Category Archives: Boat Engines

Scampi Shardlow. 20th January

Willowbrook Farm Moorings to Derwent Mouth Lock

1.21m down 11cm from yesterday

Ice again this morning. Whilst I attended a zoom production meeting for #unit21 Mick went for a walk along the canal towards Shardlow Lock to assess the ice situation. My meeting went well and Mick’s verdict was that after lunch we should be fine to move as the sun was out melting the ice. He’d phoned Tracy at the farm to arrange a meter reading and a settling up as we’d be moving on today.

Zooming

Just before midday we unplugged ourselves and walked up to the stables. Here we could say goodbye to our noisy neighbours, two donkeys who were rescues from Blackpool quite a few years ago. In three weeks we’d used 150 units of electric, we’d not run our engine other than to check the alternator and once to warm the engine bay up. The occasional blast of electric heating in the morning, washing machine and dishwasher along with the electric kettle, sewing machine and iron. Yes we have an iron but it comes out very rarely and mostly for work. We thanked Tracy for helping us out at new year and allowing us to stay for three weeks.

Lunch, another C&RT notice! Stoke Lock was still not operational by boaters so needs to be booked 24hrs in advance. A phone call was made straight away, when would we be there? Monday morning. The lady rang back confirming that a volunteer would be at the lock waiting for us.

Pushing off for the first time this year

Time to roll up the covers for the first time this year. The new version of our trip computer spluttered into life, an old phone placed in a window, this will run Nebo and track our route and miles. I turned Nebo on on my phone too to record locks as we go through them. We untied and I walked ahead to open the lock whilst Mick reversed Oleanna back to meet me.

A patch of thicker ice slowed his progress just as he arrived at the three widebeams. A chap on the last boat stuck his head out and complimented Mick for his reversing skills. He also warned him of thick ice below Derwent Mouth Lock.

The top gates needed a couple of attempts to get them open, the ice behind holding firm on the first go.

Reversing in ice seemed to be quite good. Blasts of forwards every now and then sent water backwards breaking up the ice in front of the blunt end of the boat. The odd blast from the bow thruster also helped to steer the stern towards the lock.

Look at that sun

Down gently in the lock, the ice there breaking up as the water lowered. The aroma of scampi coming from the pub was soon followed by slightly burnt garlic.

The Clockwarehouse

I left Mick to wind whilst I popped to the post box.

Maybe we’d have to moor up

Cat ice was about, easy enough to push your way through. Then at the pub bend we came across thicker ice. Would our escape from the Trent and Mersey be thwarted on this bend? It is quite hard to steer in ice. Narrowboats pivot in the middle and sideways force on ice isn’t very productive. Right on the bend it took several forward and backward manoeuvres to help get into a good position to start carving our way through the ice again. We wouldn’t have to moor there over night. Scampi here too! Maybe on Fridays Shardlow has a special for fish Friday on Scampi!

Both rivers open

The red traffic lights were both turned off at the EA flood lock, both the rivers Soar and Trent were open to boats.

Constant ice ahead

Now we slowed our pace to pass the line of moored boats by Chapel Farm Marina. Is it better to go slowly? Or does it just eek out the noise of cracking ice? A thick patch by the last line of boats had me at the bow, trying to keep us away from a Dutch barge. My pushing only moved the barge and not us. But eventually we worked our way through.

Cracking

Up ahead was the widebeam that has been waiting for the river for a couple of weeks. More ice in front of them, we’d had enough and wanted to see what the ice was like below Derwent Mouth Lock before venturing any further. We pulled in. A quick cat H&S meeting was held, too much ice, Sorry Tilly! Harumph urumph!!

That’s better

Below the lock the river was in the amber, the lock landing all very visible now. However the chap on the widebeam had been correct the ice below the lock looked thick, snow still sitting on it in the shade. We’d done enough ice breaking for the day, we’d be staying put, after all we’d reached our goal. Hopefully tomorrow the ice would have melted some more to make our journey easier.

Below the lock, thick ice!

We settled down for the remainder of the afternoon to listen to Tilly’s complaints. Then a crack and crackle with music came from the cut. A narrowboat with three chaps at the stern came along, we’d broken the ice for them, would they continue. Sure enough they headed for the lock.

If only we’d known, they could have broken the ice for us!

A little while later Mick popped his head out of the hatch, the widebeam had also gone. Should we follow too? It was too late now to get much further. A check on the weather forecast. We’d both remembered it as getting warmer at the weekend. The forecast didn’t agree, -3C tonight with fog! Oh bum! Would we end up being iced in now away from water and electric?

A rather nice sunset behind tonight

To try to keep the engine bay from getting too cold overnight Mick ran the engine again for an hour, hoping that would help the batteries which don’t like charging at low temperatures.

