Paul Thomas
Username: Paul_thomas
Registered: 01-2011
Posted on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 04:33 pm:
Has anyone seen Cotswold Canals Trust calendar for 2013? There appears to be a WB on the cover. http://www.cotswoldcanals.com/pages/bakery/cotswold-canals-2013-calendar-57.php
I'd be interested to hear of people's experiences with WBs on canals as this could open up a whole new cruising area.
David Cawston
Username: David_cawston
Registered: 03-2007
Posted on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 09:08 pm:
Yes that is Markie on the newly restored Stroudwater Canal entering Ryeford Double Lock (a staircase lock) earlier this year. For the past 7 years we have been taking Markie to IWA Trailboat Festivals all over the UK visiting isolated canals from Devon up to Cumbria. Everytime we do a bit of sailing but it usually amounts to unfurling the jib for a few seconds just so we can say we did some sailing. With the running forestay, bridges present no problems, the mast has to be lowered but powerlines are a different matter. OK if you spot them but we did hit some on the Mon and Brec in South Wales. It was just like in a cartoon, Markie very quickly came to a halt, then was catapulted back, fortunately with no damage to Markie or the powerlines, lucky! We will not take Markie on the canals where 15 ton steel narrowboats are free to do some serious damage in a collision, so we stick to the isolated sections. Bear in mind that in the majority of cases you will need a Boat Safety Certificate to use the canals.