Category Archives: Boat Engines

Red Hand Gang. 15th September

Nearish No 4 Swing Bridge

Another hot day. A layer of dew clung to everything this morning so whilst we had breakfast I hoped that all the woodwork I’d worked on yesterday would dry off so that I could apply a second coat of woodskin.

Meanwhile Tilly was given another 9 hours of shore leave, the first part of which was spent inspecting my work from yesterday, I so hoped that everything had dried fully!

A quick wipe down to remove any stubborn drops of water and any unfortunate insects that happened to have landed yesterday whilst things were still sticky. Luckily this didn’t include Tilly, although there did seem to be a paw print visible on the locker lids as I started to wizz on the second coat. Locker lids and the wood at the stern were done first before the cratch so that hopefully by the end of the day they could be brought back on board.

Meanwhile Mick popped on his boiler suit and climbed down into the engine bay. The water and anti-freeze from the leak the other day needed cleaning up. He first pumped out into a bucket. Then what? There was quite a lot of it. In the past we’ve found it hard to dispose of old coolant/antifreeze, some council tips you have to make an appointment to dispose of such things. Nappies were used to soak up the liquid and gradually bin bags were filled with them. We now have three black bags of nappies awaiting disposal, one nappy left and still some liquid in the sump below the engine.

I decided to revisit the red paint that I’d touched up whilst in Naburn a few weeks ago. The horrible red paint that had dried almost instantaneously as soon as I’d got any on my brush!

I masked off the areas and gave them a sand down. The dust produced quickly clogged the sandpaper and clung to my hands, little left on the surface to clean off. One small patch on the starboard side got a sand down too, this didn’t receive the horrid red paint before as it was on the offside in Naburn. Today though I braved the offside gunnel. The cabin side being dark blue had spent the morning absorbing the sunshine and blimey it was HOT, almost burning my leg as I lent against it.

After lunch, the last of the treat cheese being consumed, I mixed up the wrong red paint on purpose. This is the red I had mixed to the RAL number in Oleanna’s bible. Last year when at Finesse the painter confirmed my suspicions saying that it was a different red than that had been used, a touch darker. But this wrong red flows properly and doesn’t go off within seconds of opening the tin.

Our grab rail is very faded now and will want a repaint next year, so making it a touch of a patchwork right now to protect it this winter is fine in my mind, just so long as we can take time out from boating when the weather is good enough to do the job properly in the spring and maybe after a trip through Standedge Tunnel.

The paint went on like a dream, luckily the rail not too hot for the lengths I was painting. The sunlight on the smooth finish picking out the blemishes I’d not spent enough time on! Oh well, it’s better protected now.

As I stood on the offside again, toasting my legs, I heard a high pitched cheep. Then flying past at speed low to the water a Kingfisher it’s latest catch still in it’s mouth. Oh to have a motion sensor camera set up, it was quite a sight.

Tilly took a bit of persuading to come in, she was found about to pounce at the far end of the open towpath. The pounce proved fruitless so she followed me back to Oleanna for dingding. This now meant I could get some undercoat on the stern, the primer/filler sanded down once Mick had finished in the engine bay. As I applied the paint, two fishermen packed up a short distance behind us, only for our local Kingfisher to dive in in front of them to retrieve a fish.

We’d just settled down to watch Des, the dramatisation of Dennis Nilsen a serial killer played by David Tennant, when Mick checked the weather. It was due to rain. Time to lift everything in off the towpath carefully. Mick tip toed around the wet undercoat on the stern to bring the locker lids back in whilst I carefully, in the dark, poppered back on the cratch cover. I’d have preferred it to have another night drying off, but it was better to get everything covered up again. We then sat and listened to the rain whilst we swatted this evenings blood thirsty midges!

0 locks, 0 miles, 2nd coat, 3 buckets! 25 nappies! still more to soak up, 2nd coat, 2 red hands, 1 nice coat, 1 undercoat, 1 hour homework, 2 kingfishers, 1st episode, 4, 10 new bites each, 2 rain showers, 24 items on the new list of jobs.

THE Slowest. 13th September

The Shooting Range to Pollington Visitor Moorings

Boats started coming past as we had our morning cuppa in bed with the Saturday newspaper. The second one deserved a photo, NB Mr Blue Sky, I just managed to get a picture as they disappeared out of view. This was the boat we’d shared the Rochdale locks into Manchester with last year, but the crew would have no idea who we were, Clare and Graeme being from New Zealand and most definitely not on board today. We waved anyway.

Gun fire started at 9am, we intended to move once breakfast had been consumed, no shore leave for Tilly this morning.

