A Different Boat Already!!!

I just wrote all about the boat we booked for our trip, the Classique.  What I hadn't written was that this was our second choice of boat.  We had wanted the Magnifique, but it wasn't available during our week on the Thames.  But this morning, my wonderful husband spoke to the LeBoat folks and next thing I knew, he managed to get us the Magnifique!

Here is a picture of the Magnifique from the LeBoat website:

And here is the layout:

This boat is 47 feet, which is 5 feet longer than the Classique.  There are two double beds in the bow (blue) and two cabins that can be singles or doubles in the stern.  There is a larger galley and bigger couch, and finally, three bathrooms!  And most important, it is a much newer boat.

Where Are We Going??

Benson and Chertsey are not towns that most people outside of England are familiar with.  But I'm sure most people have heard of London, Oxford, Windsor or Eton.  Well, these are some of the places we'll be visiting on our trip.  This simple map shows the route we will be taking.  We will fly into London and then rent a car and drive to Oxford (to the west of Benson, not on this map), spending a day or so there sightseeing.  On the appointed day, we'll drive to the LeBoat base in Benson and load our things onto the boat.  Then we'll head to the nearest supermarket and buy some provisions to get us started.  And once we return the rental car, we'll be off  on our Thames Voyage!

Another Exciting Trip!

My husband, David, and I, are in the very beginning stages of planning our sixth European canal boating trip!  We are so excited because it's been two years since our last trip!  This time, we will be boating in England, along the Thames River, from Benson to Chertsey!  Joining us is our friend Barbara, who was with us for our last trip on the Canal du Midi.  New to canal boating is our friend Charlie.  This will be his first trip!

We are again using LeBoat for our rental boat.  We are getting a large boat, called the Classique. This is the same boat we had on our last trip.  It has four cabins and two bathrooms, so we should have enough room for everyone to be comfortable.  There are both indoor and outdoor steering positions.  David, our primary captain, prefers the comfort and visibility of the outdoor steering, and will use that unless it's raining.

Here is a picture of our boat from the LeBoat website

Here is the layout of the Classique:

Looking from the bow, you see the first cabin (double bed in blue).  Next to that is a second cabin (yellow bunk beds) and a bathroom.  Then in the middle of the boat is the saloon with a couch and table and the indoor steering position.  Then there is the galley (kitchen) and across from that is the second bathroom.  In the stern of the boat are two more cabins shown with twin beds (orange) that can be pushed together to create double beds.