Lovely canal but so busy even out of season. It’s the only canal where we’ve been hit by other boats in 6 years of permanently cruising. Not once but three times! 

Can be quite a struggle going up through the tunnels due to the flow of water coming down. It tends to push the boat sideways so you’re rubbing along the side.

Take the opportunity to go down onto the Montgomery while you’re there. Well worth it.

Regards

Pete

Thanks for drawing my attention to your friend’s video blog, Blakie.

I’ve just watched all the episodes of Dan’s adventures and I have to say, what a joy it was to see the trials and tribulations of buying, owning and taking home a first narrowboat from the perspective of a young man.

Dan comes across as being a very likeable chap and his blog is a very honest account of the beginnings of a life on the cut.

Watching it has made me want to get our boat even more and I can’t wait to get going.

John

An embarrassing moment at the junction with the Whitchurch Branch … Steve was sure she would make the turn … she didn’t …

Naturally, it was persisting down at the time, which dampened our humour until she was freed.

While we were trying to free her, a chap from another boat came running over to urge us to be careful. Apparently a young boy had been killed in exactly the same spot, in the same circumstances, when he slipped over the bow while pushing the boat off the bank and was crushed when the boat rebounded off the opposite bank. Dangerous places canals. 

Cheers,

Blakie 

Paul Smith said
It’s raining and you’re wearing shorts?

LOL, actually it’s not me, that’s my mate Steve. The photo was taken In July of last year, and it was easier to wear shorts than try to slosh around in wet jeans or cargos. Although it was wet, it wasn’t cold, so after rescuing the good ship Devon Maid II, we all walked through Chemistry and into Whitchurch.

We found a brilliant coffee shop called Percy’s Coffee and Curios, which served very good coffee and first class toasted tea cakes. It’s down at the bottom of the high street and turn right, opposite Yate’s if I remember right.

It is packed with antique Harleys, stuffed bears, stained glass and deep, comfy, leather sofas. Well worth the walk.

There’s also an excellent family butcher on the left, half way up the high street on the walk back.

Cheers,

Blakie 

Look what the weather has done to the beautiful Llangollen …

Here

There are several boats trapped by the fallen trees and one hire boat was actually struck by a tree that fell in the night.

Cheers,

Blakie 

If you have not made a trip to Llangollen yet, either in your own boat or a hire boat then what are  you waiting for

Last year (2012) with family living in Llangollen and a weeks holiday due in October I hired a boat from (outrageous plug here but I was impressed with the way they looked after us, the staff friendly and helpful, the engineers demonstrating the boat patient and informative, the boat whilst a well used hire craft was spotlessly clean and well presented ) Vikings Afloat based at whitchurch. Ok enough of the promotion back to the trip.

With Michele hailing from the USA she tells me nothing can compare to New England in the fall, well I think I have shown her that this lovely land of ours can rival anywhere in the world. Along this one stretch no more than 25 miles in length we saw stunning pastoral landscapes, idyllic villages, stunning woodlands, mirrored lakes and a wonder of the industrial world in the world famous Chirk aqueduct   (just kidding although it it too is a marvel of engineering in its own right and is only overshadowed by it neighbor being so near) the famous Pontcysyllte aqueduct.

The trip itself was a lazy 6 day return journey, I do not understand why people who hire a boat for a holiday try to race round the “Rings” in what becomes a trial of endurance to complete a journey that could be/should be savored but each to their own I suppose.  I looked at the route decided that just cruising 4 to 5 hours a day I could comfortably do the 50 miles round trip and still relax, with only 2 locks and a few lift bridges this route is a not hard work at all.

About the facilities along the route, plenty of watering points ( both of the H2o variety and the more pleasing ale type   ) as a hire craft with the usual pump out toilet and and only 1 week hire duration I did not need to seek a pump out location but there appeared to be enough marinas never to be far away from one. Whilst I had planned our trip by taking ample provisions from the start the town of Ellesmere is handily situated at roughly halfway with easy mooring and access to the town center within walking distance.

Mooring was plentiful and to be perfectly honest you were spoil t for choice as to what picture perfect view you needed or desired.  Boat traffic was minimal obviously the midweek and time of year did have an impact as this is one of the most popular routes and I am sure can be hectic at peak times. The run up to Trevor was peaceful and just enough other boaters to make the days journey a wonderful social even with everyone and I mean everyone from boaters to dog walkers/walkers even the fishermen were happy and a cheerful greeting was reciprocated in kind. ( I made a note to ask you all this question “are you all so nice   I was forced to abandon my Victor Meldrew persona for an entire week .

The Trevor to Llangollen part of the journey was harder on me as I did have to get there to meet up with my cousin and his wife so this journey was less leisurely coupled with the narrowness ( single lane in parts) and quite shallow in certain areas, I did find myself leading a 3 boat convoy which included one of the tourist boats that run from Llangollen to Trevor which added to the urgency as I was significantly slower than the other two boats and nowhere for them to pass me.  Mooring in Llangollen was plentiful ( Oct ) we did choose to use the marina at the end of the navigation as this was easier to rendezvous with the family.

I would be wrong in not saying the Pontcysyllte aqueduct was the highlight, having walked it a couple of times and stood underneath it as well to actually take a boat over it myself was awesome, the only thing to beat it will be when I take my own boat across. But in truth the whole trip was one of the best, most relaxing and stress free holidays I have ever had.

So now you all know the Llangollen Canal has to be on the list of things to do, whether you hire or own this is simply a wonderful stretch of canal to travel along.

Steve ( wow  I do ramble on a lot )

Alan,

Those pictures are brilliant, looks absolutely stunning.

Kim