The Four Counties
Contributed by Clive and the Holman FamilyA good time was had by all.
We got back home Wed night after a very enjoyable but hectic trip.
We went to Stoke on Trent and then carried on around the Four
Counties Ring. Quite ambitious
but we were lucky to avoid congestion in our direction and we had a keen and
energetic crew for most of the time so we didn’t waste time on the locks.
The weather was good with only 2 wettish days and not bad enough to
deter a keen Captain with oilskins and sou-wester at the helm.
We made it back on time despite being delayed on Tuesday
morning with a burning smell and whine from the control panel and in the
evening for a replacement alternator to be fitted.
The staff at the Marina were very good and said we could get the boat
back later as it was not booked out for the afternoon but we needed to be
back in any case so it was a late(r) night and early(er) morning.
I was expecting the marina staff to be very pernickety regarding
cleaning and charging for lost items (somebody mislaid a windlass) but they
were very pleasant and not at all officious as I was expecting.
We (wife, dog and I) took the boat out on Wed and met our
other 2 parties on Thurs evening.
The original (simple) plan was for one party to leave Mon afternoon
and the second on Tues afternoon.
However, one person had to return Sunday for an interview and return
Monday afternoon and the other party then decided to stay on for an
additional day and leave Tuesday.
Subsequently the Tuesday party stayed on in the end until we reached
the marina to assist getting the boat back and the logistics of moving the
second car. Bit of a headache
sorting out the transport logistics but I ended up bringing a bike back to
Devon which needs to be returned to London.
The two daughters and boyfriend brought bikes for some
additional activity thinking it was going to be dull on the boat but were
pleasantly surprised and in the end the bikes were only used for shopping,
advance party to set locks (yes we were keen) and getting to vehicles (I
misread the canal map and didn’t realise the car wasn’t on our return
route). Regular lock activity,
constantly changing scenery, canal side features (including the 1.5 mile
Harecastle Tunnel) and wildlife made the tranquil passage along the water
pass quickly. I am sure the
Pims, G&T’s, beer and constant feasting might have played its role and the
youngest daughter decided to take additional leave and stay another day.
It is ironic that we had to pay extra for the dog but he
was keenest to leave the boat at any opportunity.
For the first couple of days he walked along the bank but then
developed a limp due to blisters between his pads and we had to restrict his
exercise and try to keep him on-board for the longer sections between locks.
For the last couple of days it was a constant challenge to keep him
on board. We would put him on
one side and he would walk straight off the other side of the boat or walk
through the boat (if the doors weren't closed) and jump off the other end if
still close to the bank. In the
end he had to be accompanied constantly as he would disembark when cruising
close to the bank or passing under bridges – why didn’t he go on a lead you
may ask??.
In actual fact the dog was the only “man overboard” for
the whole trip. I made a long
leap for the bank to avoid the boat getting too close to the bank but the
dog still decided to follow. It
was wet, he didn’t get any grip and made a spectacular dive into the canal.
Luckily he’s a good swimmer and the party immediately clicked into an
efficient and coordinated emergency rescue team and he was hauled out with
only his pride dented. Only the
dog receives this level of care and attention
– mere humans would probably of had to rescue themselves.
He had another near miss where he just made it and was poised with
front feet clinging to the top of the bank and back legs on the wall of the
canal. It looked like a Tom &
Jerry skit but he managed to cling on and haul himself up on his own.
All in all everybody had a very good time and thoroughly
enjoyed themselves and it made an excellent 3 generation family adventure.
Another trip is likely to be on the cards at some stage although next
time we will aim to allow a bit more time for shore activities – the tea
shops and pubs weren’t generally to the crews liking (they’re a fussy lot)
and with more time we could have explored a little further afield.
Our daughter has also gone away with the thought of a canal trip with
her friends.
It was quite interesting to watch the small ducklings -
especially if they got separated from the main party by the boat. They
never seemed to mind the swell but would often rejoin the huddle of other
ducklings at breakneck speed like a ball being thrown into skittles - very
amusing. There were also goslings and signets. Some staying away
from the boat and others approached the boat - presumably because they had
been fed by boaters in the past. Ralph (the dog) was also keen to make
friends (he is very sociable and friendly with other animals) but the
friendship wasnt reciprocated.
The boat is generally OK. From a critical point of
view I was expecting slightly better (influenced by the quality and nicks on
the kitchen worktop surfaces) but the wife expected worse. It
was clean however, every thing worked and nothing to complain about.
The problem with the alternator is apparently fairly common with another
boat returning at the same time having the same problem. Alternators
were replaced on the boats about a year ago and they are now starting to
fail again – apparently they only last about a year. Its a similar
story with the loo seals although ours were fine. Outside, scratches
to the paintwork have resulted in (small) patches of rust forming - again an
observation that many folk would probably not notice but will need touching
up before too long.
The single beds (made up from the seating in the front
cabin) were quite narrow for adults – even after taking out the back
cushions. They could ideally be a bit wider – say by adding a flap
that can be raised when making up the bed. The port side bed also gave
us aching backs. I reckon this is because at night it slopes towards
the floor and the body doesn’t relax for fear of falling off. One
night we tried to moor the boat so that it stayed level / had a slight tilt
to port but without much success. With the double beds occupied most
of the weight in on the starboard side and the boat tends to tilt in that
direction.
A bigger problem was however the steering. The
party before ours had broken the tiller (quite a feat!!) and the marina had
to pillage a tiller from another boat and adjust the steering, I believe,
before we took the boat out. I also reckon the rudder was bent.
The replacement tiller was about 6" shorter and required more effort to
steer (OK for us but may be an issue if used by a party of old ladies) and
the boat wouldn’t naturally stay in a straight line and needed continuous
adjustment. Any more than a momentous glance away from the route would
result in the boat swerving wildly to one side or the other. The
marina had done a quick fix to allow us to take the boat out and inferred
that the temporary repairs would be made good once they had more time.
Lastly I have no objection if you want to use the
email but I would be wary of :
-
inferring that the 4 Counties Ring is feasible for most crews in one
week – we were lucky and didn’t have any hold-ups (a tree fell across the
canal at Rugeley and held up parties in the opposite direction for a day)