Plans are under way for the 2018 cruise. Pat has said she would like a year with mostly narrow locks; I have ancestry around the Burnley/Blackburn area so Leeds & Liverpool is a possibility; The IWA Festival 2018 is at St Neots. We do not anticipate being on the Nene so probably will not attend.

We intend to head generally towards Coventry and back, taking in the "Moira Cut" (Ashby Canal) which we have not visited before. We have decided to do (and made the booking for) an "Explorer Cruise"  during the last week in May. These are run by the BCN Society  and take a small group round some of the less-frequented parts of the BCN, with talks and a tour of a CRT workshop. Before or after that, we may also visit other bits of the BCN we have not yet been to. We will then probably drop down the "21" and head north on the "Shroppie" (possibly as far as Chester). Thoughts then are to explore the River Weaver, then possibly head for Liverpool and possibly Lancaster - that is still open to discussion. The maroon line shows our possible range for the year.

Update 27 Apr - Just about back from the trip up the "Moira". Changes of circumstances over last few weeks include a massive breach on the Middlewich Branch which will not be repaired by the time we would have been passing that way. After another 'planning meeting', we have decided to head for the Middle Level Navigations. After the BCNS Explorer Cruise, we may take our planned run to Chester and back before heading for Braunston and south so that we can explore the area round Ely and Cambridge before arriving at St Neots for the IWA Festival.

Update 01 Jun - Having finished at the BCNS Rally and cleared Wolverhampton, we decided to run up the Shroppie as far as Market Drayton (not to Chester) before cutting across to base.

Update 06 Jun - Aborted Market Drayton, turned at Shebdon.

Update 10 Jun - Deviating to Stone on receipt of invite to a dance.