Nebo Trip recorded from inside Oleanna, lots of back and forth
Nebo Trip recorded in my pocket including a walk to the post box

My Mum’s American Sticky Chicken was made up and sat on the stove to bubble away for 90 minutes before we enjoyed it with some rice noodles. It isn’t the healthiest of recipes, but it’s nice.

1 lock, 1.2 miles, 150 units, 1 reasonable mooring, 2 donkeys, 2 scampi pubs, 2 more overalls, 1 hour breaking ice, 1 challenging bend, 0 red lights, 1 frozen river, 1 ice breaker forging ahead, 1 widebeam, 1 Oleanna who maybe should have followed! 2 sticky chicken thighs, 1 box of rosé!!!

https://goo.gl/maps/Ucc6B8c8Yahk51j5A

Armed With A Hacksaw. 5th January

Shardlow

1.79 m

A list was made of items I still needed to purchase for #unit21, including a 3m length of plastic pipe! I nearly ordered it along with elbow joints online from Screwfix, but decided to see if there might be a DIY stall in Derby Market. Derby Market Hall is currently undergoing refurbishment, but I was aware of The Eagle Market, the front doors of Derby Playhouse open into the Market. The website suggested a couple of fabric stalls, time to catch the bus.

Mick had made the decision to fit the new alternator this morning and was already down in the engine bay. I required a hack saw so collected one on the way past. The Skylink bus picked me up and whizzed me into town. I made note of a Tool Station next to the big Royal Mail building where there was a handy bus stop, a much better location than Screwfix.

The Eagle Market has seen better days, I’d say only about a third of the units were occupied. I found a couple of fabric stalls and most of what I wanted and ended up having quite a chat with the lady who lives on a boat in Shardlow Marina. Sadly no-one had any navy velcro, that will have to be ordered on line.

We’ve missed Wind in the Willows

No DIY stalls. I had a wander around Derbion the big shopping mall, nothing of use in there, just a sandwich for lunch. Much of Derby Centre stands empty, the bright lights of the shopping centre, being out of the rain has pulled customers and retailers inside. Such a shame. But I believe Derby Council are hoping to rejuvenate the area, refurbishing the market hall being part of the plan to try to pull retailers back into the streets and make it a destination. Well that’s the standard blurb used for such places nowadays!

After a visit to Wilko I walked back to Tool Station taking note of a low wall just by the bus station. Pipe, elbows and cement purchased I headed for the low wall. Here I pulled out the hacksaw and cut the 3m length of pipe in half, no problem getting on the bus now.

Shardlow is getting quite full

At the water point in Shadlow there were three widebeams. WB Lazy Days had moved across from the pub moorings where now sat two C&RT skip boats. Then there were the two widebeams that had been moored above Derwent Mouth Lock, one having a wash, the other on the lock landing. Later on in the evening we could see tunnels lights and hear spikes being hammered in, we presume the widebeams had moved to above the lock, freeing up below.

Back at Oleanna Mick had been working hard to fit the new alternator. Three bolts and three wires, simple! Except things on the old one had settled in nicely, a touch of corrosion on the negative terminal made getting the nut undone a touch troublesome. Time and patience was required. One bolt was in an awkward position and when it came to fitting the new alternator things didn’t seem to marry up as they should do. It turned out there was a bush on one of the holes that needed adjustment. A tap with a hammer sorted this.

Power restored

All bolted in and connected the engine was fired up, things checked over. Everything working as it should. Hooray!

Time to pack Christmas away, well the lights outside could wait for light tomorrow. The tree was stripped and then given a good soaking in the sink. It will get a day or two inside before being popped in the cratch.

The neon bunny was just about finished off this evening. All limbs sewn on and body stuffed, just a fluffy tail needed. Although I may want to give him longer ears as he’ll be a magicians rabbit. Tilly wasn’t enamoured with it, I may have to hide it away so it doesn’t get beaten up!

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 buses, 24volt 120amp alternator fitted, 2m poly cotton, 1m stiff interfacing, 3m cut to 2 x 1.5ish, 3 widebeams, 1 bunny, 1 miffed cat.

Elbow Room. 4th January

Shardlow

1.49m

More emails were sent regarding flooring for #unit21 this morning. This ended up with a proforma invoice that required payment before 1pm to enable it to be collected early next week. My credit card ended up being stretched that bit more, but thankfully the price hadn’t gone up over Christmas and it will be sat ready for collection.

Delivery!

Our Sainsburys delivery arrived at the end of the towpath. There’s not much space on the road so a bit of nudging out of the way was needed for someone to get past, Mick was there with bags to decant the shopping as quickly as possible so the van could head back off. Everything was stowed away before I got my work things out for the day.

A box of potential power

Mick had been getting tracking information regarding our alternator this morning. Would this actually arrive as planned? Through the hedge I could see what looked like a DPD van heading towards the farm. Mick popped his shoes on and walked up to collect the alternator.

