Nottingham Evening Post
Thursday, February 12, 2004

Getting to know your windlass from your elbow

Diana Rees says, 'If only this bonhomie could be found on our roads into Nottingham every day!'

WHEN it comes to getting away from the stresses and strains, there is something about fresh air and water — Mother Nature's very own sedatives.

So what could be more idyllic than to combine the two by spending a week in spring blessed with good weather, meandering along Britain's own canal network on a narrow boat?

And when thinking of a destination for an early holiday this year, it was difficult to ignore the advice to look for the jewels on our own doorstep. Black Prince Holidays has many bases from which to explore the waterways of Britain — and boasts that none of the craft are more than five years old.

At a relaxing maximum of 4mph, the countryside becomes a constantly unfurling landscape, with yourselves at the centre, close to water, nature and, of course, the wildlife.

The bonus of this sort of escapism is that whenever you reach a 'place you would like to tarry awhile, whether it be to picnic, to paint or to patronise the local hostelry, it's easy to moor up and you don't even have to pay and display.

We chose to collect our boat from Black Prince's marina at Chirk in North Wales. From here, we opted for one of the more | sedate routes, suitable for the complete novice, with the aim of visiting Llangollen.

Here the canal becomes too shallow to navigate for large craft and a party of school children took great delight in leaving us in their wake as they continued paddling. upstream in their canoes.

The size of the boat was deceiving. Inside it proved to be a home from home with one double bed and two singles, a shower, fridge, television, cooker, CD player... and it was well supplied with bed linen, crockery and excellent cooking facilities in its small but well-designed galley.The heating system was also surprisingly efficient.

Admittedly, the first night was a bit hair-raising. As dusk approached we wondered if we had enough daylight left to make it to Mad Jack's — a popular canalside inn. But luckily we managed it and it proved to be worth a visit. Here we had our first experience of the unique camaraderie of the canals, as many of the more experienced boaters who had passed us on their way were only too willing to give us the benefit of their knowledge—especially the technicalities of locks and not getting too close to the sill (a heinous crime by all accounts)

That first night I lay awake wondering if the intermittent buffeting and squishing sounds were warning that our rather novice mooring hitches had come untied and that we were drifting aimlessly to who knows where.

But by the second day, technique had improved and confidence grew so that even when approaching craft suddenly loomed from blind corners evasive action was simple.

It may come as a bit of a shock to most people to discover that the depth of the canal is often just a couple of feet, while close to the banks it is even more shallow — making it a regular occurrence to get grounded. So there's no need to panic, even if you fall in you can quite simply wade to the bank and not lose face entirely.

The route we had chosen meant we only had to pass through two locks — once on the outbound journey and again on the return.

At the lock-keeper's cottage, the very friendly lady in the garden was only too willing to lend a hand (it is at this point that it helps to know your windlass from your elbow).

Oh, if only this bonhomie could be found on the roads when commuting into Nottingham every day!

Of course, if you need to turn your craft around for any reason there are only certain places where the canal widens enough to make it possible. These are known as winding holes. Well, we had varying theories on the best method of entering these, some saying bow first, others the opposite. Somehow our trusty captain pulled off a manoeuvre  first time which was worth a round of applause, much to the surprise of the rest of the crew.

But then, of course, there were more tests to come This particular waterway boasts a quite incredible feat of engineering by Isambard Kingdom Brunel himself.

Within a stone's throw from Chirk marina is quite a long tunnel to navigate through. Then, on emerging from the dark gloom into the light, an awe-inspiring sight, straddling the pastureland below like the legs of Gog and Magog.

Next to a viaduct over which trains cross is the impressive Frontcysyllte aqueduct, which is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Of course on one side is the reassuring sight of a pathway wide enough for a horse to tow the barge if needed—enclosed by an iron railing But, on the other side, not a lot other than the reinforced edge of the viaduct and then a sheer drop of 136 feet.

I was relieved that we chose to cross on a sunny day with a gentle breeze. I would imagine a quite different scenario on a cold, gusty winter's day. But I would recommend this trip at least once— the view is ample reward in itself.