Category Archives: Cats on the Cut

Engine Checks. 5th May

Goole to Newbridge Farm to Goole

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Downsizing And Filling Up. 4th May

Goole

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apex Before The Rain. 3rd May

Goole

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

Excuse me where do you think you are going?!

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

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

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

That way lies Keadby, Torksey, Newark and Nottingham

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lodgers and Breach 47. 2nd May

Goole/Scarborough/Goole

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back Where She Belongs. 1st May

Scarborough/Goole

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The last fishing rod swinging on a king sized bed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some Normality Amongst The Chaos. 27th April

Scarborough

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Annual Visit. 21st April

Scarborough/Goole

Having a hire car made this morning that little bit easier and more comfortable for Tilly than her bike ride a year ago. Saying that she hates being in a car.

This morning it was time for Tilly to catch up with us and have her annual jabs. I only need one, unlike She and Tom! I’ve registered Tilly at the vets we used to use in Scarborough for Houdini, although in the last year the vets I knew very well (due to Houdini having monthly visits) have retired.

Today, as happened in Nantwich last year, a vet came outside to collect Tilly with full PPE on. I explained that she wasn’t your average house cat and please could I go away with a years worth of flee and wormer treatments, this costs a lot in one go, but is normally cheaper than joining a pet club which would be pointless for us anyway.

Claudia checked Tilly’s eye which was just normal, teary, gave her her jabs and returned her to us. She had been weighed, thank goodness one of us has lost weight during lockdown! Nothing to worry about as we know the reason, buying cat food on mass is guaranteed to dull your cat’s appetite!

A years worth of medication and stamps in her passport granting shore leave again.

I then had chance to ask how we could make her upcoming car journey back to the boat less stressful. A product was suggested that comes in pill form (Zylkene), taken for a few days before we move back onto the boat she should become a touch more relaxed about the world in general. I’ve ordered a packet to see how she goes, I’ll also give the cat caravan a squirt of Feliway too.

The cat caravan has come out of storage, this used to belong to Houdini who made lots of visits to the vets. Hard plastic and easier to clean than Tilly’s escape pod, so this will be used for Tilly to transit back and forth to the boat. It also means her escape pod will stay being a favourite place for her.

Once Tilly was safe back at the house we were off heading back to Goole. Our arrival was delayed as a ship reversed back through a bridge ready to descend Ocean Lock.

Gary and Glynn had already applied the second coat of blacking and Oleanna was sitting in the sun hardening off.

First job wash off the fertan which had done it’s job overnight. After a spot of lunch I touched up the bare steel with a layer of primer. Hopefully this will bring the paint level someway back up to meet the old top coat.

With two coats of 2-pack on the hull Glynn set about welding on a new set of anodes, these gradually disintegrate due to electrolysis therefore protecting the hull. Then Glynn moved on to replace the packing in Oleanna’s stern gland. Mick does know how to do this but preferred to have someone else do it and it was the perfect time being out of the water.

Mick spent some of his time working on the Alde Boiler, connecting it to the AC2 (not AC 12) output on the Victron Inverter. It was tested on the electric and checked to see if he could see it on the VRM website statistics. It was there. If we’d been able to do this earlier it may have saved us a bit of money on our electric bill at Viking Marina. We’d left the heating to come on if the temperature dropped below 6C. This must have been quite a lot as our bill was quite high, but then we haven’t had to deal with any burst pipes.

News on the scrapyard fire today was that last night the fire brigade had to be called out again as the flames had got going. Today smoke was still coming from the site.

This weeks veg box waiting for us at home

Before we headed back to spend some time with Tilly the bedroom floor was given a very good clean, hoovered and washed down with sugar soap all ready for a new coat of oil tomorrow. A much shorter day today, but tomorrow will make up for that.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 year of shore leave, 1 year of wormer, 1 year of flea treatment, just a shame they are monthly spot-ons rather than three monthly! 1 caravan, 0 digs, 1 veg box, 1 sainsburys delivery, 721 blobs of primer, 1 introduction, 1 boiler remote viewing, 1 spotless bedroom floor.

PS. Thank you to everyone who got in touch yesterday. It appears that Apple products were not able to display our photos correctly, especially on iphones. Well that is our theory. We have changed a setting on Jetpack, fingers crossed it has worked. Please let me know.

PPS. Following on from yesterday’s post. In Today 23rd April’s boaters update C&RT said a little bit more regarding the breach.

Permanent repairs to the breach on the Aire & Calder Navigation have begun at an estimated cost of £3million.

