Scarboreugh / Redhill Marina

It’s been a while since I last wrote a post. Semi because there hasn’t been much boat stuff to write about, but also we’ve been keeping quiet hoping to not have any more dodgy Spanish betting posts appear. Hopefully the 28 day window, which was the longest gap between odd posts has now elapsed and various plugins on the blog will be slowly turned back on, to see if one of them has been causing the problem. So apologies in advance if there is a strange post all of a sudden, hopefully with the process of elimination we’ll be able to work out if one of the plug ins is the problem. Fingers crossed!

However over the last couple of weeks our blog has been popular with someone, somewhere doing numerous clicks. Just a few days ago we had a record 1855 views in one day! The vast majority of these fictitious clicks, very obvious to me as why would the same 60+ posts be viewed 5+ times in one day from way back when?

Anyhow, we’ve started to think about Oleanna’s repaint a bit more recently. Mick gave Tom from Gibson and Kentwright the boat painter, a call last week to see if there might be an approximate date for Oleanna’s repaint. We already knew that a boat for the March slot was on site as we are, but Tom tends to have two boats in the paintshed at once. The other March boat isn’t on site and the River Soar and Trent are both in flood and have been for much of the year. So we may get to swap slots and be back on the water sooner.

One thing we needed to do was order our new windows. When Oleanna was built we didn’t have enough budget to go for thermal break double glazing, but there is enough money in the repaint budget for it.

We’ve heard tales of long lead times, when I’d emailed Caldwell’s for a quote last week they’d given no indication of a delivery date. Mick called them. Thankfully because we are not wanting anything special, tinted glazing, bonded windows etc our order should be on its way to meet Oleanna next month. Phew, we won’t be held up by the windows!

Mick paid the deposit to get the ball rolling on them.

With the repaint, our stick on solar panels will need replacing as the old ones will not survive being removed. I wonder how well the roof has fared underneath and which panel was stuck more successfully to avoid rust, the one Finesse did or the one we did?

Mick has been doing some research into new panels. Things will move about a little on the roof as we want to move the plank and pole rack, so physical sizes will be a factor. Certainly technology has moved on since Oleanna was built, so hopefully we’ll be able to gain more from the sun in future. Mick is currently looking into CIGS panels which look interesting.

Here at the house the pressure is on to get the decorating done. One room is almost complete and a new carpet arrives in a few days time, then we will rehang the pictures. The bedroom is also nearing completion, well all the prep work is done, just painting and radiators to rehang and hope they stay on the walls!

Enquiries keep coming from the digs list at the theatre, we’ve still some capacity left for the year so here’s hoping the empty weeks get occupied.

Plans for our cruise this year are coming together, we just have to hope for the right amount of water in both rivers and canals for it to work. Destinations keep being added to the list and hopefully we’ll be able to navigate around the closures on the network.

Last month Cutweb Internet Boat Club kept me busy as it was membership renewal time, Brian from NB Harnser was kept busy too as he’s Membership Secretary. A few members have now sold their boats and become Associate Members, so included in social gatherings and there have been a few new members too. If you want to see what Cutweb is all about follow the link.

For those who haven’t been following the Llangollen breach, all three boats have been rescued and been transported to boat yards for inspection. I’m sure most boaters will have been transfixed as we were with the impressive rescues, but for those who missed the footage here is a link to a good précis of the events. At times the commentary is a little dramatic, but Court Above The Cut has given some very good coverage about the breach. Sadly NB Sefton has been deemed a right-off by the insurance company. The damage from mud and diesel inside will mean she will require a total strip out back to the bare shell, very sad news for Bob and Rosemary.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 canal visit, 2 rooms nearing completion, 3 colours, 1 new carpet, 2 new radiators, 1 painter continuing to learn how to plaster, 8 dust sheets knackered! 0 fault of the painter, 2 new blinds 2 come, 3 lodgers booked, 3 boats rescued, 7 windows on order, 2 rivers in flood, 3 if you count the Ouse, 2 boaters with fingers crossed, 1 leapfrog hoped for, 1 painting commission, 1 introduction, 1 blog hoping not to go Spanish again!