I went on Tom & Lyn Lewis' first canal Float in 1997 and had a great time. I'd like to do it again if I can put together enough money and time. Tom's website (www.folk.emich.edu/~tomlewis) at this point gives no definite plans for a future cruise, but I'm sure when plans develop he'll post them. You can always e-mail directly, of course. When I saw them at Mystic in June they were considering several options for different routes and times, probably for 2002.

The url Tom gives above gets you to a very detailed description (warts and all) of the 2000 trip. The basic deal in 2000 and in '97 was that Tom and Lyn and about a dozen other folks rented two 7-foot wide, 70-foot long "narrowboats" for two weeks, and cruised SLOWLY (the boats go only about 3-4 mph) around a circular route (the Warwickshire Ring), spending the middle weekend at the Warwick Folk Festival. At several points along the route, music evenings had been arranged at canalside pubs with fine performers such as Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman.

It's important to note that this trip is as much about canal-boating as it is about folk music, and it's very – er – participatory. There is no professional skipper or crew aboard; all operation of boats AND locks is done by yourselves. I had been wanting to go narrowboating for a long time, and the chance to combine it with music was too good to pass up. It's a great way to see the countryside, and you move around without having to move your stuff around -- a big advantage in my book. Of course you're not covering a huge area; I believe our route was about 100 miles total.

Hope I get a chance to go again!

Cheers, Nancy