forgot you can also go all the way to Slough 🤔

 

Edited by GUMPY
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