Stourport

A year ago today we handed over the last payment for NB Oleanna and in return we were handed her keys.

Originally our plan was to cruise for a full year once we had our new boat, built to our spec. This took us almost five years for our dream to come true, three of those living on NB Lillyanne (Lillian) our lovely yellow boat.

In the last year Oleanna and her crew have:

Cruised from Sheffield to Crick, Sheffield and Tinsley, Stainforth and Keadby, River Trent, River Soar and the Grand Union Leicester Section, where we moved on board fully from Lillian;

Down the Grand Union to London, along the Paddington Arm into Paddington, The Regents Canal, followed by the Hertford Union and the River Lee Navigation;

We retraced our steps back to the Grand Union and cruised her down the Hanwell flight, stopping short of reaching Brentford;

Back up to Crick to hand over the keys of Lillian to her new owners in July;

Then up onto the Oxford Canal, through Rugby and onto the Coventry Canal to Fradley where we joined the Trent and Mersey heading northwards;

At Great Haywood we turned left onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal turning right onto the Shropshire Union at Autherely Junction;

At Barbridge we turned onto the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union and then headed northwards on the Trent and Mersey to the Bridgewater Canal and then the Leeds Liverpool Canal;

Oleanna spent a full week in Salthouse Dock in Liverpool before we headed for the Rufford Branch meeting up with Bridget and Storm on NB Blackbird;

From here both boats crossed the Ribble link and spent most of August and a bit more of September than planned on the Lancaster Canal before we returned to the ‘Main Land’;

Back down the Bridgewater and Trent and Mersey until our plans changed, so we turned round and headed back northwards turning onto the Caldon Canal going to both Leek and as near to Froghall as we could;

Back over the Middlewich Branch stopping off to watch the fireworks on Bonfire night;

Up onto the Llangollen Canal where we spent Christmas and New Year;

A brief trip onto the Montgomery Canal;

Then back onto the Shropshire Union and to Chester and Ellesmere Port before turning round and working our way back to Autherely Junction where we turned onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal;

We have almost reached the end of the Staff and Worcester, just two staircases of two to go onto the River Severn.

Oleanna has ticked off two of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways, The Barton Swing Aqueduct and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. She’s been to the most northerly and westerly parts of the canal network.

We’ve welcomed family, friends, old and new on board. Seen sunsets, sunrises and numerous Kingfishers. Been up early to avoid the heat, been snowed on and iced in.

It has been a great year.

Now what?

Well ….  now you see, Oleanna still isn’t quite finished. She may have travelled a lot lot further than most boats in her first year, but she is still waiting to have her proper batteries installed. So have we had that year of cruising yet or not? We don’t think so. In fact the clock counting down that year hasn’t even started to tick yet!

Since 7th April 2017

Total distance is 1313 miles, 3 3/4 furlongs and 795 locks. There are at least 115 moveable bridges of which 12 are usually left open; 327 small aqueducts or underbridges; 41 tunnels and 3 major aqueducts.

This is made up of 524 miles, ¾ furlong of narrow canals; 645 miles, 6¼ furlongs of broad canals; 22 miles, 4 ¾ furlongs of commercial waterways; 32 miles, 4¾ furlongs of small rivers; 28 miles, 7½ furlongs of large rivers; 59 miles, 4 furlongs of tidal rivers; 375 narrow locks; 403 broad locks; 16 large locks.

Engine hours 1294.3

PS The River Severn peaked at 12.45am yesterday at 3.25m and is now on it’s way down. Hopefully we’ll be on our way again soon.

Although it is raining this morning!