Hooray! Just when to fit it now? Should it go on straight way, three bolts and a bit of cabling to do. Should it wait for the existing one to stop working completely? Should it wait to be fitted by a mechanic? How much longer should we stay on the mooring? We won’t be going far for a while with the river in flood. Mick is thinking about it.

I got on with making up the forma for the giant mug. The base dimensions should just fit through the back doors on Oleanna, so I won’t be able to get much further than just the basic shape. Also covering it in the yoga mat has to wait as I’ll be using contact adhesive and there is nowhere near enough space onboard to lay things out to glue, let alone dry and all the fumes.

Sheets were cut to length and then scored so that they would follow the curve. Glued and held in position to dry with masking tape. A second layer was added, laminating two layers would make it stronger.

False base on top

The actress will stir a giant spoon in the mug so I worked out the maximum depth needed for this. I then made a false base to slot inside, this will help to keep everything together. It’s now ready to have a handle added, just need to get a plastic pipe back from Derby on the bus!

“It’ll be okay, so long as it’s not here for long!”

Just where to store the mug until it can be taken to Huddersfield? I’d hoped to make this on land where there would be more space than in a 7ft wide narrowboat. Would it sit in the corner of the dinette? Not quite, but taking out the corner cushions gave it just enough space. Phew we won’t have to move it several times a day just to be able to go about our daily lives.

Tilly thought it was very good especially the new route behind it. Mick thought he’d be able to live with lack of elbow room at the table. ‘It’s funny you making BIG things and not models’.

Mick has spent some of today starting to work on our trip computer. As Water Explorer is no longer, we’re hoping to be able to reconfigure the computer to be able to run Nebo. It may take a bit of doing!

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 buses, 4 bags shopping, 2 boxes wine (back onto normal rations), 1 alternator, 1 roll flooring, 1 van booked, 1 Robert, 6 sheets foamcor, 1 basic mug, 1 narrowboat too narrow, 23 Dreamies! 2 bunny arms.

Excluding Vat! 3rd January

Shardlow

1.55m this morning

If all had gone to plan Oleanna would this evening have been sat above Cromwell Lock waiting for the morning tide to head to Torksey. Working on #unit21 becomes more complicated because we are stuck due to flooding. I need to get the props I’m making to Huddersfield as soon as I can. Finishing their construction would have been so much easier on land rather than on the boat without all my tools. I could really do with a hot air gun to bend some pipe. The pipe could be walked from a shop in Scarborough, but on the boat it requires a bus journey. The pipe is 3m long! Just complicated and more time consuming.

I spent some of the morning sussing out when would be good to head to Huddersfield with the props, this will involve hiring a van and on the same trip we could pick up some new flooring for the show. I also need to do costume fittings with three actors, at the moment they only work three days a week. So logistics, orders and payments. Nearly sorted.

Mick called Beta to order a new alternator. Our engine has a WOC number which means that when ordering anything from Beta they can see how our engine was set up and exactly what part we require. Mick did a slight ouch at the price, he did a bigger one when he realised that hadn’t included vat!

Our alternator has a special pulley on it. To replace the pulley you need a special tool, which we don’t have. The chap on the phone said they would put a special pulley on the new one for us to save moving it from the old alternator to the new one. It should arrive tomorrow, fingers crossed.

Skyline bus

Being in Shardlow means there is a good bus service to Derby and Leicester on the Skylink which runs every twenty minutes ferrying people to East Midlands Airport. The bus stops by The Navigation Inn a five minute walk away. Add to this the government putting a £2 cap on single bus fares. Very easy.

Waiting at the bus stop I got chatting to a local lady about the river being in flood. We compared notes on levels of the River Trent and Ouse. My family home over looked the flood plain in York and Dad would give us reports of how high up the five bar gate the flood water had reached. I think if it got up to the fourth bar then driving around York was very tricksy as there would only be one route into the city not under water. The lady I chatted to recounted the floods of 2000 on the Trent. Sand bags were put over the drains in the road and stood at the bus stop you could just pop your hand over the wall and touch the flood water. Thankfully the water isn’t anywhere near that level …. yet!

Lovely houses click photo to look inside one

The bus sped into Derby. Past the train station where strikers stood with placards. Further on the bus passed the lovely houses on Railway Terrace. These were built to accommodate the senior Midland Railway staff in the 1840’s, the first houses built to house railway workers in the country. Jackson and Thompson built a triangular block of streets, North Street, Midland Place and Railway Terrace, NMR. In the 1970’s there was a campaign to stop the houses from being demolished, they are very fine looking houses. However their sight reminds me of a trip we did to Derby a few years ago. We walked down the same streets to Derby Crown Court to hear the sentencing of our original boat builders.

A Mickleover bus

I swapped buses at the bus station and headed out towards Kingsway Retail Park. Here there was a Homebase, no pipe and fittings suitable for what I wanted. I checked the isles for anything suitable to make a giant mug from. A plastic dustbin? Too much to cut off to stop it looking like a dustbin. Kitchen bins were all too narrow.

