How chaotic is the Crick show?

[boatsandsteam]

Am intending to hire boat from Napton on 22 May for 1 week. Had intended to cruise to Market Harborough. However, with the Crick show on am having second thoughts. How busy are the Watford and Foxton flights likely to be? How easy is it to navigate through Crick with the show on?

[Phil.]

The show starts the day after you begin your hire so any boats going will already be there. So coming up watford should be ok. Passing the immediate area of Crick is still possible even with the moored boats breasted up. It is heading back that will be when you will encounter all the show traffic departing unless yours is a one way hire. The two days after the show finishes will be very busy and you could find yourself waiting 4 or 5 hours to clear the locks on your journey back.

[churchward]

If you are going through when the show is actually on ie the weekend it is open then the route around the site at Crick doesn't seem to get that busy as most boaters intending to go to the show will have got there already. Getting through the canal by the show site will be slow as the towpath will be lined with moored boats and the trip boats coming in and out of the marina etc.

 

I did it once and got through OK it is just a bit slower than normal.

 

The days leading up to the show and just after with people taking their boats to the show of course can make the canal busier.

[Tom and Bex]

Watford is very busy either side of the show but I seem to remember they extend the opening times a bit for traffic heading in the direction of to or from the show only? Might be memory playing tricks though.

[BruceinSanity]

Watford is very busy either side of the show but I seem to remember they extend the opening times a bit for traffic heading in the direction of to or from the show only? Might be memory playing tricks though.

That's right, they do. Recent years the flights have not been so busy in our experience. Main delays at the show site are the Weds or Thurs before and the Tuesday after when they are installing and removing the temporary footbridge. You may have to wait a while if they've got a workboat tied across the cut to use as a platform for the scaffolders.

[Ally]

We never really had to wait too long when moving exhibition boats to and from the show, which was always on the busy days, the lockies kept it flowing well, just add a couple of hours to your expected cruise time and enjoy chatting with folk as you wait.

[boatsandsteam]

Many thanks Phil, Churchward, Tom and Bex, Bruceinsanity and Ally. It seems if we go up through Watford flight on Saturday, down Foxton Sunday we should be fine. As you say it will be the coming back. I assume if we come back up Foxton on Tuesday morning that should be fairly clear. Wednesday will be the heavy traffic day back down Watford flight in the afternoon. As you say Ally - time for tea and a chat - it is not as though anyone is in a hurry!! Tom and Bex - yes the locks stay open (or did in 2013 according to Google) for an extra hour in direction of show traffic - which on Wednesday would be down. My main concern was getting through Crick itself - but you have all put my concern to rest there.

[Tom and Bex]

All the show traffic seems to use Watford. You'll be fine at Foxton - it's very rare we've even had to wait half an hour at Foxton even if it's a busy bank holiday. Watford on the other hand...