Category Archives: Boat cats

Just A Few Minutes Away. 7th May

Goole

Back in early 2015 we moored at Rembrandt Gardens in Little Venice for the first time. In the other space there was a narrowboat called Bleasdale. The lady on Bleasdale introduced herself and we had chats. Being a distinctive colour in those days on NB Lillyanne the lady who became known to us as Mrs Bleasdale could spot us a mile off and our paths have crossed several times since.

Christmas/New Year 2016/2017 we all found ourselves mooring at Bugsworth Basin. This is when we found out Mrs Bleasdale’s first name, Heather. She does have a surname but we prefer Bleasdale.

Every now and then we do a location check with each other and at the back end of last year we discovered that we were quite close, well Heather was near Torksey and us having just pulled up in Goole. Depending on which way Heather would turn off the Fossdyke our paths might cross, so we hoped to head out from the marina to meet up with her at some point before Christmas if she headed up to Keadby.

Sadly Heathers plans changed and she turned left instead of right, then ended up being stuck in Newark with lockdowns and flooding, we ended up being on the wrong side of the breach.

Over the winter Heather has hatched a plan and was gathering interested boats together. We joined in on an IWA talk about the North East waterways and our interest grew. Would plans work out though? Timings would be important and Heathers suggested expedition would have to make use of the long days of June to cover a large chunk of Tidal water.

As time has gone on we’ve realised that as much as we would love to join her this year our priorities this summer lie at the other end of the country and doing two mad dashes up and down the country just wouldn’t work. So sadly we’ve bowed out of a trip down the Humber to the River Hull and up to Beverley this year. Maybe next year though!

Since cruising restrictions have ended Heather has gradually worked her way up to Keadby and beyond, in fact only a hop skip and jump away from Goole by train. So today we hoped that the weather would be kind to us so that we could meet up.

Yesterday we’d put feelers out for any recommendations for a cafe in town where we could have lunch, but as we thought there were no options. Howden was suggested, thank you Lisa and Al, but we didn’t really fancy a bus trip. However we realised we knew a really rather good café with limited outdoor seating. On Mick’s return from dropping the hire car off he stopped by Morrisons and Tesco to pick up some provisions, Café Oleanna was open.

Heathers train, only a nine minute journey

After a hail storm went over I walked down to meet Heather from the station, thinking please let the weather be kind to us! We chatted all the way back to Oleanna where Mick had set up outside. Our gang plank and stool table came in very handy when the refreshments came out. Soup, crusty bread, cheese and a selection of meats, the boy did good.

Café Oleanna open for business, just a shame about the bright yellow elsan being so close!

Showers came and went, we persevered through most of them, but one did make us retire into the cratch.

A walk down into the docks was a touch of a disappointment to us all as there was not one ship in. Just as well as the level in the pound had been down by about 18 inches and a day of few ships had helped the pumps at the cofferdam catch up with the demand.

We walked over Ocean Lock, across the next swing bridge which leads to Victoria Lock with a rather nice boat moored above it. Then we wiggled our way down to the river bank to shelter under trees whilst another shower went through.

A lovely afternoon catching up and discussing tidal waters. Heather may join us for the day when we go round Trent Falls. Here’s hoping her trip to the River Hull comes off for her.

This morning whilst in Selby Mick had been up to the lock to see if the Lockie was about, no sign but he did get a phone call later. They discussed possible passages both from Goole to Trent Falls and from Selby. Dates were discussed too, our eyes on a certain early morning high tide, Nigel (the Lockie) agreed that that date would be good.

Chats with David from The Goole Escape group later means that we may join forces with them and a widebeam to head both to Selby and then on to Trent Falls. We are all keeping our fingers crossed for good weather.

Mick called Nigel back and booked us in at Selby, just ABP to book with now. Our escape from Goole will be an hour before high tide here and during daylight hours, so we should be fine to go a couple of days before our planned Trent Falls trip.

Next we got to sorting out second jabs for ourselves. Mick had tried yesterday, first for himself and then for me. I have one booked in Scarborough, but if it could be moved to somewhere nearer to Goole that would make sense. However I wasn’t being offered the same places as Mick.

I had a go with two browsers open at once. So hopefully I could book each appointment within seconds of each other. Up came the same vaccination centre in Hull, but Mick was being offered totally different dates to me, mine being two weeks later. After trying elsewhere we decided to book Micks in Hull and keep mine for Scarborough, both falling a couple of days before our planned departure from Selby.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 Inn cloth progressing, 2 passages through Selby booked, 1 destination undecided as yet, 1 eager Mrs Bleasdale, 0 ships, 1 big lock, 2 downpours, 2nd jabs booked, 1 plan coming together, 0 P, 2 boaters 1 cat with fingers and paws crossed for suitable weather.

From The Ground, Breach 48. 5th 6th May

The walk up to the breach site and cofferdam took us past fields of Alpacas.

At one end of the farm a huge log cabin is being constructed, some of the logs a couple of feet in diameter. Is this going to be a house, alpaca shelter or an activity centre of some sort? Whatever it looks interesting.

Passing the lines of fishermen we could see up to the cofferdam. The pumps working hard to keep the levels up towards the docks.

On the other side of New Bridge we could see more.

A digger was balancing on top of a mound of aggregate picking up twisted and rusted short lengths of piling which once used to hold the water in the canal. A standard pickup was being loaded with it to remove it from site.

Several high-vis people stood on the concrete section above the drain. A digger down in the cofferdam, from here we couldn’t see what it had been doing.

