Canalplan for masochists

[Chertsey]

Planning my diary for the next couple of months I thought I would just check with Canalplan (which is brilliant and I love it to bits) to remind myself how long it will take us to get to Braunston.

 

Its default seems to be the BCN/GU route... 101 locks of which half are wide ones!

For an extra half a day we can take our habitual Coventry/Oxford route... 35 narrow locks...

 

Trouble is, PB now has a fancy for the masochists' route - and there's only going to be the two of us!

[StephenA]

Actually Hatton and the rest are not bad if you can share. if you can't then just take your time and there are some good views and some good pubs on the way... OK you have to go through Leamington Spa but its nowhere near as bad as it used to be.

[Davidss]

...

Its default seems to be the BCN/GU route... 101 locks of which half are wide ones!

For an extra half a day we can take our habitual Coventry/Oxford route... 35 narrow locks...

 

Trouble is, PB now has a fancy for the masochists' route - and there's only going to be the two of us!

 

I thought, that with the 'two of you' the wide locks would be beneficial, as you only have to operate them once to take both boats through.

 

Or am I missing something?

 

(Exits left, whistling innocently, with coat slung nonchalantly over shoulder :-))

[alan_fincher]

I thought, that with the 'two of you' the wide locks would be beneficial, as you only have to operate them once to take both boats through.

 

Or am I missing something?

 

(Exits left, whistling innocently, with coat slung nonchalantly over shoulder :-))

Where this argument breaks down is that of the 101 locks on the CanalPlan "fastest" route, 50 are still narrow, and only 51 are wide, so there would be a fiar amount of butty bow hauling to do!

 

Of course another alternative, somewhere between the two, is not to leave Birmingham by Farmers Bridge, etc, but instead to go out on the W&B, and then use the Northern Stratford from King's Norton to Kingswood. (10 locks less, and avoids Knowle too....

 

However, depending on how you feel about stirring the mud with a working boat, we weren't too impressed with progress on the Northern Stratford....

 

Link to recent Sickle blog post

[the grinch]

still only 70 locks even with the backpack!

[CV32]

Actually Hatton and the rest are not bad if you can share. if you can't then just take your time and there are some good views and some good pubs on the way... OK you have to go through Leamington Spa but its nowhere near as bad as it used to be.

 

Well as a resident of Leamington Spa I have to say it ain't bad ! I would say that Leamington has some nice shops, coffee shops and restaurants so it could be a nice stop over.

 

They have recently taken down the old Ford foundry buildings so it is a much nicer view at present.

[MtB]

And for the low-tech alternative to Canalplan, may I recommend Chris Clegg's laminated 'CanalTime' map?

 

I bought two a few years ago and have one in the house and one in the boat. They are fantastic for working out how long it takes to get from one place to another without going anywhere near a PC!

 

It's a map of the complete canal system with places marked at two-hour travelling time intervals instead of miles. Probably even more useful than Canalplan in my opinion as its waterproof unlike a PC, and still works when there's no internet connection or after you dropped it in the cut.

 

http://richlow.r5k.co.uk/page2.html

 

 

No connection, just a satisfied customer.

[Chertsey]

Even if we were taking the butty (and although nothing is ruled out, it's very unlikely) I don't think 51 additional wide locks would compensate for 15 additional narrow ones! (So yes David, you're definitely missing something... )

 

The distance going via the Cov/Ox route is half as much again, but it only adds five hours to the total... which says a lot!

 

One other thing... I have always promised myself that one day I will 'do' the GU properly, Birmingham to London in one fell swoop, and I'd rather not do too much of it in dribs and drabs.

 

I'm sure Leamington is lovely but maybe Nuneaton will do instead.

 

And I get to practise going round Suttons again...

Edited May 20, 2012 by Chertsey

[Tuscan]

We nearly always come down by going across to Great Hayward and down via the Coventry and Oxford each to their own I guess. Fondly remember stopping off at the hat shop at the top of the Atherstone flight.

[Ange]

And for the low-tech alternative to Canalplan, may I recommend Chris Clegg's laminated 'CanalTime' map?

 

I bought two a few years ago and have one in the house and one in the boat. They are fantastic for working out how long it takes to get from one place to another without going anywhere near a PC!

 

It's a map of the complete canal system with places marked at two-hour travelling time intervals instead of miles. Probably even more useful than Canalplan in my opinion as its waterproof unlike a PC, and still works when there's no internet connection or after you dropped it in the cut.

 

http://richlow.r5k.co.uk/page2.html

 

 

No connection, just a satisfied customer.

 

Seconded by another very satisfied customer - the map is great for journey planning.

[cheshire~rose]

And for the low-tech alternative to Canalplan, may I recommend Chris Clegg's laminated 'CanalTime' map?

 

I bought two a few years ago and have one in the house and one in the boat. They are fantastic for working out how long it takes to get from one place to another without going anywhere near a PC!

 

It's a map of the complete canal system with places marked at two-hour travelling time intervals instead of miles. Probably even more useful than Canalplan in my opinion as its waterproof unlike a PC, and still works when there's no internet connection or after you dropped it in the cut.

 

http://richlow.r5k.co.uk/page2.html

 

 

No connection, just a satisfied customer.

 

 

Yep - a third satisfied customer here!

 

In response to the OP why not take the masochists route but post your journey on here so people might be able to help lockwheel for you?

[Chertsey]

 

In response to the OP why not take the masochists route but post your journey on here so people might be able to help lockwheel for you?

