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Dog Friendly Hire Boat - and Few Locks!


1st ade

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Mrs 1st Ade has suggested a canal holiday this year. Her first one was over twenty years years ago when we got engaged; my parents had already booked a holiday on the L&L and (bless them) hired a bigger boat for my wife to be. What none of them had reckoned on was my parents easy run (across the top and what seemed like hundreds of locks and miles) didn't correspond to Mrs 1st Ade's "I thought we were on holiday". Further holidays were a bit better; St Ive's, Saul Junction, Thames but she's never really recovered from lock overload....

Also, we now have a dog; well behaved, can be left (or not) without distress but generally frowned on by holiday cottages.

So, any suggestions for a week's hire in the UK who will take dog's gladly but not too many locks on a reasonable weeks cruise? Black Prince seem OK and have one or two routes that fit the bill.

Thanks in anticipation

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Look at "latelink"

we always used them for best prices, and left it late, but always got to go where we wanted. Anyway , they have a good website as it shows all the different places to hire from that haven't sold their boat that week yet.

 

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4 hours ago, 1st ade said:

Thanks all - we'll try Wigrams or the South Oxford first (as they are nearer to home).

I must warn you that the Ashby Canal Trust strongly recommend a you have a close relative to act as pilot between The Coventry Canal and the terminus at Snarestone ;) 

On a more serious note I have looked at the Ashby Narrow Boats who are based on the Ashby itself, as they will rent their smallest boat to single-handed boaters: they look good, although no locks at all may be a little too dull

The southern Oxford is seriously lovely, I met some Canadians who had taken a leisurely week to go from Heyford to Cropredy and Back, all the locks come in ones - no flights

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Canals are boring without some locks. It's good for the 'steerer' and 'crew' to have occasional breaks in chugging along and look at the scenery - perhaps talk to people??

For a first trip - possibly avoid the Hatton and more especially Knowle flights, though these aren't to terrible, if you have a positive attitude.

Otherwise all the narrow canals have their own particular charm. helps if you have a positive attitude towards the infrastructure and look around the local area for points of interest - even developing some interests that you might think you don't have.

Frinstance my Management is keen on geology - so she looks at old buildings which includes churches. It amazing who you find buried in country churchyards!!

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7 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Have you considered cruising the rivers instead of the canals? Usually less locks and not constrained to a narrowboat so plenty of choice of craft to choose from.

I think you would need to pick your river carefully though.  Fro example I would not consider the Nene to have less locks, and they are MUCH harder to do that narrow canal locks!

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57 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Have you considered cruising the rivers instead of the canals? Usually less locks and not constrained to a narrowboat so plenty of choice of craft to choose from.

Rivers, particularly tidal waters but other rivers as well often present mooring issues (type of mooring and frequency of mooring opportunity) which can be difficult for dog owners. You certainly have to plan each day's cruising more carefully and have less flexibility for spontaneity.

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5 hours ago, john6767 said:

I think you would need to pick your river carefully though.  Fro example I would not consider the Nene to have less locks, and they are MUCH harder to do that narrow canal locks!

They would be better off on the Great Ouse. A five day hire from Foxes (March) to Ely and back would be three locks each way, two of which have lockkeepers.

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22 minutes ago, nbfiresprite said:

They would be better off on the Great Ouse. A five day hire from Foxes (March) to Ely and back would be three locks each way, two of which have lockkeepers.

Thanks for the suggestions re Rivers - difficulties noted but not something that can't be overcome (with planning)

9 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

I must warn you that the Ashby Canal Trust strongly recommend a you have a close relative to act as pilot between The Coventry Canal and the terminus at Snarestone ;)

One worry for the Lancaster was that an elderly relative might offer to pilot...

10 hours ago, john6767 said:

Very true, although the OP said they liked BP.  They could also use Napton Narrowboats for that matter.

Not "Liked" but their website suggests pet friendly and is easy to search by ease of passage and number of locks

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