Covers rolled up and chains extricated from around the beam on the bank we were just about to push off when an alarm sounded! Hang on! The engine was over heating, after only about ten minutes. This is what had happened on the Thames last year when Mick and Paul (Waterway Routes) were moving Oleanna from the Kennet and Avon back onto the Oxford Canal. At least this time there was no need to deploy the anchor.

Engine off, ropes passed round the beam, time to open up the engine bay to see what was happening.

The filler cap of the header tank was removed, the level in the tank was low, the temperature reading just below 100 when it normally sits at 80. Two plastic milk bottles were retrieved from the recycling and filled up, 8 pints of water required to be able to see the level again, a good glug of antifreeze was also added. Engine turned on, temperature back down.

Before the engine board was lowered Mick checked the pipe that connects to the calorifier. Last time this happened an RCR chap found this to be very loose, tightened it up thinking that the problem was solved. Well on that occasion it wasn’t the main problem. Today spanners came out from the tool box and did the tightening, hopefully this time we’ll not have a load of gunk in the tank. Mick is considering having a proper look over winter, drain the system down to check that the problem from last year hasn’t recurred. At least this time we’re not trying to punch upstream against rising waters.

We pushed off winding a short distance ahead where the canal is a few feet wider. Several boats had come past that we knew had been moored at Pollington yesterday so we were likely to find space for ourselves.

Sure enough there was plenty of room, only one boat left and another at the water point topping up their tank. We took the end mooring nearest the tap and Mick took our hose across to stake our claim as being next. The couple sat by the tap hoped we weren’t in a rush as it was a very slow tap. No problem.

They had a dog, so despite Tilly thinking it was her right to strut her stuff on the towpath she was kept in. The washing machine was set going, a breeze and sunshine the perfect day to dry washing. We waited for the tap and waited.

Ribblesdale Blue Goats Cheese and Garlic Yarg, yum!

Lunchtime we were now wondering if the boat ahead were actually filling as we’d been here for over an hour already. We had lunch, time for that treat cheese to help while away the time. Eventually they disconnected their hose and pushed off. Our second hose was needed to reach the tap from our mooring and as Mick turned the tap the flow was completely underwhelming. Those who complain about the tap at Hillmorton have seen nothing! The trickle took around two hours to fill our tank, good job we weren’t aiming to go anywhere else today.

Tilly headed straight off to the drain that runs alongide the moorings. In the past she has ended up on the wrong side of this and had difficulty in returning, necessitating the mad cat woman walking all the way up to the swing bridge to find a suitable crossing place, which earlier in the day had been full of dogs! Luckily today this course of action was not required.

Time to do some jobs. The bubbles of paint on the stern, which I’d started to sort last year, then re-fertaned when we were near Saltaire, needed another scrape and more fertan applying. This time I’m determined to get further with it, but having a freshly painted stern means you can’t cruise anywhere and you have to be careful of white paws treading in the sticky paint.

I must get further than just priming it this time!

Next I had a go at polishing out some scratches on the cabin side. At a troublesome swing bridge on the Leeds Liverpool in the wind Oleanna had got caught against some branches, which left a good mark. Blue scratch cover has helped a little, but it is still visible.

Next the blue paint came out. The tin needing a good stir. I always like the first few turns of a stick bringing the pigment up to the top and the swirls it makes, just a shame it then takes ten times longer to be convinced that pigment is evenly distributed through the medium. A few chips of paint were touched in where there was still the underlying coats of paint visible. A couple of bad ones on the bow.

Boats came and went as the afternoon got wonderfully warm, not a cloud in the sky.

The stern deck was rinsed off with the hope of getting a coat of primer on once Tilly had returned, very late in the day for paint, but hopefully it would be alright.

Despite there being quite a breeze we decided to go ahead with having a barbecue. Whilst in Doncaster we’d popped into the fish market and bought a couple of very generous salmon steaks. A comment on the blog from Marilyn a few days ago regarding the quantity of ginger we’d received and what I could use it for encouraged me to have a go.

Salmon, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and soy sauce

Each Salmon steak was laid on some foil, a thumbs worth of ginger and a small clove of garlic were grated over them, a light sprinkle of sugar, a glug of soy sauce and a small one of lemon juice. They were then wrapped up and left waiting to be cooked.

Sweetcorn for starters, then the salmon and some veg and haloumi kebabs. Our restaurant grade charcoal still pumping out plenty of heat long after everything was cooked and consumed. The sun gently going down behind the swing bridge below the lock.

A lovely evening only slightly marred by the midges arriving, so we beat a hasty retreat indoors and closed all the windows.

Verdict on the salmon. Very very tasty. Thank you Marilyn for the inspiration, this will definitely be added to the repertoire.

