Lockdown Mooring 3, then that way a bit, then there, then the other way a bit.

There had been two birthdays this week in the Geraghty family and there was much talk of basket weaving as Marion has a visit this coming week from an Occupational Therapist. We’re waiting to see what creations she comes up with.

Then it was time to take down the dinette table and pull out the boat painty box that lives below the seating. It’s really a shame that the cupboards didn’t get sliding doors on them, as they hinge downwards and the desmo legs of the table stop them from opening fully, hense having to take the table down to get big things in and out! We have the table up all the time, which the builders most probably didn’t consider at the time. One day we’ll get round to altering them. It’s not too much of a hardship removing the table as what is stored there isn’t needed often.

With Tilly back on board we headed backwards, just off the 48hr mooring to a patch of handy shade. The bank was an okay height for working on the gunnels and I gave the nettles and long bits of grass a quick trim with our shears before starting.

My painty dungarees came out, knee pads added and a kneeling mat for the floor, this would fend off soar knees for a while. Having worked in a theatre in the round painting floors for years, my knees do not like me. I know I’ll be hobbling around for a while, but Oleanna will have nice looking gunnels again.

A few weeks ago Mick had got me some new rolls of sandpaper and I expected them to fit the electric sander. But sadly they are too big, They’d need trimming down and with all the faffing with extension leads out of windows, I couldn’t be bothered so got the sanding block out and did it by hand instead.

The port side first. This side got a coat of paint before I headed off to do a weeks painting on panto last Autumn, so shouldn’t have been too bad. But a few bubbles of rust have shown themselves after knocks and scrapes.

I had to stop a couple of times to remove some doggie downloads, but the job was soonish done. The dust was rinsed off with canal water and left to dry whilst we had some lunch and awaited the return of our second mate. She was far too busy to return home on her own, so I had to be interesting. The fertan (rust convertor) came out and so did Tilly.

Job done, everyone back on board, we could now reverse to the water point under the bridge. A cruiser was just pulling out so we waited for them to pass, he thanked us for being patient whilst he ‘pratted about’. Once they were out of the way I headed up to the bridge to see if the cut was clear and gave Mick a thumbs up. He backed Oleanna up past the moorings and we filled the tank.

The canal has been a lot busier today, most boats passing us twice which suggests they are leisure boaters out for the day. After the announcement regarding more relaxation of lockdown on Thursday C&RT had updated their guidance to boaters. From Monday much of the network will be open again and Continuous Cruisers will be able to move further, however for Leisure boaters there is still no news on being able to stay overnight on their boats.

News came through yesterday that C&RT are aiming to reopen the Macclesfield and Leeds Liverpool during July and August, the peek of the boating season. Our original plan for this year was to cruise both canals to head back towards Yorkshire. We’d still like to cross the Pennines on the L&L, maybe seeing friends at a distance on our journey. We just don’t want to get stuck part way across the top if lack of water closes locks again. Fingers crossed.

Once the water tank was full we headed back under the bridge choosing to moor on the other side of the 48hr moorings in the sun. The shady patch had been full of flies who had wanted to take up residence inside Oleanna! Tilly got to see her third outside of the day (all within 200 meters of each other) and soon returned with a friend. The next boat along didn’t seem too fazed as they ate their barbecue as she munched her way through the poor rodents head just a few meters away.

0 locks, 0.25 miles, 3 moorings, 1 side prepped, 2 wide sandpaper, 2 aching knees, 2 piles of pooh, 1 friend at least, 1 forgotten tiller, 1 prat, 1 possible change of plan.