Just back from an fun few days away with some young students, who's expedition mode of travel was by canal boat!
After a quick refresh on 'boat etiquette, safety and various other rules, I was signed off as 'Captain' of the good ship 'Jacob' and off we went! Around the corner from Trevor Basin, near Llangollen, we immediately found ourselves crossing the enormous aqueduct, where we all made sure we were well aware from the gap in the barrier!!
You can't be in a rush when travelling in this way, but you do have a travelling kitchen, so we made sure the kettle was always manned as we headed west towards England...
After a damp start, things brightened up nicely - both the weather and my steering skills.
We stayed the night in a Hostel in Llangollen and during an evening wall along the Dee, found ourselves wading through Cherry Blossom!
Day two felt much more 'in control' when it came to steering adn general boat control, although there was a bit of drama when the throttle came off in my hand while approaching a swing bridge. Luckily, at 4mph, you have a bit of spare reaction time to play with, compared to driving the minibus!
The tunnels near Chirk were very exciting, with some students opting for the challenge of walking through on the tiny towpath in the dark. At over 400m, they are quite a remarkable building feat for the late 1700s!
All in all, good times were had, with some good chat and up close wildlife encounters as we stealthy approached herons, rabbits and geese on the banks.
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