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[johnmoly]

my name is Anthony and I'm thinking about going on a canal boating holiday with my wife but unfortunately we both have medical problems

that does not allow us to operate locks on canals so we are looking for a lock free canal ive been told Liverpool leeds is a lock free canal but don't know if

this true can someone plz help us and lat us know of any lock free canals in England we live in Nantwich Cheshire if this is any help in my enquiery

many thx

 

The Leeds & Liverpool does have locks, sections are without some so depends where you are thinking of going.

 

The Lancaster Canal is entirely free of locks, 41 miles long, apart from the Glasson Branch which is optional as you don't have to go down it. Not too far from Nantwich.

[Scholar Gypsy]

my name is Anthony and I'm thinking about going on a canal boating holiday with my wife but unfortunately we both have medical problems

that does not allow us to operate locks on canals so we are looking for a lock free canal ive been told Liverpool leeds is a lock free canal but don't know if

this true can someone plz help us and lat us know of any lock free canals in England we live in Nantwich Cheshire if this is any help in my enquiery

many thx

 

There's a reasonable stretch from Rugby and up the Ashby canal (optional detour, worth doing, into Coventry).

 

There's a flight of three locks just south of there (Hillmorton) that give access to a further fine length down to Braunston & Napton. Those locks are pretty busy and often have volunteers in attendance, and I suspect that if you explain the situation and are prepared to wait a bit, you would be able to take your boat through without doing any lock operation. You can control the boat in those locks using the engine, if necessary.

Edited November 12, 2015 by Scholar Gypsy

[Phil Ambrose]

Or you could try the Fens, electric locks down here. Lots of lock free stretches too, you just need to be able to press a button.

Phil

Edited November 12, 2015 by Phil Ambrose

[John V]

Hi John

That's a shame to have sold your bikes especially the Laverda I've got four Laverda's just love em!!

at the moment I don't have to chose between boats and bikes they go together for me,

What year was the gt? 72/3?

 

 

75 the last year before it became GTL

just been looking for a photo....not on this hard disc it must be somewhere in my archive....I'll try and dig it out later

Edited November 12, 2015 by John V

[snappyfish]

New here and new to boating. This narrow boat up until now was a hidden world to me. I love the outdoors and water. Stumbling across boating vlogs from various people I released that this can be a highly expensive world (my thoughts always) but also a very manageable life on a budget or so it seems.

 

I am here to learn as much as possible. Thinking of taking a narrow boat holiday for around a one week with my dog to see how I take to it.

 

Will post some questions after doing some reading.

 

Thanks

[Phil Ambrose]

Welcome Snappyfish, you and your dog will love it.

Phil

[John V]

Welcome to the forum Snappyfish......definitely hiring is a good idea to give you an insight.......do remember however that there is a big difference between a holiday and full time living cheers....John

[snappyfish]

Welcome to the forum Snappyfish......definitely hiring is a good idea to give you an insight.......do remember however that there is a big difference between a holiday and full time living cheers....John

 

Maybe it should be called "trial Lifestyle" not holiday

[John V]

Yup !!!

[David Mack]

my name is Anthony and I'm thinking about going on a canal boating holiday with my wife but unfortunately we both have medical problems

that does not allow us to operate locks on canals so we are looking for a lock free canal ive been told Liverpool leeds is a lock free canal but don't know if

this true can someone plz help us and lat us know of any lock free canals in England we live in Nantwich Cheshire if this is any help in my enquiery

many thx

Have you thought about a trip on a hotel boat? The crew operate the boat and you can help at locks as much or as little as you like/are able.

[NavisBD]

Hello,

 

For reasons too convoluted to bother with, I have come by a 30 foot narrowboat which needs a lot doing to it, but I do intend to get some pleasure from it over the next 3 or 4 years. It was built (I think) in the 1970s but I cannot really find any information on its history. It is of an unusual design (in fact out on the canal I've only come across one other like it, and that was in the process of restoration). The engine seems fairly sound, and managed the 30 mile round trip to a repair yard without incident. The Boat Safety Certificate is valid to 2017.

 

So, I give fair warning that I am going to ask some really stupid questions in the coming months. I can only plead - go easy on me.

 

I don't know if it is possible to paste photos into the forum, but if so that would be really useful.

 

Brian

[patty-ann]

Welcome to forum, if u click more reply options u can post pictures..maybe open up a thread specific to your boat.

Good luck

[ditchcrawler]

 

There's a reasonable stretch from Rugby and up the Ashby canal (optional detour, worth doing, into Coventry).

 

There's a flight of three locks just south of there (Hillmorton) that give access to a further fine length down to Braunston & Napton. Those locks are pretty busy and often have volunteers in attendance, and I suspect that if you explain the situation and are prepared to wait a bit, you would be able to take your boat through without doing any lock operation. You can control the boat in those locks using the engine, if necessary.