Over at Hobbycraft I scoured the isles for something that might be useful too. But they had nothing suitable for a giant mug. A couple of months ago I’d spent ages hunting online for anything that might be useful and come up with very little the right size. So back to the foamcor plan. I picked up 8 sheets and some more tape.

Handy makeshift strap

My dodgy grip doesn’t like carrying thin things, eight sheets of foamcor isn’t that thin, but still. I’d brought with me three carrying straps from the yoga mats I’ve bought. These have elastic looped ends joined by some webbing. I passed two of them over the corners of the sheets, one each side and then joined them together with a third one, creating a handle on the top. Not the perfect handle but a much easier carry back to the bus for my return journey.

Whilst I was away Mick had changed the fuel filters and the gear box oil. We just need the alternator now.

Bunny legs

0 locks, 0 miles, 4 buses, £2 each, 0 pipe, 0 connectors, 0 hot air gun, 8 sheets, 2 pies, 1 sad gits pie, 1 order completed, 1 plan coming together, 1 new filter, 1 cleaned filter, 1.5 litres oil, 2nd bunny leg.

Final Statistics. 1st January 2023

Willowbrook Moorings, Shardlow

Not a good trend!

Levels on the rise. I don’t see us moving for some time. The flood gates at Cranfleet have been closed since the 23rd December and levels are higher now. The lowest recorded height in that time that we can find was 1.13m and the flood gates were closed then. So this mornings height of 1.76m is going to take a while to head on down stream.

Water Explorer

Yesterday I made note of all our journeys that have been recorded through the years on Water Explorer. The chap who has been running it said the site would be taken down at the end of 2022. It’s still there, Oleanna recorded as the last moving boat. When the site vanishes so will all our vital statistics for both Oleanna and NB Lillyanne.

Our last journeys

At the end of each year I sit down and put our years cruise through Canal plan with the aim of getting a slightly more accurate distance than Water Explorer gives. Water Explorer will cut corners if there have been no way points, it also sometimes counts locks twice or not at all. Beeston Lock on the Trent usually gets counted twice for some reason. This year I will do the same, working out our back and forths on canalplan, which also isn’t totally accurate.

But for now here are our vital statistics (according to Water Explorer) dating back to 1st January 2015.

NB Lillyanne, starting heading up stream on the River Lee from Enfield 1st Jan 2015 to when we moved her for the final time on 2nd May 2017 to brokerage at ABNB in Crick.

Total Journeys505
Total hours recorded1550
Total Miles2565.76
Total Locks1714
These figures are from trips recorded, some journeys in the early days were missed.

NB Oleanna, starting on 28th March 2017 from Finesse Boats in Sheffield to 31st December 2022 to Willowbrook Moorings.

Total Journeys1279
Total Hours recorded4164
Total Miles6242.72
Total Locks3694

So our Total statistics from Water Explorer

Total Journeys1784
Total Hours5714
Total Miles8808.48
Total Locks5408

At some point I will work out Oleanna’s statistics for the year as I normally do, but that will have to wait for tax returns and giant props to be made, along with zooming along the River Trent back to Yorkshire.

Final positions

Mick spent some time in the engine hole today. Trying to see what he might be able to find. Did we have a problem, or was it that something wasn’t pushed home properly? A new battery for his multimeter was needed, the power on board totally turned off for a half hour. The alternator was working. But can we trust it?

Boarded up

He got a phone call from the chap at JD Narrowboats who was wanting to check that we’d got plugged in somewhere and were we sorted. He also sent us a link to a new alternator he’d found on ebay. How very kind of him. Mick is thinking on what to do. We intended on buying a new alternator and when the current one failed we could swap them over and send the original one off to be mended if possible, then we’d have a spare. But should we do it now or wait until we’re back in Yorkshire? Should we go for the ebay one at half the price of a Beta one? Well you get what you pay for!

A lovely building

This afternoon we went for a walk to have a look at the river. We followed the muddy towpath through the old port of Shardlow. Since our very first visit nothing much has changed. Several of the old warehouses still stand boarded up, calling out to be refurbished into offices, housing or some other use. One of my favourite buildings has already been converted into a home, Soresby Warehouse built around 1820.

Derwent Mouth Lock 1 on the Trent and Mersey Canal

Derwent Mouth Lock, the last lock on the Trent and Mersey sat half empty today. In normal times this would have been only about a quarter empty, but with the river in flood! Below, the level at the lock landing today would mean stepping down off Oleanna, normal times it would be one very big step up to the bank.

The river level boards are well in the red as expected.

Lovely

We walked back on the other side of the canal, past the pubs, lovely houses and the not so lovely more modern buildings. What a busy place this must have once been.

Their TV is a projector onto the end wall of the house, huge!

