Monday saw boats weighing up to 35 tonnes each craned into Crick Marina by MJT Cranes.
This was part of preparations for the 23rd Crick Boat Show, which takes place over the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday June 3-5. A special Trade & Preview Day will be held on Thursday June 2, for advanced ticket holders only.
Over 50 canal boats will be on display at the show and around 22 of them (with a combined weight of over 500 tonnes) are craned in for the event.
Monica Tuckey, of MJT Cranes which specialises in lifting and transporting canal boats, explained: “Helping with the preparations for Crick Boat Show is always one of the busiest times of the year for us. Ahead of the show opening, we will be transporting and craning 22 canal boats, with a combined weight of over 500 tonnes. They range in length from 57ft to 70ft, and weigh between 15 and 35 tonnes each. Then after the show is finished, we take them all back again.”
Crick Boat Show is organised by Waterways World in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and Crick Waterside & Marina. Now the UK’s biggest inland waterways festival, with over 250 exhibitors gathering from across the canal world and beyond, the event is expected to attract over 26,000 visitors.
Show director Peter Johns said: “During the show build-up, one of the most dramatic sights is when these huge canal boats – that have arrived by road – are winched up into the air and placed onto the marina waters or onto the land in the Show’s land-based marina.
“The maximum speed on our canals and rivers is just 4mph, making them the perfect place to relax and slow down, but as our exhibitors travel to the show from all around the country, it’s often impractical to send a boat by water. And the wide beam boats can’t fit through the locks on the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal, as it’s a narrow canal.”
Crick Boat Show offers a great day out for all the family with dozens of boats to look round, free boat trips, live music, children’s activities, a real ale marquee, and a large variety of exhibitors, both boating related and general stalls. All children aged 16 and under receive free entry to the Show.
For more information and to book tickets, camping pitches and moorings, visit www.crickboatshow.com or call 01283 742970, Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm.
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