0 locks, 1.37 miles, 1 wind, 8 pints, 1 tightened joint, 2 hours to fill, 18 fishermen, 2 loads washing, 1 stern scraped, sanded , fertaned, primed, 4 scrapes, 2 chips, 2 very tasty chunky salmon steaks, 2 corn on the cobs, 4 veg haloumi kebabs, 1 stunning evening, 6, 1 pooped cat, 0.5 internet coverage.

https://goo.gl/maps/MKTH9romXNbRs65H6

We Haven’t Checked The Roof Yet. 11th August

Beal Lock to West Haddlesey Flood Lock, Selby Canal

I woke to a different noise this morning. I’m used to Mick’s snoring so today this was something different. The high pitched call of a Kingfisher as it did it’s morning turn around the lock island, I only saw it zoom past once and far too quick for me to get the camera out. What a lovely mooring I thought.

Outside the water had become covered in a layer of whiteness. We’ve noticed this here before, but where could it come from? Is it from the Himalayan Balsam that surrounds the lock cut? Or some fall out from the surrounding Power Stations? We doubt the latter as only one of them is still in use.

As we had breakfast there was a sudden downpour. It looked like someone had superimposed the rain on top of a layer of marble as it landed on the white water.

Being by a handy water point on the pontoon, Mick had set a load of washing going and went out to fill the tank. The rain and the white in the air had mixed together and created a dribbley effect down Oleanna’s cabin sides. So much for giving her a wash down!

Once the water tank was full again Mick put together the expanding hose with spray gun to give the roof and starboard cabin side a rinse down. I followed with a cloth giving it a good rub, another rinse and then a wipe down. Sadly I think I’d have been better off starting from scratch with a proper wash down of the cabin side as there was a lingering stubborn streakyness. At least it didn’t look like someone had tipped diluted white paint over us.

Before more of the white stuff could fall we were ready to push off. A couple of boats had come past us yesterday afternoon heading towards Selby, so Beal Lock needed filling. As I waited for the chamber to fill the noisy Kingfisher did a circuit and landed on the weir boom post, a good vantage point. This was at quite a distance, must work out why my camera doesn’t zoom quite as much as it used to.

Down the lock, the gates heavy, but manageable, we started on the big twisty turns heading down stream. Great views of Eggborough as we steered round the 180 degree bends. Some sheep had come down to the waters edge for a drink, one seemed to be stuck shouting into a hole in the bank.

We pondered on the lack of rubbish again, the tide line from flooding. Maybe it was all still there and the trees and friendly cover being so lush and green right now are just masking it.

Every five minutes I was requested to check the temperature gauge. 80 or there abouts, just where it should be.

West Haddlesey flood lock came into view, with the levels low we didn’t even bother pulling in to drop me off. Mick swung Oleanna round and sure enough the flood lock was open at both ends. The 48 hr mooring here was empty so we decided to call it a day. The other moorings along the canal were likely to all be in full sunlight, so at least here we knew we’d be able to let Tilly out.

Eggborough, just how a power station should look

The grassy outside was just teaming with friends. All I had to do was select one. Which I did quite quickly. With only a landing next to the boat I didn’t find it suitable to dine on, only one thing for it the bedroom floor. She didn’t seem too please with me, but stood by as I finished every morsal, reciting the rules.

‘NO friends home dead….’

A little rest was required to help digestion, it was hot this outside, being a long cat for five minutes was needed. Then back out to see who else I could find. There was this jolly chap who I decided to bring home to play.

‘….Or alive…..’

But he dashed into the newspapers and Tom’s shoes. I tried to find him, but he was being elusive. She came to help, everything being shaken out before being put on the bed. There he was, just a touch too plump to fit under the washing machine! She was even less pleased, but my intended game ended up getting everyone involved.

Tom put a big box blocking off the route into the rest of the boat, my friend now having made a dash for the bathroom. Tom then came in through the front door, pokers and shovels to assist. I did my best to keep the focus away from the toilet and hunted at the other end of the bedroom, hoping this would keep the game going on for longer.

The box She had was too big, another receptical was needed, narrow enough to go down the side of the toilet. One was found and emptied. Then a two pronged attempt, Tom with poker at one side of the toilet and She with container in hand which just handily dropped over my friend. Game over. I’d hope it would last longer. It nearly did!

She managed to get the shovel under the container, then it and my friend were carried out the front doors. I followed to watch. My friend could smell the fresh muggy air so stuck it’s nose out through a hole in the side of the container, managing to squeeze through it, just like I do with the bathroom door.This is where She gave up, and just let it run away into the friendly cover. I was then picked up and returned inside to make sure Tom was clearing up properly. I don’t know why but my friend had left lots of little poohs everywhere!