A section of piling has been removed over the drain revealing the concrete behind it. For a while it looked like old piling had been revealed along the north bank, but looking back at Mark’s photos this isn’t the case. The piling on this stretch looks dinted and old.

Has piling been removed from the south bank, there are a couple of lengths which are back to concrete and concrete sandbags making up the bank. Looking back at Mark’s photos from before the cofferdam was fully drained this section has always looked like this, no piling.

On the track leading to the site long lengths of new piling lie waiting to be used and more water pipes are stacked up.

We decided to walk over the bridge to see what we could see from the other side. Here numerous large generators were whirring away. Wonder how often the diesel needs topping up and how much that is costing just to keep the water flowing before you add into it the repair?

Looking back into the cofferdam we could now see where the digger had been working. The bank here has had the piling removed and from behind it earth has either fallen or is being dug out. This is roughly where the big hole has been in view for some time.

Our Final Trip Back, 6th May

Thursday was a very early start. Mick picked up yet another hire car. Companies in Goole hadn’t had any vehicles available so Mick was on a bus to be at the Enterprise Office in Selby for 8am. Back for breakfast, then we crossed back over the Wolds towards Scarborough.

Mick had a dentist appointment this morning. I sat waiting in the car managing to do a row on my crochet blanket. I’ve been managing a colour an evening in front of the TV and at the moment it’s not too big to have on a journey.

Next we headed for the house. It’s strange arriving at your home and ringing the door bell before going in. Bill was at rehearsals but Alex was at home. There were a couple of things we needed from inside, including some post. Our new National Trust cards had arrived a month ago and been put in the filing tray which had gone into the shed.

We stood on opposite sides of the living room, 3m between us and had a quick catch up with Alex, whom I think I last saw about 9 years ago. Rehearsals are going well and apparently our house and kitchen are ideal for the show. The set is two houses side to side, like ours. The kitchen layout very similar, so Alex was busy rehearsing the first scenes where there is a lot of kitchen business, trying to get the moves into muscle memory.

Whilst we were there the postman arrived with a new bank card for me. We found our National Trust cards and picked up the boat plants, Thyme parsley and the ailing Christmas tree, I’m hoping it will perk back up on the boat. A short visit at distance. If the NT cards are all we’d forgotten I’d be amazed.

Next, time to pick up a couple of things from Dunelm, a saute pan with lid required for boat life and a new lasagne dish as the old one split in two the other day. After a spot of lunch we drove up to Scarborough Hospital for my appointment of the day, a routine Mammogram.

As I checked in there were no temperature checks as there had been when I visited York Hospital in December, no questions regarding covid other than if I’d had a vaccine. To which the answer was yes, I gave the lady the date, then I was asked which arm I’d had it in. Interesting, would this have a baring on my photos?

My appointment was very swift and I was out waiting for Mick to pick me up in about fifteen minutes.

One last drive by the sea before we left. Poor Freddie sat on his bench, his body language matched the sleet falling from the big black clouds. On our last Sunday walk in Scarborough I’d intended for us to stop at the Harbour Bar and have some chilled medication, but as things have worked out we didn’t manage a last Sunday walk. We’ll just have to do it when we visit next time, maybe the weather then will have warmed up a touch.

The beach donkeys heading home for the day

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 digger, 8 pumps? 1 fallen bank, 63 alpacas, 1 tree cabin, 1 more hire car, 1 row, 1 dentist, 3 plants, 1 rehearsal kitchen, 3 cards, 1 negative, 4 boob squashed photos, 1 pan, 1 lid, 1 dish, 1 last look at the sea for a while, 4 soggy donkeys, 1 bored cat, 1 knitting stash stashed away again.

Engine Checks. 5th May

Goole to Newbridge Farm to Goole

This morning we went to see Laird, the chap who owns the marina, to hand our notice in. Mick is still working on actual dates for us leaving Goole, but having to give a months notice we really hope we’ll be gone within that time. We chatted things over with him and to see if he could impart any knowledge on Trent Falls, sadly he couldn’t as he’s never had the opportunity to cruise round here.

The sun was out so we made ourselves ready to push off, it would be silly not to make use of a nice day by staying put now that there is a stretch of canal to cruise. With the extra ropes we’ve been using to tie up here due to fluctuating levels and a short pontoon this took a while longer than normal. I gave the bow a big push at the front and we reversed away from our mooring.

We turned right, away from the docks and headed towards the caisson. Three boats sat on the visitor moorings, this has been their home since November, all members of the Goole Escape group. We waved as we cruised past, conversations about dates soon to be had.

Exol Pride and Fusedale H sit tied together, going nowhere soon. Such a sad sight. No point in them heading up the way for jolly like us, they wouldn’t be able to wind for one thing, whereas we can do that almost anywhere along the stretch of canal heading out to the west.

At the old Waterways Museum carvings stand outside, one winking as the other reveals herself! We wonder if the moorings outside will ever be reinstated as it’s a very long length to be left empty.

The two and a half miles or so to Rawcliffe Bridge we only saw a few fishermen, no boats. Oleanna’s engine needed to be checked before she has to cope with tides, so Mick opened up the throttle, kept to the centre. This would be impossible on your average canal but at 3m deep and very wide it’s not too much of a problem going fast. She covered the water, me checking the temperature gauge every now and again, a steady 80C, all well.