A pause to look over the garden wall by the lock. The river, here unnavigable, rushed by faster than the River Ouse passes Selby Lock. The house here has spent quite a bit of money on their Christmas lights, multi coloured fairy lights in all the bushes and trees in the garden and then multicoloured bulbs along the eaves the excess gathered together inside their phone box.

In need of a lick of paint

Pork and apple stew tonight with dumplings. I chose to cook it mostly on top of the multifuel stove meaning the dumplings didn’t go crispy.

Pork and apple stew, click the photo for the recipe.

Our viewing of the new series of Happy Valley was interrupted by a call from my bestestest friend over in Sydney. Emma was out for a morning walk with her dog Moose. It was lovely to have a good catch up.

0 locks, 0 miles, WE this year, 234 journeys, 743 hours, 1248.12 miles, 565 locks, 3 mile walk, 0 twinging calf, 1 not so sure cat, 1.84m river level at 11pm, 1 stew, 6 dumplings, 30 minute catch up, 1st Happy Valley season 3.

Two Reds. 30th December

Shardlow

The levels appeared to have peaked this morning and were just starting to come down. We knew we wouldn’t be going anywhere today.

Phone reception is almost none existent inside the boat in Shardlow so it was no surprise when Micks phone received a text message from Adrian at C&RT. He’d tried calling to see if we were still wanting our booking tomorrow to go through Stoke Lock, Cranfleet Flood Gates were still closed. He already knew the answer as did we, Mick texted back confirming that we’d like to cancel our booking. He also asked what would happen from the 3rd of January at Stoke Lock, would we need to book? The answer was that there would be plenty of people about to pen us through when we arrive, hopefully soon afterwards the lock will be back to self operation. Adrian would stand the team down for lunchtime tomorrow.

Wall? What wall!!

Mick spent sometime sat out the back making phone calls to cancel all our Trent lock bookings. We’re hoping we may still be able to make the window of good tides next week, but who knows what the river will do and when Cranfleet Flood Gates will reopen. Cromwell Lock said that they’d be able to get us to Keadby one way or another, maybe missing out on a stop at West Stockwith. One slightly worrying thing was that despite us both remembering Mick having talked to Keadby Lock they didn’t seem to have us in the diary! Glad we hadn’t got to the M180 Bridge and radioed ahead with no-one expecting us! Doesn’t matter now, and we’ll double check when we booked it next.

Mick also called Shardlow Marina. Oleanna was due an oil change, the price of oil was a touch more than he was wanting to pay, maybe it would be cheaper to get the bus and buy some from Halfords? He decided to pay the extra and got on the bike and headed off.

When red lights shows it is not recommended for craft to proceed beyond this point due to flood conditions

Down the towpath at the Shardlow EA flood gates two red lights showed. Both the River Soar and Trent are closed. We’ve stayed this side of the flood gates just in case the river comes up even more!

Hmph!

Tilly did more calculations regarding the wall. She eyed up the wooden signposts again, checked them for claw stability, then decided the call of Dreamies was greater than achieving her goal of getting to the top of the wall.

Inside I took over the dinette table. Foamcor was measured out and cut up to make the base shapes of some giant sugar lumps and milk pods, the sort you get in hotels. I caught up on the Christmas Day radio 4 play which was directed by an acquaintance, The Signalman. All the edges of the shapes were covered in masking tape, this should stop the contact adhesive from eating into the foam when I come to cover them in yoga mats.

Held in place till it’s dry

Whilst the PVA glue was out I made use of it to re-stick some edging strip that was coming off in the bathroom. An off cut of foamcor proved useful to get the glue in behind the veneer. Masking tape used to hold it in position whilst the glue dries.

Mick got on with the oil change in the engine bay. He’s saved doing the filters until tomorrow, we doubt we’ll be on our way for a few days.

This evenings meal made use of the last ham, ham stock which I’d drained off when I roasted the joint. I made it into a stew with a potato, carrot and peas. The stew bubbled away on the stove top for an hour before I made use of the last of the stuffing, making a sort of topping out of it. It then went inside the oven to finish off. Verdict, tasty maybe a little bit salty, but a good invention to use up the last of the leftovers from Christmas.

Yesterday and today we watched Mayflies, a story of a man diagnosed with cancer and his wish to control the end of his life. What a jolly bit of TV to have between Christmas and the New Year! Some very good performances, but a box of tissues was very much required. To jolly things up we’ve watched episodes of Ghosts, Mick has nearly caught me up.

Glad I can’t make the mug to go with them!

0 locks, 0 miles, £60 oil, 4 bookings cancelled, 1 oil change, 6 inch sugar lumps, 1ft milk pods, 1 pot of stew, 2 many tears, 1 near death experience, 1 red lever, 20 catnip Dreamies spilled on the sofa, 2 swirling cats eyes!

