Spring
is in the air and thoughts inevitably turn to where we are going
boating this year. Originally we had thought that we would be
doing two separate trips this year with a break in the middle back
home in Yorkshire. However it now looks as if we shall be out
most of the summer, as we have been the last three years.
Though you can't really plan anything boating with any sort of
precision the broad aim this year is to fill in most of the blanks in
the waterways map.
We
plan to leave the Dales in about the third week in April and cruise
back East down the Leeds and Liverpool to Leeds and then on to
Castleford. From there we'll head to Goole, but we don't plan
to go out on the tidal Ouse there. Then our way lies back
towards Sheffield before we venture out onto the tidal River Trent at
Keadby. As we go up the Trent we'll visit all the side branches
so towards Chesterfield on the canal of the same name and then South
to Lincoln and Boston which will probably be our furthest South this
year. At Trent Junction near Derby we aim to meet David and
Victoria on Pas Mèche in June and then cruise with them for a couple
of months to Chester. We have a booking for the Ribble Link in
mid August, without Pas Mèche, to explore the Lancaster Canal.
At the end of the season we aim to go back over the Pennines on the
Leeds and Liverpool to Skipton.
So
that is the plan. Keep an eye on this blog to see what really
happens and the pitfalls along the way.
We
look forward to sharing our journey with you and meeting some of our
boating friends along the cut.