A slight vibration noise was coming from below, we’ve heard this before when the weed hatch lid hasn’t been tightened down fully. Please note our weed hatch is completely separate from the engine bay, so therefore there is no chance of water entering the engine bay and causing us to sink. Maybe we need slightly thicker blocks of wood under the locking mechanism than before, or maybe the coats of blacking have affected something.

I’d been excited at the prospect of them pushing the outside away and moving it again. But now I wasn’t so sure! I told them as much at the back door, then I shouted at them! They ignored me and said I’d get used to it again!

We slowed our speed passing the marina at Rawcliffe Bridge. The boats here were stuck between the breach and the stop planks at the caisson for months with fluctuating levels. At least there is now a route out should they choose to take it and a short distance to pootle should they want to.

More fishermen lined the banks. The last little kink in the canal before the M62 bridge and we could make out New Bridge where just beyond the breach site is. I managed to zoom in with my camera. I could see the cofferdam, a chap in high vis and diggers moving about, all quite hazy at nearly two miles away.

We carried on to near the chimney that stands on it’s own on the north bank, winded and then pulled in. Now where were the mooring pins?! We’d need tyre fenders, these weren’t attached to ropes yet! We managed it in the end watched over by the second mate.

As Tilly knew where she was as soon as I opened the cat caravan the other day we had no hesitation in granting her shore leave. In fact a little bit of encouragement was required. A short walk along the towpath with plenty of sniffing and admiring the view, which contained no cats what so ever!

Tilly came and went working her way through quite a lot of ‘Thank you for coming home’ Dreamies. We had an early lunch and when Tilly reappeared she was licking her lips we suspect she’d found a friend to enjoy for lunch too. Her first in over six months.

A walk up to look at the breach was next passing numerous fishermen, apparently since the breach the fishing has been really really good along this stretch, maybe it’s something to do with the water being pumped round the cofferdam and all the extra air in the water.

I’m saving telling you about the breach until tomorrow as today was way too exciting for just one post and tomorrow will be a boring day in comparison.

Tilly had a few more hours coming and going, or snoozing on the bed through the afternoon. I got my work out and Mick worked on our escape plan.

He made phone calls to the Lock Keepers at Selby and Keadby. Selby was just the answerphone, but a chap answered at Keadby. He was a relief keeper so wasn’t willing to offer advice. Over the next few days they were expecting several boats from our direction.

On Friday there is one boat headed out from Selby. They are hoping that when they reach Trent Falls or End, the tide will be such that they will be able to turn up onto the Trent as the tide turns and help push them up to Keadby, no beaching or anchoring for them.

Then on Monday three boats are setting out from Goole an hour before high tide. Originally this was two boats who had hired a pilot to go with them, another boat has decided to tag along. They will make their way to Trent Falls anchor for quite a few hours. Then about 40 minutes after the flow starts they will have enough depth to start to head up the Trent to Keadby. Mick estimates their journey will be around 12 hours and on a spring tide. We’re not too keen on doing the trip on a spring tide and four boats all anchored might be interesting once the tide comes in and starts moving them about.

So it’s still looking like we’ll head to Selby before going down stream. But a chat with Selby is a must.

During the afternoon I got a text from my doctors surgery offering me my second jab at the Rugby Club in Scarborough. I went to the website to see when appointments were available, another two weeks and only on one day. Would that day coincide with the perfect day to go round Trent Falls?!

Mick called his surgery and as yet they don’t know when the next batch of vaccine will arrive with them, but he was told he could go through the NHS website to book elsewhere. A look with various options of location came up with similar dates to Scarborough. Would we be able to make it to some of the venues in time? Should we just head to Hull? Until we know which tide we’ll be taking, we will not book anything. Jabs are important, but so are tides. I however have booked one for Scarborough just in case, I can always cancel it if we can get them elsewhere.

With some work achieved and Tilly home we decided to head back to the marina. Staying out overnight would be lovely, but tomorrow is an early start with a trip to Scarborough, so we have no choice.

The cruise back wasn’t so sunny, dark clouds were looming. It still felt good to be moving on the water again. Tilly considerably quieter inside than on the way out this morning.

Of course as we came through the caisson gates the wind picked up, it started to rain. Mick turned Oleanna back in towards her pontoon and I hopped off the bow at the first chance. An Andy manoeuvre to get the stern in was needed to fight the wind, trying not to grate the paintwork on the bow with the overhanging pontoon was quite hard. The centre line was tied to a cleat to stop Oleanna being blown onto our neighbours. The bow line tightened, centre line loosened, a touch too much. Stern line passed over, pulled in, all as it started to SNOW!!! Well thank you!

0 locks, 8.23 miles, 1st cruise this year, 1 wind, 1 months notice, 1 nervy cat, 1 boat speeding along, 3 moving boats, 27 fishermen, 1 breach visit, 2 sides of the bridge, 1 Inn started again, 2nd jab invite, 2 much happening at the same time, 1chat with a lockie, 1 answer phone, 1 friend, 1 happy cat, 1 snow shower, 4 very very cold hands, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

Downsizing And Filling Up. 4th May

Goole

All that rain yesterday was added to today with some very blustery torrential showers. I’m really hoping that all the dust that had accumulated on the cabin sides has been washed off saving me a job. Lisa popped her head round the side of the hatch, she was heading back to Scarborough, so depending on when we leave we may not see her again until later in the year.

At 10am my phone rang and it was Sainsburys here with our delivery. Mick let the driver in and we off loaded our shopping by the van, the blustering wind keeping us away from the back doors which really wanted to be closed! Quarantine goods were left in the cratch and everything else brought in to be sorted.

