Advice - Canal Boats

[suzanne]

Ooh Im so excited. After working all over Christmas having just 3 days off in the 3 weeks im finally getting my break. My allocated "Reading Week" has this year been placed in the bloody half term week. Originally planned to go abroad but everything and anything is twice the price of the week before and after that specific week. Plan B ring Nan and Aunt who have accounts and time shares everywhere. Result 1 week cruising on a canal boat starting from Eversham, near Stratford i believe.

Never been on a canal boat before, only sworn at them when they take 5 moorings up!

Any advice of good places to stop around there or anything i should be aware of with a canal boat.

<hr width=100% size=1>Suzanne xXx

 

[mrloudly]

If it's a big one make sure you go to the front of the locks when "locking down".

First one we hired was a seventy footer and it all got a bit exiting when we went through the first lock!!

Brilliant fun though if the sun's shining!!

<hr width=100% size=1>Andy M

 

[tcm]

make sure the heater works if going in feb! Take your own duvet as theirs mite possibly be a bit wiffy. Take gloves, thermals and consider buying a thin balaclava from a motobike shop too, quite cheap. Plot route via various pubs. Do not attempt to race along a route and see how far you can get in a day cos there's no point really, provided that the pubs are open nearby.

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[rickp]

From Evesham - Stratford is 18 miles and 10 locks upstream. Tewkesbury is about 16 miles and 7 locks downstream.

The River Avon isn't over-endowed with places to stop, unfortunately. There is a great pub at Twyning, and you're bound to find somewhere at Stratford. In between there isn't all that much. Below Tewkesbury you're onto the Severn which can be a mite entertaining in a narrowboat when there is a big flow on. In fact, any heavy rain and the Avon can be 'shut' too.

If you are *really* keen you may be able to get around the Avon Ring in a week. We did that last summer - but had the advantage of the longer days and a mobhanded crew. Details <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.rossfell.co.uk/~rickp/AvonRing/>here</A> including distances and number of locks.

Don't let any of that put you off though - the Avon and the canals on the Avon Ring are great fun. Get a good guide book (such as Nicholsons) and go for it!

Rick

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[jhr]

I am an innocent in these matters, so please treat this advice with caution.

I understand that the main thing to be aware of with a canal boat is that your enemy ceases to be, ahem, users of wind powered vessels, and becomes the fisherman who is ensconced on the canal bank waiting to foul up your prop with his lines (I assume that this is the inland waterways equivalent of a lobster pot marker buoy).

For his part, the fisherman will hurl abuse at you for your inconsiderate use of the canal and gratuitously offensive possession of a canal barge and may threaten to report you to all and sundry for "destroying his lines". This is standard light-hearted banter and should not be taken seriously. Casting aspersions on his parentage would be a good ice-breaker at this point and will lighten the atmosphere if it is becoming threatening.

One final point about performance - you will know when you have reached planing speed because of the build up of a tidal wave ahead of the boat. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Je suis Marxiste - tendance Groucho

 

[Trevethan]

The nice thing about fishing line is that with a big canal boat engine you can wind hundreds of feet off his reel with not damage to your stern gear, unlike lobster pot markers, which are far more robust

Swans can be a pain -- at least when you are at canoe level and they are nesting.

I suggest yoou burn down to Byron's place on the Thames, he really loves narrowboaters!

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[mrloudly]

"Swans can be a pain "

www.theoben.co.uk

Works every time

<hr width=100% size=1>Andy M

 

[sailbadthesinner]

have been once
my advice is do not think you can drink five pints of marstons then bilge board off the back
you can't. i have tried.


<hr width=100% size=1>My wife wanted tender treatment, so i stowed her whilst at sea

 

[Happy1]

In Evesham beware of the stinking green water and the flees that cover your boat at night, especially if it is white /forums/images/icons/wink.gif. My boat got so filthy in that mucky river, and fenders covered in diesel oil and crap, I had a stinking diesel long boat running it's generator all night moored on front of me, very unpleasant. I woke up one morning and the whole boat was black with dead flees stuck to it. Evesham is a nice little town but boringly slow speed limits, beware the difference between mph and knts /forums/images/icons/wink.gif Water ski-ing is a NoNo, you just get glaring looks from the rowers that block up the river /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif. The Swans are not too much of a problem, but some of them do the biggest craps you could ever imagine, especially on or about your mooring lines and on the river banks.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[lanason]

The pub at Twyning is called the Fleet Inn - smashing spot but the food is plastic and the service not up to much. It is out of favour with those of us who live near by.

The Avon has lower banks so there is more to see - The Severn has a much bigger rise and fall and hence if it is high then its exciting - if its low then the water is calm but the views are less special. The run up from Tewksbury to Worcester and Stourport is nice.


<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/kelisha>Kelisha</A> I never snub anyone accidentally

 

[rickp]

Has the Fleet Inn gone down hill recently then? It was okay last year - and I've frequented it quite often when visiting a friend in the village there.

Admittedly - not been 7 months...

Take your point on the Avon - a lovely place to cruise. We did rather blast through there though - as we wanted to get around the ring in the week.

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