ShareSummer cruising continues as schools go back
What a month it's been. We've seen so many of you venturing onto the Mon & Brec in the sunshine while school has been out and pupils returning to the classroom means quieter times on the canal!
It's been great to see the progress made on our two boat-building projects, Robin and the wheelchair-accessible Swan, along with the response they've received on social media. Robin even made it onto The Times' list of the 25 best boating holidays alongside the Grand Canal in Venice! It really makes a big difference to know that people are behind us in our endeavours, and we're excited to take them to the next level!
- Robin featured in The Times newspaper
Robin has been sandblasted and her insulating foam installed, giving us a solid foundation to start giving her the Beacon Park Boats character we're known for.
As you can see, the outside has had a red primer coat added, and she'll be ready for the classic green finish when the time comes. Work has started on the inside, with the base wood panelling installed along with the basis for the electrics, heating and bow-thrusters. The next stage will be dropping in the electric engine and getting to work on the detail. We're really getting into the exciting parts of the build now!
- Water and electrics being installed
- The outer hull layered with insulating foam and internal wood panelling
The body of Swan is being built as we speak, and we'll be keeping you updated with the latest developments. Thank you to everyone who has shown an interest!
September is looking to be an exciting month for the local area; for the foodies we have the return of the Abergavenny Food Festival on the 17th and 18th with a whole host of talks, workshops and of course plenty of local produce, food and drink and the chance to meet some of the movers and shakers in the food world! Tickets are available online - we highly recommend this event!
We also have some open garden events for those with green fingers; the Crickhowell Flower Show and Open Gardens is being held at Clarence Hall, just a stones throw from us here in Llangattock, on the 3rd and is a great opportunity to check out the local gardens, produce and people!
If you can't make it to that event, there's also the Llanover Open Gardens, complete with guided tours and a rare plant fair - perfect for a change of pace! We'd love to see you there on the 7th!
As you may know, the Brecon Beacons are a hotspot for stargazing and are one of only a handful of dark sky reserves in the UK. A great way to see it is from the deck of a narrowboat, but this month also sees the Dark Sky Festival, with events happening on the 24th and 25th, including planetarium shows, evening bat walks and guided stargazing. If you have a holiday booked with us for that weekend you're in for a real treat and equally, if this is something you'd like to see get in touch to book a holiday that week; it really is a site to behold!
Looking forward, we've already had some bookings for our houseboats over the Christmas period. For those who don't know, we keep two narrowboats moored up at the boathouse here in Llangattock for long and short holidays. It's not just a beautiful setting for a Christmas break, but cosy too, with wood-burning stoves, fully equipped kitchens and everything you need to settle in for a bit of well-deserved relaxation.
If you'd like to get snug in a houseboat this winter, do get in touch, there's still some availability and we'd love to have you!
A big thank you to everyone who's come through the boathouse this month, it's been amazing to see so many smiling faces, and we look forward to seeing even more of you in the coming weeks!