Apologies for the overlong intermission, life got in the way - now you'll all have drunk too much champagne I suppose. Anyhow we're back, and after sleepless nights tossing and turning the Herbie Academy has spoken. So after a fierce battle with the competition, the winner of Best Boater's Gadget 2022 is:
(compulsory annoying ten second wait while a bass drum bangs out a heart beat rhythm)
The In- Line Hose Tap
It's cheap (or am I supposed to say affordable these days), it always works and it saves a lot of dashing back and forth as well as splashes and spills. I would think other folks must have them, but in 16 years of boating on Herbie I don't recall ever seeing someone else using one! It's a no brainer. I think I got ours from a pound shop, so that's how cheap they can be. I think you should get one. Bung it on the free end of your hose then put another 15 inches or so on the other side so you can poke it in your water tank filler hole.
And so after thanking our producers, our mothers etc we can move on to our next award, Best Rural Mooring 2022. I don't mean somewhere to keep your boat long term, just a pleasant spot to rest for a day or two, get out the deck chairs, maybe have a BBQ, walk around and explore the area, chat to other boaters, pick blackberries . . . you get the idea.
As in previous years we confine our candidates to places we have cruised this year, which is the Grand Union between Braunston and Warwick, The North Oxford, and the Ashby canals. Well that's a lot of rural space, but we can think of three places we would always try to stop just to enjoy the surroundings. No nearby shop or pub, just a quiet and pleasant retreat.
1. North Oxford Canal - All Oaks Wood. A bit of a cheat this one because no-one moors actually in the wood, but they do at either end of it. The stretch through the wood makes a lovely walk and there is a spot at the northern end which would be good for a picnic or a BBQ. So we nearly always make a stop at one end of the wood or the other, and while we're there we always go for a walk through the lovely wooded stretch.
2. Grand Union / Oxford Canal near Wigrams Turn
On the Braunston to Wigrams turn stretch there are loads of good spots to tie up. Our favourite is on the last quarter mile before you reach Wigrams. The bank is wide and grassy, there is shelter from wind, there is sunshine and shade and in season there are plenty of blackberries to pick. If there is a down side it's that you do get a bit of noise from the nearby road - the nearer to Wigrams, the less the noise. It's a popular stretch so you are unlikely to be on your own, but we don't mind that. I always like chatting to other boaters. The other advantage for us is that it's only just 45 mins or so from our berth at Ventnor marina. Here we are in March this year:
3. Grand Union Canal Radford Semele (near Leamington Spa)
Popular with walkers and cyclists this is an attractive stretch of canal with plenty of stopping places. At the Leamington end you can moor below the lock and road bridge,
or further away from Leamington is a great stretch alongside a wood where the wood's landowner encourages boaters to enjoy the area and provides areas for picnics or BBQs and also encourages people to create art works.
Well they're all very nice. The committee will chose a favourite for next time. Meanwhile we'll do a shortlist of good pubs on or near the canal and perhaps mention some not so good ones. Stay tuned and keep warm.
No comments:
Post a Comment