NickF

I am just back from a week on the canals which involved the Tame Valley Canal, Walsall Canal and The Wednesbury Old Canal as well as the BCN main line. I really enjoyed the trip through Birmingham and predictably we went down the weedhatch a lot of times, we just had a bin liner on the stern deck for the rubbish. I was surprised and dissapopinted to see several heaps of rubbish on the tow path right by the canal which were clearly what others had pulled out of their weed hatches. Personally I think it is really sad that boaters are littering the canals like this, how can we possible complain about rubbish in the canals when we don't help to clear it up ourselves. I suppose some would have the opinion that it is rubbish, it is not their rubbish and so we can leave it as rubbish. Which do you do?

Just to save you the bother, I did a check to see if my handcuff key would float .... it doesn't! (wise to carry a spare!)

I agree I love Gaixholme ... that pound looks pretty full!

I have lost track of how many companies I have hired from since I first went on a hire boat in 1972..... the best briefing / training I have had was without a doubt Caley cruisers. But then they do have to cover things like drogue anchors and navigation buoys. The other extreme was " your boat's over there on the other side, go and get it and go when your ready"

If you ever spot me Jennifer McM I am the one grinning from ear to ear 24/7 as I am having my canal "fix"!

I have done it in an Oxfordshire narrow boats hire boat which has quite a low bow, and a well deck draining through scuppers by gravity. We had no problems, very little ingress through the scuppers and if anything came in it went out pretty quickly. We had a couple of splashes over the bow which drained quickly through the open scuppers. My advice is leave them open (and shut your bow doors when not in use!) As others have said the worst for kicking up a wake are the Ribs, followed by "City cruiser" trip boats, the high speed clippers make very little wake. Have a fun trip!

I am sure Waiorou has one http://www.narrowboat-waiouru.co.uk/2017/04/waiouru-is-for-sale.html

My guess is if Roland has a tandem and rides it at up to 75kph he is probably using disc brakes. Although my tandem has a disc at the back it also has rim brakes which are operated by the stoker ( back rider ) if needed so I suppose the brake block theory could apply. We have been over 50mph on our schwable plus tyres ...as Roland suggests a burst tyre at that speed sounds scary! May be it's time for new tyres.

Another vote for schwable marathon plus......I have done 1500 puncture free miles on mine. They are a bit heavier than a standard tyre and a bit tight to fit but well worth it.

What fantastic lines, what a thing of beauty! Not sure why it's on this forum but nice to see it.

Good point ... our dog has always been really sure footed and never fallen in off the boat. The year after she had to have her eye out she fell off the bank on the blind side a few times but she got used to it after that!

I find even semi trad tricky with a dog, it makes it hard for her to get on and off .. I would definitely go for a cruiser stern Also I don't think there is any point in having a narrow boat unless you have to get it through a 7ft wide gap ... why would you?... So definitely I would suggest narrow canals for at least part of your journey. As for hire companies I like Oxfordshire Narrow Boats and shire cruisers ... I am not so keen on Alvechurch, some of their fleet is very old and tired (IMO) ... I think Napton are pretty good but I have never hired from them. Wherever you go on whatever boat I hope you have a great time!

Marsden ......but don't tell everyone!