Due to the complexity of the project, we cannot guarantee that there will not changes to the project programme. We appreciate the significant disruption this temporary closure has caused, and we will endeavour to do all we can to re-open the navigation by mid-August Regular updates will be issued on our website as via our stoppage notifications.

Preparation Is The Key. 20th April

Goole

We didn’t quite manage to leave the house at 8.30am, but soon after with another boot load of things including a set of steps. Goole Boathouse will be blacking Oleanna for us, but I’m going to be doing above the top rubbing strake on the gunnels and refreshing the tunnel bands whilst she is out of the water.

The chaps had started to abrade patches where the blacking was flaking. We headed into the office for a catch up. Whilst cleaning Oleanna off for blacking they had been surprised at the amount of the previous layer that had been coming off her, certainly the area on the swim looked like it hadn’t been prepared properly.

Boats tend to be grit blasted after construction to get rid of mill scale which happens when the steel is rolled at the steel mill. This then gives a good key for the 2 pack blacking to stick to. It looked like either she hadn’t been grit blasted or a layer of grease had been left on her in places.

We talked through solutions. Not everywhere was flaking, some of the original layers had stuck as they should.

The best course of action would be to get her grit blasted and start again, but they don’t offer that service in Goole. For this we’d have to go elsewhere. We’d thought about using bitumen to give her a coat of something, then finding a boat yard for this time next year to get her sorted. But this was seen as a step backwards, even if we’ll end up getting her grit blasted next time she comes out of the water.

In the end we decided to carry on with the chaps removing as much of the loose layer as possible and then 2 packing over the top. She won’t look as good as she should but will have the best protection she can get right now. We’ll think about when and what to do over the next few months.

Time to get going on the gunnels. Dungarees on, tools at the ready.

We’d brought along our cordless drill and attached what I call the attachment of doom. One of these worked wonders on Lillian’s roof years ago, I was wanting to get back to the steel where rusty patches were. However our drill batteries are seriously on the way out, so after ten minutes the drill didn’t have enough umph anymore.

Angle grinder of Oblivion and my Boaters PPE gloves

I was loaned an angle grinder with an attachment of Oblivion! A disc with a thick wire brush, this worked a treat. I was warned of the dangers by one chap, then the other suggested I should wear gloves. As I’d really rather not loose any more digits Mick hunted round for my Boaters PPE gloves which have leather fingers.

Now power tools are made for male hands, heavy and bulky. So two hands were needed at all times. I worked my way round attacking any rust spots getting them back to shiny steel. The chaps (I’ll try getting their names tomorrow) worked from bow to stern with the first coat of 2 pack. Once the catalyst is added there is an hour and a half in which you can use it before it goes off, so no stopping. I did feel a touch bad as their lovely coat of black then got covered in dust.

Then followed a little break, blimey my shoulders were aching. Time for lunch before starting with the orbital sander. The gunnels and tunnel bands got a good sanding back, I was glad I’d overestimated the number of sanding sheets I’d be needing only ending up using half of them.

Next a wash down before some fertan was applied to the areas I’d attacked the most. A misting of water back over the top of them to help the fertan do it’s job in killing off any remaining rust. My job list for the day was complete. It may take my hands, arms and shoulders a while to recover though!

Whilst I was busy working and topping up my vitamin D Mick was busy inside. He’s been wondering for a while why the Alde boiler doesn’t show up on any of the Victron statistics. It is of course a gas boiler, but when we’re hooked up it can work off the electric. So far we’ve had to be careful with what else we use at the same time. The electric kettle necessitates the boiler to be off. Mick had a good look round in the electrics cupboard and thinks that if the boiler was wired in a different way he’d be able to keep an eye on things better.

He checked in the cabin bilges by moving the fridge out. All was lovely and dry down there. The front step where the water pump lives was also checked, also dry. He pumped the accumulator up.

A mission to find a 20 litre container with a lid is on going. Before we head out onto tidal waters, Mick is wanting to check on the anti-freeze problem we had when on the Thames two years ago. A load of clinker/stuff clogged up cooling system and we don’t want this to happen again. If the coolant is okay it would be nice to be able to put it back into the system, saving replacing it and also the problem of disposing of it.

With the freezer having been empty for months the drawer has got stuck. Last time a few biffs on the back of the drawer (accessible from under the dinette seating) got it freed up. But this time it was being stubborn. More time is required for this along with a better solution to the problem of condensation.

