mrs btf and hamster's narrow boat thread

[hamster]

mrs b, re the narrow boat adventure.

 

next Friday we are off to do our RYA helmsman's course, that night we get the keys to OUR narrowboat and sleep on the cut for the first time in our lives. We are so excited and have quite literally re-planned out first week's route over and over. If only we had longer, we would have loved to get ourselves down to Little Venice and moor up at Camden for a couple of nights.

 

We're moored on the Grand Union, not that far from the M1 and due to the Braunstin Tunnel having some remedial work being done have plumped for a leisurely punt up to Market Harborough (sp).

 

The boat is lovely, most mod-cons including washing machine, solar panels and Sky satelite dish (auto). I know it is supposed to be an escape but we couldn't resist, actually I think mrs h was worried that we'd have to talk to each other and that was never going to work was it!

 

Anyway, as complete novices we would love to read of your adventures both good and bad.

 

xx's

[bridge too far]

Oh Mr H I am SOOOOO jealous. The boat sounds fantastic.

 

We've only ever hired, although we came close to buying a boat from my uncle that he'd fitted out himself. It was too small for our brood though. It used to be moored near Tring / Aylesbury.

 

Things that immediately spring to mind:

 

Me running across a running board at a lock, slipping in (the shallow side, not the lock side) and my youngest daughter being convinced I'd drowned (she was 3 at the time). I was furious because I was wearing an arran sweater I'd knitted and it stretched so much with the water

 

Running out of river when we did the Stratford and Avon. Doing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct - very scary if you're at the helm.

 

Getting caught in gale force winds a couple of years ago on the Canal du Midi.

 

The hard, hard work that is the Kennet and Avon.

 

Blimey - I could write a book

 

I hope you both have wonderful fun - I'm sure you will!

[Dog]

River rats is what we call the boat pikeys.

[hamster]

Can't wait to pass through places with those romantic evocative names like 'Fenny Stratford' and hopefully one day I'd like to go over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, but for now we're are concentrating on the Oxford, Grand Union (southern section) and the Midlands.

 

That's enough to be going on with especially at avareage pace. I am a bit wary of some of the longer tunnels to be honest, we will be moored for the forseeable future just north of the famous Blisworth Tunnel.

 

I also expect our average speed to be on the slow side as I plan to catalogue and rate as many local ales along the way as possible.

 

mrs h was going to get me an Argyle jumper for Christmas, but went for a similar knit which is a bit lighter. I test wore it for that freezing cold MK Dons game and it is the bestest and warmest jumper ever.

[hamster]

River rats is what we call the boat pikeys.

 

Would you like to go **** yourself Dog, or would you like me to put a curse on yer? Your choice mush.

 

;-)

 

btw

can yay nay read?

[bridge too far]

Can't wait to pass through places with those romantic evocative names like 'Fenny Stratford' and hopefully one day I'd like to go over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, but for now we're are concentrating on the Oxford, Grand Union (southern section) and the Midlands.

 

That's enough to be going on with especially at avareage pace. I am a bit wary of some of the longer tunnels to be honest, we will be moored for the forseeable future just north of the famous Blisworth Tunnel.

 

I also expect our average speed to be on the slow side as I plan to catalogue and rate as many local ales along the way as possible.

 

mrs h was going to get me an Argyle jumper for Christmas, but went for a similar knit which is a bit lighter. I test wore it for that freezing cold MK Dons game and it is the bestest and warmest jumper ever.

 

The Oxford is nice and gentle for starters. Stop over at Cropredy - there's a nice pub canalside.

 

And when you 'do' the midlands, aim for Canal Street Basin in Birmingham. You have to go under Spaghetti junction to get there.

 

Which is strange.

[St Landrew]

Great to read that you're actually getting underway at last. Here's hoping the reality exceeds your expectation. In my experience of all things boats, they usually do, whatever their size and shape.

[Jillyanne]

Jill does not understand this threadage.

[Dog]

The Oxford is nice and gentle for starters. Stop over at Cropredy - there's a nice pub canalside.

