pocket cruiser in England?

[JeffM]

Sometime over last winter (I think), someone included a link in their post to a guy in Great Britain who cruises the inland waters there in his little gaff sloop. He sails the tiniest waters. (I recall he'd actually sailed OVER a highway in an aquaduct.) Does anybody recall his name or website?

[mrthethird]

Sailing Just For Fun

A.C. Stock

[JeffM]

Just the one! Thank you both. I've just come from an enjoyable hour poking about a few inland cruising and microcruising websites after looking up Mr. Stock and going off on tangents.[/url]

[Greg Luckett]

Wouldn't that make a cool picture (ie. sailing over a road on an aquaduct)?

[lbrewer]

Here's the link to his website

http://shoal-waters.moonfruit.com/

Larry

[boatbuilder.org]

Here is a link to a page that has some pictures of the canals in England including the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct 120 feet above the River Dee. I plan on going to this area on my nexk UK canal vacation.

---Joel---

www.devlinboat.com

www.boatbuilder.org

[Greg Luckett]

Joel,

Could you supply more specific links?

Thanks,

Greg.

[boatbuilder.org]

Oops...

I could not find the link, but here are a couple of others that also include the nearby Chirk Aqueduct and Viaduct

http://www.chirk.com/aqueduct.html

http://www.starling101.btinternet.co.uk/canals/chirk.htm

---Joel---

[brian watkins]

Charles Stock and his little sloop "Shoal Waters" are an inspiration to anyone who likes the idea of going small and really exploring the out-of-the way places. When I lived in England, it was reading articles by him and those like him that cured me of dreams of big sailboats and blue water (well, mostly - I do have relapses).

For those who've never been there, a small, well-built sailboat of shallow draft and with a dropping rig can go anywhere. The narrow-beam canals have a limit of about 6' 10" beam in the locks. If you can fit in them AND sail coastally, you can go just about anywhere in England. Get across the Channel, and all of Europe is open to you as well.

Alas, when I lived there, I did not have a sailboat. I did; however, have an old beat-up Fairline 19 with an ancient two-stoke 9.9hp on it, with which I enjoyed many a day cruising the river Avon. Very "Wind in the Willows"!

[Greg Luckett]

This thread is truly "food for the imagination".....at least a taste anyway .

[boatbuilder.org]

That is the area where my last England/canal trip was. We only went as far South as the top of the Hatton Locks (not enough manpower to do the 20+ double locks to Warwick, took a taxi instead) and north as far as Dudley and the Black Country Museum. Spent a lot of time in Birmingham and the Gas Street Basin.

---Joel---