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Bought the boat, need to bring her South - Help!


Rob99fla

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Hi there

 

My name is Rob and my partner is Caroline and we are from West Dorset (no canals here) Have just bought a lovely 46' Trad from up north but the owner will take her to Sawley for us. We(I) then need to take her south to Kidlington, near Oxford where I have arranged a mooring. Now the interesting bit. Call me mad but the only narrow boat I have been on is a hire boat back in the 80's so I have very little experience.

 

I have looked up the journey on CanalPlanAC. Looks like a 9 day journey but I guess it will take longer. I dont think we can do this in one hit and I might have to be single handed for a bit.

 

So, all you experienced narrow boaters out there. Come to our rescue. Will I be OK? Is it OK to leave the boat moored for a couple of weeks and come back? Will I get lost??

 

Looking forward to any replies but please not "what do you think you are doing - you must be mad". I already know this.

 

Here she is. Perhaps someone knows this boat?

 

1182-01.jpg

 

Many thanks in advance

 

Rob & Caroline

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I can understand your nervousness, and your pride in your new acquisition.

 

Why not ask another boater travelling in the same direction, if you can accompany them when you're solo?

 

You'll find most boaters are only too happy to impart their superior knowledge!

 

Good luck with the cruise. You will love it!

 

Tone

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Hi there

 

My name is Rob and my partner is Caroline and we are from West Dorset (no canals here) Have just bought a lovely 46' Trad from up north but the owner will take her to Sawley for us. We(I) then need to take her south to Kidlington, near Oxford where I have arranged a mooring. Now the interesting bit. Call me mad but the only narrow boat I have been on is a hire boat back in the 80's so I have very little experience.

 

I have looked up the journey on CanalPlanAC. Looks like a 9 day journey but I guess it will take longer. I dont think we can do this in one hit and I might have to be single handed for a bit.

 

So, all you experienced narrow boaters out there. Come to our rescue. Will I be OK? Is it OK to leave the boat moored for a couple of weeks and come back? Will I get lost??

 

Looking forward to any replies but please not "what do you think you are doing - you must be mad". I already know this.

 

Here she is. Perhaps someone knows this boat?

 

1182-01.jpg

 

Many thanks in advance

 

Rob & Caroline

 

Hi

 

I think I passed your new boat a couple of days ago on the Trent ?

I am going uphill so cant help this time but I am sure others will. I have just left a mooring at Thrupp, we had the Tea room there do you know it ? Have a good time.

 

Regards

 

Tim

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Hi

 

I think I passed your new boat a couple of days ago on the Trent ?

I am going uphill so cant help this time but I am sure others will. I have just left a mooring at Thrupp, we had the Tea room there do you know it ? Have a good time.

 

Regards

 

Tim

 

Hi Tim

 

That could be correct. Its moored on the Chesterfield Canal so goes up and down the Trent often.

 

Should be starting the journey in around 3-4 weeks.

 

Many thanks

 

Rob

 

Congratulations! I have admired Beatrice since she popped up for sale. I envy your comming adventure :)

 

So did I, Caprifool. I didn't have the money for 5-6 weeks so hoped she wouldn't be sold. Every bit as good as the pictures and the maintenance record is unbelievable!

 

Many thanks

 

Rob

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Being new to boating like you, and having gone through a similar thing (picked up a boat and spent a week moving it with zero previous experience), my suggestions would be:

 

1. Dont worry too much...steering it, and keeping it going forward is simple enough.

2. Locks get easier after you have done your first day.

3. The wind can really mess with your steering, unless you have a bowthruster.(I dont)

4. There are enough visitor moorings to find a place to sleep each day.

5. Make sure you have enough diesel, oil, water, gas etc so you dont have to worry along the way.

6. Try and break your trip up with some short stops at places along the way, if time allows.

7. Make sure you know which side to pass an oncoming boat.

8. Have a decent idea of where you might need to enter/leave rivers. (reversing if you miss a sign isn't fun)

9. Stay in the middle of the canal/river if there's a chance of sandbanks.

 

Congratulations on your new boat :) Have lot's of fun.

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I can understand your nervousness, and your pride in your new acquisition.

 

Why not ask another boater travelling in the same direction, if you can accompany them when you're solo?

 

You'll find most boaters are only too happy to impart their superior knowledge!

