Advise appreciated

[Saintsman]

Hi, although I have been on a dozen or so narrow boat holidays I have never been on a river navigation and am concerned about the Soar and Trent sections, particularly weirs.

 

I am looking for help or advise from seasoned boaters who have traveled this ring. We are setting off last week of July for 2 weeks, any advise on rivers, weirs and markers would be greatly appreciated plus tips on pubs and shops for stocking up during the second week.

 

We are setting off from Nortnon junction and traveling anti-clockwise, many thanks in advance.

[mross]

Make sure you know how to use the anchor! Hire company should instruct you. This is in case your engine stops or your propeller gets fouled.

[Keeping Up]

All the weirs are clearly marked and usually have a line of big floating orange things across the river just above them, secured by a steel cable so you couldn't go that way even if you tried. I find it's comforting always to look on the map, well before getting anywhere near, to just check "weir on the left, lock on the right" or vice versa so that I don't have to panic when I reach a fork in the river. The same goes for the few small islands on the route.

 

Mind you that didn't work once, when they re-routed the river and it's flood defences; when I went up what had the previous year been the lock cut (and of course was still shown as such on the map) only to find they'd turned the old lock into a new weir that I definitely couldn't go up!

[Saintsman]

Thanks, I can Imagine that was a shock to see the lock had moved, it's not a hire boat we are taking, it's a friends so I will definitely check for an anchor, that's somthing I'd not thought off so thanks, I have Collins waterway guides so I've already marked the weirs up so I know what's coming.

[ditchcrawler]

Thanks, I can Imagine that was a shock to see the lock had moved, it's not a hire boat we are taking, it's a friends so I will definitely check for an anchor, that's somthing I'd not thought off so thanks, I have Collins waterway guides so I've already marked the weirs up so I know what's coming.

Hundreds of holiday makers hire for the first time and do the ring without problem every year.