‘….or on the roof for later!’

We haven’t checked up there yet!

After all the excitement a big shiny widebeam arrived taking its time to come through Tankards Bridge, all bow thrusters constantly being used. They pulled up behind us. Earwigging when we could. It seems that the Collingwood boat may have been on brokerage in Selby and just sold. It was being taken to Goole. Phone calls were numerous. They had no VHF radio but would need one, where would they be able to moor up, arrival of the low loader and crane, permission from the harbour master at Goole. All exciting stuff. I wonder where the boat will be taken to?

They moved off, a small Sea Otter pulling in and mid afternoon another narrowboat pulled in filling the gap. Here on board with his owners was Sid. He’s used to elderly cats, a nineteen year old in fact who was busy checking the insides of her eye lids. Tilly on the other hand kept a close eye on Sid from the safety of the cat walk.

We sat for a while with bow and stern doors closed, only the side hatch and galley windows giving us any form of air in the boat. In the end we decided that we’d rather Tilly brought more friends in than expire with the heat.

Time to replace the zip on my bum bag. Hand sewing would have to do. I took note of how the old one had been sewn in before unpicking it. The only problem I would have was what to do with the ends of the new zip, where they should poke into the bag had big rivets holding the strap on.

Pinned, then tacked into position, the zip worked. I then did my best to poke the ends in as far as they would go before slowly back stitching the zip in. Not the prettiest of sewing, but hopefully it will hold out for a while longer. At least my phone and camera will be safely zipped up when crossing lock gates again.

1 lock, 1 flood lock, 3.75 miles, 1 left, 1 streaky boat, 2 rinses, 1 circling Kingfisher, 80, 1 quiet hot mooring, 1 widebeam, 0 radio, 2 friends at least, 1 eaten, 1 murder scene cleaned up, 1 tuperware too big, 1 small pot with escape hatch, 1 poker, 1 shovel, 2 boaters kept busy, 1 cat reminded of the rules!!!

https://goo.gl/maps/EwMVvC24Uh1aSdqq9

Fonts. 15th July

Haigh Golf Club

As we had our morning cuppa in bed we discussed what we should do for the next few days. Ahead of us lie three lock flights before we reach the summit pound of the Leeds Liverpool Canal. We’ve been right across the L&L a couple of times, east to west, but never west to east. Our first hire boat together was from Silsden through Foulridge Tunnel and then back across to Bingley for the five and three locks. So on this side of the Pennines we’ve not explored so much, we’ve been looking forward to it.

However. Lock 51, the bottom of the Barrowford flight has a problem with its cill, an attempt to mend it took place on Sunday, but didn’t work. Engineers were due to have a look on Monday, but they were too busy elsewhere so today they would access what would be needed. This meant that until we hear what the prognosis is we won’t be rushing to the bottom of the flight, it’s a 15 hour cruise away.

The other thing that affects our route is C-19. The area that we will be travelling through currently has a spike in cases, not as high as Leicester, but still high. For the last few days the local news has been talking about special measures being imposed in Blackburn and Pendle with the hope that the number of cases can be brought back down, therefore avoiding local lockdowns. Even before we knew about the spike, our current covid world meant we were unlikely to spend much time in the towns and cities, doing our best to avoid being with too many people.

So now we have a slight dilemma. We would quite like to speed through the next 40 odd miles to avoid a possible lockdown but we also don’t want to be stuck waiting for a lock to be mended right in a Covid hotspot.

It was raining, so we decided to stay put for the day and await the engineers report later on. The back doors were open for an excited Tilly who was given a full 9 hours shore leave. Except the damp air didn’t go down too well with her! Much of the day was spent staring at the outside from the dryness of the pram cover, occasional trips out but not for long.

Mick went off in search of milk and bread, retracing our route then cutting across country to Whelley where there was a Tesco Express.

Meanwhile I got on with a touch of work. Vanessa from Separate Doors has asked me to do an illustration for the cover of a Crisis pamphlet. A couple of days ago I’d sent her some ideas and yesterday she’d replied as to which one to go with, luckily my preferred one.

Time to work out the layout and then search for a suitable font. Our new computer has a huge list of fonts, but half of them you have to download. Not a problem, except to see what they look like it means downloading them all! A tiresome task, not one I fancied today. So I just worked my way down the list of those available, selecting possibles for an audition. Once I had my shortlist I then gradually wheedled them down to one. Then that needed manipulating, all taking loads of time.

With the correct size and spacing I then traced the lettering onto the page only to discover that my centre line was just slightly off and some spacing of letters looked a touch odd leaving small gaps! A bit of nudging about and it was better, good enough for a mock up to send Vanessa for approval.

