Winter Opening information for winter canal boating holidyas

Winter canal boating holidays

K&A Canal: Gibson's Boat Services - Winter Opening

Gibson's Boat Services at Builder's Wharf Honeystreet

Picture by Bob Naylor

Winter opening at Gibson's Boat Services at Honeystreet on the Kennet & Avon Canal come into effect from October 1st.

They will be open Thursday to Monday from 10am to dusk or 6pm (whichever is earlier).

They will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays — except for emergencies or by prior arrangements.

All of their usual services will be available: Diesel, gas, pumpout & toilet fluids, water, & stove fuels.

via kacanaltimes.blogspot.com

You may not need these specific boat services for winter canal boating holidays but it's useful to know what's opening when planning canal boat holidays for October through to March. The water take on service for example is vital, and you ight just need an unplanned pump out.

Vote For Our Rivers

Ralph Underhill, Our Rivers campaigner, said: “This is the first time people have had a chance to vote for the river which is closest to their heart.

So now people are being asked to go to the Our Rivers website and vote for the best river and worst river in England and Wales.

Visit www.ourrivers.org.uk to cast your vote before October 31

via waterwaysphotos.blogspot.com

Why not vote for the river that is the best managed for canal boat holidays? The Thames, Ouse, River Avon, River Calder, Great Ouse, Medway Stour, Trent, etc ?

Best River, Worst River - Vote now!

The Our Rivers campaign is asking people in England and Wales to vote for the best and worst rivers.

The Our Rivers campaign was set up by a group of NGOs - WWF, RSPB, and the Angling Trust in 2009 when the Environment Agency published draft River Basin Management Plans that set out the future of river management up to 2015 and beyond.

Our Rivers felt the plans didn't go far enough and were unnecessarily bureaucratic. They felt that crowdsourcing knowledge from the population upwards would be much better.

After the official process the Our Rivers campaign re-launched with the Salmon and Trout Association onboard as well.

Now they are seeking wider involvement with Philippa Forrester heading a publicity initiative while she is currently a TV series - Halcyon River Diaries on BBC1.

Philippa Forrester said: “Living close to a river, I get to see an amazing array of life from the emergence of mayflies in spring to the darting flash of a hunting kingfisher and the secretive habits of the water vole.”

The Our Rivers campaign was launched last year to fight for clean and healthy rivers shortly before a Government report revealed 74 per cent were failing to meet EU environmental targets.

Ralph Underhill, Our Rivers campaigner, said: “This is the first time people have had a chance to vote for the river which is closest to their heart.

So now people are being asked to go to the Our Rivers website and vote for the best river and worst river in England and Wales.

Visit www.ourrivers.org.uk to cast your vote before October 31

KAcanalTIMES: K&A Canal restricted lock operations between Great Bedwyn and Little Bedwyn

Sunday 19 September 2010 — until further notice

Little Bedwyn Lock (67)

Because of very low water levels in the area locks 64 to 67 will only be open between 9am and 4.30pm. 

Boaters are asked to share locks to save water whenever possible.

The locks affected are Church Lock 64 at Great Bedwyn, Burnt Mill 65, Potters 66 and Little Bedwyn 67.

For more information call: 01380 722859

via kacanaltimes.blogspot.com

Probably best to aim to get through the locks before 4.00pm really. I wonder how long the low water levels will last, but at least it's after the main canal boating holiday season.

Leeds and Liverpool Canal to re-open in two stages

Great news for autumn canal boat holidays

Leeds and Liverpool Canal to re-open in two stages: "British Waterways has announced that the closed section of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal is to re-open in two stages, after the latest review of the reservoir levels.

The 40 mile section between Wigan and Barrowford will re-open on Friday 17th September. The remaining 20 miles from Barrowford to Gargrave will re-open on Wednesday 22nd September.

