This was our first trip on the canal, the boatyard was Sally boats, going west from their yard near Bradford-Upon-Avon. The Sally Boats website Sally Boats is very good and contains all the information that is needed for successful trips. The boat was named Fitz Henrey, 69 feet long, ideally suited to our ageing crew. You can see from the photographs that it was a great looking boat, top of the range in their fleet at the time.
Crew were Adrian King (Captain), Martin Cranage, Mike Addlesee, Steve Platt and David King. Sadly John Parmenter was unable to come due to serious family illness.
Bristol floating dock area has been transformed and while there a visit to the waterside museum is essential. Bath by night must be seen.
This is the year we revised the shopping list, shame that we have not used the new list since. Readers will know by now that one person does a big shop before we start the trip so that most of our need are catered for. The problem is, that person, my brother adds some of his "favourites"
It is interesting to see how our tastes and capacity to eat have changed over the years, the boat diet is much more healthy especially since we don't have the "must have meat everyday people" on the trip now. Our capacity to drink has reduced much as well although I feel that has something to do with the standard of the beer served up in many pubs, to cold and kept to long.
Stopping points were:
SATURDAY Dundas Aquaduct
SUNDAY Bath by the weir
MONDAY Bristol
TUESDAY Bristol
WEDNESDAY Bath top of flight of 4 locks
THUSRDAY Dundas Aquaduct
FRIDAY Bradford upon Avon, just east of the boatyard