Easter is fast approaching and with it the start of the main cruising season.
We have had the solar eclipse and the large moon in the last few weeks and now come the April showers.
Writing this on the last days of March I am looking out at a lovely sunny day which gives us the promise of spring.
Looking along the hedgerows the buds are bursting the black thorn and almond blossom are providing cascades of pink and white.
Primroses and daffodils provide the splash of lemons and bright yellows.

Spring feels as if it has arrived and the number of boats cruising are slowing increasing.
It is lovely to see the signs of spring and with it the promise of new growth and renewed life.
Ownashare are at the beginning of some exciting changes.
Please watch our newsletters for further details throughout March and April.

Winter continues to hold us in its grips but thoughts of spring are in our thoughts.
With this are the planning of our cruising dreams for this season.
Ownashare are busy with the final preparations for our open days this month when we look forward to welcoming new shared owners to our syndicate families.
This year we have planned to make all of our boats available on these two days.
Each marina will have boats with shares for sale available to view with an Ownashare team member available to discuss your requirements.

The cooler days have arrived and sitting in front of a lovely warm fire is very appealing.
Do remember to keep a check on the plate in the top of your fire box.
Soot can build up here and cause a blockage of the flue leading to carbon monoxide entering the cabin.
Please refer to your stoves manual for advice or ask your engineer.

Enjoy those cosy evenings in front of a lovely warm stove and savour the colourful autumn cruising.

The Caledonian Canal, engineered by Thomas Telford, was built between 1803 and 1822, linking Fort William in the west to Inverness in the east along the Great Gen. It comprises 22 miles of excavated canal and 38 miles of loch – Lochs Locky, Oich, Ness and Dochfour. It was sized to enable 32-gun frigates to cross the country while avoiding the hazards of the Pentland Firth and the North Atlantic.

The cruising season is in full swing.
Our canals remain a haven of England of yester year.
People have time to chat and the schedules of our week are downsized to a former era.
When our trip of 70 miles is planned to be achieved in a week or more....
If we venture onto the bank we marvel at the speed of the traffic!
During those times when we need to stop and wait why not enjoy the novelty of meeting new people and chatting about our love of the canals.

Summer has officially arrived.
With it the prospect of long summer cruising hours and the planning of our main holidays.
The canals offer a respite from our busy frantic lives.
Just cruising at between 2 and 4 miles per hour enables us all to enjoy the beauty of nature.
We can stop and listen to the bird song.
Just notice flora and fauna that eludes us during our normal lives.
The ebb and flow of the day can be appreciated.
The canals give us back our connection with the natural world and helps to calm our minds and sooth our souls.
Enjoy!

What a fantastic start to the summer.

Ownashare joined the three other management companies in running a joint Boat Share Show at Braunston over the weekend of the 12th and 13th of April.

The event was well attended and Ownashare owners and staff greatly enjoyed welcoming prospective owners aboard 4 of our syndicate owned boats during the weekend.

It is always a great pleasure to meet up with our syndicate owners and enjoy some fun and laughter, even during the out of show hours.

April has arrived and the land is fast awakening and the boaters are now out enjoying the spring.

Now is the time to dust off the boating clothes and the walking boots and make a bee line for the nearest towpath.

Even if you are unable to take a boat out the peace and tranquility is still available on the towpath at no charge.

I do hope you have enjoyed the lovely boating program "Grand canal journeys" with Timothy West and Prunella Scales.

This wonderful program was so true to the canal spirit and was a great antidote to the usual TV documentaries.

"Feed the birds tuppence a bag"
It is at this time of year the birds enjoy fat balls, nuts and seeds and although it costs a great deal more than tuppence (two old pennies) it is well worth the expense and effort.

If afloat or on dry land you can be well rewarded for your thoughtfulness with wonderful close up sightings of birds.

If you are uncertain what food to provide try look at http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/feeding/