British Waterways staff are removing stop planks"

Leeds & Liverpool Canal to reopen for Canal Boating Holidays

Latest news for Wednesday 15 September

Leeds & Liverpool Canal to reopen waterscape.com

British Waterways is today pleased to announce the phased reopening of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal beginning this Friday 17 September, with reservoir levels in North West at a sufficient enough level to get boat traffic moving again. The stretch below Lock 51 at Barrowford to Lock 85 in Wigan will reopen on Friday, allowing boaters to travel between Barrowford and Liverpool. The remaining 20-mile section between Lock 51 at Barrowford and Lock 31 in Gargrave will reopen the following week on Wednesday 22 September. ... click for full story

via waterwaysworld.com

Good news for autumn canal boating holidays on the Leeds and Liverpool at last, and well done to all the live aboarders who survived being stranded.

Oxford Canal Easier for Canal Boating Holidays

These new improvements to the Oxford canal bridges wil make it less daunting for beginners on canal boating holidays

Latest news for Tuesday 14 September

Single boaters given a hand on the Oxford Canal waterscape.com

British Waterways (BW) has completed a £40k bridge improvement project on the Oxford Canal. The project, to fully automate a lift bridge located near the canal side village of Thrupp, was carried out to ensure that single boaters can safely and easily operate this Grade II listed structure. Lift bridges are a well known feature along the Oxford Canal and today representatives from BW and the Inland Waterways Association will official open the newly controlled bridge known as Aubrey Lift Bridge (bridge number 221) which is the first bridge on this stretch of waterway to be electrically automated.... click for full story

via waterwaysworld.com

There are quite a few lift bridges along the Oxford canal and also sadly some locations where these bridges have been demolished.

Restorations good for Canal Boating Holidays

Soon the Droitwuich canal in Worcestershire will be open for navigation providing new possibilities for canal boating holidays.

Yesterday saw a boat enter the 250-year-old barge canal for the first time in 80 years. It was a symbolic act that meant the £12 million restoration of the canal in Droitwich is close to completion.

Droitwich was just one of many abandoned waterways.

The growth of the leisure industry has sparked a renewed interest in canals as increasing numbers of people opt for narrowboat holidays. The result has been restoration projects across the country with many miles of canals navigable again.

via worcesternews.co.uk

While some old canals like the Leeds and Liverpool are creaking and groaning with leaks and lack of resources for maintenance, in other parts of the country new canals are being restored, or rather old ones, so the choices will always be there for canal boat holidays on the UK inland waterways

Canal Boating Holidays thwarted by drought

Linda listened to this programme on Radio 4 and found it shocking. Some of the live aboarders are stuck up on the moors for weeks because they didn't listen properly to the low water level warnings. The man from British Waterways said that the canal is 200 years old and has always had problems with water shortages in the summer. The boat hire companies who do canal boating holidays have had a bad year too.

BBC Radio 4's "Open Country" programme was devoted to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal this week.

In particular the programme dealt with some of the issues around the closure of the 60-mile stretch between Wigan and Gargrave.

Presenter Helen Marks spoke to boaters who live aboard boats on the canal. She spoke with BW's Vince Moran about the reason for the recent closure of almost half of the canal. Mike Clarke of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Society tells Helen about the canal's history and about his involvement with the Short Boat Kennet, one of the last unconverted boats which worked on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

The programme can be listened to on-line for the next few days by following this link.

via waterwaynews.blogspot.com

Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival 2010

Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival 2010
Originally uploaded by Passing-stranger

Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival 2010

River Dart: Totnes

River Dart: Totnes
Originally uploaded by edmittance

Totnes, Devon, on the river Dart.

The River Dart is a river in Devon, England which rises high on Dartmoor, and releases to the sea at Dartmouth. Its valley and surrounding area is a place of great natural beauty.

Totnes (pronounced /ˈtɒtnɨs/ or /tɒtˈnɛs/) is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about 22 miles (35 km) south of the city of Exeter and is the administrative centre of the South Hams District Council.

Totnes has a long recorded history, dating back to 907 AD when its first castle was built; it was already an important market town by the 12th century. Indications of its former wealth and importance are given by the number of merchants' houses built in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Today, the town, with its population of 7,444,[1] is a thriving centre for music, art, theatre and natural health. It has a sizeable alternative and "New Age" community, and is known as a place where one can live a bohemian lifestyle.

No mooring

No mooring
Originally uploaded by MisterPeter!

No mooring

St Pancras Basin

The Last Nail - Andy Roberts boatbuilding folk song

The Last Nail by Andy Roberts

Recorded live at Havering Folk Club

Barging Through London (1924)

A record of the Regent's Canal in London made first in 1924 includes scenes of the London, Tilbury and Southend railway passing over the canal; Kings Cross station; St Pancras station; and the canal being crossed by the railway outside Euston and St Pancras stations.



This is a really interesting movie and is a fantastic look into our near history should be shown in schools to what an easy life the kids have today.

There are some good shots in this film. Not only does it show the ride up the Regent's Canal in 1924, it shows some of the communities on the way....including Stepney Green Underground station, Mile End (trams and all), Gardiner's Corner (Aldgate East), Hackney, etc.

The Thames at Richmond

The Thames at Richmond
Originally uploaded by AndyRob

I like the fresh spring greens in this picture of the River Thames at Richmond

Severn Link Ferry Ilfracombe to Swansea

The new Severn Link Ferry from Ilfracombe to Swansea connecting North devon with south Wales in spring 2010

Braunston Historic Boat Festival

Braunston Historic Boat Festival
Originally uploaded by Dave Hamster

Braunston Historic Boat Festival

Northamptonshire

Narrowboat For Sale

Outdoor and Services

Windows

Eight large Dutch Barge style windows and two side doors/windows (one by the bed and the other in the lounge).

75 Gallon Water Tank

Large water tank located under the front deck area. There is a filling cap on the front deck and access to the tank is through a hatch located in the kitchen. There is enough room to add a further tank if required.

Gas Locker

The Gas locker at the front of the boat contains three propane (orange) gas cylinders. These are connected to the Gas systems on the boat and feed the Gas hot water system and the Oven. The locker also contains an in-line ‘Bubble’ gas leak detector.

Central Heating

Three hidden radiators (two in the lounge and one in the bathroom) are fed by a drip feed a Kabola E5 diesel burner. There is also an in-line Calorifier Hot water tank that gives an extra supply of hot water when the central heating is switched on.

External Paintwork

The Boat has been painted (Poppy red sides with a Cream roof) within the last two years however this is not complete and some parts need re-touching and others areas have been primed recently ready for painting.

BSC (Boat safety certificate)

The Boat was recently inspected and now holds a new BSC to 01/04/2013.
A full Hull survey was completed in 2005 and can be provided on request

Mooring

Boilerplate currently has no permanent mooring. She is currently moored on the Mill Stream in Oxford which is part of the Thames and has been in the same place for three years. There are water points on the far side of the stream and a place to empty the toilet as the end of the Oxford Canal (the Hythe Bridge Arm containing permanent Narrowboat moorings) runs parallel to the Mill stream at that point.

Build

Boilerplate was sold to me as a shell with only a little history known. The Survey indicated that she was only 10-15 years old and due to the unusual features (large Dutch barge style windows and very large fore-deck) was probably a private build. A full History can probably be traced using the BW (British Waterways) registration number, this is unfortunately something I haven’t had the time to do.



http://www.narrowboats-online.co.uk

Waterways in Scotland

The waterways in Scotland are not connected to England at all, and consist mainly of the Celedonian canal. There is also a picturesque Crinan Canal in Argyll and Bute, and a recently restored Forth & Clyde and Union Canals in the Lowlands.

Scotland has a 137 mile (220km) network of inland waterways.

The Falkirk Wheel is the world's first and only rotating boat lift.

The Millennium Link was an ambitious £84.5m project with the objective of restoring navigability across Scotland on the historic Forth & Clyde Canal and Union Canal.

The challenge faced, was to link the Forth and Clyde Canal, which lay 35m (115ft) below the level of the Union Canal. Historically, the two canals had been joined at Falkirk by a flight of 11 locks that stepped down across a distance of 1.5km, but these has been dismantled in 1933, breaking the link.

What was required was a method of connecting these two canals by way of a boat lift.

Small Canal Boat

Small Canal Boat
Originally uploaded by 'Peter'

Small Canal Boat by 'Peter'.
Taken on the Erewash Canal, Long Eaton, Derbyshire.