Four Counties Ring it is then but cw or anticw ?

[Bring back]

Hello All,

 

Many thanks for your replies re Four Counties / Cheshire Ring. I've looked up the estimated daylight hours and in Sept it's about 6.45am to 7.00pm.

The others I'm going with have no problems with 12hr days so we should, in theory, be ok.

 

My next question, assuming we pick up the boat at 4.00pm from Stoke, is, should we go clockwise or anti clockwise around the ring. ?

If we go anti-cw then it'll be mooring at the South side of the Harecastle tunnel for the night. After looking at previous threads, no real problem except we'd lose a couple of hours possible crusing time.

 

Many thanks

[John Orentas]

It is probably a good idea to do it that way given that you are likely to be held up at the tunnel anyway. That way you will be guaranteed to be in the first convoy, for the rest of the week you will know exactly where you stand. You will also be launching into Heartbrake Hill on the first day while still fit and eager, that will be the toughest day.

 

Doing it the other way you would you would need to be at the tunnel the night before to get the boat back the following morning. Not much in it really.

[estima]

Hello All,

 

Many thanks for your replies re Four Counties / Cheshire Ring. I've looked up the estimated daylight hours and in Sept it's about 6.45am to 7.00pm.

The others I'm going with have no problems with 12hr days so we should, in theory, be ok.

 

My next question, assuming we pick up the boat at 4.00pm from Stoke, is, should we go clockwise or anti clockwise around the ring. ?

If we go anti-cw then it'll be mooring at the South side of the Harecastle tunnel for the night. After looking at previous threads, no real problem except we'd lose a couple of hours possible crusing time.

 

Many thanks

28291[/snapback]

 

I'm not entirely sure where you are picking up your boat from ? Would it be the marina in Etruria on the South side of the tunnel? If this is the case, and you can get away early afternoon, then I'd head anti-clockwise for the tunnel and see if you can get through it that afternoon. Once on the North side, there are quite a few pubs to pick from and I'd highly recommend The Red Bull. I did the four counties in a week in June, and this was by far and away the best pub, both in terms of ale and food. If you don't get away until later (3pm for instance), and you wanted a night out on the Saturday, I would go clockwise. If you went anti and where moored ready for harecastle the following morning, then it is a good two miles uphill walk to any boozer, and even then they are only a couple and they are in the rough areas of Goldenhill/Sandyford/Tunstall. Go clockwise and you should reach Stone which is altogether more pleasant. I have to say, that my preference is anti-clockwise. Not sure why this is though ! It will all depend on what time you can get away I suppose. We tried the trick of turning up early on the chance that the boat would be ready but had no joy. I would imagine though that in September, there may be more chance of an early kick off.

Edited August 24, 2005 by estima

[Bring back]

Many thanks for the replies.

 

We are indeed picking our boat up from Etruria but I doubt we'll be able get it before 4.00pm

 

We'll probably go anti-clockwise and get the tunnel completed at the very beginning istead of the very end, even if that does mean a very short first day and a stay on the southisde overnight.