High Jump

A Sea Otter Trailable Narrow Boat.

A record of our journeys, adventures and disasters on the canals and rivers of France. Written to encourage other boat owners to venture abroad. These boring ramblings may even be of assistance in planning and preparing for your trip.

"High Jump" is an aluminium hull, trailable narrow boat. 23ft in length and a little less than 6ft 10in breadth. Built by Sea Otter
of Sheffield.
This was the first trailable boat ordered from Sea Otter, although not the first built. Two smaller prototypes had been produced
and used for demonstration purposes. These did not have the water ballast system which has become the most important feature of all trailable Sea Otters.
The second order,Marionette, was then completed before High Jump, ready to be shown at the 1996 Birmingham, Boat and Caravan Show.

We took delivery of our boat in May 1996. While I was still working we used it on the English Canals, River Thames and Norfolk Broads. Through 1998 and 99, while I was working in China, the boat was not used at all. Rested on the trailer near our driveway.

The following accounts of our various cruises start in the New Millenium, shortly after I retired permanently.

We have of course made many trips on English Waterways, but on this site I have concentrated only on our French experiences.

10 Feb. 06
Canal Boat and Inland Waterways. March 2006 edition.
The "ReadersStory" on page 146 is an extract from our Autumn 2004 report. It tells the story of the running down by a Peniche on The Canal du Nord.

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High Jump cruises the River Lot beneath the village of
St Circq Lapopie
(Photo thanks to Andy Trout.)

This page uses thumbnails. To see a full size picture left click on the thumbnail.
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To find information on any particular area use "Chronology" to check dates of our various journeys, then go to the appropriate page.

Waiting at entrance to Souterrain de Mont-de-Billy for loaded Peniche to clear the tunnel.

Exhausting this boating!

Double click to edit

March. 2008
Canals and Rivers. March 2008 edition.
A photo of High Jump at the Municipal Camp Site, Montmorillon, appears in the article on trail boating.