Poor Robbie. 22nd November

Avon Aqueduct

Mick was into the engine bay early this morning as last night I’d been able to hear a slight squealing noise, Mick had only been able to hear it with the engine board lifted. This morning he gave the alternator belt a tighten and that seemed to do the trick. He does however have a slight thought that the bearings may be going!

Tilly still isn’t enamoured with our mooring, but she’ll have to put up with it for a few days as access to Rugby Station is required.

The coal skuttle was filled up, yellow water emptied then Mick had an early lunch whilst I had a lemsip. I think these post Christmas show colds are sent by your body to enforce you into having time off, which is good for me right now as resting my calf muscle is the most important thing.

Receipts and tissues

A little before midday Mick set off for the station, a visit to Scarborough needed to meet a plumber. A convoluted route north took him via Sheffield and Hull meaning a saving of at least £20, but he did get to see the Humber Bridge and wave to his Mum.

Back on board Tilly and I had a quiet day. It was time to sort out my expenses from Panto and invoice for the weeks painting I did before rehearsals started. The big stack of receipts were sorted through and then logged on the computer. Scanning followed and all was done. I’ll soon need to update my accounts for last year and file my tax return, maybe in the next few days.

He didn’t do it

Later part of the afternoon was spent in front of a Lewis episode, the one where poor Robbie gets to meet the chap who killed his wife. This was followed by more lemsip and some courgette, pea and feta fritters. The recipe gets better each time I do it, but before I share it with you I’ll need to make a batch of them when I haven’t got a cold.

Fritters

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 steps of the boat, 2 short explores by Tilly, 3 trains, 1 cold house, 1 invoice, £300+ expenses, 1 Lewis, 1 stove piled high, 6 fritters, 2 left for lunch tomorrow.

Fluid Category 5. 9th October

Abingdon Bridge to Jericho, Oxford Canal

A slow start this morning so that we could join the Geraghty zoom. Subjects today acorns, anti-virals and loft insulation.

Goodbye Abingdon

Another sunny day meant the river was busy. A canoe stopped a wide beam from pulling out across the way, they were wanting to wind so waited patiently then waved us on before they started their manoeuvre.

A tall affair

Abingdon Lock was set for us and we rose up with plenty of people watching, then pulled along onto the water point. It seems that some of the water points are being changed, the other day at Cleeve Lock I’d noticed the new short hose already attached to the tap, here the water point is long and tall with a yellow surround to it.

Backflow protection

The pressure wasn’t too great and the hose just managed to reach our water filler on the off side of the bow. Water seems to be pumped up high to a small tank and then it flows through the hose to your boat. This is all to do with not wanting to have river water flowing back into the water mains, which is understandable with the amount of sewage that is allowed into the rivers. But it all takes time. We were patient and made use of the big skips to dispose of our rubbish and recycling. Talking of which, if you are a boater, have you filled in the C&RT survey regarding services and distances between them? It’s anonymous so no reason not to have your say in what C&RT will see as the national standard for services. Survey Link

The next river reach goes on and on. Not as bad as when Mick did it a few years ago with an overheating engine with a large amount of fresh coming the other way. The sunk boat is still mid channel, then numerous rowing boats and plenty of cruisers out for a Sunday pootle.

Sandford being emptied

There was a blue board at Sandford Lock, but someone had set it to empty. I walked up with the boat hook and opened the gate. The Lock Keeper arrived, he’d been just about to go for lunch as we arrived, could he help with ropes? We got ourselves sorted and then waited for a cruiser to join us. They had no idea! A rope from the bow was put round a bollard as their boat continued into the lock. The rope was moved along, then again and again. The Lock Keeper went to help, pulling them back in the lock and making sure they had two ropes round the bollards. This lock fills from the sides as well as from the end, so you need to keep hold of your rope.

Just about full

We led the way, coming across numerous rowers all at bends which made positioning ourselves very awkward! I don’t think we’ve ever come into Oxford on a sunny Sunday in term time before. I think we’ll do our best to avoid it in future!

Iffley!

Iffley Lock, the Lavender Lock was on Self Service, it always feels like we’ve arrived in Oxford when we go through here . I headed up to see what needed doing. A small day boat was just entering the lock above to be followed by an eight, the lock just wide enough for them. A chap asked if I could open the gates for them so they could get back on board, of course I could. But this all took time as they hadn’t got a rope round a bollard, the boat tipping from side to side as people got on and off.

All that Lavender

Then a Lock Keeper appeared and requested that they put a rope around a bollard and then actually hold on to it! A request came from the boat, could he help with the rope. ‘No, I’ve got covid’ he then retreated to the other side of his garden.

Our turn next with the cruiser. We let them leave first as they’d be quicker than us, all we both had to do was negotiate our way around the waiting rowing boats and those also heading towards the lock.

Someone with a different style has been decorating the walls under bridges. An Arthurian subject, with knights on horse back jousting and a unicorn.

