Ready Steady ...

Last weekend we took my new (to me) reclining chair down to the boat.  Despite it not actually fitting in the Panda which was my criteria for whether I bought it or not.  We crammed it in and tied the boot down.  Well for £10 you can't really refuse when you have measured the height of the arms and you know that it will fit in through the side hatches!  It stayed at home for a week and small boy got very attached to it.

I may have to take the table down as the chair is perhaps a little big for the space allocated plus where it is I am in danger of kicking the TV everytime I go into recline!

Bobcat looked quite sad and lonely on her moorings and covered in cobwebs. 

I may give her a bit of a wash when I am back on.  Please don't hold your collective breaths as after having had the new car valeted when small boy vomited in it I said I would have the car valeted and washed once a year around it's birthday.  Not happened I am afraid.  What I need is a cleaning lady.

I had covered up one of my solar panels so as not to cook the batteries and left the fridge running when I left the boat beginning of the month.

The smartgauge said both banks were reading 12.85 but then it said they were down to c37 (I assume that is percentage?)  The solar panel monitor had a smiley face and said 98%.  Which one is right?

We uncovered the other solar panel and will see what happens this week.

I have ticked all the items on my July to do list and am feeling very virtuous.

Aboating I will go

Ghost boats

I have been thinking about it a lot recently.

One night on the Trent and Mersey Canal just below a lock (I can't remember which one) about 1min after midnight I heard a gentle throbbing of a 'proper' boat engine that gradually got louder (but never too loud) and then faded away again.

My boat never moved, twitched or otherwise acknowledged it's passing.

I was left wondering if I had really heard it or just imagined it.

Or indeed had a canal ghost just past me by?

Oh me miserum

Back at home - nose to the grindstone.

Saturday Rob arrived about lunchtime and we finally managed the oil change, and filters.  The reason it was late is that we mistook the fuel filter for the oil filter and it is a completely different shape to the filter provided by Beta.  They told Rob it was correct but different to the one supplied by the engine makers.  As all the filters etc are cunningly painted green with the engine it was an easy mistake for novices to make.  On the bright side we have at least changed the fuel filter early whilst everything else was late!  Plus the next one will be easy now that we have not got to worry about the paint glueing everything in place.  After much grunt we finally located the oil filter underneath the engine.

We manged to clear Fradley before stopping for the night in the undergrowth and walking back to the pub for dinner.

Next day we passed these two monsters.  I said I thought 5 greyhounds was a lot but two great danes?  He said definitely great danes better.

I think it is hardwork dual boating.

As I did the locks whilst himself drove.

Finally we arrived at our new moorings and are pretty sure we are in the correct spot!

Might not look much but we can get the car/bike to it easily. 

Water point is not too far away and what looks like nice walking all around.  Plus a very pleasant neighbour liveaboard who will keep an eye on the boat for me.  There are Winding Holes in either direction not too far away and I don't need electricity or elsan/pump out so all in all just what I wanted.

We biked back to Barton Turns and the cars stopping for a leisurely lunch at the cafe at Fradley Junction on the way.

I have now done over 20 miles cycling this week and boy can I tell.

Rob took my bike home and I returned to the boat for all my stuff and the cat.

The cat was very relaxed at Rob's house and also in the car. 

When we got home yesterday she wandererd around her garden sniffing all the flowers etc.

Very happy to be home I think.

Small boy was also pleased to see me as I had brought milk.

So head down and lots of work to do before I can be released back into the canal community again.

All will be quiet here for a while.

Ate a proxima

I sleep through earthquakes

and this morning I found that I also sleep through trees falling down!

When I went to sleep last night there was a boat moored in front of me.

When I woke up it had gone and been replaced by the tree.

How weird is that? 

One of the last boats that passed us last night had complained about the low hanging branches and had broken off a few whilst travelling through.  I bet it is his fault he must have pulled too hard!

When I got back from work like magic

All gone.

Because the junction here only lets you on to the A38 and not off it I came back through Willington and crossed that narrow bridge again.

It wasn't just my imagination one of the cars coming towards me (it is light controlled) had it's ears folded in.

Big and small

Yesterday was a tough day all round.

Started off with long trek to Willington luckily for me I did the first three large locks with an American Family.

They didn't believe that I could possibly do them on my own.  So I at least started one without them but was very glad I didn't have to climb ladders.

They stopped for lunch so I headed for Stenson alone.

I was getting a little concerned that I might have to do this one alone and got some gloves out ready for the climb up the wet slimy ladders.  However by the time the lock had emptied and the boat in it was ready to leave another boat arrived.  I had met these people before but was extremely glad to meet them again!

I stopped just before the footbridge to Willington Marina but didn't make use of it in the end as I had a letter to post.  Cycled out down into Willington village, over bridge and back to the car.

Quick look at map and worked out how to get to Barton Turns.  The bike sticks out a bit on one side so the minor road that took us to Barton Turns itself has a very very narrow bridge.  Made it through by closing my eyes!

Nice man let me park inside the marina gates and told me how to get back onto the towpath.

I thought it was 6 miles back to Willington.

I was wrong it is 10 miles exactly to where I had moored the boat.

Why oh why didn't I think to bring a bottle of water?

Still I am proud of myself I did it in one hour ten minutes.

Just got back into boat when a drunk started talking to me through my open porthole!  I did point out that it wasn't polite to do so.

I slept well that night.

Little boat.

Fabulous artwork under the bridge in Burton.  I could not stay long as I was being worked through by my 'staff' I appear to have them waiting for me at every lock.

This solo boating lark is a doddle didn't have to lift a finger today.

Meeting a hireboat whilst passing a load of moored boats I got grounded.  Mentioned it to them as they were passing and quick as a flash they said throw us your rope and they pulled me back off it as they passed.

All in all a good day.  Picked car up and parked it elsewhere so I don't have to worry about the gates being locked when I need to use it.

I also bought some stuff at Jannels.

Sea searcher magnet, nappy pin, lid for the chimney base (steel one now at the bottom of Torksey Lock) and a proper pole.

Reminds me must go and oil it.