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…

Read more
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…

Read more
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…

Read more
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 …

Read more

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…

Read more
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…

Read more

“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

Scandanavian interlude

Scandanavian interlude

Stockholm - island ferries There are a lot of islands in Sweden! In fact Stockholm is situated partly on the mainland and partly on a number of islands. And, some of the waterways around these islands are fresh water, and some are salt water, or the sea. In the centre...

read more
Unseasonal weather?

Unseasonal weather?

Last view of Bergen This was our last view of Bergen! Idylic - flat seas and yachts dotted on the horison. That was a few days ago. Now we are in the middle of the North sea and have had 2 days of pretty horrendous weather - calming down now though. Lone yacht -...

read more
Cruise Ship Spotters – something for you

Cruise Ship Spotters – something for you

Cruise Liner Mein Shiff 2 in Bergen Any Ship Spotters out there might be interested. These Cruise Liners all seen in Bergen over the last couple of days - Mein Shiff 2, Celebrity Constellation, Costa Pacifica and Costa Luminosa (both in on the same day) and the Crown...

read more
Norway

Norway

Bergen Norway We arrived in Bergen this morning. Our vessel is doing some routine maintenance here. It was rather bleak and damp despite being nearly the middle of summer. Apparently this is quite normal. Seems like Bergen is similar to Aberdeen in Scotland - rains...

read more
North Sea again

North Sea again

 North Sea - sunset at 2230 Offshore in the North Sea again, but our Holland boating trip is just around the corner. In the meantime, at this time of the year the weather is pretty good, and it stays light till late. Last night it was a wonderful sunset, at...

read more
Back home again

Back home again

In the North Sea Back in Cape Town after my trip in the North Sea on a seismic survey boat. In a previous post I showed us crew changing by be swung around from a crane. This time the crew changes are done using RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boats). Also involves be hoisted...

read more
UK travel ideas and tips

UK travel ideas and tips

London Underground - Southgate Station Still on the move - back in the UK, about to head offshore again - this time on a seismic survey vessel. While waiting here, I was have a bit of a reminisce, looking back at our holiday pictures, and was reminded of some useful...

read more
More offshore boating

More offshore boating

Crane barge off Angola Still offshore Angola, but on another boat, and another oilfield, some 200 kms further North West and now in 2000 metres of water. This field is not yet in production. A huge crane barge (see photo 1) supported by a number of smaller boats, like...

read more
From boating to shipping and oil

From boating to shipping and oil

Offshore operations The boat quest has rather come off the boil lately. Have not had time to do any boating, looking at boats or writing about boats. I have been concentrating on earning the money to buy our dream boat. Which is why I am sitting on a tug boat off...

read more
Waterways with a difference

Waterways with a difference

Still no nearer to getting our boat. Have been looking again on the internet. There are a few interesting boats for sale on the Dutch website - http://www.botentekoop.nl/ Cannot do much about them at the moment, still being in Cape Town. However, I will be in UK later...

read more

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.

Read More

Connect

Pin It on Pinterest