Narrowboat (1 Viewer)

[Chockswahay]

Each to their own... Give me my motorhome ANY day.

Err, actually, all this talk about canal boats is reminding me how much I want one

Our plan is to do a little while longer with the van then sell it, buy a canal boat and 'cruise' the entire UK canal system No traffic, no campsites, no fee's........... just 'wild' boating LOL.

We love canal boats and have hired a few over the years. You are right, it takes time to get the best out of it

 

[movan]

Err, actually, all this talk about canal boats is reminding me how much I want one

Our plan is to do a little while longer with the van then sell it, buy a canal boat and 'cruise' the entire UK canal system No traffic, no campsites, no fee's........... just 'wild' boating LOL.

We love canal boats and have hired a few over the years. You are right, it takes time to get the best out of it

Now THAT I CAN understand... To me, as said, the problem was that if only doing weekends or one week a year due to working .. you never really get anywhere.. Hope you have a brilliant time ... PLEASE though come back when you do it and let us know if it was the right decision. Thank you.

 

[Chockswahay]

PLEASE though come back when you do it and let us know if it was the right decision. Thank you.

Hmm, that's a difficult one.........

3 years full time on a sailing yacht......... tick

1 year full time in the camper van...........tick

How long on a canal boat?.......................dunno

I don't think I've ever made a right decision in my life (well apart from marrying my lovely wife)

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[Barclaybasher]

What a lovely memory Vic... Thanks for sharing.

Hi Joy the narrowboat was not ours........

Our boat was 26' long. I knew nothing about sailing apart from a weekend on the Solent and had not been to sea before. We set off for Calais, it was almost disaster from the first minute...............like a scene from a Carry On film...We made it though, through the French canals from Calais to the Med using Michelin road maps. Almost every day something went wrong....but we had a great time



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[hilldweller]

.We made it though, through the French canals from Calais to the Med using Michelin road maps. Almost every day something went wrong....but we had a great time
............

Takes hat off to you.

 

[Barclaybasher]

Takes hat off to you.

Thanks for that but my wife was the brave one ...........having faith in me


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[hilldweller]

Thanks for that but my wife was the brave one ...........having faith in me..........

She's as daft as you then, no-one in their right minds crosses the world's busiest chipping lane in a chug chug little barge.

I remember the guy in TV ( who eventually shipped his boat to the USA ) making a real song and dance of it. I think I've got his book somewhere, good read.

 

[Tootles]

Twenty years ago I spent eight years living (on a residential mooring - all pucker) in the middle of Regents Park on a converted working boat, big hand start Lister JP2 engine, riveted hull - twas a thing of beauty. Had purchased her up in Macclesfield and used to move her around to different sites during my holidays so saw a lot of the canal system. Happy days.

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Grade 111 insulation thankfully and no temperamental Truma
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I very nearly bought 'Africa' myself in 1987, from Simon Greer. She was moored on the Macc at Kerridge, but then had a glass cratch. What finally put me off was the length of the prop shaft, and the constant failings of the thrust blocks, possibly because the very long shaft wasn't true.

 

[Tootles]

My 'captain' poses on the Lancaster.

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[Paddywack]

I very nearly bought 'Africa' myself in 1987, from Simon Greer. She was moored on the Macc at Kerridge, but then had a glass cratch. What finally put me off was the length of the prop shaft, and the constant failings of the thrust blocks, possibly because the very long shaft wasn't true.

I got her from Simon in 1990 and by then the prop shaft had been sorted. I had her for eight years put the steel cratch on (London!), I fitted some car boot struts which meant you could open it out like a gullwing mercedes in the summer.