Honestly, is there one good reason to prefer that route unless you are a total lock freak (like some we know ). I mean, I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid them, but I wouldn't go so far as to deliberately seek them out either.

 

We nearly always come down by going across to Great Hayward and down via the Coventry and Oxford each to their own I guess. Fondly remember stopping off at the hat shop at the top of the Atherstone flight.

I fondly remember stopping off at the pie shop

 

Do you still want those uprights?

[alan_fincher]

Honestly, is there one good reason to prefer that route unless you are a total lock freak (like some we know ). I mean, I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid them, but I wouldn't go so far as to deliberately seek them out either.

I'm not a huge fan of "the Bottom Road", and get bored on the long lockless parts of the Northern Oxford and Coventry, (one of the reasons I have never yet added the Ashby to that lot as well, I guess!).

 

Provided not totally knackered, and with a willing crew, I do like a steady flow of locks.

 

That said, I do find the "modern" locks from Calcutt to Knowle harder work now than I remember them from my "youth", but am uncertain if that is because they are now less well maintained, or more worn out, or because I am less well maintained and more worn out.

 

We never try and set records if it is just the two of us, and our time down Hatton on our own the other day was nothing to brag about, but I actually didn't find it that bad, particularly as we changed roles from time to time. However, probably it is most fun done with another crew who know what they are doing though, and I can't recall it ever being a slog.

 

Knowle, on the other hand, with its deep locks, heavy gates and paddles, and the massive trek between locks, because of the layout, we always seem to find hard work. Possibly because we always seem to do it in conditions similar to those down the "twenty-one" a few weeks back.

 

Oh, and if you come up the GU, you can pass boats within a staircase lock at Bascote, which we did again yesterday......

Edited May 21, 2012 by alan_fincher

[GeoffS]

Starting this Friday I am hoping to do the Warwickshire Ring single handed (apart from the first weekend) which will be around 200 miles and 160 locks! I am hoping I will find boats to share with!!

[Chertsey]

 

 

Oh, and if you come up the GU, you can pass boats within a staircase lock at Bascote, which we did again yesterday......

Can do that at Bunbury too.

[alan_fincher]

Actually we only did the easy 2 boat switch yesterday. Sometimes, like last summer, we do it with more.....

 

[mykaskin]

Planning my diary for the next couple of months I thought I would just check with Canalplan (which is brilliant and I love it to bits) to remind myself how long it will take us to get to Braunston.

 

Its default seems to be the BCN/GU route... 101 locks of which half are wide ones!

For an extra half a day we can take our habitual Coventry/Oxford route... 35 narrow locks...

 

Trouble is, PB now has a fancy for the masochists' route - and there's only going to be the two of us!

 

Off you go then - two on a single boat is a doddle. However, I'd advise bringing the butty but going via the T&M. It's a nice run, and a whole different ball game with a butty in tow!

 

Mike

[Tuscan]

Honestly, is there one good reason to prefer that route unless you are a total lock freak (like some we know ). I mean, I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid them, but I wouldn't go so far as to deliberately seek them out either.

 

 

I fondly remember stopping off at the pie shop

 

Do you still want those uprights?

 

 

I had forgotten about the uprights we don't need them now sorry. We have sold on the old converted small woolwich after 20+ years and decided to invest in Aber as it was in need of to much work, so rebottomed and stripped extended cabin back, then have fitted tarps over metal triangle a professional version of Dover I guess. Not to everybody's taste I know but we are very happy with the result. Finishing full time work at the end of May and first 4-6 week cruise planned up Coventry , T&M, across Middlewich and down Shroppie to the Anchor. .

[Chertsey]

I had forgotten about the uprights we don't need them now sorry. We have sold on the old converted small woolwich after 20+ years and decided to invest in Aber as it was in need of to much work, so rebottomed and stripped extended cabin back, then have fitted tarps over metal triangle a professional version of Dover I guess. Not to everybody's taste I know but we are very happy with the result. Finishing full time work at the end of May and first 4-6 week cruise planned up Coventry , T&M, across Middlewich and down Shroppie to the Anchor. .

If you continue down the Shroppie towards Autherley do drop by (if we're here).

 

Interestingly, when we came to fit the new top planks properly only one of the four uprights we had fitted - the one stamped 130! One other (132) was cut down, yours were too short. I thought you were planning a conversion all along and only wanted them for historical interest anyway?

[Tuscan]

If you continue down the Shroppie towards Autherley do drop by (if we're here).

 

Interestingly, when we came to fit the new top planks properly only one of the four uprights we had fitted - the one stamped 130! One other (132) was cut down, yours were too short. I thought you were planning a conversion all along and only wanted them for historical interest anyway?

 

 

Thanks will look out for you

[David Mack]

Knowle, on the other hand, with its deep locks, heavy gates and paddles, and the massive trek between locks, because of the layout, we always seem to find hard work.

 

If you are a single boat and using just one gate, at Knowle its much easier to use the offside where the walking distance between locks is about half that of the towpath side.

 

David

[alan_fincher]

If you are a single boat and using just one gate, at Knowle its much easier to use the offside where the walking distance between locks is about half that of the towpath side.

 

David

To skiddy with the lock-wheeling bike, though!

 

Interestingly we noted at Hatton on Saturday that between certain locks, (and sorry, I can't recall exactly which, but it's in the "thick" of tle locks, I feel sure), notices saying IWA volunteers have cleared vegetation on the non-towpath side to allow lock wheelers with boats on that side to do that bit with less gate crossing.

 

Perhaps there will be less dog "dirt" (as we are now told to call it!), down that side - you can only hope!