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dreadnought

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hi to everyone, has anyone on the forum cruised the whole canal system!, if so, could you tell me how long it would take i`m going to be retiring in a couple of years and its something i`m thinking of doing, i would love to hear some of your comments, many thanks

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I've been CC'ing since 2013 and still haven't done quite a bit of the system (Lancaster, Fens, Stratford, Gloucester, etc.etc) but then I've not considered it a race merely an opportunity to experience various parts of the country in which I've never lived before.

If you want to flog it however, I've done about 4000 miles which at 3mph should take 1333 hours which at 8 hours per day would take 166 days, so if you want to beat yourself to death you could do it all in a year, but then perhaps not:rolleyes:

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I've completed the system (to my satisfaction at least).   It took us about two and a half years and we a fair proportion, perhaps the majority twice, out of choice.  I continued working, albeit at a lesser intensity and had to visit various places and attend meetings as a result, as well as visit relatives etc.  Neither did we plan the route, other than towards the end.

If you are not content to miss even small parts, the issue is various types of blockages and stoppages which you may have to return at a later date to clear up.    We recorded about 2700 engine hours and, at a guess, maybe 1800 hours would be about right if you were organised and, perhaps, not fussed about a few odds and ends if they were unavailable when you were passing.  So roughly, a working year.  Obviously it depends on how many hours a day you are wiling to put in, but be aware the winter stoppages are a serious impediment and won't be known sufficiently in advance to plan.

So, I reckon two summers and one winter ought to see pretty much all at a reasonably active but not ridiculousness pace.

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It all depends what you class as the whole system.  There are waterways with logistical hurdles to overcome, for example the River Idle.  There are waterways which aren't directly connected to the main system but may be reached by intrepid narrowboaters, for example the Medway, the Driffield Navigation (the Bude canal anyone?), what about totally unconnected waterways which could be included by a truck and road transfer, for example the Neath and Tennant canal.  Or canal which are theoretically connected but in all practical ways not, such as the Caledonian? What about section of canal which are only accessible by specific craft, eg the Dudley Tunnel.  Do you include putting your bow up against the end of every dead-end arm?  (The BCN has lots of these).  

In reality there's no such thing as the "whole system" as everyone's definition is different.  As a start, I would say I'd reasonably done the whole system when I'd done the main channels of everything on this map, excluding the Mon & Brec and the River Parrett/ Bridgewater & Taunton.  That's just me though.

Map linked from http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/index.php

CanalMap.gif

 

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How long is a piece of string ? So to answer your question, how long per day do you intend to cruise, will you be stopping & looking around the places you pass through, will you cruise even in heavy rain or wind, will you be ice breaking during the winter ????? 

So it will take as long (or short) as you want to make it !

 

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38 minutes ago, dreadnought said:

hi, i`ll be cruising in my 57ft nb

So the network for you is just the purple bit in the map above. You don't need to retire at all. Just take all your annual leave entitlement in one block, crack round that lot in about 6 weeks and back to work to support the economy. :P

JP

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3 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

So the network for you is just the purple bit in the map above. You don't need to retire at all. Just take all your annual leave entitlement in one block, crack round that lot in about 6 weeks and back to work to support the economy. :P

JP

And the blue bit and almost all of the red bit ..?

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26 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

And the blue bit and almost all of the red bit ..?

That is the system for barges. Otherwise I might have to point out the light blue bit around the edges. His boat will fit after all. Narrow boats are for narrow canals.

Exception can be made for the GU; but only if a butty is towed of course.

JP

 

Edited by Captain Pegg
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2 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

So the network for you is just the purple bit in the map above. You don't need to retire at all. Just take all your annual leave entitlement in one block, crack round that lot in about 6 weeks and back to work to support the economy. :P

JP

what you smoking 

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10 hours ago, dreadnought said:

what you smoking 

Search the forum and you will find another thread asking the same question from a year or two ago in which I answered the question seriously. The point is well made above though that it's really down to what you consider to be your own limits of the system and how you want to cruise.

In very broad terms the answer is about one year if you cruise a normal day every day.

JP

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