can anyone help

[ryangericks]

i have booked a holiday with this canal boaat company .i have been trying to work out which way to go as their seem so many options i am totally confused i have a week to travel o n the canal .i am totally new to this but am looking forward imensley to my journey .can anyone offer advice please

[Yoda]

i have booked a holiday with this canal boaat company .i have been trying to work out which way to go as their seem so many options i am totally confused i have a week to travel o n the canal .i am totally new to this but am looking forward imensley to my journey .can anyone offer advice please

 

It does help to know where your starting from!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RLWP]

It does help to know where your starting from!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Portharb's website says:

 

"Our vessels are permanently moored in Worcester, based in Northwick Marina on the River Severn. Worcester is a beautiful, historic and scenic city in the heart of the Three Counties"

 

Portharb website

 

Richard

 

Avon ring, Black Country ring?

[Graham Davis]

If they are permanently moored in Northwick Marina, how can they go anywhere?

 

(Add: since when has the "hole in the wall" at Northwick been a Marina?)

[Naughty Cal]

The website doesnt really tell you that much about the company.

[RichardH]

Don't know much about them apart from they trade on e-bay and run ex-Black Prince boats. Ex-BP's are generally pretty good boats.

[PaulG]

i have booked a holiday with this canal boaat company .i have been trying to work out which way to go as their seem so many options i am totally confused i have a week to travel o n the canal .i am totally new to this but am looking forward imensley to my journey .can anyone offer advice please

Personally, I wouldn't try to do any of the "rings" in a week. Unless you have a plenty of enthusiastic crew on board and are prepared to cruise for long hours, it's not going to be much of a holiday.

 

You can go up the Severn to just above Stourport, and south to Gloucester, where you can join the Gloucester and Sharpness canal.

 

If you want to do narrow canals, you have the choice of the Worcester and Birmingham (join at Diglis in Worcester) or the Staffs & Worcs, which you can join at Stourport.

 

The W & B is a nice canal, but eventually you will reach the 30 locks of the Tardebigge flight. Unless you are feeling energetic, turn here!

 

I like the Staffs & Worcs, nice scenery, nice villages and decent pubs.

 

Of course, you can also go down to Tewkesbury and go up the Avon (which is a much nicer river than the Severn) although you will have to pay, and visitor moorings are in short supply.

 

I'd suggest that you visit Nick Atty's Canal Planner where you will be able to get a good idea of the time it takes to get to various places, and also there is a "virtual cruise" feature, where you can see a sequence of photos of the area you will be travelling through.

 

Enjoy your holiday!

[adam1uk]

Or you could completely ignore the above advice and do the Stourport ring, which is easily done in a week.

 

And don't be put off by the locks. The Tardebigge flight is hard work because of the sheer number of locks, but you get a sense of achievement when you get to the top (and it doesn't take nearly as long as the canal planners suggest). I've never seen the attraction in "lock-free cruising"; locks are some of the most interesting things on the canals, and you won't get very far if you try to avoid them.

 

So if you want an energetic week, DO try a ring.

[harleyj]

I've never seen the attraction in "lock-free cruising"; locks are some of the most interesting things on the canals, and you won't get very far if you try to avoid them.

I think all first timers should, if they are reasonably fit, never avoid a section of canal because it may have numerous locks. This is the place to meet people from all over the world.

[magpie patrick]

My suggestion would be, if you feel energetic, go up the Staffs and Worcs, if you find you are making a reasonable pace go up Wolverhampton Locks (ignore the nay sayers who say they take seven hours, I've done them single handed in three) and then come back via the Stourbridge Canal doing the bottom bit of the S and W again back to Stourport.

 

This is a tad shorter than the big ring which takes in the Worcs and Brum, and if you decide on day two you want a leisurely pace then you can change your mind and turn round Tuesday Lunchtime, without having to do a big flight of locks twice.

 

Paul G, keep spreading these malicious rumours about the Severn, we like having it to ourselves

[PaulG]

Paul G, keep spreading these malicious rumours about the Severn, we like having it to ourselves

 

I'm working on it. One day I hope to be able to get onto the visitors pontoon at Upton...

 

 

I've never seen the attraction in "lock-free cruising"; locks are some of the most interesting things on the canals, and you won't get very far if you try to avoid them.

 

Of the 58 locks on the W&B, only 30 of them are in the Tardebigge flight. The other 28 locks in about 17 miles of canal is hardly "lock free"!

[trish1400]

Hi,

 

Sorry to drag up an old post but am also looking into Portharb boats and wondered how the original poster got on, or if anyone else has used them.

 

At present the Portharb boats on the Stourport ring look ideal for our needs. I'm not too bothered if they are basic (it matches our budget) but I'd be interested to know more about the company - is it well run, are the boats ready on arrival, cleaned, refueled, toilets pumped out etc, has anyone had bad or very good experiences with dealing with them?

 

Thanks,

Trish

 

P.S Just in case anyone knows of an alternative option for my situation -

 

Ten of us went canal boating last year and loved it but only 3 of us have the holiday to do a full week again this year. Some friends have said they would like to join for a few days if then can - and we feel the more the merrier. So I'm looking for a large boat (6-10 berths) that is affordable between the 3 of us (e.g. <£900 for a week) between Sun 5th and Sun 19th of Sept. The 3 definites are not in relationships (with each other) so some space would be preferred. We're also quite keen to do a ring.

[portharb holidays]

If they are permanently moored in Northwick Marina, how can they go anywhere?

 

(Add: since when has the "hole in the wall" at Northwick been a Marina?)

 

its always been registered as a marina for 40 years even if it wasnt used as one

 

its always been registered as a marina for 40 years even if it wasnt used as one

 

As for the previous comment....well ???

 

Don't know much about them apart from they trade on e-bay and run ex-Black Prince boats. Ex-BP's are generally pretty good boats.

 

Thank you they are good boats .. Oh and yes ebay is one of our outlets but there are many

 

The website doesnt really tell you that much about the company.

 

Websites could learn a lot from our approach, get down to the basics no Frills you get value for money

[RLWP]

its always been registered as a marina for 40 years even if it wasnt used as one

 

 

 

As for the previous comment....well ???

 

 

 

Thank you they are good boats .. Oh and yes ebay is one of our outlets but there are many

 

 

 

Websites could learn a lot from our approach, get down to the basics no Frills you get value for money

 

Welcome to the forum

 

Why have you tried to revive a conversation from 2009?

 

Richard

[Mick_B]

its always been registered as a marina for 40 years even if it wasnt used as one

 

 

 

As for the previous comment....well ???

 

 

 

Thank you they are good boats .. Oh and yes ebay is one of our outlets but there are many

 

 

 

Websites could learn a lot from our approach, get down to the basics no Frills you get value for money

Yes Welcome to the forum.

 

 

richard was it not last posted to in 2010??

[RLWP]

Yes Welcome to the forum.

 

 

richard was it not last posted to in 2010??

 

Have they replied to the 2010 posts?

 

Richard

[portharb holidays]

Welcome to the forum

 

Why have you tried to revive a conversation from 2009?

 

Richard

 

Thank you, No reason just catching up and thought it warranted a reply