New passenger boat

THE Basingstoke Canal Society is proud to announce the arrival of its new passenger boat, the John Pinkerton II, it being craned into the canal at Colt Hill, Odiham.

This was on the morning of Tuesday 30th April, having travelled down by lorry from the builders, Lambon Boats near Droitwich.

Half a million pounds raised

The 50 seater boat will replace the John Pinkerton, which has been offering trips on the Basingstoke Canal since 1978, raising over half a million pounds for the canal in the process.

The 'JP II' is wider than the old boat, offering better accommodation as well as more headroom. Both the new boat and its crews, all of whom are volunteer members of the canal society, meet all the latest requirements of the Maritime Coastguard Agency.

Sally Taylor

May will see a period of commissioning and crew training and the formal naming will be done on 2nd June by Sally Taylor of BBC South Today. After that, trips booked with John Pinkerton Canal Cruises will be on the new boat.

Though there has been a land-slip on the Basingstoke, Roger Cansdale tells us there are still something like 25 miles of the canal available for boating from the junction with the Wey Navigation to Dogmersfield.