This afternoon Mick took the opportunity to lift the engine board and give Oleanna a service. Her last service had been 250 hours ago at the beginning of March. Just an oil change and filter today along with checking coolant levels and belts. We also renewed our RCR membership which had lapsed in the last week.

Two boats came past today. First NB Billy, Hellos and waves were passed from our dry position at the dinette to Clare’s soggy one at the helm. Then mid afternoon another boat came past heading towards the locks. I think we may have found the quietest stretch on the network at the moment, this of course may change when we reach Yorkshire.

By the end of the day news came through from C&RT that scaffolding would be erected at Lock 51 tomorrow and they hoped that the repair would be finished on Friday, with the navigation reopening in the evening. Great news.

Then on the local news there was more talk of re-imposing measures to try to take control over the spike. We took a closer look at our maps. Pendle covers a large area which includes Barnoldswick and Greenberfield Locks, the other side of Foulridge Tunnel! Hopefully for these communities the measures they are bringing back in will work and for us hopefully we’ll be through should a full lockdown be enforced. We’ll just have to come back to explore this section another time.

0 locks, 0 miles, 3.5 hours for Wigan yesterday, 4 pts milk, 2 loaves bread, 1 stocked freezer, 1 damp day, 4 muddy paws, 1 illustration in danger, 10 fonts down to 1, 51 broken, 9 litres oil, 1 filter, 1 bronze membership, 2 spikes en route, 1 west side still to explore.

Setting Up Office. 16th June

Bramble Cuttings

Last night we had more rain, thunder and lightening and when we woke it was still peeing it down! As we supped our cuppas in bed we could hear the boat behind us start up its engine and gradually pull away, when it came to taking a peek out of the side hatch we realised we were on our own, the boat in front of us had vanished. Oh well what a shame, Bramble Cuttings all to ourselves!

First job, after letting Tilly out, the yellow water tank. We tried to remember when we last emptied it and we think it was at Calverley! This job normally gets done every three or four days, we’d reached six days. No wonder it was making a slightly odd noise this morning! We considered heading up the canal to wind and return to make the job easier, but that could take a couple of hours and would our space still be here? So instead we pulled back to one end of the moorings with less overhanging trees and set the hose up over the top of Oleanna. The container we pump into had very little room left in it for even one rinse of the tank, the fullest it’s ever been.

The rain last night hadn’t been conducive to sussing out the phone signal. I remembered it wasn’t so good here and certainly in the cabin I only had Emergency calls. With the sun doing it’s best to show itself and the storm clouds having cleared I had a wander around the mooring to see if signal was better. First one picnic bench then another, a couple of faint dots appeared, hopefully that would do. Time to go to work.

Several of our shopping bags protected myself and the laptop from the very wet picnic bench. Then I was ready to make my call. Last week I’d caught up with the Director for Panto and today Helen the costume designer and I were going to have a designers huddle. Comparing notes and references, making sure that the two of us were heading in the same direction with the overall look of the show. After all I could have been heading down the Arthurian way and Helen setting the show in the 60s/70s. But both of us were on the same track. We shared a few ideas and decided which way to go with one character, both a puppet and an actor. Helen will design the costume then I’ll sort the puppet to match. A very good meeting and worth getting a slightly damp bum for.

Bramble Cuttings all to myself, well She and Tom were here too along with a few friends! Fewer now.

Whilst She chatted away I had a good nosy round, claimed all the benches as mine and enjoyed clambering up and down an old tree that had been cut short. Plenty of pouncing possibility. I soon found friends and brought them out of the friendly cover to play with. She wasn’t too impressed and I got taken inside on one occasion, ‘to give your friend a chance to run away!’ But I was soon back outside trying to track it down again. The use of a barbecue stand gave me extra height to see over the tall grass for any movement.

Next I had some thinking to do and an email to send. Yesterday my agent had been in touch regarding designing another show this year. With the theatre industry sitting on a knife edge at the moment this was quite a surprise.

In normal pre-covid and pre-boating days I’d have checked the dates seen that it fitted quite well with panto, said yes and started to pack my bags for another trip to Vienna. But life is not that way anymore.

Austria is ahead of us with Covid-19 and the Vienna English Theatre are starting to put together a plan to reopen later this year. I presume they have social distancing to deal with and then importing their actors, director and designer from England. The dates sit very close to panto and it would mean me being away from Mick and Tilly for a few weeks in a row. I’d return from Vienna and head straight to Chippy. Should the 14 day quarantine still be enforced I would not be able to do both. But if Panto can’t go ahead then it would be a shame to turn it down. So many factors no body knows the answer too. I sent an email to Chippy to see what the current feeling there is.