Yesterday we’d turned the freezer on so that it could chill down ready for things today. Fish pie mix, peas, sausages, mince and a large chicken which I jointed and bagged up into meal sized portions. There was still plenty of room, most probably only half full, but enough for a couple of weeks meals, just fresh veg required.

The car then was finally emptied, lots of knitting, panto model, shoes and work things. Now Mick could return the hire car to Scarborough. We’d hoped to be able to assist the company in returning it to a different base like Hull or Doncaster, but sadly that wasn’t possible. So Mick set off late morning as I sorted things to make space to do some work.

I’ve commandeered another shelf in a cupboard at the front of the boat for work things and have kept a shelf in my clothes cupboard free for the model. Last panto I made my own model box and it fitted in the cupboard wonderfully. It now has a box for protection which the other day I trimmed down knowing that the height would be a problem.

That way it fitted perfectly. A shame the box was an inch too long meaning the cupboard door wouldn’t close. A line was drawn on the box for trimming later.

In my work room at the house everything has it’s place, a slightly messy place but easy to get at. Here on the boat storage requires things to go into places in a certain order. So I spent the first hour collecting things together I’d be needing for a few hours work. One thing was in the folder in the drawing board slot, stools removed, folder slid out, item found. Everything put back. But where was the carbon paper? Had I put it in with my model making bits? With card and tracing paper? Drawing board slot emptied again, then put back. It was with my sketch books at the front of the boat.

By lunchtime I was ready. But sadly half way through painting the back drop for the pub I made a bum decision on a colour. I’ll leave it overnight to see what I think, but I may have to start the whole thing over.

Mick had a pleasant journey back to Scarborough. He managed to catch a train from Seamer to Hull and made the one minute connection onto a train to Goole. A short distance out from the station he spotted some jolly brickwork on the side of some houses.

The rain came and went all afternoon. Had Mick taken his waterproofs? The mile walk from town to Viking Marina has little if any shelter. He decided to go into town to see if we could upgrade our internet to unlimited with EE.

Currently we have my phone on one account. Then Micks phone, a data sim on the boat and a data sim at the house on another. We have never used all our data, but now with lodgers in the house this will change and you can’t really not offer wifi. Mick managed to miss most of the showers by being in EE for getting on for an hour but he succeeded with the plan. A little paddling was required to get him back to the marina so apart from his feet he was more or less dry.

Tilly spent much of the day keeping a beady eye on the moorhens on our pontoon. They appear to be building a nest, thankfully under the pontoon and not on Oleanna. Here’s hoping this stays like this as we don’t want another reason to be added to the list stopping us from being able to move.

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 car now, 2 big bags still to stow, 1 model box box trimmed to fit, 1 backdrop failed, 2 busy moorhens, 1 level dropping, 2 soggy socks, 0 limit data, 8 weeks paid, 6 more possible.

Apex Before The Rain. 3rd May

Goole

Tea in bed on the boat, Tilly excitedly trampling over me desperate for ear and chin rubs and a view out of the window, which admittedly could be of some wonderful tranquil scene but for now a cruiser out on hard standing will do.

Excuse me where do you think you are going?!

Our first morning for a while where we could do as we wanted rather than be up and doing things. However Mick had come up with a suggestion which was weather dependant and with the weather set to become wet at 11am we needed to not drag our heals. Mushrooms on toast with a cuppa and we were ready.

At Christmas we’d driven to Blacktoft Sands to see what we could see of Trent Falls from the south shore of the Ouse, but the footpath on the floodbank was private and we’d not fancied a walk along just looking at a green bank so we gave up. Today we chose to try the north bank where the road is closer to the river.

So we drove through Howden then turned off towards Gilberdyke, a good comedy place name used by a certain Yorkshire playwright frequently. Then headed for Yokefleet, Blacktoft and Faxfleet all of which sit alongside the River Ouse.

That way lies Keadby, Torksey, Newark and Nottingham

There was a handy parking area just as the road turned away from the river so we made use of it and walked up onto the floodbank. A wide area of reeds kept us from the rivers edge and at first we actually couldn’t see the water. The hills to the east marked out the route of the Trent, hills to the north east showed where the Humber headed off out to sea.

As we walked towards Blacktoft we could start to see the water and the Apex Light. The light marks the junction of the River Ouse and River Trent. At high tide it is important to stay to the east side of the light as there is a training wall which gets submerged. Today the tide was on its way in and we could just make it out above the water, no cutting that corner!

In the distance I could make out a cruiser heading up stream from the Humber. Then a second one. We paused and managed to take photos as they passed the apex. Were these two boats part of the Goole Escape group who’d made a trip to Hull for the weekend? It turned out they were. They had been booked to go up Ocean Lock at 11:30 as the dock master wanted to use the return water of a vessel penning out from Goole.

Above the hills marking the Trent we could just make out one of the towers of the Humber Bridge.

The wind was bracing to say the least and dark clouds were starting to gather. We headed back to the car and pulled in at Blacktoft to have a look at the wharf there. Someone on Canal World Forum had suggested that this might be a good place to tie up to whilst waiting for the tide to turn. The tide was now coming in at a rate of knots.

The wharf is obviously suitable for ships to tie up to, but we suspected we’d end up tying to the wooden supports and being constantly aware of places we might hang up on or under as the tide came and went. Apparently there is a charge to moor here, but you’d be unlucky to be seen. With the wind over tide the water did not look inviting today, but then a storm was brewing!

