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This section of the site
contains naratives of just about all my canal boating since I started in 1972,
and a few sailing barge trips as well. Much of the text has been here for some
time. The current work in progress is adding illustrations from the slides I
took on each trip as well recording my current boating.
Several of these trip reports were
originally written for News of the Crews, the newsletter of Hillingdon
Canal Club, where we moored Felis Catus II, and others as
postings to various newsgroups and mailing lists. The majority make their debut
here.
 indicates a canal trip
 indicates a sailing barge trip
Both the index and the main list are arranged in "newest
first" order (or chrono-illogical order, if you like!).
Click on an icon in
the index to go to a section of the main list, then click on a further icon to
read each report.
| INDEX |
 |
2007 |
All on Felis Catus
III apart from going boatless to the "National".. |
|
2004 to
2006 |
Our last two years with
Felis Catus II and our first with Felis Catus III, plus one
sailing barge charter. |
|
2001 to
2003 |
Mosty on Felis Catus
II, one trip crewing for somebody else and two more sailing barge
charters. |
|
1999 &
2000 |
Some on Felis Catus
II, some crewing for other people and two more sailing barge charters. |
|
1997 &
1998 |
Nearly all on Felis
Catus II, plus my first sailing barge charter. |
|
1995 &
1996 |
One sailing barge trip,
the rest on Felis Catus II, including lots of IWA Golden Jubilee
events. |
|
1992 to
1994 |
One sailing barge trip,
the rest on Felis Catus II. |
|
1989 to
1991 |
Our last few hire-boat
trips, our first year with Felis Catus II, and one sailing barge
trip. |
|
1987 &
1988 |
More hire-boating plus
some sailing barge trips |
|
1982 to
1986 |
Our last year with
Felis Catus, then back to hiring, plus my first few sailing barge
trips. |
|
1979 to
1981 |
All in Felis
Catus. |
|
1972 to
1978 |
Hire-boating and our first
year with our own boat |
| 2007 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Autumn cruising
2007
From lmid-September |
 |
|
WITH
PIX |
After the
National
Late August & September 2007 |
 |
|
WITH
PIX |
The IWA "National" at
St Ives
August Bank Holidy weekend, 2007 |
|
|
WITH
PIX |
A very interrupted
cruise
Summer 2007 |
|
|
WITH
PIX |
Early
Summer 2007
Northwards from London |
|
WITH
PIX |
June
2007
A weekend in the East End |
|
MAINLY PIX |
Canalway
Cavalcade & the Ricky Festival
May 2006 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Spring
2007
Southwards from Birmingham |
| 2004 to 2006 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Autumn
cruising 2006
The Upper Thames to Birmingham |
|
WITH
PIX |
Main summer
cruise, 2006
The Thames & The Kennet & Avon,
July
& August |
|
WITH
PIX |
The Rivers
Lee & Stort
June & July 2006 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Festivals
at Rickmansworth & Brookwood
May & early June
2006 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Southwards
from Birmingham
March & April 2006 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Winter on
the BCN
January — March 2006 |
|
WITH
PIX |
The maiden
cruise of Felis Catus III
Ashwood to Oldbury, Winter
2005/6 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Sailing
barge charter 2005
This time I chartered Centaur out of
Ipswich. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Our last
cruise in Felis Catus II
to Ashwood Basin, then the GIG and the
National, Summer 2005. |
|
WITH
PIX |
With nb
President in London
Including a tideway cruise, May
2004 |
| 2001 to 2003 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Summer and
Autumn cruising 2003
The Thames and the Kennet &
Avon |
|
WITH
PIX |
Up the
Creek for a day on Gnashers II - 12 July 2003
St Pancras
Cruising Club's Deptford Creek cruise |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
Sailing
barge charter 2003
My fifth charter trip on Pudge, once
more in high summer, June 2003. |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
Easter
weekend 2003
The Regent's Canal and the East London
Ring |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
A
disastrous summer : August 2001
Felis Catus II failed to