He also had a chat with the chap from Goole Boathouse regarding Trent Falls. Choosing the right day and weather is the key. He would anchor rather than beach a narrowboat as when the flood comes in a wave can build up against your boat if you are beached. If anchored you still need to be ready to lift it and be on your way. A new copy of the Boating Association charts was purchased which means we now have charts from Naburn all the way to Cromwell.

A good day with lots of jobs ticked off the list. Loads more for tomorrow!

With regards to the scrapyard fire, there was still smoke coming off the site today, white and far far less than yesterday. Wonder how long it will be before it is fully out?

0 locks, 0 miles, 1st coat, 2 pack, 2 gunnels prepped in 1 day, 1 attachment of doom, 1 attachment of oblivion, 1/3rd sheet sander, 2 numb hands, 2 aching shoulders, 1 pooped Pip, 20 litre container needed, 1 obstinate freezer, 1 lonely Tilly.

PS For those who get the blog by email, are the photos appearing normally? Or only partially and in a line? Please let me know.

Goole Rainbow. 18th April

Scarborough/Goole

Exactly six months ago we turned Oleanna into Viking Marina in Goole, imagining that we’d be able to come down to visit her for the odd weekend, maybe even have a few weeks onboard bringing the second mate with us. But for a couple of reasons that just wasn’t to be, Covid and a whacking great big hole in the canal.

So after breakfast this morning I finished off adjusting an old curtain that had been made for a show, an extra couple of inches required in length to cover one of the archways in the house. Then piles of things were gathered together to take to Oleanna.

Blimey it’s hard to remember what we’d left on board all that time ago! Back in September there had been a method, things bagged up to take to the house for washing, then returned and stowed in vacuum bags. But had some items not been returned as yet, would we have pillows, towels etc? I’m normally very good at remembering such things, but because it was an ongoing job and we’d be visiting regularly (well that was the plan) I hadn’t filed it all away in my brain! So an element of keeping our fingers crossed was needed.

Then there was the sit down with Tilly to explain. My Sunday morning snooze was interrupted! Oh blimey a meeting!! What was She going to say!?! I was going to be left in charge of the house and I was to be good. She said that they were going to the boat but I’d be left behind in Scarboreugh as all sorts of things would be happening and it was best I didn’t get in the way. Bloomin cheek! I just rolled my eyes and went back to sleep, not much else I could do.

Everythings back to the old normal now, queues to get out from B&Q

With the hire car packed we stopped off at Toolstation to collect an order, a quick pop into B&Q which meant then joining the queue to get out. Morrisons also had a visit for a pint of milk and a loaf of bread, then we were on our way passing the queue at the drive through Macdonalds.

The Wolds were pretty, some daffodils just past their best, others just sagging their heads in need of a drink. The rapeseed yellow is starting to show in the fields and the blackthorn blossom is wonderful.

Oleanna sat in the sunshine an easy step onto the bow today. Levels now seem to be pretty constant in their Goole dock type fluctuating way. All windows were opened, hatch, bow and stern doors swung open, a lovely breeze flowing through.

Mick set about turning everything on and then started to fully empty the water tank. This had last been filled I think at Pollington Lock back in September and we’ve been gradually using up the water washing mugs when we’ve visited. We don’t normally get worried about the water in the tank as there is enough chlorine in tap water to keep it good whilst living on board. But after six months we wanted to sterilize the tank.

We’ve done this once before, when we bought Lillian. With an empty tank Mick poured about 0.75 litres of Milton into the tank and then refilled her right up. This was left in the tank for around an hour before taps were turned on to fully drain the tank again. This should have killed off anything in the tank. Hopefully we’ll now be around enough to keep the water flowing through the tank and keeping it fresh once again.

The mattress covers had been taken to be washed at the house. With no instructions on their labels I’d emailed the company to seek advice. By the time a reply of ‘dry clean only’ came back they were already going round on a gentle cycle in the washing machine. Today I would see if this had done them any harm. Thankfully they went back on without any problem.

Next job was to find bedlinen and duvets and pillows. They were all there, most in a vacuum bag under the bed. Towels were present too. The linen/office cupboard got a good sort through. Items from the random cupboard were checked for things we don’t use anymore. This was worth doing as more space was made.

Under the bed was a large vacuum bag of yarn and fabric. Well the fact it was stashed away in the dark and awkward to get to meant I don’t really need it on the boat. It went straight into the car boot for storage in the house.

I never thought of myself as having a yarn stash!