Mick checked the engine bay to see how much water had made it’s way down there yesterday in the storm. Only water where it is expected to be, the rest still dry, the drain around the engine board did it’s job well.

Early afternoon we were joined by a boat at the far end of the moorings, they proceeded to sand back to metal a portion of their gunnels, but after about an hour the world fell silent again and they pushed off heading towards Middlewich, leaving us all alone again.

The washing machine was put to use, but we didn’t dare hang it out as it would certainly get another rinse as late afternoon the sky started to rumble away again, this was soon followed by more torrential rain.

Thunder? What’s that?

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 empty wee tank, 1 office, 1 load washing, 2 designers in a huddle, 1 designer in a quandary, 2 dinky frogs, 6ft back to metal, 1 boat cat in heaven, 1 thunderous evening, 1 Tuesday roast of pork.

https://goo.gl/maps/WZMGP8SRNqi4NFzp9

Whistling Away. 17th March

Audlem between locks 11 and 12 to Coole Pilate Visitor Moorings

A sliced loaf of bread was found at the Co-op whilst Tilly stretched her legs outside. I finished off making a ball of gluten free pasta which will get turned into Lasagna tomorrow and fed my sourdough starter to get it all bubbly and frothy ready to make bread. Then a load of washing was put on.

There was a chap in the engine bay of the boat ahead, the one that had broken down yesterday. The oil Mick had given them had ended up in the bilges, an O ring needed replacing and with that done the engine was fixed.

This morning we conferred with other boaters about what we should do with coronavirus escalating. It was good to hear someone else’s measured opinion, we were in agreement to continue cruising. Out if interest Mick checked for any available slots for online shopping at places along the Shropie. No slots available in the next three weeks from all the supermarkets and Ocado we were 7889th in the queue! We’ll be walking to get shopping.

I sent an email to Dark Horse to see if any decisions had been made regarding the show I’m working on for them. Most of their actors are likely to be in the high risk category so rehearsals will be cancelled. Later in the day I got a reply, the actors would be finishing tomorrow, then on Thursday a plan would be formulated, the outcome of this would be relayed to me on Monday, totally understandable. The model can stay safe and sound in a cupboard until then.

It was approaching midday when we pushed off. Just as I walked up to the next lock I could see a lady with a windlass in hand coming up to the lock which was empty. We opened the gates and chatted away. They were on a Chas Harden hire boat and doing the four counties ring in two weeks. The bywash below the lock was a touch of a surprise to the chap at the helm.

Once we were down I was left to close the lock whilst Mick pulled Oleanna onto a mooring on the offside. It’s so much easier to empty the yellow water tank moored up on the port side. Once the tank was empty we pushed over to the water point outside The Shropie Fly.

A few enjoying the sun and a drink at safe distance

It was good to see people sat drinking up the sun and pints, not many but a few were spaced out at the tables. Tilly kept them amused by sitting in a window and keeping an eye on them.

Only one high lighted pooh on the whole flight

We were just beaten to the lock by a shareboat and then waited for another boat to come up from the next lock down. We swapped with then and then swapped with another boat in the next pound. It’s always busy along here, but we are always the last boat through so there’s nobody around to help us.

Once down the bottom lock we toyed with mooring with the great view but decided to carry on to Coole Pilate. The wind got up, it got chilly, but then despite it’s strength straight across the canal Oleanna resisted the push, so some engine had to be used to get us into the side.

The visitor mooring here is long, currently there are four boats all spaced out with plenty of room for others to join. Should we need to we’ll happily nudge up to the nosy neighbours in front.

Tilly headed off to explore after claiming several of the picnic benches as hers. I mixed up my loaf and set it to rise for six hours on the proving shelf, it wasn’t as sticky as last time.

Outside the wind picked up and for the first time our chimney started to whistle! Maybe the height of the flue and angle of the wind were just perfect for it. All evening it continued, only one note mind. Mick tried adjusting things, he even lowered the flue to the short length, this altered the note by a semitone. The only way to stop it was by opening the stove door! Needless to say we put up with the noise instead.

4 locks, 2.37 miles, 1 plastic loaf, 1 sourdough loaf, 1 batch cookies, 1 ball of pasta, 7889th, 3 uphill boats, 1 downhill, 1 empty wee tank, 1 full water tank, 1 clean pooh box, 1 cat with crossed paws, 1 orange pooh, 1 windy blowy afternoon, 1 nosy woofer, 2 hours shore leave, 4 muddy paws, 1 whistling chimney, 1971 Mrs Didcock on Blue Peter, enjoy.

https://goo.gl/maps/HYv7wow6QDnsicPj6

Magnet Fishing. 11th March

Shushions Bridge to High Meadow Aqueduct, Norbury Junction

Look what Mick caught this morning!

