about us, our boat and our plans

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about us, our boat, and our plans

Dot and I have known each other for four or five years, but we only got together at the beginning of 2002. We've both got a bit of history, but we get on very well, and this year is the year that Dot retires - being male, I have to work for another 7 years!

Over the past few years, after having a small heart attack and also splitting up with my ex in 1998, I've taken the time to do some of the things I've wanted to do - spending a few months bumming about on yachts and in Spain in 2000 and 2001 - more details on the Kahawi website - see the links segment, below. In 2003, I was planning to take another small yacht to France, but having met Dot, we eventually agreed on a trip on the English canals

We started looking for a canal boat during the autumn, settling more and more on the autumn, settling more and more on the idea of a Wilderness boat, one of those GRP narrowboats; but although the people who sold them were helpful, we couldn't get to buy one in the period we had - so we finally bought our Viking 26, Catcho, from Brian Yates at Ken Yates Marine, of Billing Marina, Northampton. Catcho seemed in reasonable condition, especially internally, and had an excellent new-in-2000 Yamaha 9.9 hp outboard - just the job for someone with my level of engineering skill!

The boat has a really large V-berth in the bow, a sort of sofa aft of that on the starboard side, and then a dinette; the port side has a large galley area, and then the loo and shower compartment - after sailing for about 30 years, this is the first boat I've ever owned with a shower! The cockpit is large, although it has most space when the cover is actually in the up position - and the cover is possibly the only thing we'll have to replace soon.

With the boat already at Northampton, our plan is to travel up the River Nene, along the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union, then from Gayton Junction on the GU to the Stratford canal, and then to Stratford-upon-Avon. Then we'll retrace our route to Braunston, where we'll take the Oxford canal to the Thames. From Oxford, we can explore the River, and maybe take a little trip on the Kennet & Avon - we like the look of this waterway. Finally, this summer, we'd like to bring the boat neared to our home area for the winter; a mooring near Cambridge, St Ives or Ely would be nice.

Links

because the site is very new, some of the links aren't working yet - please check back . . .

The Kahawi sell up and sail away website

Wilderness Boats Owners Club

email Chris Gosling
created, updated 15th May, 2003.

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