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1 week on the Llangollen


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Saturday 2 October 2010

Left home around 10.45 and headed for the the station by bus without any incident.

 

All trains (we had to get 2) where on time and we arrived at Ruabon station about 13.50 and looked for a taxi which we where unable to find but did notice a bus stop with a time table.

After checking the time table we noticed a bus was due at 14.20 going to Trevor which is where we had to join the boat.

We where lucky with the bus as the road it normaly uses was closed and the diversion ment it had to virtually stop outside the boat hire base.

Arriving at the hire base we reported to reception where we where shown to the boat (silver dew) and where told when we had settled in to report back to reception and they would send someone to show us around the boat and complete the hand over.

Anyway hand over procedure completed we where ready to start the cruise but from where the boat was moored we could see a boat coming towards us on the Pontcysyllte aqueduct so had to wait behind another boat crossing in the same direction as us.

When the aqueduct was clear we followed the other boat across then passed the lift bridge after lifting it of course lol and moored on the visitor moorings at Froncysyllte for the night

 

Sunday 3 October 2010

Really we needed to make an early start today but over slept, the cruise plan was to make a long travel distance for 2 days going out and then return in short hops so the plan for today was to moor up between Hindford and Frankton junction.

After over sleeping we left around 10.00 so had a lot of time to make up.

moving along making good time we soon arrived at Whitehouses Tunnel and continued on towards Chirk.

We got passed the Chirk Tunnel and over the Chirk aqueduct without any problems taking on water at the waterpoint just before the New Marton Locks eventually reaching the New Marton Top Lock which we went down with a little help from the crew of a boat following us to speed things up arriving at the bottom lock we where helped by the crew of a boat waiting to come up.

Moving on and eventually reaching a very small village (about 10 houses and a pub) where we moored for the day by bridge 7W.

for

Monday 4 October 2010

The start of another long distance to cover and once again we over slept setting off for Whitchurch about 09.30.

Passing Frankton Junction without any problems we proceeded towards Ellesmere where we arrived about 12.00 and encountered our first minor challenge mainly there where to many boats at the water point and we could not get in to top up our water tank, no problem we thought we can always top up at at the next water point at bridge 48 but we could not get in there either for the same reason (this has happened to us before and we just ration what water we have till the next day.

We eventually arrived at Whitchurch at 17.30 very tired.

But we did have one final incident today, about 22.30 Rose told me we had run out of water but after some time I discovered that we had not run out of water at all, the water pump had been switched off by mistake.

 

Tuesday 5 October 2010

This was to be the day we turned and was also the day we started the short hops rather than long cruisers so we could afford to sleep in, yes you geussed it we where up and about early lol.

Before leaving we took a walk the canal to Grindley Brook to see the 3 staircase locks so we eventually left Whitchurch at 10.30.

Headiing back towards Ellesmere where we intended over nighting alongside Blake Mere we arrived at the waterpoint at bridge 48 again but this time there where no other boats there so we where able to top up with water.

After filling the water tank we set off again passed Prees Junction and Whixall moss arriving at Blake Mere about 14.30 where we spent the night.

Wednesday 6 October 2010

Setting off around 10.00 for Chirk we arrived at the BW yard at Ellesmere to find no boats at the waterpoint so took the chance to fill up there rather than filling up at New Marton top lock again.

Another thing which speeded us up through the lift bridges on this section was that we where behind another boat who's crew raised the bridges and left them up for us leaving us to close them.

Moving on we made such good time that we stopped for lunch at the same place we had moored Sunday night.

Moving on we reach the New Marton bottom lock, while aprroaching the lock we saw a sight that brings joy to anyone on a canal boat when approaching locks, a boat had just left it which means the lock was already set for us to use.

But it got even better for us, because we where the only boat going up the lock and there where about 4 boats waiting to come down the crew of the first boat waiting told us to go straight into the lock and worked it for us for quickness.

As there where another 6 boats waiting to come down the next lock and us the only ones going up again this time a couple of crew members off the other boats helped Rose work the lock.

After the locks it was a steady cruise to Chirk with no challenges and we arrived at Chirk around 15.00 where we moored for the night having a small drink in the pub.

Thursday 7 October 2010

One important peace of information about the Llangollen canal is it is one of only a few canals with a current and the current is strongest on the shallowest part.

This today was the part of the cruise I had 1 or 2 fears about, the plan was to cruise back to Trevor but instead of turning right into the hire base turn left and head for Llangollen.

The reason I had fears about it was because al the guides warn that the canal between Trevor and Llangollen is very shallow and also has 3 sections that are 1 way working meaning 2 boats cannot pass each other.

Anyway the first section Chirk back to Trevor went well and we soon arrived at the Poncysyllte aqueduct but I knew my biggest challenge would not be in crossing the aqueduct sitting on the side of the boat alongside the 126ft drop that was a doddle lol but it would making the tight left turn and what lay ahead of me on that section of the canal.

