Anything useful we should take?

[Galoka]

As in my other thread, we are heading off on a hired narrowboat on Friday, and I'm sorting and packing some of our stuff.

Anything useful that  should pack that I might not have thought of. Don't want to take unneccessary stuff, but since often camp it doesn't feel like we are taking that much :-)

 Would camping chairs be useful for sitting out on the towpath? (SWMBO has a dodgy hip and doesn't like sitting on the ground much anymore.

Thanks

[Kendorr]

Treat it like a camping holiday and you won't go far wrong.

 

Camping chairs are very useful, also tea, coffee, milk, sugar and breakfast for tomorrow. You can do some shopping when you're on the move if you don't want to take much with you.

 

Camera, binoculars, hat, sunscreen etc.

 

Bottled water, I personally don't drink the water from the tank, but fill plastic bottles from the taps on the canal side. 

 

Sure I'll think of something else once I've sent this! Have a good week :-)

 

Kevin

[Hudds Lad]

We find a set of cheap PMR walkies quite useful, especially if my better half is walking between locks and I'm pootling along wondering if I should stop or prepare to go straight in once she opens the gates, also keeps the Tweenager engaged. Also better than hand signals between bow & stern

we have Binatone Latitude 100's, bought 2 sets of two from eBay for less than £20 delivered (although one now resides at the bottom of the Llangollen opposite the pub near bridge 5, don't ask :D)

[Stilllearning]

Whatever you take, it is often handy to unpack on the boat, and take the suitcases back to your car. It saves a lot of space on the boat.

Don't forget to take chargers for all your "devices".

We have always drunk the water from the water tank, but that is your choice.

Do take note of what Hudds Lad has said, and DON'T drop phones etc in the canal! It is depressingly easy to get casual about things left on the roof of the boat - hats, mugs, phones, books, they can all fall off, get knocked off, blown off.

Have fun!

[Dave Payne]

if you dont want to buy/take walkie talkies, agree some basic hand signals now, for instance when i am walking towards a lock and the mrs is steering we have a set of hand signals that work well,

point up or down for boat coming up or down 

point to the bank if i feel she needs to moor up rather than hover mid channel

a duck quacking like signal with fingers and thumb means move up slowly if the lock is almost ready to open

Sounds silly, but saves getting frustrated and stressed if you cant understand what the other person is trying to say.

 

And the tip above about the suitcase is a good one!

[Athy]

1 minute ago, Stilllearning said:

Whatever you take, it is often handy to unpack on the boat, and take the suitcases back to your car. It saves a lot of space on the boat.

!

Good tip. Our version is to take only soft bags, so that when emptied they can be folded and stored under the bed or in a cupboard. Certainly, rigid suitcases and narrowboat interiors don't always get on.

[Grebe]

Torch, favourite frying/omlette pan, decent can opener, guidebook/map.  Clock - it saves finding phones or watches to check time.

Prescripton medication(s).

[Dave Payne]

BEER!

[mrsmelly]

A beer bottle opener and cork screw are an absolute must justin case.

No need for any mains voltage equipment it simply isnt needed. No need for laptops or mobile phones you are on holiday and the world went round for many many years before any of us had them. Beer and spare beer is needed.

[Galoka]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Walkies talkies is a good idea, youngest daughter has a set if we can find them

Will pack in holdalls, so storing those isn't a problem on the boat.

WE will do a fair bit of self catering rather than eating in pubs all the time, so already have a shopping order booked for collection on the way.  For the basics stuff and the first couple of days meals. Including beer and gin :-)

[Dave Payne]

What if the spare beer runs out!!!

Get a map, might sell them at the hire base, a proper one, not those silly ones they make, shows the pubs and shops, in case you run out of beer.

[mrsmelly]

Unless it hasnt yet been mentioned take plenty of beer.

[Galoka]

2 minutes ago, Dave Payne said:

What if the spare beer runs out!!!

Get a map, might sell them at the hire base, a proper one, not those silly ones they make, shows the pubs and shops, in case you run out of beer.

This is just the intial beer supply, should last ok until we can restock :-) We can always just moor near a pub and not move.

Have various guides, canal maps, OS maps, paper maps, digital maps, GPS for a bit of geocaching :-)

[Athy]

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

Unless it hasnt yet been mentioned take plenty of beer.

It's a good thing you mentioned that, they might have overlooked it otherwise.

On a serious note, crew (and in particular the steerer) should avoid consuming same until the boat has been finally tied up for the night.

[Dave Payne]

The crew cant drink till the boat is moored??

You are being silly now Athy.

[Galoka]

We also will have our standard staying in odd rented places kit of  decent knife, , bottle/can openers, cafetiere, a decent sized saucepan for cooking pasta, a decent frying pan in case it's one of those special sticky ones they sell for rented houses

 

[mrsmelly]

2 minutes ago, Galoka said:

This is just the intial beer supply, should last ok until we can restock :-) We can always just moor near a pub and not move.

 

But what if the pub runs out of beer?

[Galoka]

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

But what if the pub runs out of beer?

I have made a list of 24 hr super markets near the canal.

Though a bit concern about the risks of beer shortages going up the Caldon

Edited July 12, 2017 by Galoka

[Dave Payne]

Just now, mrsmelly said:

But what if the pub runs out of beer?

Wine?

[mrsmelly]

Just now, Galoka said:

 

Blimey you have run out of letters.........

[Galoka]

so what's the maximum beer carrying capacity of a 65ft narrowboat? Just in case.

[Dave Payne]

How many berths is the boat?

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, Galoka said:

so what's the maximum beer carrying capacity of a 65ft narrowboat? Just in case.

Now THATS a sensible question  I would say just keep loading it until the gunwhales are at water level.

[Athy]

3 minutes ago, Dave Payne said:

The crew cant drink till the boat is moored??

You are being silly now Athy.

I trust that you're joking.

Mrs. Athy and I have been boat owners for 20 years now, we both love "a" drink but we don't have one until we're moored up. For people not used to narrowboats, I'd say that drinking alcohol while under way would be unwise - I know it only goes at 4 mph, but it weighs 15 tons or so, and places like locks are fraught with danger if you haven't got a clear head.

That said, I realise that the O.P.s are adults and have the right to make their own minds up.

[Galoka]

3 minutes ago, Dave Payne said:

How many berths is the boat?

4, so quite low for that size hire boat (more sitting around space etc.) should ahve got one with bunks for extra beer storage space.