The beginning

Hi,This is how we started out on a narrowboat life.

We started with our first hiring from,dare I say it? Canaltime.Thanks to the great people at Sawley we got excellent instruction on locks and steering and as soon as the instructor left us,we forgot the lot.Those first few days in November 2007 enabled us to make some of our mistakes without a huge audience,and believe me,we made mistakes,but still had a great time and couldn’t wait to get out again.Over the next four years every holiday was taken on a narrowboat.We hired,and made some mistakes,on the Shroppie,the T&M,the Rochdale and the L&L.We hired from Chas Hardern,Shire cruisers,Claymoore,Hapton Valley and Norbury Wharf.We cruised the whole of the Shroppie,the T&M,and some of the BCN,the Cheshire Ring,the Four Counties and the Llangollen.Sometimes just myself and Lisa and other times with our family.Each time we had a wonderful time,whether in the summer months or November to January,our favourite time to be cruising.We’ve had some great boats,met some lovely people had some lovely times and have seen only a fraction of the things we hope to see.Neither of us has fallen in,yet,though Lisa has come close.

                                 

                                      

A couple of the boats we have hired.Top is Summer wine from Norbury Wharf in Birmingham and bottom is Beeston Castle from Claymoore at Worsley.

In 2011 we decided to go for it and get our own boat,we looked at dozens of boats,some nice,some not so nice,but none that ticked all the boxes.Having fitted bathrooms and kitchens myself we didn’t want to have to do a great deal to a boat once we found a suitable one.In the end we decided to have one built and hopefully avoid some of the risks of buying used,a few trouble free years,if you like.We talked to friends and visited yards and settled on Kingfisher Boats at Trent Lock,two great guys called John and Mick Day.They suggested XR&D at Ollerton to build the shell.A good choice.Two more great guys,Garry and Lee and their staff built us our Chyandour.We knew from our hires just what we wanted so Garry and Lee built us a 57ft Trad and have done an excellent job,the workmanship and attention to detail are second to none.She is something we are going to be so proud of.

                              

                                         Chyandours base plate.

                              

                                             She’s taking shape.

                              

                                                    Almost there.

We were there when Chyandour was delivered by truck to the Sheet Stores on the Erewash Canal on Friday the 16th of March and then towed down to Kingfishers yard at Trent Lock.Thankyou to Jan and Chris Deucher for the Tow.

                                

                            Arriving at the Sheet Wharf on the Erewash.

                                 

                                          Getting wet for the first time.

                                         

                 There she is,outside Kingfishers waiting to go in the dock.

As time goes on I will keep you updated on the progress of Chyandours fit out.It will probably be intermittent till we can be aboard her but then I hope to do a weekly update of our adventures.