Saturday, 12 April 2008

The End of the Cruise

Nine week cruise - day 65 - Sunday 4th September 2005

Soulbury to Willowbridge


The boat log has just three entries for this very anticlimactic day:

0700 Up

0730 Under way

0910 Moored finally at Willowbridge Marina



working the last lock at Stoke Hammond

We loaded the car with an enormous amount of stuff and handed Lee Swallow back to its owner. We'd looked after the boat as if it were ours - no, better than that. It had been ours, though, for nine weeks and two days, and it was sad leaving it behind.

So we came to the end of a most amazing, fun, hard-working, relaxing, outdoors, adventurous holiday. Memorable moments? In no particular order: ascending Bosley Locks in glorious sunshine; Anderton Lift; Standedge Tunnel; Pontcysyllte Aqueduct; Froghall Tunnel; losing David's bike; Marple Aqueduct; Runcorn; the Rochdale Nine. My second best holiday ever.

Now the question is, how long can I wait before buying my own boat, given that I still have ten years until retirement and we're unlikely to move away from our jobs in Norwich?

Right. Now that's all written up I can get on with writing about current things. That'll be in future posts. There's our five day walk along the navigable length of the Mon and Brec we've just done, so that's next.

2 comments:

Nev Wells said...

I very much enjoyed reading about your extended holiday.
The couple who own the boat next to ours live in Ipswich and travel a distance to get their canal fix - we were in the same position as you, - some time to possible retirement and shared ownerships owners, but we bit the bullet and have not regretted it at all (but we are only 20 miles and 20 minutes from our boat)
Take care,
Nev

Halfie said...

Thanks Nev. Yes, it's the distance thing that's the problem for us - that's how we see it, anyway. Just the thought of driving a minimum of two hours to get to the nearest possible bit of connected canal (Welford) is what's holding me back for now. I know other people do it - Sarah, for instance, but I really think we'll have to be nearer. I've been reading your blog and am envious of your proximity to your boat!