Our ash pan. Last night when he was emptying it into our ash can it slipped off the handle thingy and dived into the depths of the Shropshire Union. It apparently made a very good noise as it hit the water, instantly cooling down in a sizzle. Luckily our Sea Magnet did the job of retrieving it from the not too deep depths.

A sea magnet is a very useful thing, when we were at Sandford Lock on the Thames, a shareboat moored nearby somehow dropped a side hatch door into the cut. Our magnet managed to hold it’s weight for it to be pulled out. You hope never to use it, but when the time comes they are very handy.

Tilly was allowed shore leave before we set off, she found her own breakfast and then returned for a snooze.

Whilst still in bed the first boat went past, then as we had breakfast several more. Has the boating season just suddenly started? We’ve seen more moving boats today than in the last few months! Just as we were pushing off one appeared through the bridge hole behind us, Mick pulled us back in quickly to let them go first.

Our route took us through more wooded cuttings, one boat had stopped to fill his hold with large chunks of tree, suspect he’ll keep warm for quite some time.

Looking back the arch made by the trees and ivy were a fairytale, sadly waiting for the next windy day to topple a few more of them.

A day boat came towards us, pulled too far over to the side and got stuck. Mick suggested going into reverse to help pull the stern away from the bank, they were soon free again.

The approach to Cowley Tunnel, all 80 yards of it was a haze of branches just starting to turn green at their tips. Through the tunnel cut from stone with trees clinging on for dear life above.

We considered stopping here, but first checked out the two canalside pubs menus. With plans on meeting friends tomorrow I wanted to see if I could have anything other than steak or gammon. Sadly neither The Boat or Navigation menus on line gave many options, so we stuck to our original plan and continued.

Just through the bridge a dog ran back and forth, checking either end of it’s boat. We knew who this was, the plant boat. A couple of years ago we bought a Thyme plant from them which is still going strong, we told the chap, he was happy but it did mean no sale. I’m considering trying to grow strawberries this year, wonder when I should plant them? Have to look that up.

Now on embankments we got views, views stretching to the Wrekin.

Then we could see the end of moored boats, we pulled in behind one leaving no git gap. But then looked around. The wind was strong and we were under a large tree, at least we knew the size of gap to leave for a 58ft boat, we pulled back to avoid trees should they fall.

Tilly spent the afternoon up the trees. One route up, across three tops to a suitable route down again. Mick climbed into the engine bay again to finish off the engine service, this time the smelly fuel filters.

I got the drawing board out and spent the afternoon measuring and drawing up my design for The Garden. Three sheets of drawings, 1 for a carpenter, 2 for me. The whole show drawn up in a couple of hours.

0 locks, 6.06 miles, 80 yards of tunnel, 0 mysterons, 1 tasty friend, 1 mandarin spring roll, 1 very fit dog, 2 noninclusive menus, 1 changed fuel filter, 1 cleaned fuel filter, 2 outsides, 1 ground plan, 3 sheets working drawings, 2 much sewing to do, I’d best buy some fabric soon and start.

https://goo.gl/maps/iJoR2UCtk3iNAT5F9

Insideised. 8th March

Hunting Bridge 7

There weren’t any climbing frames in BUMingham

This outside isn’t all they made it out to be. Now don’t get me wrong, it is far far Far FAR better than BUMingham, but it is windy and surprisingly wet at times.

The frothy thing in the jar. It has two dingdings just like me

She’s been busy just about all day. I did think they were going to be moving the outside today as She followed Tom into the kitchen when he was making tea. But She just fed and watered the thing in a jar before going back to bed, this did however mean I got a game of pen before they got up properly.

She made breakfast and I was allowed to come and go as I liked. After a few turns around the sideways trees I decided to retire to the inside.

She was busy again, getting all gooey and sticky, apparently ‘mixing things’ and wrapping them in a towel, then a big bag. She then ignored it all day.

Isolated in a bag on the top shelf for six hours

The sun was out so I did my best to find a sunny spot, a few things needed rearranging, but then the sun wasn’t tall enough to get my head. Quite a disappointment really.

Tom got busy too, down the hole at the back. This meant my comings and goings got all confused. They had to be from the bow and not the stern as Tom had removed that end of the boat. Normally they know when I want to come in at the stern, they can hear me jump onto the hatch, but the bow doesn’t have the same effect. Having the one way door on the wrong side of the outside doesn’t help either. So I have to adopt a different method of attracting attention, shouting through the windows!

Excuse me! Hello!!! Is anyone in there!?!