reach the GIG but did get to the Milton Keynes "National", but its troubles
still weren't over. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Sailing
barge charter 2001
Yet another Pudge charter, this time
in high summer, July 2001. |
|
ALL
PIX |
Canalway
Cavalcade 2001 |
| 1999 & 2000 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Sailing
barge charter 2000
My third charter trip on Sailing Barge
Pudge, September 2000. |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
The London
- Oxford Ring, Summer 2000
The Oxford Canal, the Thames and the
Waltham "National" . |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
The BCN
Marathon 2000
This time I was crewing for Jeff Dennison on
Coronation. |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
More
interruptions than cruising, Spring 2000
A chapter of (minor)
disasters, May Half-Term 2000 |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
A delivery
run on the Thames, May 2000
Delivering the boat The Lady J
from Brentford to Pangbourne. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Another
trip on the Blackwater, 1999
South London IWA's second charter
trip on Sailing Barge Pudge. |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
Worcester
or bust, Summer & Autumn 1999
An unusually direct run to the
"National" at Worcester & back. |
|
WITH
PIX |
The BCN
Marathon 1999 - A scroot's-eye view
The 1999 Marathon from a
scrutineer's point of view. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Canalway
Cavalcade 1999 |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
Easter
1999
A local cruise delivering posters etc |
| 1997 & 1998 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Sailing on
the Blackwater, 1998
South London IWA's first charter trip on
Sailing Barge Pudge. |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
Felis
Catus II in Northern Waters, 1998
To the "National" in
Manchester and back home |
|
WITH
PIX |
The BCN
Marathon 1998
Felis Catus II on the BCN Marathon
Challenge Cruise in 1998 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Spring
1998
Canalway Cavalcade, Parliamentary Campaign Cruise and the
run North |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
Autumn
& Winter 1997
The Slough Canal Festival, and Christmas at
Little Venice |
|
WITH
PIX |
Leicester
and the Trent, Summer 1997
Felis Catus II's summer
boating in 1997 |
| 1995 & 1996 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Home and
the Limehouse Festival, Autumn 1996 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Back to the
BCN, August 1996
Felis Catus II back on the BCN a couple
of weeks after the story above. for a group of events ending with the
"National" |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
To
Gloucester and back, August 1996 |
|
WITH
PIX |
A Marathon
weekend, August 1996
Felis Catus II on the BCN Marathon
Challenge Cruise for the first time. |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
The run to
Birmingham, July & August 1996 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Spring
& Summer Events in London, April to July 1996
Lots of Jubilee
events in the first part of the year. |
|
PIX
ONLY |
Club
sailing on Centaur, 1995
A club weekend making passage from
Ipswich to Maldon. |
|
WITH
PIX |
A long
summer, May to October 1995
To the the Leeds & Liverpool,
the Chester "National" and back. |
| 1992 to 1994 |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
Autumn
& Winter 1994
Including Christmas at Little
Venice |
|
WITH
PIX |
A Southern
Cruise, Summer 1994
On the Kennet & Avon, Thames, Lea and Bow
Back Rivers. |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
Back to the
Lee, Autumn 1993
We went back in the Autumn to where we'd been
earlier in the year. |
|
PIX
ONLY |
Club
sailing on Centaur, 1993
A club weekend out of
Maldon. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Leicester
& the BCN, Summer 1993
We went to a lot of places but never
reached the "National" at Peterborough by boat. |
|
SOME
PIX |
To the Lee
& Stort, June 1993
A cruise to the Lee & Stort,
including the 1993 Limehouse Festival |
|
WITH
PIX |
To
Stratford & Birmingham, Summer & Autumn 1992
Our main
