And then yesterday ...

I turned off the Trent and Mersay onto the Coventry and the towpath changed sides.  Phew.  What timing the gas bottle finally ran out at lunchtime.

You have to remember that on my boat the gas bottles are in the side of the boat not at the front or back like normal peoples.

So I went out with my special spanner etc and took the empty one out and put it on the front deck.  Went back and connected up the other bottle at which point I was joined by another boater and we got chatting.  I clearly got distracted so that when I went inside to turn the gas back on I realised I hadn't actually opened the valve.

With hind sight probably a good thing as on going back and doing so I heard an ominous hiss which wouldn't go away even when I re did the connection.  So no gas.

This morning because the batteries were so low I had to run the engine in order to boil the electric kettle!!!

Luckily I was just outside a Marina and I called in to buy my replacement bottle and they very kindly agreed to swop the faulty bottle for me.  So I do at least have two usable full bottles.

Batteries again

Well I finally girded my loins and checked the levels in the 'new' lead acid batteries.  I had been told in no uncertain terms that I should have checked them every month!  Ooops.

The four easily accessible ones were okay to deal with.  However the one under the electric cupboard on the swim not so much fun.

I had to undo the engine surround, lie on the battery box, squeeze under the wooden beam surrounding the engine that the floor panels rest on, then hover in the unsupported yoga snake position whilst undoing the 6 caps using a 20p piece gripped with mole grips in left hand and right hand holding it in the slot.  Then placing a small funnel in the holes and pouring using a small china milk jug!  All in all I used about 4 litres of distilled water over the five batteries.

I am pretty sure that the problem I have been having is down to the battery on the swim as I think the first cell was very very low.  I will only know for sure when I can actually check the level in it.  I bought some drinking straws on the way home for this purpose but on returning to the boat I left them in the car and Rob has taken them home again.  Snarpip!!!

Blue Buzzard who told me to check the levels in the first place says I now have to do it every week!  On account of the amount of water I had to replace and the potential damage I have already done to these batteries.  Frankly I don't care if they die a tragic early death -  I want gel ones again!  Stamps her foot in annoyance.

Summer cruising 2015

starts here.

It can only get warmer . . .

At least I hope it does.  Getting the boat up to a decent temperature from a standing start is proving not so successful.  :)

My new batteries are nowhere near as good as the old (gel) ones and I suspect one of the three bought in August might be faulty as adding a further two at the end of October doesn't appear to have helped much.  Running the central heating for 1.5 hours on the first day reduced the batteries from 100% to 84% and an hour this morning reduced them from 83% to 74%.

This is the first time I have run with the five lead acid type so it might take a few charges etc before they settle down.

so to run the central heating this afternoon I will also be running the engine (the water should be piping hot!)

Happy New Cruising Year.

Happy Winter Solstice

Being as I  think there might possibly be a deity singular or indeed plural or even just poor old Mother Earth, but that I do not believe in Religion and all its permutations I have decided to wish everyone a good time off over the Winter Solstice.


Enjoy the present giving family day

and have a

Happy New Year

Bobcat has been put to bed

I had a lovely cruise from Fradley (Coventry line) up to Kings Bromley on Thursday, meeting a couple of boaters that I had met before on the cut including a friend on their new boat.  Unfortunately it was as he was exiting a lock and I was going in so just time for a quick hello/goodbye.

I will hopefully get a chance for a neb around their boat next year.

I managed a perfect reverse entry onto my designated pontoon (shame no one was watching) and was very glad I didn't wait until Sunday to go into the Marina as the weather would have been against me. As it was Thursday was a lovely warm day with hardly a breeze and the sunshine burst through in the afternoon in time for the walk back for the car.

So that is the end of boating for the year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone.

Lechlade back to Oxford Canal

We winded just through the bridge where the Thames goes left and another river joins to the right.

No pictures as it was a little fraught due to shallowness both sides and two currents to deal with.

And of course two opinions as to how it should be done!!!

We saw a family swimming and it looked such a good idea that as this lock was self service we decided to join in.

So we moored up got our swimming togs and walked around over the lock and weir back upstream to where a picnic site met the river and swam back to the boat.

Having got acclimatised and managed to get back onto boat I went back in hence the photo opportunity.

Lady off the boat in front joined me.  She had apparently been looking for an excuse all day.

She did it properly though - holding a glass of wine!

This is where the cut out deck comes in useful.  

Plenty of bits to hang on to (tie downs for motorbikes etc) 

and with your toes on the baseplate no problem to get out.

Might be harder fully clothed.

Watering up in Oxford this lady kindly went under the pipe but her husband blithely rode over it.  Ignorant Numpty.

I was concerned that as it is an xhose and it was fully expanded at that point that it might burst.  It didn't luckily- presumably the pressure would have sent the water out the other tap like it does when you turn the tap off ?  (Rob got very wet as he wasn't aware of how quickly the hose retracts)

Definitely no more Rivers this year.  

The anchor is back on the roof and the rope and chain back in the front locker.

Oxford to Lechlade (and beyond)

Bit of yoga

The Tomcat next to Bobcat 

My Nemesis.

Radcot Bridge successfully negotiated upstream just need the same luck going downstream when we will be the ones not in control.

Then we took the canoe as far up the Thames hoping to get to at least Hannington Road Bridge but after limbo-ing under one obstruction

We were met by a further obstruction just short of our destination

Which proved too much for us to negotiate

The Thames up here is not only more intimate than the lower reaches but positively up close and personal!!!