End of 2015 boating season

has come early this year.  One month early to be precise.

On Saturday I biked to the boat from home on my lovely new proper electric bicycle.  N'elli.

39.78 miles (mostly downhill from home and the few uphills were no problem with the electric assistance) Still had two bars showing on the dial and 17 miles estimated further available cycling if I wanted !

Took 3 hours 50 minutes actual cycling.  5 hours including stops to read the map, take on food and water etc.  Very pleased with myself as not too knackered and the sun came out as I arrived back on the boat.  Glad it didn't come out any earlier or it would have been too hot with all my layers.

The charger on the boat doesn't work.  So luckily dearly beloved came and fetched me yesterday from the winter mooring in the van.

Sunday was a fabulous sunny day for the last hurrah and I barely left tickover all the way as I didn't want to get there too soon.  When I did get there it was almost impossible to moor.  At the second spot I at least managed to get both ends attached even if my back end was miles out.  After watching the horse whisperer at 7pm I went out again to try and get a little bit closer in.

Monday I put everything that was coming off ready at the front of the boat.  Switched off the water, removed the shower diverter and opened all the taps.  At 11am I went out and with each passing boat adjusted (heaved on) the ropes and got nearer to the side such that I could finally just take a large step (leap of faith) off the back.  The front being perfectly in.  When dearly beloved hove into view with the van I was pretty exhausted and a fellow moorer had said I might have better luck further up.  We loaded the van with bicycle etc before untying and moving further up.  Aargh worse than before ...

But the fellow off the boat we were trying to moor behind came out and with his knowledge and knowhow and muscle we edged the boat ever closer.  We tied the bows firmly and I had to use reverse and forwards gear to good effect.  Dearly beloved skimming the resultant silt build up away to the front of the boat with a shovel each time I neared the side. With each backwards and forwards manoeuvre we inched our way ever closer.  The boater also put his boat in reverse gear so that his boat was sucking the silt away from my location as well.  A bit of local knowledge is an amazing thing.  Took us exactly an hour to get the boat in but as he says the silt will now set like concrete under the boat so there will be no movement when other boats go past.

He said a previous boat was brought in fairly quickly by use of a landrover and winch.  The build up of silt from between the boat and side completely flooded the area.  CRT don't seem to want to dredge this location at Spode House even though they did the section at Fradley recently.  Maybe soon?

Over and Out for Another Year.