326 mile voyage in the slow lane

Press Release 29th December 2006

A mother and daughter - both boating novices - have completed an epic expedition navigating the 326 miles from Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire to Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire.

Penny Haines from Chalvington near Lewes, and her daughter Sarah Cannon, studying in Edinburgh, passed through 249 locks, five moveable bridges, 21 small aqueducts and five tunnels on their stamina-sapping journey.

The couple started the first leg on June 10 traveling by narrow-boat at an average speed of three miles an hour, completing the first lap to Rugby in 10 days. They started the second phase from Rugby on August 14 and arrived at Hebdeb Bridge right on time on Wednesday.

Said Penny "Gosling, our 30ft steel Hull canal boat, built in 1980 is one of only a handful still existing of her design. She sleeps four but believe us when we say two people are a very tight squeeze. We have been experiencing the world once again as it is meant to be known... life in the slow lane."

The couple aim to raise £1000 through sponsorship for Trees for Life which is working to restore the Caledonian Forest in the Highlands. it has already planted more than 500,000 trees and aims to restore 1,500sq km of the north central Highlands to natural wild forest.

Penny and Sarah haven't had it all their own way. An engine fire broke out at one point and the couple had to douse it with water. Then Penny crushed her ankle against the boats steel hull and had to be treated in hospital before returning on crutches.

"This was no holiday," Penny added. "It's been hard manual labour. I've found muscles I didn't know I had."

By John Eccles, Sussex Express, Friday September 1st 2006

Related pages

• Sarah and Penny's Pledge Page, Huntingdon to Hebden Bridge by canal boat (external link)

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