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I've had a tiny sailing cruiser for a number of years, with which I had a lot of fun, but (demasted) I discovered I enjoyed canal cruising more than sailing. I decided then that when the old Royal Canal here was fully restored and open from Dublin to the Shannon, I would look out for a 'proper' cruiser. I wanted something big enough to be comfortable, but still ok to keep at home, and tow to canal, lake or sea, and the 'Conquest' seemed ideal. Having looked at 5 or 6 of them, I finally found this one in the middle of Scotland of all places, and in very good nick. Having brought it home to Ireland in November, it sat covered in snow for most of the winter, until finally a few weeks ago we managed to launch at a nearby lake.

It needs very little work, but I have some interior decoration mods in progress, and looking forward to some gentle cruising and our summer canal rallies later on (great fun if anyone wants to join in!). Mind you the 65hp Suzuki was fitted for coastal work, and I fear I'll be doing a James Bond on the canal, while taking shared in an oil well!