 

Good luck with the cruise. You will love it!

 

Tone

 

 

Many thanks, Tone. Everyone is confident except me. I am sure it will be a great adventure.

 

Many thanks

 

Rob

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Good luck! We'll be picking ours up soon (hopefully) and heading the other way!

 

Having very recently been brave enough to take over the tiller end of things, I can sympathise with the worries, but they're right in that once you've done the first bit it's so much easier and it all seems to click into place.

 

You'll be fine and it'll be wonderful. Enjoy your lovely new boat :)

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So, all you experienced narrow boaters out there. Come to our rescue. Will I be OK? Is it OK to leave the boat moored for a couple of weeks and come back? Will I get lost??

 

1. Yes

2. Why not try a marina en route & get a mooring for a couple of weeks? Otherwise, there should be plenty of safe mooring, just avoid time limited ones.

3.No, but a canal guide would be useful.

 

Welcome to the forum.

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Hi

 

 

 

I travelled from kidlington to Willington (T and M not far from Sawley - about 4 1/2 hours away). We did the trip in 5 days with two people. Granted, these were full days but it was great fun all the same. not advertising my blog but the journey north is described.

 

 

enjoy

 

 

 

Paul

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Hi there

 

My name is Rob and my partner is Caroline and we are from West Dorset (no canals here) Have just bought a lovely 46' Trad from up north but the owner will take her to Sawley for us. We(I) then need to take her south to Kidlington, near Oxford where I have arranged a mooring. Now the interesting bit. Call me mad but the only narrow boat I have been on is a hire boat back in the 80's so I have very little experience.

 

I have looked up the journey on CanalPlanAC. Looks like a 9 day journey but I guess it will take longer. I dont think we can do this in one hit and I might have to be single handed for a bit.

 

So, all you experienced narrow boaters out there. Come to our rescue. Will I be OK? Is it OK to leave the boat moored for a couple of weeks and come back? Will I get lost??

 

Looking forward to any replies but please not "what do you think you are doing - you must be mad". I already know this.

 

Here she is. Perhaps someone knows this boat?

 

1182-01.jpg

 

Many thanks in advance

 

Rob & Caroline

 

Hi - I'm very envious as I had my eye on Beatrice but delayed getting involved because I needed to find extra funds in order to put in a reasonable offer. Left it too late!

Anyway I'm sure we would all like to read your progress - it will make fascinating reading. I look forward to it.

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Nice looking boat.

 

We had a similar problem when we bought our boat and we had to move it from Weedon in Northhants to Willington in Derbyshire.

 

We had hired before so we weren't too concerned about the boat handling side of things.

 

We found a marina roughly half way (Springwood haven near Nuneaton) and aimed to get there over the first week-end we moved the boat. We paid the marina for 5 nights mooring which wasn't outrageously expensive from memory.

 

When we got there I got a train back to Weedon to get the car and picked the first mate up at the boat and drove home in the North East.

 

The next weekend we drove back to Nuneaton picked the boat up and left the car at the marina (Who kindly let it stay there for a few days and didn't charge us for parking) and arrived at Willington 3 nights later.

 

I again got the train back to Nuneaton (1 change this time at Tamworth) picked the car up and drove back to Willington picked the first mate up and drove home.

 

It all in the end went surprisingly smoothly it just needs a bit of planning.

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That's moored at Clayworth, isn't it? Pity you couldn't have just moved yourself to the boat - it's an excellent place to moor, and the RWBC very welcoming.

 

I agree. Clayworth was great but a long, long way from Dorset. Hence Oxford. My son is there for about 3-4 years so he can keep an eye on it occasionally and only 2 hours from here.

 

Thanks for the interest

 

Rob

 

Nice looking boat.

 

We had a similar problem when we bought our boat and we had to move it from Weedon in Northhants to Willington in Derbyshire.

 

We had hired before so we weren't too concerned about the boat handling side of things.

 

We found a marina roughly half way (Springwood haven near Nuneaton) and aimed to get there over the first week-end we moved the boat. We paid the marina for 5 nights mooring which wasn't outrageously expensive from memory.

 

When we got there I got a train back to Weedon to get the car and picked the first mate up at the boat and drove home in the North East.

 

The next weekend we drove back to Nuneaton picked the boat up and left the car at the marina (Who kindly let it stay there for a few days and didn't charge us for parking) and arrived at Willington 3 nights later.