At the stern I cleared out the bike/hanging cupboard. We’ve had two Brompton bicycles onboard since 2014, one is easily accessible, the other would mean taking the step out and since it went in there four years ago it has never been used. This bike was taken to Scarborough a few months ago. A sort out of hats, gloves and waterproofs then I could add the life jackets.

This cupboard also has a shelf which is a touch of a shed for tools and useful things. Above is what we call the Nicholsons shelf. Big enough for a mug to be put on, log book, nicholsons guide book, phone charger and the old phone we use for Waterways Routes lives here. Other items had crept onto the two shelves so a tidy of them followed too.

Then the bottom drawer. Here were still jars of Trent Lock Blackberry Jam from 2015. We haven’t eaten jam for years, so these along with some incredibly well fermented chutney all headed to the bins. The new found space was instantly used with our stash of goodies from Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil.

Mick happened to look out out of the side hatch and caught the sight of a huge black plume of smoke from the other side of the canal. People had come out to watch. It was actually coming from a scarp yard in Old Goole across the Dutch River.

Thankfully the thick black smoke was heading upwards before the breeze caught it, meaning it headed right over our heads. The view from one side of the boat was bright blue sky, the other was thick black.

As I caught up on news from the London Leckenbys we could not only hear explosions but feel them too. Jac on the other end of the phone was astounded at how loud they were. Fire engines could be heard at intervals arriving. The smoke kept coming and coming.

I’d prepared a Lassaka in Scarborough, a cross between lasagne and moussaka, no aubergine or pasta, which went in the oven as we stowed things and made space for ourselves. To accompany our meal we decided to open a bottle of Christmas wine that we’d stocked up with back in September. Very nice it was too. All the time the smoke continued. Then an alarm at the docks decided to join in, this was going to be such a lovely first night back onboard Oleanna!

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 winds, 2 inches short, 1 lasakka, 1 full car, 2.5 litres danish oil, 3 types sandpaper,1 boat sitting waiting for us, 2 grimy door handles, 2 covers fitted, 1 tank emptied twice, 1 tank filled twice, 2 duvets found, 1 misplaced wash bag, 1 black rainbow, 1 alarm, 7 big bangs, only 1 Line of Duty, 2 happy boaters, 1 grumpy cat.

Making Plans. 16th April

Yesterday news came through from the Goole Escape group that C&RT would be updating their notice regarding passage through Ocean Lock in Goole.

Mick’s inbox was checked frequently yesterday, nothing. But this morning as we were having our cuppa in bed the following appeared.

Update on 16/04/2021:

We have been advised by Associated British Ports they are to open up limited penning for leisure craft from Monday 19th April.

Bookings will be controlled by the Duty Assistant Dock Master at Ocean lock on Tele: 01405 721128 on a first come / served basis and with a 24 hr confirmation call required.

ABP will offer a penn out at 1hr before HW and a penn in at 1hr after HW on daylight tides only and this will be managed around commercial traffic.

PLEASE NOTE: penning outside of these offered times is not available and that at no times should vessels anchor in the Goole reaches nor any part of the Ouse from the area of Skelton Railway Bridge to the Apex.

We won’t be one of the first boats to leave Goole. But we have been looking at the tide times to see when might be a possible tide to get us round Trent Falls to at least Keadby. Then the next tides to carry on upstream to Torksey and Cromwell. There is a date in mind and research to be done regarding Trent Falls.

The list of jobs at the house has gradually been getting shorter. Builders have been giving the roof and chimney stacks some tlc over the last couple of days and Frank has fitted us a new bath panel. The bathroom just needs to be decorated now.

Appointments for all three of us are in the diary. Sadly no news of our second jabs yet.

Press stud replaced, blind ready to go back up in the bedroom on Oleanna

The list of jobs on Oleanna remains long, but work will start on that list soon.

My panto model, which I’d been hoping to get finished by the end of the month, will have to sit on the back burner for a little while whilst things get sorted.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 good update, 2 relieved boaters, 1 booking to be made, 2 many jobs to do, 1 press stud sorted, 1 chicken jointing lesson to be given (Frank), 1 quizzical cat, 1 garden catch up to fit in (Duncan), 2 busy but smiling boaters.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna

Category Archives: Cats on the Cut

Engine Checks. 5th May

Downsizing And Filling Up. 4th May

Apex Before The Rain. 3rd May

Lodgers and Breach 47. 2nd May

Back Where She Belongs. 1st May

Some Normality Amongst The Chaos. 27th April

Annual Visit. 21st April

Preparation Is The Key. 20th April

Goole Rainbow. 18th April

Making Plans. 16th April

Update on 16/04/2021: