The Places We Have Been - Part 1 2009

We purchased Naughty-Cal late in 2008, as she was our first boat we spent the last couple of months of 2008 learning how to handle her on the relatively benign waters of the Fossdyke and River Witham. Early in 2009 we decided it was time to change this and become a little more adventurous.

We had heard all sorts of horror stories about the Trent of course, who hasn’t, but in late January we decided to see for ourselves what all the fuss was about. Our first trip out onto the Trent was downstream to West Stockwith where we had a very enjoyable couple of evenings moored in the basin. Not an epic trip by any stretch of the imagination and one we don’t think twice about attempting at the weekend now, but it was our first trip on tidal waters.

Naughty-Cal in West Stockwith Basin

Following the success of our first foray onto tidal waters, Easter 2009 saw our first real holiday onboard, with a nine day trip to York and Ripon. Naivety is a wonderful thing, and this trip truly kicked off our rose tinted spectacles. It was an outbound trip full of disasters and incidents and a home bound trip that tested our stamina and highlighted a desperate lack of preparation on our behalf, but it firmly cemented our love of boating and the challenges it can bring. And nothing could spoil the feeling of arriving in York on your own boat, mooring right in the heart of the city.

Naughty-Cal in Ripon Canal Basin

With the boat safely home and a few weeks spent repairing and replacing damaged equipment it was a couple of months before we were afforded our next holiday on board. This time it was a sedate trip upstream on the Trent, through the Nottingham Canal and onto the River Soar, travelling as far as Loughborough. A very pleasant and relaxing trip, a million miles away from the previous holiday but equally as rewarding and 100% enjoyable throughout.

Naughty-Cal in Loughborough Basin

The trip to Loughborough rounded off our first year afloat and what a first year it was, full of highs, lows and mistakes along the way. But this first year firmly cemented our love for boat ownership.