Monday 16 February 2009

Spring planning

We have a week on board Debdale coming up in a couple of weeks time. It'll be our last week from Stockton Top, as Debdale is moving to Norbury Junction the week after.

There are still a number of stoppages around, meaning our choice of routes is somewhat limited. But we'll have mother-in-law on board, and she's expressed an interest in going to Coventry, so that'll be our first aim. We haven't been there since we hired in 2005, and I quite like the basin anyway.

After that, we're planning to head up the Ashby as it's about the only bit of waterway in the area we've never done (mostly because the lock-free cruising everyone raves about isn't really my idea of proper boating). Last time we went past Marston Junction was on our first trip on Debdale, in August 2007.


So it'll be interesting to see how we get on with a canal that's nothing more than bridge, field, bridge, field. I may go mad. Or I may enjoy it. Either way, we'll have to get to the (current) terminus, or it will feel like a failure!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Adam,
Have you been following our blog?! Or do great minds ......
See latest for a flavour!
Fiona

Anonymous said...

Old canal builders put in the number of locks that the terrain demanded; a new canal builder would surely have to calculate the number of locks needed to keep a leisure boater interested while not tiring them out so much that they can't manage a visit to the pub at the end of the day. What would be a reasonable number - one 10-lock flight per cruising day maybe????
Sue
ps. all academic to me as I spend all my time on the tiller regardless!

Halfie said...

And when you do get there, make sure you walk or cycle to Moira along the line of the canal (as much as possible) to see the restored lock and canal. I was last there in 2005 - it would be interesting to find out how much more has been done.

Neil Corbett said...

oh, I do agree with you about locks. We are within a days run of the Paddington basin, and I do like going there, it makes a great weekend away, but how I wish there were a few locks to do on the way!
Kath