 

And when you 'do' the midlands, aim for Canal Street Basin in Birmingham. You have to go under Spaghetti junction to get there.

 

Which is strange.

 

 

Are you sure??

 

Hamster will you be going through Cropredy?

[bridge too far]

Jill does not understand this threadage.

 

You know boats, right? Some are narrow.

 

HTH

 

(Love you really xx)

[dubai_phil]

Hmmm Hammy has a boat

 

It will need a boat warming party

 

We need a venue for the forum match after party

 

sorted....

 

Should be a piece of cake getting down to the RMC depot

[Jillyanne]

You know boats, right? Some are narrow.

 

HTH

 

(Love you really xx)

 

I only do Cruise Ships R. x

[Smirking_Saint]

Have those Somalian pirates gotten into the narrow boat taking game yet ?? If so hamster, beware buddy.

[bridge too far]

I only do Cruise Ships R. x

 

Hmm but you can't cruise from pub to pub in those.

[St Landrew]

I only do Cruise Ships R. x

 

I occasionally wave back to cruise ships from a sailing boat or sailing dinghy, because passengers are always waving over the rail at us. Perhaps they think we're sinking..? Often makes me think that what they actualy want is some real adventure, rather than wandering around on a floating hotel.

 

I can just about see an attraction with cruise ships, but I wouldn't want to share one with so many people. Perhaps you can explain the really good points to cruise ships, Jilly..?

[Jillyanne]

Hmm but you can't cruise from pub to pub in those.

 

TBF yes you can - just different countries. :cool:

[Dog]

TBF yes you can - just different countries. :cool:

 

Have you ever been on a cruise ship Jill?? And I do not mean P&O booze cruise or a day trip to Cowes.

[Gemmel]

Took a narrow boat away for a four day stag do, many years ago and what a laugh, brilliant fun, a bit different and got to do something i probably never would have done otherwise.

 

Enjoy Hamster

[Jillyanne]

Have you ever been on a cruise ship Jill?? And I do not mean P&O booze cruise or a day trip to Cowes.

 

Oriana x 3

Arcadia (the old one and the new one) x 2 each

Royal Princess x 2

Aurora x 3

Grand Princess x 3

Superstar Leo

Star Princess x 2

Sapphire Princess

Pacific Princess

Oceana x 2

 

Booked for Ventura in July.

 

HTH

[Dog]

Oriana x 3

Arcadia (the old one and the new one) x 2 each

Royal Princess x 2

Aurora x 3

Grand Princess x 3

Superstar Leo

Star Princess x 2

Sapphire Princess

Pacific Princess

Oceana x 2

 

Booked for Ventura in July.

 

HTH

 

How the **** did you manage to go on all those trips when you've been online on here for the past 10 years?

 

Can you post some fotos of the boats as I have never seen a cruise ship from the inside.

 

HtH

[Jillyanne]

How the **** did you manage to go on all those trips when you've been online on here for the past 10 years?

 

Can you post some fotos of the boats as I have never seen a cruise ship from the inside.

 

HtH

 

Worked for Allders, Carnival and P&O (before it was taken over by them)

 

Oh and forgot:-

 

Vistafjord

QE2

Royal Viking Sun

 

They are ships not boats BTW.

[Dog]

My sister worked on Vistafjord for 2 years.

[St Landrew]

 

They are ships not boats...

 

Just in case anyone was wondering, a ship is a vessel that is large enough to carry a boat, or boats, and a boat is small enough to be carried by a ship. Boats can carry or tow dinghies.

 

Well that's the easy answer anyway. There is a proper answer which I'm not familiar with.

[Ponty]

Just in case anyone was wondering, a ship is a vessel that is large enough to carry a boat, or boats, and a boat is small enough to be carried by a ship. Boats can carry or tow dinghies.

 

Well that's the easy answer anyway. There is a proper answer which I'm not familiar with.

Submarines are boats and you'd struggle to fit one on a P&O ferry. That much I know.

[for_heaven's_Saint]

I assume this boat will be flying a Southampton flag?

[RedAndWhite91]

I once got paid £200 to help take a £400,000 boat from Sardinia to Marbella. Beat that!