We headed into the Old School which had a big sign inviting you in to buy books or use the toilets which was very welcome. Bunting hung from the ceiling, group photos of 1960’s ladies all clutching their handbags and old photos of the river when it was full of ice. Brrrrr!

By now the rain was starting so we headed back to Oleanna and Tilly. More stowing of things. I managed to move the freezer drawer so that we’d be able to use it again. It seems to get stuck when turned off and has stopped coming out as far as it did originally, so currently we’d have to dismantle that end of the dinette to get the freezer out! Sorting this out and adding magnets to the galley drawers were on the jobs list for this winter. They may get sorted before we leave, but then they may have to wait for next winter.

Mick lit the stove, Tilly was even happier. They still won’t let me out though!

We hunkered down for the rest of the day avoiding the need to be out in the rain. Time to do a big shop. Over the last six months we’ve timed a Sainsburys delivery the day after receiving our veg box from Tree Top Press. Seeing what was in the box each week I’d work out a menu and order things accordingly, but today I had to do it all from scratch!

I can’t remember what lives down there, but my head still fits through the hole

This evening as the rain has continued and the wind has buffeted us about, we have stayed cosy inside and enjoyed a joint of roast pork with all the veg from our last box. There are still things in the car but they can wait for tomorrow when hopefully it will be drier.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 lamp, 2 escapees, 1 muareen, 1 wee break, 1 wet and horrible day, 1 resigned cat, 1st solo supermarket order, 1 joint, 2 full boaters not going anywhere yet!

Lodgers and Breach 47. 2nd May

Goole/Scarborough/Goole

We could have done without an alarm going off most of last night, it was coming from somewhere beyond the roundabout above the marina. Shortly before going to bed Mick dialled 101 to report it. Because he was stood outside the call handler could hear the alarm and put him through to the right police department. From there he was in a queue and given the option of them calling him back, which they did but Mick’s phone was on silent! The alarm continued through most of the night, we’d wake and think it had stopped only just for it to creep back into our consciousness.

A bit more unpacking and stowing of things as Mick cooked us breakfast. Then footsteps could be heard on our pontoon, it was Lisa come to say hello. We had a good catch up and Tilly might just appear in a vlog that Lisa is preparing, all to do with yarn, woolly things, as well as a bit of boat life. Ivy and Lily Yarns

Time to leave Tilly in charge and head back to Scarborough. Luckily I remembered that we were going to swap the house electric kettle with that on the boat before we go to the end of Albert Street, saving us some money. Back over the Wolds to load another car full of stuff for the boat, dry off the washing that had had an extra rinse on the line, finish cleaning the house and take some photos.

The whole week has felt a bit like a theatre production week, a lot of steps up and down stairs all with a time to work to. Lights up on Act 1 was to be shortly after 4pm when our friend Bill arrived.

Sick of bad tenants over the last few years, we are most certainly not going down that route again! But with the theatre industry starting to come to life again and the grape vine with old Stephen Joseph Theatre friends still active we’d heard that Bill would be in Scarborough this summer. As soon as this was confirmed I sent him a message asking him if he’d like to move into our house.

We ran out of time to hang more pictures, but it looks homely

It turns out theatre digs are currently extreamly hard to come by in Scarborough. Either owners have now got long term tenants or the rents have gone up so much due to the prospect of staycations that we may as well be in London with the prices people are wanting to charge.

Bill will be joined by Alex tomorrow another actor whom I’ve also known for over twenty years, both are firm favourites and we are very pleased that they will be looking after the house for us.

Kitchen all tidy, I aspire to this, but we never manage to keep it so clear

After imparting knowledge to Bill keeping our distance at all times we waved him goodbye, knocked on a neighbours door to leave our empty milk bottles on their doorstep and headed back to Goole.

When we left the house seven years ago it had a very different feeling. We’d just signed up with a letting agent (Hi Val!) and spent an exhausting two weeks sorting the house out. We had no idea who would be living in our house or for how long. The plan then was to cruise for a year, but we all know what happened there. This time we know who is in the house, it is still very much our home and the big tidy up we’ve just done is beneficial to us as well as our lodgers. Although the shed is now packed full of stuff!

Tilly had held the fort well, I suspect a moorhen had kept her amused for much of the day, Much better than pesky cats everywhere! We off loaded some items into Oleanna but stopped quite soon as we’d be playing the narrowboat game of moving ten things to put one away. The back steps need to come out, the dinette needs opening up and after all we were hungry.

We finished our emergency tuna pasta just in time to sit down and watch the final episode of Line Of Duty. Well …….!

Mark has been down at the breach site again today and kindly has let me use his photos.

The access road down into the cofferdam looks like it is being used as more than just access, as it now stretches almost the full length of the north bank.

It looks like vehicles have been down in the silt at the bottom of the cofferdam, lots of tracks to be seen.

A set of steps has been added to gain access onto the silt bank at the western end, it also looks like access from the southern bank is no longer possible.

A section of piling has been removed over the culvert and drain below. It looks like the yellow posts from last week were markers for this.

Also an area on the eastern end of the concrete has either been excavated or has caved in. Along with some of the big boulders having been removed on the drain side.

According to Beaver Sailing Club, at Southfield Reservoir (west of the breach)

Following a recent update from CRT there is some good news, in that the level should improve early June. The terminology used is that the “normal” level is zero, with the current level being -400mm and the target for the end of May is -200mm. If this happens then some sailing activity can resume.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 more car load, 2 lodgers, 2 lovely actors, 1 immaculate house, 1 not so garden, 2 soon for the full bluebell border, 1 big hole, 1 gap, 1 coot just asking for it, 3 boaters now back on board, 1 finale let down.

