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IWA at the NEC

Heartland

By Heartland
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Maybe they were trying to woo back all the boaters back to boating who have sold up and bought a motorhome or caravan.

 

There are at least four forum members I know of who have done....

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kris88 Experienced

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Maybe they were trying to woo back all the boaters back to boating who have sold up and bought a motorhome or caravan.

 

There are at least four forum members I know of who have done....

See you don't need me to mention your caravan, you bring it up often enough yourself.

 

Regards kris

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See you don't need me to mention your caravan, you bring it up often enough yourself.

 

Regards kris

I know I do so what?

 

You mention it in a away that indicates I shouldn't have an opinion about boating, I do not do this.

 

See the difference?

 

Its actually particularly relevant in a thread about the NEC camping and caravan show don't you think? Or did you miss what the thread was actually about?

Edited by MJG
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churchward Veteran II

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Maybe they were trying to woo back all the boaters back to boating who have sold up and bought a motorhome or caravan.

 

There are at least four forum members I know of who have done....

Quite possibly but also I think taking a wider view than just boating. People who are interested in the "great outdoors" could also be woken up to the idea of a boating holiday or some other interest in the canal system.

 

As is often pointed out on here that the IWA is not just for boaters but is for the preservation of our inland waterways heritage and their use as a navigable system.

 

On the whole I think it is good that an organisation like the IWA is thinking beyond the confines of boaters and opening awareness of the inland waterways to other audiences.

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Quite possibly but also I think taking a wider view than just boating. People who are interested in the "great outdoors" could also be woken up to the idea of a boating holiday or some other interest in the canal system.

 

As is often pointed out on here that the IWA is not just for boaters but is for the preservation of our inland waterways heritage and their use as a navigable system.

 

On the whole I think it is good that an organisation like the IWA is thinking beyond the confines of boaters and opening awareness of the inland waterways to other audiences.

Indeed, there are a few boaters on here who do both boating and caravanning/motor homing too which I think reinforces that, certainly the concept of moving around and living in a confined space close to nature is common to both.

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churchward Veteran II

churchward

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Indeed, there are a few boaters on here who do both boating and caravanning/motor homing too which I think reinforces that, certainly the concept of moving around and living in a confined space close to nature is common to both.

There was a story of a caravan owner in Canalboat magazine this month who after taking holidays with the caravan in the UK near canals then decided to hire a boat and give it a go.

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I was just saying that's all . Enjoy your caravaning.

I suspect there will be more rats leaving the sinking ship.

Regards kris

We do enjoy it thanks.

 

For clarity we did not give up boat ownership because of any perception the ship was sinking rather that we wanted to do something else.

 

We are taking it to the Italian lakes in the late summer through France and Switzerland en route. We couldn't do that in the boat.

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homer2911 Rising Star

homer2911

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I was just saying that's all . Enjoy your caravaning.

I suspect there will be more rats leaving the sinking ship.

 

Regards kris

 

Nice analogy Kris - but do you really think that calling someone who is giving up canal boating a 'rat', leaving a 'sinking ship' is likely to attract more people to the canals? What a soul-destroying, acerbic comment about someone who may be a)getting on in years, or b)not as agile as they once were. My wife and I are not getting any younger, and before too long may be forced to give it up after 24 years of canal-boating, but to talk about people like us as 'rats deserting a sinking ship ' is beyond the pale.

Edited by homer2911
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Ray T Veteran II

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Indeed, there are a few boaters on here who do both boating and caravanning/motor homing too which I think reinforces that, certainly the concept of moving around and living in a confined space close to nature is common to both.

 

I actually visited the IWA stand at the Caravan and Camping show this year. The lady I chatted to was very enthusiastic about the canal network being a national heritage for all, not just boaters, something I see as necessary for the canals long term future. I also was invited to join and we discussed the reasons why.

 

Like some others we are fortunate to own a caravan as well as a narrow boat. Last year one of the sites we visited was Bala in North Wales. This enabled me to take a walk "down memory lane" as I went to dinghy race open meetings on Llyn Tegid many many years ago, visit the Llangollen Steam Railway and make a visit to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

 

Yes we could have visited the Pontcysyllte by boat, did so many years ago, but much as I love boating I have to admit the 'van is so versatile. Just as you don't have to own a steam loco to have an interest in heritage railways you don't have to own a boat to be interested in canals.

 

Yes it is possible to have a caravan and maintain an interest in our canals.

Edited by Ray T
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Pluto Veteran

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We are taking it to the Italian lakes in the late summer through France and Switzerland en route. We couldn't do that in the boat.

There is of course the Rhine which links France to Switzerland, and historically the Canal d'Entreroches, built in the 17th century, but not completed, and closed in 1829. There were several schemes for canals to link the Rhine and Danube to the Adriatic, one of the former using a sloping tunnel with the boat being pushed up or down on a wedge of water. Once in Italy, don't forget to visit Milan, the birthplace of the chamber lock. They were first used on the Canal de Bereguardo forty years before Leonardo da Vinci thought about canals. You may not be able to boat from France to Italy, but there are plenty of canal related sites to visit.

 

The Canal d'Entreroches:

gallery_6938_1_118736.jpg

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Graham Davis Veteran

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Nice analogy Kris - but do you really think that calling someone who is giving up canal boating a 'rat', leaving a 'sinking ship' is likely to attract more people to the canals? What a soul-destroying, acerbic comment about someone who may be a)getting on in years, or b)not as agile as they once were. My wife and I are not getting any younger, and before too long may be forced to give it up after 24 years of canal-boating, but to talk about people like us as 'rats deserting a sinking ship ' is beyond the pale.

 

Well said! Green thing awarded.

Unfortunately Kris does have this attitude against some people.

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Peter X Experienced

Peter X

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Veering a bit further off topic, for which I apologise in advance, the mind boggles at the idea of a canal to connect the Rhine or Danube (or indeed the Rhone) to the Po or Adriatic. What I wonder would be the lest difficult route, given that any way you go you'd have to cross the Alps? I think it would require a lot of locks and a very long tunnel somewhere.

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churchward Veteran II

churchward

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I actually visited the IWA stand at the Caravan and Camping show this year. The lady I chatted to was very enthusiastic about the canal network being a national heritage for all, not just boaters, something I see as necessary for the canals long term future. I also was invited to join and we discussed the reasons why.

 

Like some others we are fortunate to own a caravan as well as a narrow boat. Last year one of the sites we visited was Bala in North Wales. This enabled me to take a walk "down memory lane" as I went to dinghy race open meetings on Llyn Tegid many many years ago, visit the Llangollen Steam Railway and make a visit to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

 

Yes we could have visited the Pontcysyllte by boat, did so many years ago, but much as I love boating I have to admit the 'van is so versatile. Just as you don't have to own a steam loco to have an interest in heritage railways you don't have to own a boat to be interested in canals.

 

Yes it is possible to have a caravan and maintain an interest in our canals.

Exactly so, have a green one.

 

It is and will be necessary to make people aware of the value of the canal network to the nation and how people who do not have boats can contribute or support them.

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