Giving it up....milestone post for the blog

One thing I have learnt in the recent past is regret is greater if you do not seize the opportunities rather than regretting seizing the opportunities. Life has taught me to take a few risks, they pay off and to do something and realise it’s not all bad in fact it can be very good, is worth the risk.

Obviously I’d caveat the above with a ‘within reason’ and 'with some research', investigation and planning, take the plunge !!

So what are we giving up.... well I sold one of my motorbikes the other week, sad but I am getting less and less attached to possessions, less is more for sure. But that is not the what hits post tile is about. Most may have guessed with my last but one blog. We are leaving this ....

To go to this

This is bridge 44 on the Shroppie. Yes I know one of those long lines of moored boats that some say blight this canal. I like them  - plenty to look at and as we are no quick boaters we enjoy plodding by them admiring the difference that represents all that is good on the canals.

Why, well read this post for a starter but that is not the main reason.

Here are some of the reasons, not in order of importance but I’ll give the decider at the end...

• Our new mooring is cheaper ( over £300 per year... which helps )
• It is about 5-10 minutes closer and a few miles closer to
• We can park our car next to the mooring
• With the above and Fradley's remote ( and increasingly busy) boater car park it can add 10-20 minutes to our arrival and departure times, depending on what we are bringing and taking back as many times it results in two journeys.
• It’s much much quieter
• We have an end mooring so no dogs passing through the mooring. Not the dogs or people issue at Fradley more Leia’s attitude to other dogs. Plus Lillie the cat was never comfortable and neither were we as we did not want her chased or caught !
• The grass is cut by the farmer, but not up to the boat 
• There is water on the mooring

.....but regardless of all the above we wanted a change of scene and more critically the cruising routes are different and in my mind better.

We like the Shroppie ....our share boat Sylph was based at Norbury for a couple of years. We also like the  Staffs and Worcester and as you know Autherley junction just happens to drop us out in the middle of the Staffs and Worcester. We are a couple of days away from the Llangollen canal and when repaired the Middlewich link. Plus there is Chester to explore.

The mooring has winding holes well placed so we can have short medium or long cruises. It has to be better cruising to charge batteries than sitting moored up with the engine running.

I have said a few times we could if needed spend the rest of our days cruising the Four counties and their directly connected canals and be very happy. We prefer the northern narrow canals and have little desire to visit London other than to go under Tower Bridge on Percy....

Don’t get me wrong we have been very happy at Fradley and when we lived in Derby it was the perfect location. I lived aboard for a couple of yearsish and have some great memories. One thing was apparent to me recently that was reflected in the last but one blog and that was how much time we spent maintaining the mooring when we should have been cruising.

To go back to the top of the blog about decisions, the learning is they can adjusted or changed. If it does not work out we will move elsewhere, maybe even a marina, who knows, but for now the adventure is on.....

Now about planning the move ........