Back Where She Belongs. 1st May

Scarborough/Goole

The last few days we’ve been very busy in the house. Our last veg box arrived with asparagus the first of the year and some orange and almond cake, the last from Tree Top Press for a while

Once the carpets were dry, furniture could go back, some of it moving to different rooms. The biggest item being the sofa I’ve had for about 20 years which moved from one side of the house to the other.

Thursday morning the replacement arrived. A three seater sofa bed from Sofabed Barn. In the past they have provided us with sofa beds for both Lillian and Oleanna and we’d been looking for one for the house. Yes a big squishy one from Loaf had been appealing, but at about twice the price well out of our league.

With instructions and 12 bolts we set to, under the super visionary eye of Tilly. Much easier than an Ikea flatpack build we were soon done. The choice to have feet had been a wrong one, so we removed those and a slight adjustment the following day means we now have a comfy, easier to get up from sofa, the sofabed may come in useful in years to come.

I needed to get the front cloth finished for my panto model. I’d hoped to have the design completed by the end of April, but with Oleanna being out of water for a week and being busy around the house I hadn’t done anything on it for at least two weeks. Add to that new inspiration for the galleon as I’d changed a calendar, that scene now needs repainting.

Version three of the cloth came up trumps which meant I could take some photos and send them to the costume designer so that our designs will work together. As I took the photos I checked I had all the model bits, carefully packing them away in a shoe box. A few days ago I’d trimmed down the travel box for the model, getting rid of any excess height. Next my two boxes of model making bits and paints were repacked. All drawings and tracing paper along with supplies of card added to a folder and another sheet of cartridge paper was stretched onto wood. The theatre designer who’s been living in the attic for the last six months was all packed up again, ready to move.

The back room downstairs was starting to be filled up with packed items. In the bedroom I had three bags on the go. Winter, everyday and storage, our wardrobe would need to be emptied. A whole suitcase was filled with excess socks, 4 weeks worth having gone into the normal bag.

Boxes of irreplaceable things were packed up and either returned to upstairs upstairs or put in the shed (a back bedroom), but unlike seven years ago not everything needed to be cleared out making it a much easier job.

Tilly obviously knew something was going on, so took up residency in her escape pod. Well that was until I turned it into a suitcase for her toys! Which she immediately unpacked.

Gradually as the week has progressed so has the house tidying, sorting and cleaning. So today became moving day. No time for the weekly Geraghty Zoom we were too busy loading a hire car, cleaning the kitchen, making beds, cleaning showers. I think the house hasn’t been this clean since we left it to move onto Lillian seven years ago. But was there going to be room for Tilly?

With the wheelie bins filled to the top, the car full apart from one gap, it was time to encourage Tilly into the caravan! Now if we’d been moving the boat today we’d not have let her out, but here its’ a different story. I knew if she was nowhere to be seen all I’d have to do was meow and she’d come running.

The last fishing rod swinging on a king sized bed

What! Again!!! That’s the third time I’ve been in the caravan in a week! This really isn’t on!

We now hoped that the powder we’d been adding to Tilly’s food for the last week would kick in and that she’d have a stress free trip in the car. Well her SHOUTING wasn’t quite as loud. The traffic leaving Scarborough was typical Bank Holiday traffic, stop start stop start! By the time we got just a few miles out of town we realised that Tilly may be quieter but there was an aroma coming from the back seats.

We pulled in at the top of Staxton Hill, Tilly was moved to the driving seat in her caravan and Mick managed to find a box of tissues. All in all I managed to tidy the situation up and not loose a cat. Poor thing I so hoped the move was going to be worth it for her. Shouting from the back of the car came and went all the way to Viking Marina in Goole.

First out of the car, Tilly was the first into Oleanna. I closed us into the bathroom, not sure what state she was in. From past experience I positioned the caravan in front of the gap under the door into the main cabin. She wasn’t too messy and very soon I felt able to open up the door.

People have been asking if I thought she’d remember the boat after six long months in the house. Well as the door opened up, there was no need to find a hiding hole. A couple of sniffs in the air and she jumped straight up to one of her favourite sitting positions.

It smelt a touch different, but She said that’s because the floor has had an oiling. My Houdini shelf looked all spic and span too, a little bit slippy if I’m honest.

After her stressful journey, seeing how she reacted to being back on the boat actually brought a tear to my eye. Unpacking food back into the drawers Tilly sat on top of the drawing board cupboard to watch, the nearest to this in the house was on the end of the dining table in the next room.

When I returned with the next boxes I wondered where she’d got to, until her head popped round the door frame, she was sitting on the shelf she’d commandeered when we first moved onto Oleanna. Next thing a change of collar. From blue to red, Tilly changed from being a house cat to a boat cat.

Another trip to do back to Scarborough tomorrow and then we will all be back in our happy place.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 hire car, 1 production week of sorting the house out, 1 model packed, 3 beds made up, 1 shed full of stuff, 1 kitchen floor still to wash, 2 smelly incidents, 1 travel sick cat, 2 boaters back on board, 2 collars, 1 boat cat back where she belongs.

Some Normality Amongst The Chaos. 27th April

Scarborough

Tilly seemed to have a good night, her world calming down, just a shame that calm world was disturbed today.

After reclaiming the house over the last six months, (still plenty to do) we decided to have the carpets cleaned. Unknown stains on most carpets left for us by tenants and the aroma from spliffs, the smell now mostly dissipated. The new to us lounge and dining room carpets were looking decidedly manky, if we had the money we’d have been replacing them altogether, but we haven’t so a good clean would have to do instead.

So this morning everything bar the sofa and dining room table were moved from the downstairs rooms into the kitchen, access to sink and fridge kept clear. The upstairs items were either moved to different rooms or placed in bath tubs. Mick set about hoovering everywhere to be cleaned as I scrubbed a vinyl bathroom floor.

Empty apart from the tins of paint stopping a certain cat from climbing the chimney!

By the time we’d finished it looked like we’d never returned to the house. Tilly spent most of the morning in my work room, special dispensation given for un-supervised snoozing close to my Panto model whilst all the hoovering was happening.

The carpet cleaner arrived, neighbours had parked their cars outside our house helping to reserve the nearest spot. The chap laid out his hoses, told us his plan, started up his machine inside his van then had a cuppa chatting away to Mick. He did a good job, managing to shift all but the most stubborn of stains, magenta pink in the bathroom, but he did like to talk all the time with the noise from his machine polluting the street. Our poor neighbours! Poor Tilly still recovering from yesterday.

Several noisy hours later he turned his machine off and coiled up his hoses and peace and quiet returned to our part of Scarborough. He did mention that he gets complaints, I’m not surprised!

No furniture should be returned to the rooms for the next 24hrs. So we reorganised things in the kitchen and piled the dining room table high. This gave Tilly a good vantage point to look out for Bogey Face Alan.

Have to say it is so nice having clean carpets, only a few days to enjoy them though.

Tilly test drove her manicured claws. Having them trimmed by the vet yesterday means it’s a little bit troublesome to cling on as I climb. She says they will grown back, I HOPE so! But it is also nice not to get caught in the carpets all the time.

The Goole Escape facebook page had been getting a touch excited yesterday when crane mats had been seen arriving. Then this afternoon the crane arrived to go with them. Boaters started to prepare themselves as they may be able to move somewhere different.

The comments went quiet after half an hour of giddiness. Then around 4pm a C&RT notice came in.

Goole Caisson stop planks have been removed and the Caisson is now open. Navigation is now possible from Rawcliffe to Goole Caisson and onto Goole Docks. Navigation remains closed between Rawcliffe Bridge to Pollington.

By the end of the day at least one boat from Goole had been through the caisson and cruised past Rawcliffe, free again, well free to cruise for four miles. I suspect there will be lots of little jaunts up the way, we’ll be joining them to give Oleanna’s engine a good run before we head off up or downstream.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 caisson open! 6 rooms, 2 landings, 2 staircases clean, ahhh, 1 mountain of chairs, 1 more normal cat, thank goodness.

Even Alison Wasn’t That Noisy! 25th April

Goole

Yesterday wasn’t quite a day off. It was time to put a coat of paint on the bathroom walls. As I opened the tin of paint I’d bought about a month ago I realised I’d bought a tin of butterscotch angle delight!

Mick drove to Hessle to meet a man about a chair, then went to say hello to his mum at Hessle Foreshore, a rather lovely place to rest close to the Humber Bridge. It did also mean he got to see the next couple of ships heading for Goole and Howden Dyke too.

The second coat was done this morning, the edges cut in whilst Mick cooked breakfast and then the roller came out to fill in between. The floor just needs a good clean now and that room will do.

We collected together the visitor bedding for the boat, all of which has had a good wash this week. The dinette cushion covers had come up clean, but sadly a seagull had decided to leave it’s mark on one of them! Tilly was left in charge again as we drove over the Wolds back to Oleanna.

The next boat ready to come out tomorrow

The sun had gone in and there was a keen chilly wind, a shame the first job was to do a second coat on the tunnel bands. I’d bought myself a couple of brushes this week, one for cream one for red, to add to the collection, one for each paint or varnish.

Sadly even though I thought I’d cleaned them out well the new brushes were not nice and soft. By the time I got towards the end of each tunnel band they were just starting to soften up again. Not my best purchase, so instead of cleaning them out they headed straight for the bin. I’ll hunt out some better brushes with thinner bristles next time.

Inside Mick was starting to battle with putting the dinette covers back on. The fabric was dry clean only, but we’d risked a gentle wash in the machine. They were certainly a tight fit. Unfortunately once the cushion was back in the first cover the zip broke, this happened on another one, so with the zipper that had come off when we removed them the other day there were now three cushions to sew back into their covers.

The fabric had grown over the last four years and by the end of the evening thankfully they were settling down again.

Mick put the bow fenders back on. Having the chance to stand and fit them in front of the boat meant it was easier to attach them, altering how the lower fender sits to give better protection to the lower bow when we go up in locks. There had been a bare bit of steel on the stem which is why we bought the extra fender. Hopefully the bare patch won’t return.

Duvets and pillows were returned to under the sofa in their vacuum bags. Air sucked out as they went in to aid them fitting into the space.

Then all the paints, sandpaper everything was sorted through. Excess white spirit and the sander boxed up to head back to the house. The bow locker where paint is kept had a sort out, job done.

All afternoon cars had been turning up and people were enjoying a drink or several at the Boathouse club. As the afternoon progressed so did the merriment and the noise. Looking over at the marquee alongside the bar it looked chocka, where had peoples social distancing gone? We were very glad we’d taken a bottle of wine with us and could stay well out of the way.

Sunset over the Dutch River and turbines

They got louder and louder, one lady in particular could be heard above everyone else. We’ve once been into the club for a drink with the Margees several years ago, the beer was nice and it was a pleasant quiet atmosphere. Today was completely the opposite. There are a few minutes of Line of Duty we’ll have to watch again as we couldn’t hear them it was that loud. I personally don’t understand why they all hadn’t gone home to watch the TV!

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 bathroom painted, 5 cushions squeezed in, 3 seams sewn, 2nd coat, 1 full sofa, 1 list of missing items, 1 tidy paint locker, 2 chillis, 1 bottle wine, 1 extreamly noisy pub, 2 quiet boaters, 2 shots, 1 body, 1 high tide, 1 scrapyard fire finally out.

Glorious Start To A Long Day. 22nd April

Scarborough/Goole

Our alarm had been set this morning, ever so early, it was still dark when it went off. No time for a cuppa in bed, no time for a cuppa or breakfast. We climbed into our clothes said goodbye to a puzzled Tilly and climbed into the car. Where were we going at such an early hour? The seafront.

With sunrise at 5:43 am we wanted to be there in good time aiming for 5:30 We parked on West Pier, parking free at that time and walked to our destination which was in front of the Grand Hotel on the beach.

Here there was activity, Dawn and Lee from Animated Objects were busy drawing in the sand, waves and boats. Standing close by their ‘Lighting up the Coast’ sculpture, all part of The Odyssey.

They have been touring the sculpture, an upturned boat, along the Yorkshire coast for a week at dawn and dusk as a taster of what is to come, today was their last day. The next chapter is coming in May.

A small group had gathered and it was a lovely chance to say hello to some old friends as the light changed around us. Scarborough Lighthouse with the aid of the rising sun upstaged everything. Sometimes it is so worthwhile getting up really early and this was most definitely one of those times.

Back to the house for breakfast, then back over the Wolds to Goole.

Gary and Glynn were busy with the very smelly top coat of the 2-pack blacking. Pear drops! Blimey!! We opened up the boat, but kept all the windows closed.

My aim today was to get the primer on the gunnels sanded back and maybe even get a coat of paint on them. The top coat of blacking is shinier than the previous coats and once cured very hard, Glynn said it would take about four hours to go off. Not wanting to end up with dusty blacking I decided to hold off with the sanding.

The bedroom oak floor got it’s first coat of oil. The wood was so thirsty I knew I’d be wanting to give it a second coat. Lunch was had before I got on with cleaning the main cabin floor. With the back steps removed I washed the floor using sugar soap to help remove any greasy bits. It’s surprising how much it has changed colour in four years, where Tilly’s food mat and scratch post normally live there are patches of the original paler colour.

A bit of sanding was needed to remove a few marks, maybe next time I do this I’ll use a sander and give the whole floor a sand back. The engineered flooring we have has something like 9mm of oak, so there is plenty to play with.

By now a good few hours had passed for the 2-pack top coat to have fully gone off so it was time to start sanding the primer. This proved a bit harder than I thought, some grittier paper was needed which sadly didn’t fit the sander. But I’d found that I was either being too heavy handed with the sander and taking too much off or the paper was tearing. So I ended up resorting to hand sanding. This all took sometime, far more than I’d thought it would. End result, well I think if we had more time I’d have applied another coat of primer to get the level higher where I’d taken it back to the steel. So the gunnels won’t look brand new, they wouldn’t after a couple of weeks cruising anyway!

Meanwhile Mick spent some time in the engine bay. He drained down the cooling system to check for any crud, luckily the coolant was clean. There was a request for the endoscope so that Mick could see right down inside to where the crud had collected on the Thames. All clear! Brilliant.

Just a shame a bucket of coolant got knocked over in the engine bay. Our wet/dry hoover was stuck inside, but Glynn leant us the boatyards so all could be cleared up. The system was filled back up using up any spare coolant we had. Tomorrow Mick will run the engine to check for air locks.

The tunnel bands got some undercoat. No need to cut in on the cream band as the black will be having a couple of coats, but the red band I did as best I could with a brush a touch too big for the job.

Then the first coat of oil on the main cabin floor. My dungarees were so dusty I changed into my jeans and knelt on a blanket whilst I applied the oil. I worked from stern to bow, taking a little breather in the bathroom then gave the bedroom it’s second coat. Luckily everything we wanted to take home had already been moved outside.

Activity by the big boats, trying to raise a sunken boat

The last bit of floor was the hardest as I reduced it to a one foot sized bit, then had to lean over from the front steps, supporting myself on the bed to get that piece. It was quite hard to stand up again. The front door could be locked and all left to go off overnight with no feet or paws to spoil it.

0 locks, 0 miles, 5am alarm, 1 stunning sunrise, 1 confused cat, 120 better than 240, 1st coat of oil, 2 hours sanding, 0.5 bucket of coolant, 1 pink damp engine bay, 1 hoover blowing, 4 trips back and forth, 2 undercoats, 1 fire still going, 1 crane, 1 boat raised from the depths, 1 long day.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna

Category Archives: Boat cats

Just A Few Minutes Away. 7th May

From The Ground, Breach 48. 5th 6th May

Engine Checks. 5th May

Downsizing And Filling Up. 4th May

Apex Before The Rain. 3rd May

Lodgers and Breach 47. 2nd May

Back Where She Belongs. 1st May

Some Normality Amongst The Chaos. 27th April

Even Alison Wasn’t That Noisy! 25th April

Glorious Start To A Long Day. 22nd April