Trip boat 1 out of the way

Towards Folly Bridge there was a log jam. The cruiser we’d been sharing with had pulled over to the side, two eights were sat waiting for a big trip boat to wind and head down stream. The eights then had to wind themselves, another trip boat was about to back away from it’s moorings, but we got in first only to meet four canoes coming under the arch of the bridge. Hopefully now the river would calm down.

Canoes next

No! The cruiser suddenly appeared having come round the island of the bridge the other way. They headed off and we soon passed them trying to moor. Hopefully NOW the river would be quieter.

Demolition works

Osney Lock had a boat coming in from above. A lady closed the gates behind the boat the chap held onto his centre line. I suggested that I could work the bottom gates and sluice allowing the lady to get on board. She was happy with this and just carried on walking away from the lock, I suspect a helpful passerby rather than crew.

Here we were on our own, no Lock Keeper. A fella walked past and informed us that the Lockie here also had covid. There was space on East Street, maybe because the old Power Station is being demolished opposite.

On upstream under the bridge to Sheepwash Channel where we turned right. The old railway swing bridge that last year was shrouded in covers has been restored, sleepers and track, the workings all shiny black and yellow. Not that there is anywhere for it to connect to as houses stand where the line once used to be.

Isis

Isis Lock. Time to dig out the windlass again. This lock means Panto, Autumn leaves, Inspector Morse watching, Christmas shopping, fish and waiting for the River Cherwell to come out of flood. It’s nice to be back.

Going up

We pulled into the first space. Tilly was given 2.5 hours, Yeh yeh, I know where I am! It’s that isthmus outside! You always tie this one up! Still no new complex opposite. Time to put a Sunday roast on and have a catch up with my brother.

5 locks, 1 narrow one, 9.58 miles, 1 right, 1 left, 2 many boats, 1 tall waterpoint, 2 poorly Lockies, 2 boats with no idea, 1 near miss, 2.5 hours, 1 roast chicken, 1 sore throat!

https://goo.gl/maps/3fLKfvt1Zex53v7F6

The Morning After 25th September

Limehouse Basin to Paddington Basin

A bit of a lie in this morning was followed by Mick removing all the lights from Oleanna. I made my excuses from this as my knees have spent too much time over the last few days slightly twisted by standing on gunnels or kneeling and they need to have recovered by the time I start Panto painting. This morning Pam looked to be developing a black eye and had a bump on her head after her fall last night. She seemed jolly and was quite glad of having an excuse not to have to work the locks back up the Regents Canal.

Boats starting to leave

This morning Heather had decided to join us on the Tideway and she would chance getting in at Brentford with David. A fourth boat NB Thyme would be heading to Teddington with us, so everyone had a buddy. Locking time was confirmed as 11:30, just the final engine checks to be done.

Water swirling round to fill Limehouse Lock

A short while later Mick appeared from the engine bay. We had a puddle of coolant half an inch deep and the header tank was low. Yesterday we’d not overheated. It could be something simple to fix, but with Oleanna’s history of coolant leaks we weren’t sure. He checked the engine over. He tightened four jubilee clips on the hoses, they weren’t that loose.

Three in a lock

Should we go out onto the Tideway? Yes we’d be with other boats, after all the problem might now be solved. But on the other hand we’d be going out knowing that we might have a problem, be more apprehensive and know that we’d be relying on other boats to rescue us. That wouldn’t be right, and we wouldn’t enjoy the trip. So we aborted our chance of going under Tower Bridge for the third time in two days. A great shame, but we’d rather discover we didn’t have a problem anymore on the Regents Canal. Time to let Tilly know she could stand down and needn’t burrow into our pillows again.

Whilst Mick mopped up the engine bay I watched the three boats we should have been joining head back out onto the choppy waters of the tideway. The last boat out of the lock was NB Bleasdale, just as Heather completed the turn to face upstream she turned and waved. Not sure when our paths will cross next, but they will.

First lock today

Reverting to plan B we knew that our mooring in Paddington Basin hadn’t been cancelled and wouldn’t be until tomorrow, it would take us a while to get back up the locks and all the other boats heading that way had already left, we’d be on our own, we’d best get moving.

Not homemade gf pastry, but still yum

As we worked our way back up the Regents Canal the oven was put on, sausage rolls we’d intended for yesterday were baked between locks, cooled just enough by the time we’d risen Old Ford Lock and had a longer pound to eat them in.

Home

Today we had a wide cruiser ahead of us for one lock who made use of an empty lock, they were heading along the Hertford Union so we’d be going different ways. We shared Acton’s Lock with a young couple, they were only heading to the next available mooring and stopped just after the lock possibly to use the services there.

Just about every lock was set against us. At nearly every lock we had a crowd of gongoozlers watching our every move. Occasionally someone would lend a hand with a gate and occasionally we had to ask people to move for their own safety.

