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Basingstoke Canal


jellybeano

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Have just left the Basingstoke Canal, after two glorious weeks on it. There are still a lot of problems, mainly shallow stretches, and the canal-owned dredger is under repair, which does not help. The canal needs a lot more money to become fully functional, but it was a joy to cruise. The Rangers are on the case all the time, to cope with problems, and could not have been more helpful, friendly, speedy and efficient. The whole canal is tree lined and beautiful. We had the added bonus of plane spotting, as it was practice week for the Farnborough air show. By the way, this year, for the first time, there are cruising restrictions in the vicinity of the airfield in the afternoons while the air displays are taking place, as a knock-on effect of the Shoreham incident. The canal centre at Mytchett is a great place to stop, the café serves a very good range of food, (breakfasts recommended!) the pump out (token operated, buy it at the centre) costs £5!!!!! You still have to book to go on the canal, but the days you can enter and leave are far more flexible than three years ago, when we first went there. I hope more people will go to explore and hopefully enjoy this rather "adventure" waterway! Now back on the R Thames, what a contrast!!

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We just squeezed under with minor damage to a flower tub. There are three very low bridges in that part of the canal. The boat has been through Standedge tunnel, so is not that high out of the water! More warning on the bridges would be welcome. A local volunteer told us that the level can vary by up to a foot, so maybe we were very unlucky, but advance warning would be welcome. Will feed that back to the canal centre when I take in my feedback comment sheet.

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