She came out to have a bit of a walk and said we’d go to the trees as I need to rediscover the joys of them. She thinks I’ve become what she calls ‘Institutionalised‘! I think I’ve become ‘Insideised’!

Apparently I really liked this outside two years ago and explored everything there was. Climbing trees, pouncing on the friendly cover, nearly making it to the distant wood and running around like a ‘loon’ in the field. Maybe I used it all up!

Woofer fencing that needs careful negotiating

But today it was blowy, very blowy and the sideways trees have had an extra layer added to keep woofers out. I have to choose my places to climb through very carefully and then remember where it was I’d come through. It’s not normally that hard, I do it by smell, but today the smell was being blown away.

Tom got very short in the hole. I left him to it, not much I could do really.

She got her head in the clouds and talked mud on the phone.

It hailed, it rained, it blew, it rainbowed a double rainbow.

Then we got our first Shropie sky. Apparently the Shropie outside does good skies.

There’s been too much fresh air for one day. The main question of the day remains, does this outside deserve a Mrs Tilly stamp of approval? I’ll think about that behind closed eyes.

Zzzzzzz ….. Mice ….. Trees ….. Zzzzzzz …..

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 straights, 0 rights, 0 lefts, 0 tunnels, 0 boats, 14 sourdough pancakes, 2 hours to fluff up, 1 very sticky mess, 6 hours in a bag, 8.5 hours shore leave, 17 trips outside, 2.5 hours shore leave taken, 1 Houdini phone call, 1 cloud, 1 white card model final amendments, 750hrs engine service, 0.5 of it, 10 litres oil, 1 oil filter, 1 air filter, 2 rainbows, 1 double, 1 haily hail storm, 1st loaf of gluten free sourdough, 1 jury still out, 1 cat still inside.

Risen.

After 6 hours in the bag on the proving shelf.

Turned out.

onto a layer of grease proof paper. Ready to go in the cast iron pot and the very hot oven

End result.

Think I should have scored it deeper. Have to wait til tomorrow to see what it’s like

3000! 10th February

BUMingham

Mick had his eyes tested a couple of weeks ago and today it was my turn. We always go to Boots, hoping that there will be some link to previous tests, but their systems still haven’t been sorted so that they can compare digital photos of the back of your eyes with previous ones. Certainly at the High Street branch of Boots they look like they keep everyone’s details on cards in a long line of filing cabinets.

I had all the normal tests, had difficulty with the periphery vision test as I did last time and had to redo it. The usual comment about high blood pressure came up, apparently I have wiggly veins in my eye which suggests this. The optician wanted me to get this checked out ASAP along with referring me through my GP for another test.

This is one of those moments as a boater that you don’t fit into the normal sized and shaped box. So you spend sometime explaining.

My GP is in Scarborough, I’m not likely to be there until the summer, maybe, unless I need to go there. My address is London, this is a correspondence address and I may not go there until December. I have also got a medical address in Scarborough, but my GP seems to have been able to work with my London address recently. I however do not live in any of these places as I live on a boat and constantly move around the country. I am currently in Birmingham, I refrained from calling it BUMingham as I didn’t want to cause offence.

Naturally I really don’t want to head all the way to Scarborough for my GP to do a blood pressure test which was likely to be normal, as it has been before. This was quite an easy one to solve as this Boots has all sorts of clinics in its basement, one being a Walk-in Centre. So I promised to go there. The referral, well we’ll have to wait and see. She asked where I might be next week, suggesting I may get an appointment in Birmingham, bingo! However when this happened to Mick a couple of years ago in Chester his refferal didn’t come through for weeks by which time we’d made it to Gloucester. So we’ll wait and see what happens with that.

No new glasses required, but my next test will be in 12 months not 48.

With a letter in hand I walked straight over to the Walk-in Centre, filled out the form and sat down expecting to have quite a long wait. After about twenty minutes my name was called, pressure checked in all of five minutes. Verdict all normal as I thought. But better to be sure, just glad I hadn’t booked a train ticket to go to Scarborough.

The day has been blustery and wet. At times it has been trying to snow, but not succeeding.

Back at Oleanna, Tilly had been allowed out today, not that she’s that keen.

At 17:44 I wrapped up warm and headed out to sit in the pram cover. Oleanna was about to hit a milestone. At 17:45 the digital engine hours clicked/flashed from 2999.9 to 3000.0.

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 straights, 0 lefts, 0 reverses,1 needless alley, 2 tortuous eyes tested, 1 needless blood pressure test, 2 discs, 1 lucky dip referral, 1 sleety day, 2 late to work, 2 wishes of a speedy recovery for Paul, 3000 engine hours.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna