Category Archives: Boat Electrics

Limping Along. 8th August

Broughton Road Bridge to Rugby Wharf to Bridge 67 that was

Before we set off Mick wanted to fit the switch he’d bought in Scarborough to the Nebolink. Because our slow speed isn’t enough to alert the nebolink that we are moving for it to automatically record our journey we needed to make use of the white wire. Mick’s solution was to add a switch that we could turn on when we are about to push off and switch off when we stop for the day. Last night Dave (Scouts) had suggested we use a voltage sensitive relay. This would notice when the battery voltage goes up as the alternator starts to charge the batteries, this would alert the nebolink and therefore record our journey automatically. There then followed a Telephone Engineers discussion on multimeters. Here Dave is a photo of Mick’s multimeter that he has on board Oleanna.

Mick flicked the switch and within a couple of minutes I received an email from Nebo saying that Oleanna was on the move! Hooray that bit worked. Time to get moving.

We pootled up to the Tesco moorings, blimey it was busy up there. NB Momentous had passed us this morning when the sun was trying to make an appearance, we now passed them, a quick hello and, ‘We’ll be back’ was exchanged before we pulled in right at the end of the moorings. A stock up at Tescos required.

As we walked back up the hill with our full bags it started to drizzle. Boring! We decided to have lunch and hope that things would improve before we set off again. SOoo many boats came past squeezing their way between boats moored on the towpath and off side. People keep saying where has everyone gone, the canals are so quiet this year. Well that’s because everyone is here in Rugby!

Eventually we pushed out and made our way along the embankment to the arm towards Rugby Wharf. Mick didn’t spot the winding hole just beyond the arm with it’s spanning bridge and turned Oleanna’s bow in to turn. He’d expected the stern to be able to swing round with the amount of water behind us, but no, we ended up bow in the greenery under the bridge and stern stuck several feet away from the offside diagonally across the cut with a boat approaching.

The boat hook was required to push the stern off, then Mick tried again and this time succeeded in getting our bow down into the arm. Once we’d tucked ourselves out of the way we waved the oncoming boat to come past.

Now we were on our way, facing the correct direction. Luckily there wasn’t too much traffic so we could slow down and say a proper hello to Jenny and Pete, we’ve been boats that pass in the day this week, waving, but now we’ve finally met. Good to have a chat, see you somewhere sometime.

**Passing or being passed by Momentous for the third time today**

Drizzly. Our plan had been to get quite a few miles ticked off back towards Braunston, but cruising whilst getting wet was wearing thin. We passed our station mooring, got close to the golf course and decided to stop for the day.

As I dropped down the cratch covers I also switched the switch on the Nebolink to off. We’d been able to see that we were moving on our phones but would it now send us a report. It took a few minutes and then the report arrived. Brilliant the £2 switch had done the trick, our route shown on the map had a couple of small lengths that weren’t shown of our journey, but so far all good.

**It seems to work, just needs a bot of double sided tape to tidy it up a bit**

Tilly was let out and had an explore returning after a while and sat on the Houdini shelf in the window. Mick pointed out to me that she was holding her right paw up, he also mentioned that he thought she’d been limping as she got off the boat. I was allowed to gently stroke her paw and leg. Tilly’s weepy eye all teary for maximum sympathy was noted. Nothing was obvious and she didn’t wince.

I stopped what I was doing and sat on the sofa to encourage her to rest her limping leg. This worked for a while, Tilly sat on my knee, knee rest. Then she decided that she’d rather be out and Mick opened the back door. Was this a good idea, certainly to stop her shouting at a closed door it was! She hadn’t ventured far when it was time for Dingding, but she did need some encouragement to come in.

For medicinal purposes I requested that the firebox be lit. It would help heal my poorly arm. Tom obliged and then She came and joined me finishing off her first sock for her. I didn’t help as my arm was too sore. Have I mentioned that I’ve got a poorly arm?

0 locks, 2.4 miles, 1 wind, 3 times past, 1st hello, 1 poorly leg, 1 fridge restocked, 1 damp day, 1 poorly arm, 1 limping cat, 1 puppetgate, 0 trees climbed, 0 holes dug, 1 limp leg, 1 teary eye, 1 stove lit, 1 limp improving!

https://goo.gl/maps/WQR8HA5tFtTTm9PD7

Pantone Tastic. 7th August

Broughton Road Bridge

Those mushrooms in the fridge needed eating up, so I had to make some mushrooms on toast ala Pip this morning, sorry Mick!

Emails back and forth to the printers. Update from me to Production Manager and Director. A new coach drawing done. Sideways trees checked over a few more times.

Mick still in Scarborough was being kept busy too. A chap had come to measure up for wooden double glazed windows to replace the single glazing. Numerous questions were phoned through to me. If we had one type of stop on the highest window in the house we’d loose the squiggly bit, we like our squiggly bits so a key option was okayed. A cottage style was rejected, but brass furniture approved, all whilst I was drawing up the coach.

On his way to the station Mick popped into Clockhandyman and purchased a switch to add to our Nebolink set up. Then he caught three trains back to Rugby.

A Google for copy shops came up with The Printing Works, time to get my updated plans scanned and copied. The usual walk across the park towards the station was closed due to an emergency closure on the bridge across the Avon, just a short detour required to get back on track. The very helpful chap took his time, concerned about the grey background on the scans. I checked them over, not a problem you could see all the information required, they wouldn’t be for display.

As he scanned and printed we chatted about what I did, he got a sneaky peek at a photo of my model. He very kindly let me borrow a Pantone swatch book so that I could identify the shades of blue I’d used on my portals. This is so the printers can add in a coloured border that will wrap around our scenery instead of it being white. I promised to email a photo when the show was up and running so he could see how it all came out.

New sets of plans were popped in the post as I walked back to the boat. Then it was time to make the new bits for the model. A simpler coach, two bits of handrail and a dustbin. MIck was back shortly before I’d finished. Over the next few days I’ll have to dig my paint box back out from under the dinette to paint them, but hopefully the majority of everything is now done. Time to get back to boating life.

0 locks, 0 miles, 3 trains, 4 window phone calls, maybe it should have been me that went to Scarborough, 15 scans, 12 copies, 2 envelopes posted, 2 hand rails, 1 dustbin, 1 coach, 2 plates of pork fried rice, 1 switch.

Hire Boat Rush Hour. 4th August

Bridge 100 to Broughton Road Bridge

More and more boats came past including the little green tug we’d encountered yesterday, maybe they’d been for water at Braunston last night. Eventually we found a gap in the traffic and pulled out continuing our journey towards Braunston.

**Not a bad view from bed this morning**

Below I busied myself cleaning Tilly’s pooh box and trying to encourage her back into the bedroom. If I was stood in the well deck she’d brave crossing the bedroom to peek out of the front window, but otherwise the bedroom was still a place to be very very wary of. There’s a monster in there I tell you!!!

The bangers spire came into view followed by Braunston Turn. Over the junction we could make out that there was a boat moored at Midland Chandlers, but when the water point came into view and that was free we made ready to moor up. Whilst I dealt with the water and rubbish Mick headed into the chandlers to see what they had in the way of switches. Sadly nothing that we could use. The Nebolink can wait a few more days until we find a switch more suitable.

Onwards now north. I brought the new panto script out the back and as we pootled along the North Oxford Canal I read it through. A pencil should I need to make notes for set things and a blue highlighter pen to underline props as I went. Only one set thing I noted, I need to rehang a door to open the other way. Lots of blue for props and quite a few new chuckles.

This pound is always busy. Today boats seemed to come in threes towards us, just where were they all coming from? We’re normally on a canal or river away from the crowds at this time of year, so it maybe feels that bit more busy to us. We pootled onwards past the nice moorings north of Braunston, these all seemed to be busy.

Barby Straight we only encountered a couple of boats, but the last one must have been really deep draughted as we ended up being on the bottom at quite a tilt. Inside I could hear drawers opening, items falling, Tilly balls all rolling to the port side. The MONSTER’s back!!!! Just when I thought she was getting over the printer!

Lots of work seems to have taken place near Hillmorton. New sheds with boats under cover being worked on. A little boat was out on the hard with the chalk marks of hull thickness, hopefully the results good for a prospective new owner.

We pulled into a space above the locks for lunch. During the morning reading the script I’d grown to like panto again, during lunch the emails started again and my top lip started to curl up. A quick response to one of them, the others could wait till we’d moored up for the day.

Time to drop down the three Hillmorton Locks. Time to find a gap in the passing boats! Maybe we shouldn’t have stopped for lunch, all of a sudden we were surrounded with boats wanting to descend the majority hire boats heading back to base. We trod water alongside a moored boat, the boat ahead got caught out by the flow coming from the weir. He decided to stay put on the off side and let us have the next available chamber on the towpath side.

So many crew at each lock. Some knew what they were doing, others didn’t and I winced at some of the practices. One boat insisted on lifting paddles halfway to empty the lock and then they were going to close the gates despite a boat heading uphill towards them.

Now we were meeting the next set of hirers coming out from the Rugby bases. It was noisy and chaotic to say the least. One boat had young crew sat in the well deck urging Grandad to open the gate ‘It must be ready now!’ as Dad chatted to me at the stern, narrowboating a favorite pass time for his family, costs him a fortune, grandad’s first time, want a boat of their own but wouldn’t know what to do if it broke down, couldn’t afford it anyway. I suggested they should look into a share boat, it works out cheaper than hiring every holiday. Eventually he moved the morse control and headed off to the next lock, his daughter having almost exploded in the welldeck at her Dad not getting a move on!

The last lock down to the Rugby pound seemed quieter, a volunteer helped with the bottom gates and as we left she indicated to the following boat which of the paired locks they should aim for. All could be peaceful again. Time for the final scene of panto.

There was space on the armco closest to Rugby Station. We pulled in, then quite quickly moved along a boats length as we’d disturbed a wasps nest. Tilly was given two hours shore leave, preferring to use the stern and hatch avoiding the bow and the bedroom!

Panto emails kept me busy for much of the remainder of the day. A new print company wanting to charge £200 for a sample?! I’m sure their printing is very good, but we’re possibly looking at two companies doing different elements that all have to look the same, I want reassurance that I won’t end up with a right mishmash of colours. The carpenters were updated with my thoughts, new drawings needed.

A joint of pork came out of the fridge and an hour later went in the oven. A Friday night roast would help warm the boat up for the evening. As I started to collate a props list together Mick prepared the vegetables. A very tasty meal indeed and Act 1 props all listed. I even ended up with Tilly sat on my knee the bedroom starting to loose it’s scareyness.

3 locks, 10.3 miles, 0 journey on Nebolink, 1 left, 0 switch, 1 monster in THAT bag! 4 balls, 1 temperature gauge, 1 miss timed lunch break, 1 clean pooh box, 6 hire boats all at once, 1 spliff and a can of larger, 2 hours, 1 wasps nest, 5m not 3m, 1 long list of things to do, Act1 props done, 1 heel turned.

https://goo.gl/maps/bCigvZeCpD4YvCay5

Pruning Panto. 3rd August

Priors Hardwick Bridge 123 to Bridge 100 gap in the hedge

A zoom to try to sort out the budget for panto was on the schedule this morning along with a phone appointment for Mick with his doctor back in Scarborough. Some aspects of doctors appointments work better for boaters than they used to, the only thing is the first Mick heard of his face to face appointment was a reminder text yesterday, thankfully it was easy enough to change it to a phone call.

Only one thing for it with the panto set, the pruning shears had to come out. I’d made a list yesterday of items that could be pruned that wouldn’t affect things horribly, 3 sections of rostra instead of 5, 1 facia instead of 2, fabric instead of twinwall. John had also had chance to think about things and added to the list. Not sure if we’ve lost enough. I’ve some more work to do now, but that would have to wait until later.

Time to see if the new Nebolink would start as we moved off. Mick has done some more research into them. They are made up from tracking devices designed for cars, so we weren’t sure if our slow pace as we moved off from our mooring would automatically kick the Nebolink into action. For the last few months we’ve had two accounts tracking Oleanna, one of those accounts is now linked to the Nebolink, the other dormant, Mick has set up another account on the free starter service so that we can track our journeys whilst we iron out any problems we may have with the nebolink.

As we were about to untie a boat came past, at the bridge in front of us another boat. Some do-si-doing was required before the two boats sorted themselves out, only to find there was another boat following. In the end things sorted themselves out and we managed to find a gap in traffic to pull out.

There was the expected queue at the top of Marston Doles, not as long as it could have been, there was still enough room for us to pull in. One hire boat waiting to go down, another on the water point. Another boat waited to come up. The crews chatted away, the next uphill boat originated from north of York. Mick had managed to leap frog the boat at the water point so it was soon our turn.

The first few locks we met boats coming towards us, but when we reached the main Napton flight there were few uphill boats meaning more walking round locks to open and shut gates, everyone else apart from us and a boat behind must have stopped for lunch.

From a few locks from the bottom I could see that there were volunteers on duty at the bottom. Why do the volunteers here never venture past the bottom lock? Why were there three of them? We chatted as Oleanna came into the lock and then the paddles were lifted and we were on our way again.

The water point was busy, so were the moorings, we’d have lunch on the go and head for a mooring by Bridge 100 where we’ve had a Christmas or two.

How many boats coming towards us!?! Hopefully they’d not all be wanting to moor below the flight. A boat came out from the GU at Napton Junction, then more and more boats came towards us.

**This was before the high speed overtaking**

We were gradually catching up a little tug. They pulled over to the towpath and waved us past. Naturally we thought they had found a straight for us to overtake at, so we didn’t check our maps, we couldn’t see round a tree and bend. Oleanna sped up to pass as quickly as possible. As we rounded the bend past the tug we quickly realised we were now facing another bend and just as that dawned a boat came round it. More umph needed to avoid collision, thankfully the lady at the helm of the Kate Hire boat kept her cool and both boats passed without touching, the little tug clinging onto the bank for dear life. Hopefully next time they wave a boat past they will wait for a straight length of canal.

Considering the canal was so busy it was surprising that there were so many moorings available. When we reached Bridge 100 we headed for the gap in the hedge, a golden field stretched off across the shallow valley, this would do us for the night.

So how had our new Nebolink done today? Well Oleanna’s location had stayed static for quite some time, then she was shown to be moored in a lock. Then just shortly before we moored up I received an email from Nebo ‘Nebo has detected that Oleanna is moving. Thanks!’ After stopping an email report came through, our journey today had been 0.3 miles! Well we’d actually done 9.3.

In the nebolink there is a white wire which can be attached to a cable that only has power when the engine starts, this will kick start the box into recording a journey. The box being at the bow, this will be hard to achieve, so Mick’s intention is to fit a small switch to the white wire, this will then be turned on when we set off and turned off when we stop for the day. We’ll see if this works.

Dressing tables, bananas were looked at for panto. A new version of the script needed to be read too before I can make any more decisions. A paper copy is far easier to make notes in so I started to print it out. For some reason printing on both sides of the paper set the fear of whatever into Tilly. There’s a monster in the bedroom! She cowered in a corner. Oh blimey! She didn’t even sit on my lap this evening, I think my toes will be cold overnight too, I’d best knit quicker!

9 locks, 9.3 mile, 0.3 on nebo, 2 route plans not uploading, -£3500? 1 quote on the way, 2 busy, 2 many boats, 4.1, 2 sided printing, 1 scaredy cat, 1 disheartened designer, 1 sock progressing, 3 near misses, 1 Christmas mooring, 1 sunset.

https://goo.gl/maps/dSgEr5AUaZU56kVJ6

How Many Dumper Truck Loads Does It Take To…

Top Lock Claydon to Priors Hardwick Bridge 123

A sunny start to the morning, but by the time we were ready to push off the clouds had covered the blue skies, we wore our waterproof coats and started to make our way northwards across the summit pound. Pretty soon waterproof trousers were required. Then as the rain became heavier I was stood down from my navigational duties and allowed to retire below, let’s face it Mick would have to try really hard to get us lost.

Below decks I decided to get my yarn swift and winder out. Our dinette table with it’s rounded edges was hard to get a grip on, but I managed it in the end, three cakes of yarn all ready for knitting.

Outside it still rained. Mick slowed us to a stop, we must have been at Fenny Compton Tunnel. He held us back for a boat to come through, the narrowest part already done, the overgrown banks making the channel look narrower than it was.

Approaching the big wiggles the rain had stopped, I returned to the stern to watch the radio mast get closer. The moorings with a view over the valley only had a couple of boats moored there, is it now too close to the HS2 works for peoples liking?

The small gap after Bridge 128 and the new temporary bridge will one day be filled with a much bigger bridge taking HS2 across the canal.

Today we could see where the bridge will sit a hole dug ready for construction to start, then off into the distance the route the line will take very obvious with the amount of diggers and cranes in view.

The huge mound of earth that feels like it has sat there forever was in the process of being moved. A big digger gouged up jaws full of earth and deposited them into dumper trucks which then moved it to where the line will pass close to the canal. Here bulldozers moved the earth around, followed by two rollers, one flat the other with spikes on it. We wondered where all this earth had come from in the first place several years ago and how many dumper truck loads had it been then? How many dumper truck loads would it take to move it all into the right position? How many dumper truck loads will it take to reach Birmingham? I suspect next time we pass the big mound will be no more and an embankment will run past the canal instead.

Soon back to green fields with sheep grazing. Where should we stop for the day? The weather forecast had been for rain much of the day, but it had been drier than expected. A few moorings were occupied we carried on pulling in just before Priors Hardwick Bridge, we’d moored the other side of it on our way south a month ago.

Tilly was given four hours and vanished off into the sideways trees to be busy. Lunch was followed by a lot of budget wrangling for panto. New figures for the printing had come through this morning, some better but eaten up by things that hadn’t been included in the first quote. I’d passed this on with a couple of ideas to Gemma. I hate days like this, it’s days like this that make me want to pack my scalpel away.

Gemma sent an email regarding the overall budget with suggestions of things that would need to be cut to bring us into budget. A hope that some money can be found from other parts of the budget. I then spent the afternoon going through every element of the set trying to prune things that wouldn’t ruin the whole look, or different ways of building things. I collated a list ready for a meeting tomorrow. Fingers crossed that we can prune enough off and find a bit more money.

Mick busied himself installing our Nebolink. This is a little box that should automatically start and stop recording our journeys on Oleanna. Designed more for the cruiser market we’d had to think of where we could mount it for it to work. Being inside a metal tube was not going to be ideal, mounting it to an outside bulkhead also not ideal. Instead we opted for the underside of the cratch board, here it could be hooked up to the electrics via the light we have in there.

Getting the cable under the light fitting required a touch of carpentry. Wilkos in Banbury had provided us with a chisel and Mick started to notch out the wood. It being at an odd height and angle we swapped over. Gradually I worked away enough wood for the cable to pass under the fitting, now all that was needed was to connect the red and black wires, not a taxing job.

Tomorrow when we set off the Nebolink should automatically start to record our journey, we’ll see how it does. A phone will also be used to track our journey for comparison.

0 locks, 9.2 miles, 1 soggy cruise, 220 grams of yarn wound, 4 inches knitted, 46783753289745664534218878664534 dumper truck loads, £600 mis calculated, 1 chisel, 1 notch, 1 nebolink installed, 4 hours, £4500 still to save, I hate inflation!

https://goo.gl/maps/qxA9ijDYMJaMaxXj8

Squeeeezing Through Cropredy. 1st August

Sovereign Wharf to Top Lock Claydon

With breakfast out of the way Mick headed to meet our Sainsburys delivery. The chap had followed his sat nav and was in a residential cul-de-sac that I’d never heard of. A quick look at a map and phone call later he knew where to head and could be seen arriving through the hedge. Mick transported everything back to the boat on a trolley. As I stowed everything he topped up the water tank, time for us to head onwards.

Every lock out from Banbury we would meet a boat coming downhill today, no need to reset the levels and always someone around to help close the bottom gates.

**Looking that bit tidier than a month ago**

The house at Bourton Lock has had a touch of TLC in the last month. The shutters have a fresh coat of paint and the scrawled graffitti has vanished. I wonder if one day anyone will live there again.

As we passed crews they all exclaimed at how busy it was in Cropredy, boats breasted up and only a gnats hair to get through in places! There was certainly plenty of traffic, three boats awaiting their turn above Slat Mill Lock, our arrival perfectly timed.

Now the towpath was filled with boats, only a few spaces left. Rounding the bend by the cow field a boat coming towards us went aground on the silt, it’s alway deceptive that bend. As we got closer we realised who it was, Paul the boat mover again. He’d been trying to take a photo of us and found the bottom a bit too quickly. See you somewhere, sometime no doubt Paul.

Slow going, no let up on moored boats. It’s still about ten days before Cropredy Festival, hopefully everyone who wants a mooring has arrived. NB Watt Way was tucked in amongst the boats, we’d been on the Great Ouse with her last year. NB Derwent 6 with Del and Al were chatting away to a walker. By the services trading boats had taken root, add to this kids eager to go canoeing and an off side mooring it made for a touch of squeezing past. Busy busy!

The lock cottage by Cropredy Lock had a big banner pinned to it, Rock at the Lock and the lock gates had posters for various events this coming weekend, both shows from Mikron will be here, sadly we won’t be, we’re just that bit too far ahead of Mikrons tour this year. We did wonder where Tyseley would be moored, hope someone gives them an off side mooring.

Once past the marina the moored boats thinned out, but we still met plenty of downhill boats, most heading onwards to Banbury today. We looked back, all the moorings taken in Cropredy, the 24hr moorings (we speculated) would have the same boats on them for the next ten days.

We rounded the bend below Claydon Locks and pulled in for some lunch, blimey that had taken what felt like forever to get this far. Tilly’s excitement and near dash for the front door was thwarted, we needed to move some more today, the sideways trees would still be there next time.

Only one down hill boat on the Claydon flight NB Debdale just dropping down the bottom lock. Pounds were low between most locks the levels a good foot down. Instead of walking on ahead leaving Mick to close up behind, I stayed incase he grounded, but thankfully the levels weren’t that low.

Up the last lock onto the summit pound we pulled in at the far end of the visitor moorings, plenty of space here. Tilly was given a couple of hours to explore and she made the most of her time. Mick looked at details of how to install our Nebo link.

**Gluten free Toad in the Hole, click photo for recipe**

As today is Yorkshire Day our evening meal had to contain some Yorkshire Pudding, so I made up a Toad in the Hole. The sausages took quite a while to brown off, but the gluten free batter rose wonderfully. Happy Yorkshire Day.

12 locks, 7.2 miles, 2 many boats everywhere, 1 reader, 24hrs my foot! 2.5 hours, 1 summit reached, 1 skein of yarn not wound that’ll be rectified tomorrow, 1 big tray of Yorkshire Pud.

https://goo.gl/maps/ZEbD5RFKbqcNrQtB7

Nose To Nose. 28th July

Nadkey Bridge to Sovereign Wharf

A hire boat beat us setting off this morning, we followed them in towards Banbury. They passed the winding hole before Tramway, then another hire boat shot across the cut aiming to wind and go into orbit all in one go. We stopped and wait for them to turn. Their positioning hadn’t been right, so they ended up missing the hole. Several more attempts were made each one ending up with the same outcome, a barge pole stuck out the front. They let us pass and we suggested backing up further and trying again. As we passed under Tramway Bridge they were still facing the wrong direction.

At Banbury Lock the hire boat ahead was rising in the lock. The chap at the helm asked how far they had to go before they could wind. I checked my Waterway Routes map, about ten minutes a short distance after the footbridge they’d be able to turn just before Hennef Way.

A hire boat was on the water point above the lock, using his hose to wash the boat. He pulled forward as we came out of the lock. As I walked up to the lift bridge I could see it being wound up. A chap who’d been walking past with his shopping had stopped to do the honours. Once it was back down I noticed him slotting a windlass back through the gates at Tooleys Boatyard. Thank you.

Blimey Banbury was busy, glad we stopped short yesterday. We were wanting to stop for a couple of bits at Lidl, but there was not one space spare. Oh well we’d make do for lunch today.

In stark contrast Sovereign Wharf was almost empty, maybe everyone had headed to Cropredy to grab a mooring in advance of the Festival. We pootled onwards. Hang on, maybe they’d have room for us. We’d been planning on pulling into Cropredy Marina, but being in Banbury would be far easier. Mick put Oleanna into reverse, it being a Friday the Wharf office was open. A lady popped her head out, we enquired if they had room. She headed off to check with the owner and returned pointing us to a mooring behind us.

Oleanna really wasn’t keen on pulling into the off side, she’s used to mooring on the Spiceball Park side, but she relented in the end. We tied up and headed to the office to check in. Half the price it would have been at Cropredy including electric and an easy walk back to Lidl. It was only 10:30 too, brilliant!

It may look different but it’s still Bumbury!

Lidl provided us with frankfurters. A few years ago we went through a phase of having them for lunch, we’ve avoided them suspecting them to contain gluten. Today we checked the ingredients, today we’d have frankfurter sarnies for lunch!

The washing machine has been busy again, we’d been running low on pants and socks. I sent off an email for a revised panto quote for printing, called Tim the puppet man again who seemed very keen to help us out on panto, then I collated my paint requirements and emailed them to Gemma. Several jobs crossed off the list.

Mick has had a phone call from Ricky at Finesse today regarding our failed battery. They haven’t dealt with the company our batteries came from since Oleanna. Mick talked through the checks he’s done and Ricky agreed, we have a dead battery. The warranty is as Mick had sussed, not really worth persuing as we’d only be offered 10% off another battery from the same company!

1 lock, 2 miles, 3 lift bridges, 2 open, 1 lifted for us, 10 frankfurters, 1 bored cat, 3 loads washing, 1 tumble dried, 2 boaters with clean smalls, so many passing boats.

https://goo.gl/maps/ATFQLFyrXUXRJYaB7

Finesse Ladies. 1st July

Dink and Malc’s to Premier Inn Banbury

More boats came past from Banbury. They started at around 6am with four having passed us before we were even enjoying a cuppa in bed. By the time we moved ourselves nine boats had come past, I kept a tally for a while but got bored when it reached eighteen.

Tilly was given an hour or so of shore leave whilst we had breakfast. Plenty on offer this morning, just a shame Mick forget about the existence of the black pudding which had been sitting patiently in the fridge to be eaten. Oh well, it just means we’ll have to have another cooked breakfast soon!

Tilly was called from the sideways trees and friendly cover, time for her to have a snooze and for us to move into town, hopefully we’d find a space at Spice Ball Park.

Round the corner a Twyford Wharf hire boat had been moored overnight, the new holiday makers just moving onboard whilst two chaps clung onto the ropes. As Spice Ball came into view so did the boats that had come past us last night. All spaces I’d noted yesterday were filled, no choice but for us to be in the centre of town. Sorry Tilly.

There were plenty of uphill facing boats, many must have stopped for the night or to go shopping , there was quite a turn around of neighbours. Mick looked into the electric bollards. These were here last year but not working. Today they were. Despite the charge being 95p a kwh he decided to create an account and credit £5. We’ll be here for a couple of days and with our reduced battery capacity it would be nice to have power without running the engine. It took a bit of faffing to set up, but soon power flowed into Oleanna.

I packed up my next pair of socks and popped them in the post. These were a try out pair for a friend who wears braces on her legs. Longer than I’d normally knit and of different sizes, I may not have got the legs quite right. Ali let me know any amendments so that I can work them into the next pair.

Time to have a tidy up and rationalise my work things. Then I can start to make a mess again.

Late afternoon there was a ‘Hello’ from outside the boat. This was Liz and Mark from NB Azzurra a Finesse boat that was built a couple of years after Oleanna. Last year when we met NB Barberella on the River Nene I was added to a Whatsap group The Ladies of Finesse. Very little had been posted for a few months but Tilly’s choice of welldeck to explore at Cropredy had prompted me into posting this week. It turns out that not only NB Perseus is based around here but Liz and Mark happen to live in Banbury, so a meet up had been arranged.

Liz’s face was familiar as soon as I popped my head out the back. It took all evening for us to pin point when we’d met before. February 2019, NB Azzurra was in build at Finesse and we’d returned to have a leaking window replaced and the gas locker lid hinges sorted, they had been on a visit to check on the build, the first full electric boat Finesse built.

We had a lovely evening with Liz and Mark. A pint of Hooky ale was enjoyed by all at Ye Olde Reine Deer Inn, a pint of Oat Sower for me a rare treat. Then we headed to Jool for an Indian meal and more conversation. Mark is a Waterways Chaplain for the Oxford Canal south of Banbury and Liz currently commutes to Glasgow three days a week as a radiographer.

Our paths are likely to cross a bit over the next few weeks as they will be heading the same direction as us, only a little bit faster.

0 locks, 0.4 miles, 2 hours shore leave, 1 pair of socks, 1 breakfast, 18 at least uphill boats, 1 wind tunnel, 95p! 3rd Finesse lady met, 4 pints, 4 currys, 1 bored cat, 1 spider rescued.

https://goo.gl/maps/9pqwDK4n5TYRUqVm8

A Kind Of Update, Update. 29th June

Cropredy Marina to below Slat Mill Lock

Our three days in the marina were up today. Being plugged in is all very nice, but there’s only so much washing you can do, well the curtains could have come down but the idea hadn’t crossed Mick’s mind. Tests on our electrics suggested the remaining two batteries would be fine now they’d had a full charge and also because of this Mick can now monitor them again. We’d only know for sure if we went back off grid.

Marina’s are not our natural habitat so we did chores making sure that the water was full, yellow water was disposed of and then went to say our goodbyes to Theresa in the office. Who knows we may be back.

This morning an updated notice came through from C&RT in regards to Banbury Lock.

Planned repairs to the damaged lock gate are progressing on site. Updates of this notice will be provided.

Well that wasn’t really an update, that’s an ‘Oh we didn’t give them an update when we said we would update them’ kind of update. Nothing to even guess at there, no stop planks went in yesterday and work continues on the damaged gate. When we fully know what we’re dealing with we will update the notice. We tend not to knock C&RT, they have an ever increasingly hard job to do, but their communication skills at times are next to none existent.

We reversed out of our pontoon and turned right out of the marina towards Banbury. A mooring was in mind for the day, but would someone have already snaffled it?

A single hander was just finishing at Cropredy Lock, so the local gongoozlers got to see two boats in quick succession going downhill. The lock cottage looked like they’d had a leak or flood, mats and rugs hung on the fence drying. No toy dog on the fence by the bottom gates, one day I will replace the one I saw there years ago, it made me smile.

**This fence so needs a little woofer in amongst the roses**

All the canoes were at home, no bobbing about on their wake would have to be endured, well for a while. NB Serendipity was passed at the services, they’d been into Banbury for shopping, winded and now were heading elsewhere for the rest of their weeks on board.

We’ve not noticed The Saucy Hound before, a cafe/junk shop just downstream of the services. It looks like hey do all day breakfasts and hot dogs. Who knows if we get stuck along this stretch we may have a visit.

I counted the number of boats on visitor moorings facing Banbury, 17. They won’t all be headed south of Banbury, but I suspect a good proportion are. We passed one boat with a sign in it’s cratch ‘Make compost not war’. Their array of black buckets on their roof suggested they have a system for their waterless toilet.

At Slat Mill Lock I noticed some old brickwork just behind the bollards on the offside. The boundary wall between the lock and field has a stretch of modernish brick. The earth also looks lower than that surrounding it at either end of the lock. Are these all signs that there used to be a lock cottage here?

Quite a few locks along this stretch of the Oxford have a lock cottage standing alongside. Cropredy, Bourton, Grants and Somerton all have a cottage. I spent some of this evening looking at old maps back to 1880’s and there was no mention of a cottage, just the lock, which was quite often referred to as Slatemill Lock, Slate Mill being a short distance away on the banks of the River Cherwell. I also couldn’t find any information elsewhere on the internet. If anyone knows more I’d be interested.

The award winning mooring, at the end of a length of piling was occupied by a C&RT tug and skip boat. How inconsiderate of them, don’t they know that they’d moored their boat on the best bit with wide towpath and clear to the sky for solar. We need solar more than we did now we’re down to 100AH of battery. We pulled back towards the lock, ants nest after ants nest meaning we got closer and closer to the lock.

The afternoon was spent sketching out a new clock for Cinderella, emailing it to John and then making a white card version of it for the model. I put together a white card model story board so that everyone can see what happens and when with regards to the set. Have to admit to running out of steam before taking photos of all the model pieces to assist the builders, but that can happen tomorrow.

Just before 7pm a new update came through.

Planned repairs to the damaged lock gate have progressed very positively today. We will be able to give an update on likely timescales for reopening navigation in tomorrows update

Well, that’s slightly better. ‘Timescales’ may just have been written without thought, to me it suggests there may be several openings. Maybe assisted passages, a temporary repair with a later closure, closed for a month, a week, a day? Who knows. Another update not really updating us, just trying to be positive. I’d show you an update from the Wigan flight or Huddersfield Narrow where you are given almost too much information, but that would be a whole blog post in itself.

However, facebook has interesting photos.

2 locks, 1.9 miles, 1 reverse, 1 right, 1 full water tank, 1 more wash load, 1 empty wee tank, 1 skip in the wrong place, 6 buckets to our 1, 1 cat’s tail held high again, oh that boat Tilly explored the well deck of in the marina, turned out to be NB Perseus another Finesse boat, Tilly has good taste, 1 bad internet connection, 1 boat on the move again tomorrow.

https://goo.gl/maps/aE1p8fMpizRXTiff6

One Bus A Week. 28th June

Cropredy Marina

Smarter clothes than boater clothes were put on this morning, time to take my white card model to Chippy and share it with the creative team. Cropredy doesn’t really have a bus service, well it does, on a Thursday, one bus into Banbury. Then there is one bus that returns an hour later. Or you can walk for half an hour for a more regular service, you may as well just keep walking on the towpath into town. No option but to get a taxi today.

I got dropped off at the new Premier Inn by Castle Quays so that I could walk to the bus station and check on the mooring situation and if anything had been happening with Lock 29, Banbury Lock.

As far as I could see above the lock there was plenty of space, who knows what it’s like further back at Spice Ball Park where many people prefer to moor. But there would certainly be room for Oleanna.

Two chaps in blue and high vis stood by the top gate, the gate with the problem. They were chatting to a chap and I overheard ‘Best case scenario’. I had to but in as I hadn’t heard the next bit, the bit everyone around here and further afield would like to know.

I wasn’t given the best case scenario but was told that today people would arrive from Oxford and London. Stop planks were likely to be put in to be able to drain the top end of the lock, but they doubted that the gate would be lifted out today. A crane boat was sitting just above the taped off lock waiting to be used. A couple walked past and asked me if there was any news, I relayed what I’d been told, basically no one would be moving today.

Below the lock the mooring situation was different than above. One boat on the services mooring, another opposite then at least two sets of boats breasted up under the bridge. I didn’t have time to walk any further as my bus was due.

I’d opted to arrive in Chippy an hour earlier than I needed to as this year I’ll be staying in different digs. Madeleine my new host had invited me to pop round to meet her and see her lovely house if I was in Chippy. Very handy for the bus stop at the other end of town from Suzanne’s where I’ve stayed before. I’m also nearer to the Co-op and Sainsburys which is handy. We had a chat over a cuppa and I got to look round.

Just time to grab something for lunch and walk to the theatre where John Terry (director not footballer) was getting ready to set up for our meeting. Half attendees would be in the room, the other half joined over the internet. Last year I’d done my final model showing on line and know how hard it is to get a camera set up for those on line to see properly. A laptop was tried but those in the room wouldn’t be able to see anything. Then a phone was used, this was much better.

With everyone present John and I talked our way through the show, scene to scene. Lots of questions from Gemma the production manager, a few from Sophie the costume designer and discussions with Nathan the lighting designer. John seemed very happy and informed me of various changes in the script that have happened recently cementing the twist we’d come up with for Cinderella’s coach. Just one alteration to do in the model, so I came away happy.

Paul, Louisa and myself then went down onto stage to check some measurements. My plans of the theatre have been based on incorrect plans I got the first year, gradually over the last five years I have updated and altered my master plan. But still dimensions needed checking. There would be 2m depth behind the backdrop. Items to be hung on tracks closely together were worked out and subtracted from distances between bars, my guestimate had been correct. Then we worked our way through where items would be stored and how some pieces would best be split for ease of moving. All done, time for a cuppa whilst scanning the drawings. I checked the time of the next bus, blimey seven minutes! I was off and on my way.

Back in Banbury I walked up to the lock, it’s handily positioned right by the bus station. Fencing around the lock had been erected during the day.

Stop planks were doing a good job of holding back the water above the lock and the lock was drained.

**Brought from doing towpath works by the look of it**

The crane boat had been moved to below the lock and was now facing uphill. The bottom gates still chained shut.

I’ve since seen footage of the crane boat being moved mob handed by C&RT staff. The top gate which had been quiet this morning when I’d visited was gushing forth soo much water!

Looking at the gate this evening nothing was immediately obviously the problem. But at least now those working to mend it can see everything without water gushing everywhere.

C&RT had said there would be an update today, but none came through. We hope to hear something tomorrow.

I walked to the station to get a taxi. This gave me the opportunity to see how many boats were moored below. I counted two facing away from the lock and then seventeen facing towards it. This was only as far as I could see towards the old foundry. Who knows how many were around the next bend at the Tramway?

Back at Oleanna Mick has had a busy day. He’d washed just about anything and everything, we’ve got fresh towels for the second time this week! The bilge pump float switch has been fitted, the stern glad tightened.

He’d also got in touch with Mark from LiFe Batteries in Cornwall who is highly recommended on the 12volt group on Facebook. We’d have no problem adding a new battery to our two older ones, he’d need to set it up correctly to match them. However the footprint of such a battery (100AH, so twice the capacity of the one that has failed) would mean that it wouldn’t fit in our battery tray.

**Looking back to the queue below the lock plenty more behind me**

Mick asked about replacing all three but with two, but twice the capacity. The existing battery tray wouldn’t accommodate them either. During the day he’d been thinking about changing where we locate the batteries. Being lithium they don’t have to be in the engine bay, so they could move inside and into the cupboard we call The Shed. This was designed to hold a Brompton bike and have a hanging rail. It now holds life jackets, extra coats, handheld hoover, scarves etc and really could do with a proper sort out. The base of it would certainly be big enough for new batteries, they would then have a shelf above them to protect the terminals, then it could be a more organised Shed. The batteries being indoors would also help them to charge in cold weather.

All of this cannot be done straight away. So our current plan is to cope with 100AH until later in the year. This will almost certainly mean turning the freezer off to help live within our means.

0 locks, 1 drained and fenced in, 0 miles, 2 taxis, 2 buses, 1 new host, 1 new deli to try, 1 model showing, 1 big thumbs up, 2 meters tick, 1.5 meters tick, 1 clock to alter, 6 boxes pasta, 14 scans, 42 copies, 1 dash for the bus, 17 waiting, 100AH to live with, 1 clean pooh box, 1 unhappy cat.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna