When are busiest times?

[Graham Bowers]

For the first time since I've been boating I will not be made to take the last week in July and first week in August by my employer. Hopefully I can find a quieter time than usual.

Are there any obvious "peak" weeks between the last week in July and the first week in September please or is it pretty much the same?

We are talking Midlands canals here. T&M, Coventry, Oxford, Grand Union, Birmingham and Fazely.

Thanks

Graham

[mrsmelly]

For the first time since I've been boating I will not be made to take the last week in July and first week in August by my employer. Hopefully I can find a quieter time than usual.

Are there any obvious "peak" weeks between the last week in July and the first week in September please or is it pretty much the same?

We are talking Midlands canals here. T&M, Coventry, Oxford, Grand Union, Birmingham and Fazely.

Thanks

Graham

 

Over the years we have found its best never to take the boat out at weekends, bank holidays or any kids school holidays. The rest of the time is great.

[DickBrowne]

I'd say that around our patch of the GU (Milton Keynes, and it's environs), it's much of a muchness over the summer break. That said, I've never felt that it's really busy, and although there is some queueing around the hire-boat yards around handover day, even that moves reasonably quickly.

[alan_fincher]

I'd say pretty much the same throughout the school summer holiday period.

 

Take a look at some hire boat prices. If they are charging the same throughout, it's a fair bet they are hoping to be fully let throughout.

 

If you are not restricted to school holidays, then when hire bases are charging least is a fair bet of being the least busy times, I'd say.

[muddywaters]

Never been busy when we go, then again we go the first week in October lol.

[Chalky]

We've done the south Oxford several times in the school holidays. We usually aim to be a day ahead or behind the hire fleet, so we arrive at quiet times. Areas such as Banbury can be busy, but its just pot luck.

Avoid going through Cropredy during the festival. Several miles of moored boats. Can also lead to a few long waits at locks when everyone leaves - 4 hours last year. Also got stuck for a day at Kidlington, but that was due to a "police incident" closing the canal.

In the school holidays any incident tends to be magnified and have more effect due to the amount of traffic - just like on the roads.

[Graham Bowers]

Thanks all.

I think we'll probably go last week in Aug and 1st week in Sept as many schools are back the second week.

We've never had real problems as we are usually up and away early in the morning and moored up by lunchtime so miss a lot of traffic as the crew slumber.

Graham

[skpt]

just a thought but the weeks of gcse and 'a' level results may be quieter

[DickBrowne]

The week between Christmas and New Year was pretty quiet this year...

 

OK, I'll get m'coat

[steveiom]

very busy in july.including traffic jams,at locks,Great Hayward.

Edited January 20, 2011 by steveiom