About

 

Penichette on the Du Midi Canal France

This blog is an on-line journal of my various boating activities that have happened over the last few years, from the numerous boating holidays we have taken, some interesting work related events and the journey to buying our own boat.

I’ve done sailing holidays in Turkey and Greece (Ionian Sea and the Sporades) as well as skippering a number of boats in the
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town.
Karen, my wife did the Sporades trip with me, and while she enjoys boating and water holidays, she was less enthusiastic about the effort involved in sailing.

Motor cruiser off Croatia

Subsequent boating holidays with Karen include the Mon and Brec Canal in Wales, the Cheshire Ring in UK, the Du Midi and Nivernais canals in France, and the waterways in Holland.
We also spent two weeks cruising around the islands of Croatia in a motor cruiser.
Karen and I both love the relaxed pace that comes with cruising the European waterways,
and exploring tiny villages and markets.

Vermenton Lock on the Nivernaise Canal – France

The obvious next step for us was to buy our own boat and take a few years to travel the canalised waterways of France,
Belgium, Holland and Germany. We started looking at boats around 2008 and initially had a smaller boat and budget in mind. It has been quite a journey. We have learned a huge amount about boat types, boat engines, extras and essentials and have a clearer idea of what the right boat is for our type of boating, the area we plan to cover and our specific needs.

Fast Rescue Craft in the North Sea

We would like a Dutch style steel boat of around 12 metres.

The plan is to have our boat by no later than 2012 and we intend to start cruising in 2013.
We will keep an on-line journal of our holiday – so watch this space.