As it happened my fears where groundless, the canal was no where as shallow as I thought it would be even though it was fairly shallow.

Even the one way working sections where not really a problem as Rose just went ahead with her mobile and called me when it was clear telling any other boats approaching there was a boat coming the other way.

Working to this system we soon arrived at Llangollen where we had a decision to make, do we moor on the towpath or in the marina and decided on the marina so went along the final one way working section and turned right into the marina.

Tying the boat up I went and found the mooring attendant to pay the £6 nightly mooring charge then went with Rose up the feeder canal to the very end (this section is to shallow for boats) at the horseshoe falls.

Friday 8 October 2010

We had no plans for where we wanted to head for on Friday so had a walk around the town in Llangollen finding a shop I could not walk past, it was called the fudge factory lol.

About 11.00 we untied the boat after filling up with water (each pontoon had it's own water supply) and I reversed away from the pontoon into the centre of the marina, Had an unaventful cruise back to Trevor where we crossed the aqueduct again and went as far as Chirk marina where we winded (turned round) in the winding hole and headed back to the same place we had moored on the first night.

I then went on a short walk to the hire base to find out if they wanted us to turn the boat around before mooring when we took it back the next day (which they did lol)

Saturday 9 October 2010

Getting up at 07.00 we headed back to the hire base at 08.10 arriving back at 08.32, to turn the boat around as they wanted involved heading down to the winding hole at the end of the arm turning and coming back So me being so confident reversing now and as there where no moving boats around I winded at the junction and reverse into the hire base.

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Oh and apologise for anywhere I might have stated the obvious in, tried to edit the explanations out when I posted but just in case I missed any.

It was originally posted as a blog on myspace and most reading it know very little about boating.

So had to explain what terms like winding meant that sort of thing

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Oh and apologise for anywhere I might have stated the obvious in, tried to edit the explanations out when I posted but just in case I missed any.

It was originally posted as a blog on myspace and most reading it know very little about boating.

So had to explain what terms like winding meant that sort of thing

 

No need to apologise - thanks for the trip report.

 

One thing that probably does need some explanation/discussion is the need to top-up the water tank on a daily basis. I believe that some hire companies tell their hirers to top-up with water on a daily basis. I would have thought it better if they explained the need to be economical with water consumption instead.

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No need to apologise - thanks for the trip report.

 

One thing that probably does need some explanation/discussion is the need to top-up the water tank on a daily basis. I believe that some hire companies tell their hirers to top-up with water on a daily basis. I would have thought it better if they explained the need to be economical with water consumption instead.

Although every hire firm we have been with have advised to top up with water every day we have not always done so.

As you say if you are economical ith it as we try to be you won't run out.

But we just like to top up as and when we have a chance, sometimes it is because we just need to kill a bit of time after making good progress.

Such as in an occasion when we where planning on staying over night in Manchester but arrived before 12 mid day lol.

Am always mis judging lock miles and end up allowing to much time, still better than not allowing enough and panicking about getting back to the hire base on time

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Perhaps a family of six who have showers twice a day would need to fill every day, but most would cope with a couple of days of "normal" household water usage without problems I'd have thought. Either that or they are putting really small tanks in hire boats.

 

Mike

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  • 2 weeks later...

hey Muddy waters hope your well. we was on the Llangollen the same week. we picked up "roa Island fromblackwater meadow marina on the sun 3/10 our first night we moored outside the Jack Mytton at hindford just below new marton locks. is this the pub you mention?

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hey Muddy waters hope your well. we was on the Llangollen the same week. we picked up "roa Island fromblackwater meadow marina on the sun 3/10 our first night we moored outside the Jack Mytton at hindford just below new marton locks. is this the pub you mention?

We probably passed each other going in opposite directions lol, we where just further along from the Jack Mytton by the cross over bridgethat was originally form horses to change side when the towpath did.

Anyway can't work out how to post pics on here so here is a linky to my, myspace album with all the Llangollen photo's in

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We probably passed each other going in opposite directions lol, we where just further along from the Jack Mytton by the cross over bridgethat was originally form horses to change side when the towpath did.

Anyway can't work out how to post pics on here so here is a linky to my, myspace album with all the Llangollen photo's in

 

 

 

hi mate aww pitty i wasnt on here then we could have met up for a chat....the link isnt working just takes me to myspace main page. pitty love nosing at boaters pics lol

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hi mate aww pitty i wasnt on here then we could have met up for a chat....the link isnt working just takes me to myspace main page. pitty love nosing at boaters pics lol

Will check that link out later, might have set the album to private by mistake lol

 

Re done the link this one worked when I tested it out

 

http://www.myspace.com/themusicmanonms/photos/albums/llangollen-canal-2010/947039#mssrc=SitesPhotos_SP_AlbumCover_ViewAlbum

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