Hire from Ashby Boats, you can do all the Ashby canal then the Coventry right into Coventry basin then back to Atherstone and back to Ashby Boats without doing a single lock.

[John V]

Hi NavisBD welcome to the forum. there is a heck of a lot of information on the forum on just about every conceivable subject to do with boating (and quite a lot that isn't) you can get to it by using the search option (or using Google If you have trouble finding it then just ask the question it will often turn up a CWDF quote)

If you can't find what you need to know then just ask, you will find there is almost certainly someone (or several) that will be back with an answer very quickly

 

Cheers John

[Dexter's Shed]

hi all, a quick bit about me, I'm currently a full time pest controller and have owned my own woodland for around 3yrs now, and yes it get's lonely on ones own over there, at first everyone wanted days over there and there were always other plot holders working, nowadays it seems to have gone a bit quite, and through watching canal journeys on the TV, my thoughts have become, should I sell the woodland and buy a canal boat?

I wouldn't want to pay much over 20k for a boat, and of course there's all the other yearly payments to think about, at the moment the woodland serves as a place to stay occasionally, collect logs for the home wood burner, do a little shooting, and of course, escape the rat race

I thought long and hard, and could give up the shooting without a second thought,

is it all just a dream, are there lots of pitfalls I'm missing, I suppose I would need to find a permanent mooring to start with, close to essex, so my weekends could be spent there, plus longer on holidays, eventually I could just disappear,lol

[Fender151]

This is worse than waiting for exam results, or did i pass the driving test.

 

Our, maybe it is maybe itaint, as yet, non-gender NB had survey yesterday, I met with surveyor in the dry dock.

 

Waiting for the report!!!

 

And I know you shouldn't do this, but hey, we have already planned the custom stuff we want to do to make it home, and are sooo excited.

 

 

Fingers and other bits crossed.

 

J&E

[Seti-Yeti]

Hi Steve, welcome to the MadHouse - someone will be along shortly to pump you for info and offer help I have NO doubt!

[Steve kitchen]

hi Seti-yeti thanks for breaking the ice, there`s a lot to be said if the right people turn up so here`s hoping. I'm new to this game and I think I just sent this to the report system instead of the forum. Sorry.

[Seti-Yeti]

Clearly I was a little inaccurate regarding the "shortly" part...

[ditchcrawler]

hi guys, my name is Steve, in the late seventy`s I had three years on hire to British waterways on the grand union and it made a major impact on me and all these years later iv`e bought a 55 foot 70`s built butty? oh dear!! I here you say well this is where I need help ,I want to try to trace its original number iv`e got more information if anyone is interested. thanks Steve.

I have just reported this and ask its moved to History & Heritage

[pete harrison]

hi guys, my name is Steve, in the late seventy`s I had three years on hire to British waterways on the grand union and it made a major impact on me and all these years later iv`e bought a 55 foot 70`s built butty? oh dear!! I here you say well this is where I need help ,I want to try to trace its original number iv`e got more information if anyone is interested. thanks Steve.

The motor ROSE OF BRECON was 64911 and its butty ABERGAVENNY CASTLE was 64912. Both of these B.W.B. index numbers were issued in 1980, and both were hire and reward licences as these two boats were hotel boats operated by 'Willow Wren' on the Brecon and Abergavenny Canal - hence their short length

I have just reported this and ask its moved to History & Heritage

Why ? This is not a historic boat

[Steve kitchen]

hi Pete, your an absolute gem that's just confirmed the number I got from the guy on the day trip boats at stoke Bruene (witch is where I was based in the 70`s) I'm converting the butty into motor boat but that's another long story, but if there's any more information to there whereabouts after Willow Wren would be greatly appreciated, by the way I bought the boat from off the river soar at barrow upon soar, and the other thing was they made by willow wren.thanks

[ditchcrawler]

 

Why ? This is not a historic boat

Well I didnt know that, a new member was asking for information on a butty and I thought he would get more help there, I am sure the mods are more knowledgeable than me.

[pete harrison]

Well I didnt know that, a new member was asking for information on a butty and I thought he would get more help there, I am sure the mods are more knowledgeable than me.

There are quite a number of modern buttys about, and I only answered this query because I have a passing interest in 1970's built 'Willow Wren' boats, and as my knowledge is somewhat specialised I thought I would share it on this occasion.

 

I shall go back to minding my own business now

[GoodGurl]

There are quite a number of modern buttys about, and I only answered this query because I have a passing interest in 1970's built 'Willow Wren' boats, and as my knowledge is somewhat specialised I thought I would share it on this occasion.

 

I shall go back to minding my own business now

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