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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The Three Magpies

Why a trip to The Three Magpies?

Several reason for the trip to The Three Magpies: Since I moved the boat to our mooring here at Foxhangers near Devizes, (Read about that trip here) the boat has hardly moved, other than across to the pump out. Since we bought the boat, Karen has done very little…

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Newbury to Devizes - Part 4 - The Caen Hill Flight

View from the bottom of the Caen Hill Flight!

The title of this post is probably a bit incorrect, as we had already past the actual town of Devizes, but the Foxhangers moorings at the bottom of the Caen Hill Flight is still technically in Devizes.

The team

My friends Wyn and Donna continue…

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Newbury to Devizes - Part 3

This part of the journey from Newbury to Devizes takes us from Pewsey, along about 10 miles of canal with no locks, but many narrow and overgrown sections, till we reach Devizes and start the descent of Caen Hill. We did the first three locks going down and moored up at the Black Horse pub – a brea…

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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

French Waterways – River Saone

French Waterways – River Saone

Last part of the trip - Dole to St Jean-de-Losne It was lovely to have our friends El and Mo an board for the next few days. El got the full lock experience, with 9 locks in one day, down the canalized part of the River Doubs. The weather was great and all locks...

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French Waterways – Canal du Rhone au Rijn

French Waterways – Canal du Rhone au Rijn

Back down to St Jean-de-Losne 20th to 28th August 2016 And so we headed back down the Canal du Rhone au Rijn towards St Jean-de-Losne, 78 kms and 26 locks all over again! We wanted to break the back of the trip to Dole so planned a hard days boating, with a view to...

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French Waterways – Canal du Rhone au Rijn

French Waterways – Canal du Rhone au Rijn

Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th August Besancon Having tied up we made a quick exploratory walk across the town and found the alternative marina. Much better - floating pontoons, with security gate. Next morning we took Shangri La up through the lock and tunnel under...

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French Waterways – Canal du Rhone au Rijn

French Waterways – Canal du Rhone au Rijn

Part 2 - St Vit to Besancon Tuesday 16th August Locks on Canal du Rhone au Rijn We wanted to get to Besancon not too late in the day, so made an early start - or as early as the locks open which on this canal is 08.30 am. It was also a pleasure boating early, before...

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French Waterways – Canal du Rhone au Rijn

French Waterways – Canal du Rhone au Rijn

Part 1 - Dole to St Vit Monday 15 August 2016 The canal du Rhone au Rijn The Canal du Rhone au Rijn, as it's name suggests, connects the Rhine in Germany to the Saone and thus eventually to the Rhone in France. It follows the valley of the Doubs River and is the...

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French Waterways – Canal du Rhone au Rijn – Dole

French Waterways – Canal du Rhone au Rijn – Dole

August 2016 - Time out in Dole We spent three nights and two days in Dole. The first evening we located the tourist office where we got the usual city map, as well as the walking tour. Most French towns have a self guided walking tour marked out on the street by small...

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French Waterways – Canal du Rhone au Rijn

French Waterways – Canal du Rhone au Rijn

Canal du Rhone au Rijn - St Jean-de-Losne to Dole - Friday 12th August Finally, we left St. Jean-de-Losne and on our way. After a leisurely start to the day, we left the H2O marina around 10.00 am. Compared to when I was here a couple of months ago, during the rains,...

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On the French Waterways – Repairs and preparation

On the French Waterways – Repairs and preparation

Boats at St Jean-de-Losne Hurry up and wait! The tenet of a mariner's existence I seem to be doing a lot of that lately - hanging around St Jean-de-Losne, waiting for the weather or something to happen.   Fast flowing River Saone!   The weather has been 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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