 

I again got the train back to Nuneaton (1 change this time at Tamworth) picked the car up and drove back to Willington picked the first mate up and drove home.

 

It all in the end went surprisingly smoothly it just needs a bit of planning.

 

That all sound very good advice. I will need to do a similar thing as I can't spare 2 week at the moment. Later on I will have more time to spend on the boat.

 

Many thanks

 

Rob

 

Hi - I'm very envious as I had my eye on Beatrice but delayed getting involved because I needed to find extra funds in order to put in a reasonable offer. Left it too late!

Anyway I'm sure we would all like to read your progress - it will make fascinating reading. I look forward to it.

 

Hi

 

I too, had my eye on Beatrice for weeks. I was soon to come into some money so was sweating a bit! The boats is as good as the pictures and the maintenance record is second to none. Absolutely everything accounted for for since the very beginning.

 

Sorry, I am making it worse for you!

 

Thanks anyway. I will look after her.

 

Regards

 

Rob

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Rob, when will you be leaving Sawley and what route are you planning to take.

 

I will will be going from Leicester to Fradley, via Sawley sometime early in July (dates not fixed yet) I will be single handed and would welcome the company.

 

Edit for spelling

Edited by PeteS
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Rob, I would have thought that the best route would be Sawley, Trent Lock, Up the Soar (against the flow = safer) through Leicester and over the GU Leicester Section Summit. Norton Junction, Braunston, Banbury, Kidlington.

 

Going the other way via Burton on Trent, Fradley, Hawkesbury, Braunston, would appear to be longer and more places to avoid mooring overnight.

 

Pretty well anywhere on the GU:LS is OK and if you have to break your journey there are plenty of places where the boat will be safe. (less urban, apart from Leicester which can be got through in a day easily) Do not be tempted to overnight in either Leicester* or Nuneaton which ever way you go.

 

*The only secure mooring in Leicester are right in the middle at Castle Mill(?) But I always tended to keep going until I reached Kilby Bridge.( not stopping after Thurmaston Lock).

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Rob, I would have thought that the best route would be Sawley, Trent Lock, Up the Soar (against the flow = safer) through Leicester and over the GU Leicester Section Summit. Norton Junction, Braunston, Banbury, Kidlington.

 

Going the other way via Burton on Trent, Fradley, Hawkesbury, Braunston, would appear to be longer and more places to avoid mooring overnight.

 

Pretty well anywhere on the GU:LS is OK and if you have to break your journey there are plenty of places where the boat will be safe. (less urban, apart from Leicester which can be got through in a day easily) Do not be tempted to overnight in either Leicester* or Nuneaton which ever way you go.

 

*The only secure mooring in Leicester are right in the middle at Castle Mill(?) But I always tended to keep going until I reached Kilby Bridge.( not stopping after Thurmaston Lock).

It might be a bit shorter in distance but its a crap run for a novice who might be a bit scared,he will have the river section the locks at foxton have to go through the middle of an housing estate while the kids are on holiday, there are much moor rural moorings on the Coventry than the leicester section and the only crap bit is nuneaton but compared to some parts of Leicester its a dream,apart from a short section in tamworth and the short section in nuneaton the rest is rural so why less places that you would want to moor overnight??

Edited by romarni123
  • Greenie 1
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Rob, I would have thought that the best route would be Sawley, Trent Lock, Up the Soar (against the flow = safer) through Leicester and over the GU Leicester Section Summit. Norton Junction, Braunston, Banbury, Kidlington.

 

Going the other way via Burton on Trent, Fradley, Hawkesbury, Braunston, would appear to be longer and more places to avoid mooring overnight.

 

Pretty well anywhere on the GU:LS is OK and if you have to break your journey there are plenty of places where the boat will be safe. (less urban, apart from Leicester which can be got through in a day easily) Do not be tempted to overnight in either Leicester* or Nuneaton which ever way you go.

 

*The only secure mooring in Leicester are right in the middle at Castle Mill(?) But I always tended to keep going until I reached Kilby Bridge.( not stopping after Thurmaston Lock).

