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

On our way at last

On our way at last

So we finally arrive at Llangynidr where we will collect our canal boat. I had booked us in at the Coach and Horses, very close to the hire base for the night of 14th October. Boat hires generally start late on the afternoon of the first day of the hire period, so I...

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The waterway holiday begins

The waterway holiday begins

We will be starting a one week trip on a narrowboat on the Monmouth and Brecon Canal in Wales next Friday 15th October 2010. In the meantime, here is a picture from our trip last year on the Canal du Midi in France, as we manoeuvred up a set of staircase locks. This...

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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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