The playing at liveaboards/new paintwork extended cruise

I would expect most boat owners who do not liveaboard dream of spending extended periods on their boat. To date I thnk the longest we have been aboard has been a couple of weeks. To celebrate the new paint job (show it off a bit as well as break it in and get it scratched a bit as we will) we (I) have planned an extended cruise for us.

Our first ever cruise aboard a boat like many was on the Llangollen - over 10 years ago. We only made it to Frankton Junction from Wrenbury mill on an Alvechurch boat called Crow. So this cruise will take in the full length of the Llangollen including the Pontcysyllte aqueduct. We are going in May /June to avoid the silly season and have asked the excellent Canalplan journey planner to give us the timings and overnight stops.... below

It will give us both a good break from work and give us a feel for an extended stay on the boat as well. It will use up a great chunk of our work leave but I think it will be worth it. The four counties is a predictable route and we have done it a couple of times before but we like it. I have blogged before that I could spend the rest of my cruising life circling the four counties and never get bored.

Here is the list of the overnight stops.... it gives us basically a week to get to the Llangollen, a week on it and a week back via the shroppie and the staffs and Worcester.

Six hours cruisng is as much as we would want to do. Some days we will do the full six in one go - other days we will split it to have an extended lunch break. We may even drop in a rest day and catch up depending on how we feel. We can and will be flexible on the table of overnight stops below but it gives us a good guide to where we should be on a certain day to make it all work.

I just wish Canal plan could list the fishing tackle shops on the way !

Table of overnight stops

This is calculated based on 6 hours travelling before the first overnight stop, 18 full days travelling and 6 hours travelling on the last day.
Trip starts on Monday the 10th of May, 2010 and lasts 18 days

Each full day will be approximately 5 hours and 59 minutes cruising

Monday the 10th of May, 2010 [First day of trip] (sunrise is 5:19 AM, sunset is 8:50 PM)

On the Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line - Fradley to Great Haywood), a third of the way between Meadow Lane Bridge No 72 and Fancy Bridge No 73A
(11 miles, 6½ flg and 6 locks)

Tuesday the 11th of May, 2010 [Second day of trip] (sunrise is 5:17 AM, sunset is 8:53 PM)

On the Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line - Great Haywood to Etruria) at Stone Top Lock No 30
(11 miles, 1 flg and 8 locks)

Wednesday the 12th of May, 2010 [Third day of trip] (sunrise is 5:15 AM, sunset is 8:55 PM)

On the Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line - Etruria to Harding's Wood) at Middleport Footbridge
(10 miles, 4 flg and 11 locks)

Thursday the 13th of May, 2010 [Fourth day of trip] (sunrise is 5:14 AM, sunset is 8:58 PM)

On the Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line - Harding's Wood to Middlewich) at Chellshill Bridge No 144
(7 miles, 4¾ flg and 14 locks)

This day's cruising may be affected by passage through Harecastle Tunnel. Passage through the tunnel is under BW control, and may involve a wait (in particular, if you arrive in the late afternoon or evening you may well have to wait until the next day).

In July 2001 the official word was that you must arrive by 4pm to guarantee passage

Friday the 14th of May, 2010 [Fifth day of trip] (sunrise is 5:12 AM, sunset is 9:00 PM)

On the Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line - Harding's Wood to Middlewich) at Cledford Bridge No 166
(8 miles, 3¼ flg and 16 locks)

Saturday the 15th of May, 2010 [Sixth day of trip] (sunrise is 5:11 AM, sunset is 9:02 PM)

On the Shropshire Union Canal (Llangollen Canal - Main Line) at Hurleston Lock No 3
(12 miles, 1 flg and 7 locks)

Sunday the 16th of May, 2010 [Seventh day of trip] (sunrise is 5:11 AM, sunset is 9:03 PM)

On the Shropshire Union Canal (Llangollen Canal - Main Line) at Willey Moor Lock No 12
(10 miles, 4¾ flg and 8 locks)

Monday the 17th of May, 2010 [Eighth day of trip] (sunrise is 5:10 AM, sunset is 9:05 PM)

On the Shropshire Union Canal (Llangollen Canal - Main Line) at Whixall Moss Roving Bridge No 46
(8 miles, 1½ flg and 9 locks)

Tuesday the 18th of May, 2010 [Ninth day of trip] (sunrise is 5:09 AM, sunset is 9:08 PM)

On the Shropshire Union Canal (Llangollen Canal - Main Line) at St Martins Bridge No 13
(14 miles, 5½ flg and 2 locks)

Wednesday the 19th of May, 2010 [Tenth day of trip] (sunrise is 5:08 AM, sunset is 9:10 PM)

On the Shropshire Union Canal (Llangollen Canal - Main Line) at Sun Trevor Bridge No 41 (having turned at Llangollen)
(13 miles, 2 flg and 0 locks)

Thursday the 20th of May, 2010 [Eleventh day of trip] (sunrise is 5:06 AM, sunset is 9:10 PM)

On the Shropshire Union Canal (Llangollen Canal - Main Line) at Rowsons Bridge No 1
(13 miles, 6½ flg and 2 locks)

Friday the 21st of May, 2010 [Twelfth day of trip] (sunrise is 5:04 AM, sunset is 9:11 PM)

On the Shropshire Union Canal (Llangollen Canal - Main Line) at Duddleston Bridge No 37
(14 miles, 0 flg and 0 locks)

Saturday the 22nd of May, 2010 [Thirteenth day of trip] (sunrise is 5:02 AM, sunset is 9:12 PM)

On the Shropshire Union Canal (Llangollen Canal - Main Line) at Wrenbury Frith Lift Bridge No 21
(8 miles, 2½ flg and 10 locks)

Sunday the 23rd of May, 2010 [Fourteenth day of trip] (sunrise is 5:00 AM, sunset is 9:14 PM)

On the Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal) at Baddington Bridge No 88
(10 miles, 4¾ flg and 9 locks)

Monday the 24th of May, 2010 [Fifteenth day of trip] (sunrise is 4:59 AM, sunset is 9:14 PM)

On the Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal) at Adderley Lees Bridge No 68
(7 miles, 2½ flg and 22 locks)

Tuesday the 25th of May, 2010 [Sixteenth day of trip] (sunrise is 4:58 AM, sunset is 9:14 PM)

On the Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal), nearly at Norbury Bridge No 38
(13 miles, 7 flg and 5 locks)

Wednesday the 26th of May, 2010 [Seventeenth day of trip] (sunrise is 4:57 AM, sunset is 9:14 PM)

On the Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal) at Upper Hattons Bridge No 5
(13 miles, 6 flg and 1 lock)

Thursday the 27th of May, 2010 [Eighteenth day of trip] (sunrise is 4:55 AM, sunset is 9:16 PM)

On the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal (Main Line: Autherley to Great Haywood) at Cross Keys Bridge No 83A
(12 miles, 0 flg and 6 locks)

Friday the 28th of May, 2010 [Nineteenth day of trip] (sunrise is 4:53 AM, sunset is 9:17 PM)

On the Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line - Fradley to Great Haywood), nearly at Meadow Lane Bridge No 72
(11 miles, 3 flg and 8 locks)

Saturday the 29th of May, 2010 [Twentieth day of trip] (sunrise is 4:52 AM, sunset is 9:17 PM)

On the Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line - Burton to Fradley) at Hunts Lock No 15
(11 miles, 6 flg and 6 locks)

Turning places in route

Llangollen

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