To Bradford and back

Shangri La at Bradford on Avon

Semington to Bradford

After our drydocking at Semington(See this post), as were were already half way there, we thought we would continue on down the Kennet and Avon canal, to Bra…

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Shangri La at Bradford-on-Avon

And off to Dry Dock at Semington

Outward Trip

The trip on Shangri La down to the dry dock was pretty straightforward – 6 locks, 5 swing bridges – Set out at 12.20 on Sunday, and arrived at 17.25

Karen had to do all the hard work – she hadn’t done locks or swing bridges for a while, but she soon got back into it – and…

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Shangri La

Meanwhile - more repairs and improvements

Delays

The Citizenship approval is taking longer than expected, so not moving on just yet. But using the time for repairs and improvements.

Over the past few weeks, I have replaced one of the wheelhouse windows, started cleaning up and painting the engine bay, fitted a brand new oven, and had…

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Shangri La

Shangri La - back to blogging

Shangri La – April 2026 – K and A Canal

I have not posted anything here for ages! Mainly because we have not been going anywhere.

Shangri La, our 58 x 11 ft widebeam barge, has been moored up here on the Foxhangers private moorings since August 2021, while my wife Karen is doing carework …

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Shangri La Drydocking 2023

Shangri La at Semington

Shangri La Drydocking 2023. So in August we made the huge trip from Foxhangers down to Semington to give her a much needed drydocking.

5 Swing Bridges and 6 locks. We set out on the Sunday late morning, and arrived there mid afternoon.

Overnighted aboard, and th…

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Into Dry Dock

On the Midland Waterways

Normally my posts are about trips on our own boat, but recently I did a boat moving trip, mostly on the midland waterways, from Eynsham to Tardebigge. Purpose of the trip was repositioning some hire boats – so a bit of a free holiday.

The 2 boats we moved

The route took us down the Thames, v…

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“There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” … as the Water Rat said to the Mole in “Wind in the Willows”. And how right he was! I hope I can share the pleasures of boating by recording the trips myself and my wife Karen have taken on the journey to actually buying our boat, and now on our very own Dutch Steel Motor Cruiser, Shangri-La 2.

This blog is an online 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

Latest Adventures

Netherlands waterway cruise – on to Vianen

Netherlands waterway cruise – on to Vianen

Netherlands waterway cruise - on to Vianen Amsterdam-Rijn Kanaal At the end of the last post, we had left Utrecht. I omitted to mention then that we had to lock down through Noordesluis to enter the Amsterdam-Rijn Kanaal. The Amsterdam-Rijn Kanaal is very wide, and...

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Netherlands Waterway cruise – Utrecht

Netherlands Waterway cruise – Utrecht

Netherlands Waterway cruise - Utrecht Shangri La in Utrecht Wednesday 27th to Friday 29th August 2014 The trip from Breukelen had been quite short, so we were tied up in Utrecht by just after 1 pm. Like most of the public moorings in the big towns or cities the...

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Shangri La cruising update

Shangri La cruising update

Wonderful present from our guests I absolutely love being aboard Shangri La and playing boats. This all actually takes up a lot of time, so I don't get time to write the blogs. Which is why I've spent the last few weeks in Cape Town writing the weekly posts, based on...

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Netherlands waterway trip – Haarlem to Amsterdam

Netherlands waterway trip – Haarlem to Amsterdam

Leaving Haarlem Thursday 10th July. As per the forecast, the weather was perfect for a change.. Sunny and hot, with no wind. The route to Amsterdam was first through 4 more Haarlem bridges, north along the River Spaarne, through the lock in Spaarndam and then along...

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Leiden to Haarlem via Kaag

Leiden to Haarlem via Kaag

Kaageplaasen - lakes Saturday 5th July We left Leiden about 10.15 am having visited the harbour-master and got our key deposit back. Rain was expected that day, and it started to rain, as usual, just as we left the mooring. The route to Haarlem was across an area of...

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Netherlands waterway cruising – Delft to Leiden

Netherlands waterway cruising – Delft to Leiden

Netherlands inland waterway cruise - Delft to Leiden Rijn-Schiekanaal - new bridge being built Thursday 3rd July We left Delft at our usual sort of time, about 09.40. The weather was perfect, sunny and hot with no wind. The route to Leiden was along the...

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Trips by Date

About Me

My love of boats goes back to my early years when I went on holiday with my parents to Knysna in the Cape. We stayed at a hotel on stilts, and I played in rowing boats and little motor boats on the lagoon.

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