[Dog]

What's a tug?

[Fowllyd]

Hamster on a boat, eh? Cue Tales of the Riverbank music and Johnny Morris. Must be me age...

[LVSaint]

Good luck to you and enjoy.

 

Parents have a 45fter moored in Caversham. I'll be up for a short trip when I'm over next month if the weather co-operates. Nothing like a beer and a ciggy chugging along at 5mph mooring at the pubs along the way.

[Dog]

The Oxford is nice and gentle for starters. Stop over at Cropredy - there's a nice pub canalside.

 

And when you 'do' the midlands, aim for Canal Street Basin in Birmingham. You have to go under Spaghetti junction to get there.

 

Which is strange.

 

 

BTF. There isn't a pub canalside in Cropredy!

[bridge too far]

BTF. There isn't a pub canalside in Cropredy!

 

Well no - but it's just a hop and a skip away. Friends of mine used to own it a few years ago but for the life of me I can't think what it's called.

 

It's to the right of the canal if you're sailing down towards Oxford.

[Dog]

Brasenhose Arms or Red Lion?

[bridge too far]

Brasenhose Arms or Red Lion?

 

Instinct tells me it's the Red Lion but looking on maps, the Brasenose Arms seems closer. It's years since I've been there (since our friends left) so I can't be sure.

 

It's a very pretty and very old pub and my memory tells me it's very close to the canal but time plays tricks I often find

[Dog]

That would be the Red Lion, what were your friends called?

[bridge too far]

That would be the Red Lion, what were your friends called?

 

Jeremy and Jackie but I can't remember their surname. Lost touch with them. Before Cropredy, they used to run a pub in a little village to the east of Oxford in a village called Pyrton. I think the pub's a house now.

 

This is like the Spanish Inquisition

[Dog]

Hunt.

[Dog]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1203456/Children-mother-fall-death-steers-canal-boat.html

[amsterdam]

Hunt.

 

No need to be rude - btf just said she couldn't remember their surname....

[Smirking_Saint]

[St Landrew]

Just in case anyone was wondering, a ship is a vessel that is large enough to carry a boat, or boats, and a boat is small enough to be carried by a ship. Boats can carry or tow dinghies.

 

Well that's the easy answer anyway. There is a proper answer which I'm not familiar with.

 

Submarines are boats and you'd struggle to fit one on a P&O ferry. That much I know.

 

That's why it was the easy answer, and not the proper answer, Ponty.

 

But also, think about it. A submarine doesn't carry another boat on board. It may carry dinghies, but it won't carry a another boat. That's why it is a boat. Subs just happen to be examples of the very biggest boats. And that's why a small ship wouldn't be able to carry one, even if it was necessary to.

[Dog]

Wrong time of the year to be a river rat.

[Barfy]

Can't wait to pass through places with those romantic evocative names like 'Fenny Stratford' and hopefully one day I'd like to go over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, but for now we're are concentrating on the Oxford, Grand Union (southern section) and the Midlands.

 

 

In case no-one has already pointed it out, Fenny Stratford is not romantic! Passing through is the best thing to be said about it, unless you want to stop and admire the MkDons bowl?

[Dog]

In case no-one has already pointed it out, Fenny Stratford is not romantic! Passing through is the best thing to be said about it, unless you want to stop and admire the MkDons bowl?

 

It sounds romantic, and after 8 cans of Stowford Press it probably looks romantic. I think he got mixed up between Stratford upon Avon & Fanny.

[Kadeem Hardison]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1203456/Children-mother-fall-death-steers-canal-boat.html

 

I was expecting more after seeing that URL.

[hamster]

So many comments to comment on, so little whim.

 

To start with we're doing our Helmsman's course at Fenny Compton, hopefully this willl minimise some of the risks that one can encounter whilst doing anything water-based. Common sense is the key I would assume, but a bit of proper knowledge will hopefully give us aboth a head start. mrs h cannot swim so is understandably ****ting bricks, to put it politely.