 

Hi there. What am I letting myself for! I thought having a narrow boat would be a peaceful experience? No, really, I do understand that there are problems with kids/teenagers in some places as I have been reading blogs and books for some while. I much appreciate all the advice anyway. I might even have an experienced volunteer to do the trip with me now (found off here)

 

As a standby, can I take my air gun or is it not allowed to brandish a weapon! Perhaps a catapult or more sensibly, a video camera. I have spent many years doing CCTV in my company and the one thing these kids hate is being juvenile delinquents is being photographed.

 

Many thanks for the suggested alternative route.

 

Regards

 

Rob

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Use a camera. If you start waving guns around all you do is rile them and make it worse for the next boater that comes after you and doesn't have a gun. Be sensible, please.

 

FWIW I've boated through plenty of no-go areas without trouble, I find a smile and a wave works alot better than a scowl.

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Hi there. What am I letting myself for! I thought having a narrow boat would be a peaceful experience? No, really, I do understand that there are problems with kids/teenagers in some places as I have been reading blogs and books for some while. I much appreciate all the advice anyway. I might even have an experienced volunteer to do the trip with me now (found off here)

 

As a standby, can I take my air gun or is it not allowed to brandish a weapon! Perhaps a catapult or more sensibly, a video camera. I have spent many years doing CCTV in my company and the one thing these kids hate is being juvenile delinquents is being photographed.

 

Many thanks for the suggested alternative route.

 

Regards

 

Rob

 

Hi

 

Without wishing to wind up any previous posters in my opinion trouble is so rare as to to be not worth mentioning, it is more down to your attitude and handling of said youths. The river soar is one of the best bits of the waterways, yes in flood it is no fun but at the moment with the lack of rain it will be a pussycat we love it. As for Nuneaton well its like many such places around the uk just be sensible we have never had trouble on any mooring even in Manchester, sale and many other so called Bandit country locations.

Take a video camera by all means but you will find yourself using it as a happy reminder of your first trip rather than a court exhibit.

ENJOY :D

 

Use a camera. If you start waving guns around all you do is rile them and make it worse for the next boater that comes after you and doesn't have a gun. Be sensible, please.

 

FWIW I've boated through plenty of no-go areas without trouble, I find a smile and a wave works alot better than a scowl.

 

 

You are so right......

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Hi there. What am I letting myself for! I thought having a narrow boat would be a peaceful experience? No, really, I do understand that there are problems with kids/teenagers in some places as I have been reading blogs and books for some while. I much appreciate all the advice anyway. I might even have an experienced volunteer to do the trip with me now (found off here)

 

As a standby, can I take my air gun or is it not allowed to brandish a weapon! Perhaps a catapult or more sensibly, a video camera. I have spent many years doing CCTV in my company and the one thing these kids hate is being juvenile delinquents is being photographed.

 

Many thanks for the suggested alternative route.

 

Regards

 

Rob

 

I believe there's a byeaw that prohibits discharging of weapons, launching of or throwing of missiles etc, over the canal so the weapons you describe are a no-no

 

The relevant section of the bylaw has been posted on here before but I can't find it - perhaps someone who is more familiar with it than I will post a link

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Use a camera. If you start waving guns around all you do is rile them and make it worse for the next boater that comes after you and doesn't have a gun. Be sensible, please.

 

FWIW I've boated through plenty of no-go areas without trouble, I find a smile and a wave works alot better than a scowl.

 

Seconded -

 

Occasionally they just grunt back - often they will say 'Al right Mister - nice boat" or words to that effect.

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Hi there

 

My name is Rob and my partner is Caroline and we are from West Dorset (no canals here) Have just bought a lovely 46' Trad from up north but the owner will take her to Sawley for us. We(I) then need to take her south to Kidlington, near Oxford where I have arranged a mooring. Now the interesting bit. Call me mad but the only narrow boat I have been on is a hire boat back in the 80's so I have very little experience.

 

I have looked up the journey on CanalPlanAC. Looks like a 9 day journey but I guess it will take longer. I dont think we can do this in one hit and I might have to be single handed for a bit.

 

So, all you experienced narrow boaters out there. Come to our rescue. Will I be OK? Is it OK to leave the boat moored for a couple of weeks and come back? Will I get lost??

 

Looking forward to any replies but please not "what do you think you are doing - you must be mad". I already know this.

 

Here she is. Perhaps someone knows this boat?

 

1182-01.jpg

 

Many thanks in advance

 

Rob & Caroline

What a lovely photo. I wonder who took it :) ?

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