BLUEMOMENT

I would agree with that. We took a hired narrow boat across it a few years back. On the towpath side it's merely spectacular, but on the other side you can look vertically down and the exposure is something else.

On the way back we had strong cross wind which meant that the boat kept banging the side. I was torn between reassurance that it had lasted 200 years and was unlikely to choose today to fail, and worry that if you wanted to break a cast trough that's precicely where you would hit it...

Yes

The Millenium bridge is quite impressive:



Its a surprisingly long walk across the bridge, its not straight across, but a quite deep curve, the same shape as the vertical bit.

The locals call it "The blinking eys"

[quote="Julian]Anyhoo, what is to stop me launching our tender on a quiet weekday and crossing in that? Do you think people would get sniffy if they saw me, a rubber ducky and little 4st o/b?

Other than being told off and told to stop, could I be fined or arrested for using the canal unlicensed?[/quote]

You're supposed to have a licence to use BW's waterways, even for a canoe, but I suspect that unless you're causing bother they're unlikely to make an issue of it. Technically, you're meant to have a licence before riding a bike on the towpath (this might, however, have changed relatively recently) but I doubt if anyone bothers.

I confess to sailing for a couple of miles downwind on the Forth and Clyde Canal (having first rowed in the opposite direction) in a completely unlicensed 6 foot pram dinghy with a rather fetching red lugsail...

I have been known to take my dingy/outboard combination down to the local cut to do a pre season test. It's much more fun than using a drum full of water to test the engine.

It's quite a nice way to kill a Saturday afternoon doing something boaty out of season too.

If you don't act stupid and cause a nuisance folk usually turn a blind eye.

Julian wrote:(cut)
I also live not so far from the Dee aqueduct, I would love to cross it, if anyone has access to a canal boat on (is it the Bridgewater?) that canal, please can I come with you for the day, I'll be good!

Walk it. If you MUST navigate it, they run trip boats & you can hire a day boat. There is good free parking, Toilets & a slightly scruffy Pub which serves a reasonable pub meal.
Fron Cysyllte
Looking back towards basin & car park


From below, looking up


Will it fit? Fortunately (& by design) the walkway is built over the water so that boats don't behave like hydraulic pistons! Telford simply thought of everything.