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Stuck on the Pontywotsic Aqueduct

Tim Lewis

By Tim Lewis
in General Boating

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Jim Riley Experienced

Jim Riley

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We hired a boat near Whitchurch in February three years ago, for our silver wedding. Sunshine, blue skies, empty cut. Saw a golden eagle on a walk in the hills past horseshoe falls.

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MHS Experienced

MHSDonate to Canal World

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A guy at our marina was there to witness the melee. He said it was 1 1/2 hours of great entertainment.

 

Almost as much fun as when we came across the Mikron theatre boat stuck in the guillotine lock near Kings Norton.

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steve hayes Proficient

steve hayes

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The trip boat from Llangollen certainly doesn't hang around on the run down from Llangollen, pushed passed us at the end of the aqueduct and then went a slow as possible across the aqueduct so his passengers could take pictures. Not impressed with his attitude so I pushed him across.

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larryjc Proficient

larryjc

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We're starting the LL on Monday and will aim to get to the end on Sunday as advised - my Nicholsons is a tad old - do you have to ring ahead to get a mooring in the LLmarina or is it pot luck?

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cuthound Veteran II

cuthoundDonate to Canal World

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Last time I was there, 2009, it was pot luck. If you can't get a mooring in the basin, you can probably gets one on line. You still get "free electricity and water" on and off line for a fee (£5 per night in 2009).

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The Toad in the Hole Collaborator

The Toad in the Hole

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It's currently £6 on the basin (which I still really resent). I tend not to go down much in high summer, but these days since they built the basin you can pretty much always get a mooring. I'd aim to arrive Saturday afternoon - Even on bank holidays boats can be a rarity then, but they will start turning up in the evening. The trip boat isn't the bogeyman folks are making out, he's fast but he's a damn sight more competent than most boaters there, hired or otherwise - my biggest problems for corporate selfishness have been with paired hotel boats. There will be a lot of very inexperienced boaters around, and if you are really unlucky, maybe a flotilla of canoes. The canal generally is fine for passing, even beyond Trevor, but bottlenecks are inevitable at the aqueduct, the narrows into Llangollen and the two tunnels. If you are determined to go in school holidays, then factor in some waiting time there, but this weekend it seemed pretty quiet (I wasn't on a proper boat, I was busy trying to kill myself in a canoe on the Dee!)

 

Oh yeah, pleeeese don't stop in the middle of the accy to take photos, it really boils my whatnot.

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larryjc Proficient

larryjc

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Well been there done that now and really nice it was., We have CB radios so SWMBO went ahead and cleared us through the narrows not that we met anyone there. However I'm not surprised that boats got jammed in the aqueduct. As we came through the bridge hole at Trevor there was a boat in the Aqueduct so I pulled over to wait. The trip boat then emerged from the Trevor arm and started motoring as if to pass me. I asked his intentions and he said he was waiting for the other boat to clear but for me to go ahead first. However, the sod just kept coming and forced me over to one side as he pushed past stating 'its clear why did you wait'. Was it b****cks. If I had tried to maintain my position I would either have hit the exiting boat and/or jammed in the entrance with the trip boat. I know they are commercial and have an itinerary to keep up but that was totally unnecessary. I kept my cool - sort of - but I think most of his passengers knew my feelings!

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