Summer cruise plus a few weekends. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Four
waterways events, Spring & Summer 1992
An Easter cruise to
the Lee followed by three Rallies and a London Ring Cruise |
| 1989 to 1991 |
|
WITH
PIX |
To the Fens
& Birmingham, Summer 1991
Our first main summer cruise with
Felis Catus II. |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
Early
season, 1991
Including Canalway Cavalcade and the Wendover Arm
Rally. |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
Fetching
home the new boat
October & November 1990 |
|
WITH
PIX |
The
Birmingham / Manchester Ring, August 1990
Our last hire-boat trip
before taking delivery of Felis Catus II |
|
WITH
PIX |
Brum,
Stourport & the Stourbridge, April 1990 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Brum,
Stourbridge and the Llangollen, August 1989 |
|
PIX
ONLY |
Club
sailing on Centaur, 1989
A club weekend out of
Ipswich. |
| 1987 & 1988 |
|
TEXT
ONLY |
Around the
BCN, October 1988 |
|
PIX
ONLY |
Club
sailing on Centaur, October 1988
A club weekend making
passage from Ipswich to Maldon. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Birmingham
and the Thames, August 1988 |
|
PIX
ONLY |
Club
sailing on Centaur, May 1988
A club weekend making passage
from Maldon to Hoo. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Birmingham
& the Shroppie, October 1987 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Birmingham
and Sharpness, August 1987 |
|
PIX
ONLY |
Club
sailing on Centaur, May 1987
A club weekend making passage
from Ipswich to Hoo. |
| 1982 to 1986 |
|
PIX
ONLY |
Club
sailing on Centaur, October 1986
A club weekend out of
Maldon. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Kent Green
& the Leicester Ring, August 1986 |
|
PIX
ONLY |
Club
sailing on Centaur, July 1986
A club weekend making passage
from Ipswich to Hoo. |
|
WITH
PIX |
A week on
the BCN, Easter 1986 |
|
WITH
PIX |
On the
Grand Junction, Autumn 1985 |
|
WITH
PIX |
To the
Severn and the Shroppie, August 1985 |
|
PIX
ONLY |
A long
weekend on sb Reminder, 1985
From Maldon to Pin Mill &
back. |
|
WITH
PIX |
The
Cheshire Ring and the Leeds & Liverpool, August 1984 |
|
WITH
PIX |
The Four
Counties Ring etc, August 1983 |
|
WITH
PIX |
The last
season with our first boat, 1982
On the Grand Junction, the Lee
and the Stort. |
| 1979 to 1981 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Autumn
weekending, 1981
Still on the Grand Union |
|
WITH
PIX |
Some
sociable boating, Summer 1981
A Summer's pottering on the
southern Grand Union. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Autumn 1980
on the Grand Junction
The Boxmoor and Wendover Arm Rallies, then
back to London, and into dry dock after a sinking. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Full stop
on the Nene, 1980
An exciting rescue-trip for a hire-boat stuck
in floods on the River Nene. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Spring
& Summer, 1980
London to the Midlands and back to the
"National" at Walthamstow. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Autumn
1979
Including our first visit to the Lee & Stort at Half
Term. |
|
WITH
PIX |
My longest
trip, 1979
A 500-mile month's cruise. mainly on Fenland
waterways. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Spring
& early Summer, 1979
On the southern part of the Grand
Junction. |
| 1972 to 1978 |
|
WITH
PIX |
To the
Kennet, Autumn 1978 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Our first
long summer, 1978
Exploring quite a lot of the
Midlands. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Our first
months as owners, Autumn 1977
On the southern GU. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Foxton and
Cropredy, Summer 1977 |
|
WITH
PIX |
On the
Leeds & Liverpool, Easter 1977 |
|
WITH
PIX |
The River
Wey, Autumn 1976
A long weekend which was our first
off-peak-season trip. |
|
WITH
PIX |
Our first
Midlands trip, 1976
which was also our first in a narowboat,
mainly on the River Soar, Trent & Trent & Mersey. |
|
WITH
PIX |
The Leeds
& Liverpool again, Summer 1975 |
|
WITH
PIX |
Our first
trips of all, 1972 & 1973
On the Leeds & Liverpool
Canal. |
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