Sven and the art of lifecycle maintenance

Blogger Sven Latham took a one-way canal holiday on an Anglo-Welsh boat last week. He travelled with friends from New Mills to Trevor on the Llangollen Canal (a one-way trip), and has written up their week here: 

Last weekend I returned from the most peaceful, relaxing holiday I’ve had in a long time. It featured water, bridges, locks, sunshine, cows, tunnels, aqueducts and far too many ducks for one week - and I loved it! ...  It’s definitely worth taking a canal holiday if you want a reasonably relaxing break (not too relaxing - there are locks and bridges after all!).  Hope for good weather and just enjoy yourself!  We did, and I’m already looking forward to the next one.

His 'skipper' Chris has a photo blog of the trip here.

They were in the nick of time, passing the site of the Llangollen Canal breach only a few days before it happened.

Sven says it's a trip 'mostly uphill'.   Well, it probably felt that way at the end, but clearly he's forgotten Bosley Locks and 'Heartbreak Hill' (which were all downhill).

I met Sven at the blogger's dinner last December.  He started Blogwise, the UK blogger's directory (which any canal blogger ought to register with).

Here's Sven's route on Canalplan: 

Total distance is 95 miles, 7 flg and 69 locks. There are at least 13 moveable bridges; 15 small aqueducts or underbridges; 3 tunnels and 2 major aqueducts. Made up of 94 miles, 5 furlongs of narrow canals; 1 mile, 2 furlongs of broad canals; 69 narrow locks. This will take 52 hours, 35 minutes which is 6 days, 4 hours and 35 minutes at 8 hours per day.

Incidentally, try the new 'virtual cruise' facility on Canalplan (at the bottom of the route) - it's really neat!