 

Their is apparently a lovely pub at Fenny Compton where we are planning to have dinner next Thursday evening before snuggling up aboard (is it 'aboard' or is it 'onboard'?) before an early start at nine on Friday morning.

 

Hopefully we will both pass. I am especially looking forward to talking 'nautical matters with delldays once i am qualified. Might even give him some tips!

 

Friday night we carry on to our own one, and yes I have now added a saints flag to my essential items list, I just need to buy one now though. First night will be spent playing with knobs and switches and generally scurrying around like a couple of kids, albeit kids who have supped large amounts of wine and ale.

 

As I said previously, the tunnel at Braunston is shut, so it is either south to Aylesbury or north. We're heading for Market Harborough as it will give is the chance to tich the 'Foxton Flight off of the 'list', plus Market Harborough is a where mrs h once bought an antique doll for a tenner which turned out to be worth about 200 quid. I also bought a teddy there at the same 'fayre' which is a Chad Valley Beatles musical one. It plays Hey Jude and is pretty rare, not just because of the Beatles link but also because Chad Valley have an interesting history themselves. I had two at one time but sold one on E-Bay. Any reasonable offers will be considered.

 

mrs b, I will forward you the info that you requested in the PM but basically it is a Yes. I am well up for that, we'll just have to work out a weekend when both of our other halves are away.

[Dog]

So many comments to comment on, so little whim.

 

To start with we're doing our Helmsman's course at Fenny Compton, hopefully this willl minimise some of the risks that one can encounter whilst doing anything water-based. Common sense is the key I would assume, but a bit of proper knowledge will hopefully give us aboth a head start. mrs h cannot swim so is understandably ****ting bricks, to put it politely.

Their is apparently a lovely pub at Fenny Compton where we are planning to have dinner next Thursday evening before snuggling up aboard (is it 'aboard' or is it 'onboard'?) before an early start at nine on Friday morning.

 

Hopefully we will both pass. I am especially looking forward to talking 'nautical matters with delldays once i am qualified. Might even give him some tips!

 

Friday night we carry on to our own one, and yes I have now added a saints flag to my essential items list, I just need to buy one now though. First night will be spent playing with knobs and switches and generally scurrying around like a couple of kids, albeit kids who have supped large amounts of wine and ale.

 

As I said previously, the tunnel at Braunston is shut, so it is either south to Aylesbury or north. We're heading for Market Harborough as it will give is the chance to tich the 'Foxton Flight off of the 'list', plus Market Harborough is a where mrs h once bought an antique doll for a tenner which turned out to be worth about 200 quid. I also bought a teddy there at the same 'fayre' which is a Chad Valley Beatles musical one. It plays Hey Jude and is pretty rare, not just because of the Beatles link but also because Chad Valley have an interesting history themselves. I had two at one time but sold one on E-Bay. Any reasonable offers will be considered.

 

mrs b, I will forward you the info that you requested in the PM but basically it is a Yes. I am well up for that, we'll just have to work out a weekend when both of our other halves are away.

 

 

You have a PM.

Edited 17 February, 2010 by Dog

[bridge too far]

Just back....

 

Dog - yes it was Hunt - do you know them?

 

Hamster - OK xx

[hamster]

Please, no-one post the newspaper story about said pub. I already know!

 

Any tips on knots appreciated though. Even though I was in the boy scouts, I did not go to learn how to tie knots, i went for the draw of being able to make a few quid for myself during bob-a-job week. FACT I am a sad to say.

[landford.saint]

As you know spend time on friends boat.

Birmingham's Gas St. basin great place to tie up. Surrounded by pubs and places to eat, and in city centre. Mind you, did pick up tyre round prop. which took nearly all day to cut off. Then found large extending aluminium ladder in canal when dragging remains of trye off. Strange what Brummies throw in canal.

[RedAndWhite91]

Please, no-one post the newspaper story about said pub. I already know!

Any tips on knots appreciated though. Even though I was in the boy scouts, I did not go to learn how to tie knots, i went for the draw of being able to make a few quid for myself during bob-a-job week. FACT I am a sad to say.

 

Intrigued...