Who Goes Where?

[markfyans]

I am building a site about boating on the canals. I am trying to get information about holiday companies and the area they cover. Assuming that you need to return your boat to base it makes sense that a company can only cover a certain section of a canal.

Unless of course the company has another base further down the canal where you can leave your boat. This would extend their coverage.

Why is this important to me? because what I want to do on my site is point out places of interest and which holiday companies cover that particular section of canal thereby giving the reader some additional information.

 

So in essence, it goes something like this...I write a piece about the Pontysyllte Aqueduct...and here are a list of canal companies you can use to cross it.

Or, I would like to travel through the Standedge Tunnel......and here are the companies to do so.

 

It may happen that the company is in the Hoseasons brochure(for example). In which case I will just add a Hoseasons banner to my site. However they may not be..in which case I need to add them to my site to build a comprehensive list for my readers.

 

Ultimately I want to compile a mapped list of who goes where.

 

Any help would be most appreciated from you guys/gals.

 

mark.

Edited June 17, 2011 by markfyans

[OldGoat]

Rather than do all the work for you, how's about using Google to find out who the hire boat companies are and then looking at their websites to see what their suggested routes are?

 

 

 

 

[howardang]

Another shortcut might be to look in the Waterways World Annual 2011 which lists most if not all hire boat companies with addresses and website details etc.

 

Howard

[markfyans]

Thanks for the replies.

I think the Annual should be my first stop. Good suggestion.

[Graham Davis]

Rather than do all the work for you, how's about using Google to find out who the hire boat companies are and then looking at their websites to see what their suggested routes are?

 

Which is exactly what I would expect most people would do!

[markfyans]

Rather than do all the work for you, how's about using Google to find out who the hire boat companies are and then looking at their websites to see what their suggested routes are?

 

I wasn't aware I was asking anybody to 'do the work for me'. I was merely asking for suggestions and ideas. Which I have received.

[stewey]

Mark, Canal Junction already does quite a lot of what you want to do.

 

I use it to look at the companies which are included in a particular area of the country and make a decision based on the quality provided and the hire cost charged by the relevant company (hence much reading on this site) and the canals or ring I wish to cruise.

 

See the site here:

 

http://www.canaljunc...idays/index.htm

 

Good luck with your plans.

 

Stewey

[markfyans]

Hi stewey

Thanks for the reply. Yeah Canal Junction is a great site. What I am attempting though is something a bit more interactive with the hire companies. I am asking them to do a 1 page spread about themselves and then take an RSS feed from them. Then I can send emails to subscribers with latest offers etc.

[JonL]

You are here: Boating Holidays > Regions > Canals and Rivers > Regions

 

Follow this path on the Hoseasons website and select what region you are interested and then there is a link on the bottom that displays all the boatyards on a map that cover that area.

 

Would probably get you about 75% straight off the bat and a little searching should get you the others.

 

I'm sure you could find a research company somewhere, probably India, that would get you this information in about 3 days.

 

Good luck

Edited June 20, 2011 by JonL

[markfyans]

Thanks JonL

 

Really good search tips. Much appreciated....India!....hmm, didn't think of that.

 

I also bought the Waterways World Annual today, so plenty of stuff to get my teeth into.

[carlt]

Forum member 'Ron' maintains a hire firm database though it doesn't seem to be working at the moment (or I'm not doing it right).

[Dan]

A lot of the holiday companies are (as well as various other sites) on my links page, though there may be the odd omission, it can be hard to keep it totally up to date

 

http://www.dhorner.horning.org.uk/page23.html

 

All the best

 

Dan

Edited July 2, 2011 by Dan

[Ron]

A lot of the holiday companies are (as well as various other sites) on my links page, though there may be the odd omission, it can be hard to keep it totally up to date

 

http://www.dhorner.horning.org.uk/page23.html

 

All the best

 

Dan

 

or try http://www.canalbarge.co.uk/narrowboat_interface/Hirecompanies/results2_page.asp

which lists about 120 companies giving locations, canals and a few other details

 

Forum member 'Ron' maintains a hire firm database though it doesn't seem to be working at the moment (or I'm not doing it right).

 

It should be working now .... web hosting stop supporting Frontpage , so i had to rebuild it ... might be a bit slow

[markfyans]

or try http://www.canalbarge.co.uk/narrowboat_interface/Hirecompanies/results2_page.asp

which lists about 120 companies giving locations, canals and a few other details

 

 

 

It should be working now .... web hosting stop supporting Frontpage , so i had to rebuild it ... might be a bit slow

 

 

Thanks Ron, superb stuff.