Electrified

For the first time we’ve passed the entrance to Victoria Park on a Sunday whilst the market has been on, today we didn’t really have the time or energy to stop for a nosy. The food smells were wonderful though, but my sausage rolls were just the ticket to keep us going.

City Road Lock

City Road Lock I had extra crew. A chap who works at the cafe there leapt into action, helping with gates, closing paddles, he even has his own windlass. Today he’d helped around twenty boats through, I wondered if he ever did any paid work at the cafe! This lock has yellow and red lines painted round it and signs all over the place. These suggest to boaters that if they consider members of the public to be in danger then to beep your horn five times at which the public will move away. These signs had been attached to the lock beams with cable ties, as I walked to get back onto Oleanna my foot caught on one. A trip hazard if ever there was one!

Islington Tunnel ahead

There is now a stretch of 14 day Eco Moorings near Camley Street Bridge, they don’t appear bookable on the C&RT website and they were very very full. At the bottom of the Camden Locks there was a boat coming down, I helped and chatted to the owner, they were having a bit of a cruising party to their next mooring an Eco mooring near Kings Cross.

As we rose in the lock I knew the top lock was being emptied, the middle lock managing to stay empty for us and the crew above taking their time doing everything! Sadly they’d left the wrong gate open on the top lock, I now knew why the volunteers don’t like using it. It opens over the steps and over the accompanying locks beam, so the beam is high up, but not high enough to crawl under once you’ve got it over the steps. All very awkward, but at least I kept an eye on where my feet were.

Now we just had to negotiate our way along through the zoo and Maida Hill Tunnel around all the Go Boats. This involved some zigzagging, being waved ahead of them at the tunnel and we managed to avoid them all.

Go Boats out on mass this afternoon

Little Venice we turned left and headed down into Paddington Basin where our not quite cancelled booked mooring sat waiting for us. Another three spaces available, it’s the first time we’ve ever seen room here.

Heading into the basin

We were tired and hungry, so despite having had pizza yesterday we headed to Pizza Express and filled up on a Classic pizza each. A longer day than if we’d have headed out onto the Tideway, but at least it looks like just tightening up the jubilee clips has done the trick.

Yummo

12 locks, 9.24 miles, 1 straight on, 1 leak, 1 plan aborted, 8 sausage rolls, 1 happier cat, 0 shore leave still, 2 pizzas, 2 glasses of wine, 2 pretty pooped boaters.

https://goo.gl/maps/WFQpSuhh8Y87u15S6

In Triplicate. 7th September

Oundle Cruising Club

My brain was whirring with all the little jobs I needed to do before putting panto things in the post, so much so there was next to no point in lying in bed just thinking about them, I might as well be up doing them. I reckoned half a day would see all the jobs done and a parcel wrapped up, a walk into Oundle Post Office, then all I’d be left with would be emails and the occasional zoom meeting before I start painting the set in five weeks time.

Checking the green is the right shade

I worked away, altering colours of a few things, cutting away some sky on others. A list of amendments to drawings. Sue came to wave us off, but we wouldn’t be leaving until the afternoon or maybe put it off until tomorrow. A Sainsburys delivery arrived and was stowed away.

After lunch Mick decided that he’d change Oleanna’s oil and a filter, an early service but one that would need doing whilst we were on our mission. Tilly busied herself outside, not sure if she’s ever made it up onto the club roof, I’d seen her doing the calculations the other day!

Barrow repainted in rusty colours

Drawings amended. Copies amended in triplicate! The right sized shoe box found and some bubble wrap. By now it was getting on for 16:30, I’d just make the Post Office. Then Mick mentioned that Royal Mail would be on strike the next two days!

They apparently would do their best to deliver Tracked 24 parcels. I looked this up on line. Only downside is that they have to collect your parcel, you can’t just drop it off at a Post Office! Well that wouldn’t happen!

Evie was looked up, next day would be the way to go. Nearest parcel shop, Thrapston! Nowhere in Oundle to drop the parcel off at. Thrapston being four hours away and they recommend dropping your parcel off before midday. Should we make a start on the four hours today? It was nearly 17:00, yellow water, water tank to deal with, Tilly busy outside. Decision made, we’d leave extra early tomorrow morning.

Goodbye until we meet again

In between receiving emails from Jo the panto props maker regarding horse manure we walked across the marina to say our goodbyes to Sue and Ken. If we hadn’t been leaving so early tomorrow we’d have been able to share the first few locks with them. We had a cuppa, chat and then said our final farewell. Hopefully there will be no more delays with broken locks for either of us and once up the Northampton flight we’ll be heading in opposite directions.

Evening fishing

Early night for us tonight.

0 locks, 0 post for 2 days, 6 final amendments, 2 shovels of manure, 9 litres oil, 1 filter, 1 full water tank, 1 empty wee tank, 1 food delivery, 1 boat, 2 boaters, 1 cat all ready for the off.