I feel I’m in danger of losing my canal credibility, so little cruising have we done this year. But fear not dear reader. Plans are afoot for the good ship Herbie to venture forth before too long.
Having got 33 hours and 39 minutes to spare next month, I find that is exactly enough to travel 51.6 miles and negotiate 94 locks and 6 small aqueducts or underbridges, 3 tunnels and 1 major aqueduct. Hmmm I wonder where that could get us. I’ll consult Canalplan. Aaah, that’s exactly what is required to get us to Stratford upon Avon. And as luck would have it, I have 33 more hours and 39 minutes available to get us back again. It looks like hard work though, 188 locks in a couple of weeks. I’ll just consult again to see where we might rest on the way.
Ahaa, working on about five and a half hours a day, we could stop over at Braunston for the historic boat rally, drop in at Saltisford basin in Warwick, revisit the rather splendid Tom O’ the Wood pub we only briefly called in on last year, and have a pint or three of Ubu in the Boot at Lapworth on the way. Sounds like a plan to me.
Talking of Stratford, there’s an awful lot of Shakespeare on the radio and TV at the moment and I assumed it might be an anniversary of some sort. I don’t know about you but although being 448 years old is quite an achievement, I don’t see it as a special number. I suppose it’s all to do with the world egg and spoon race they are having in the other Stratford later on this year.
Anyway, that’s our “blow the cobwebs off Herbie” cruise tentatively sorted. Later on if we can find 145 hours and 28 minutes to spare, we might make it up to Chester and back. I quite fancy doing 268.06 miles and 258 locks, 3 moveable bridges of which 1 is usually left open, 43 small aqueducts or underbridges and 12 tunnels. Hmmm, now I suppose I should sort out the watering holes for that trip too.
In the meantime, to get in training, we have the jubilee pageant to crew for on Sue and Richard on Indigo Dream, and a jolly up the GU to get Adam to Crick (and perhaps back) on Briar Rose.
Surely that should be enough to restore the old cred for a while.
HERBIE! Journeys on our narrowboat and the trials and tribulations of maintaining her.
4 comments:
happy travels!
Glad to hear you've got some cruising planned!
We are busy Monday and Tuesday but free Wednesday evening for a pint :)
The south Stratford is very pretty, but I always find the locks hard work. They're just the wrong distance apart, for a start: a long walk, but not far enough to make it worthwhile getting back on board. And the paddles are stiff too. Good moorings in Bancroft Basin, though, and you'll delight hundreds of tourists!
Bicycle.
Post a Comment