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.
Well it had to be done!
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.
All finished, just in time
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 …….!
2/5/2021 Still pumping
Mark has been down at the breach site again today and kindly has let me use his photos.
2/5/2021
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.
2/5/2021
It looks like vehicles have been down in the silt at the bottom of the cofferdam, lots of tracks to be seen.
2/5/2021
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.
2/5/2021
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.
2/5/2021
24/4/2021
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.
2/5/2021
24/4/2021
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.
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.
Four packages
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.
Front cloth
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.
All a boat designer needs, hopefully!
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.
Which case is going where?
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?
Will it all fit?
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.
I can see those eyes
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.
Hiya!
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.
Change of collar
Another trip to do back to Scarborough tomorrow and then we will all be back in our happy place.
Help I’m a prisoner on my own boat!
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.
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.
That’s where it’s all gone
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!
Clean again!
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.
I can see better from up here
Have to say it is so nice having clean carpets, only a few days to enjoy them though.
I made it!
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.
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.
Cat caravan
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.
Two coats of 2 pack
Gary and Glynn had already applied the second coat of blacking and Oleanna was sitting in the sun hardening off.
Primed
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.
New and old
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.
All welded on
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.
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.
The big patch
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.
Yesterday
We talked through solutions. Not everywhere was flaking, some of the original layers had stuck as they should.
Today ground back as best they could
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.
After the first coat of 2 pack
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.
Attachment of Doom
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.
A bit dusty down the sides
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.
Ground and sanded ready for fertan
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.
Blacked Bow thruster tube
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.
New charts
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?
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.
18th September 2020
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.
Sunny skies through the hatch
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.
Look at that sky
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.
Blimey!
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.
Sunsetting with smoke
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.
Blue arrow pointing at us
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.
Lassaka
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!
A Goole Rainbow
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.
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.
New panel and a touch up on the plaster
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.
England on the Wold for panto
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.
*This post was superseded by A Glimmer Of Hope yesterday*
Panto spiky trees
Whilst waiting for news regarding the breach and possible escape from Goole we’ve not been idle. Well I say we, but in regards to boaty things Mick has been the busy one whilst I’ve been working painting my panto model.
Town Square buildings
On our last visit to Oleanna we brought back the life jackets. These were in need of a service, in fact a year overdue. Last time we paid for them to be checked over to much consternation from readers. This time Mick followed instructions on Youtube.
He checked for any damage, wear and tear. Weighed the gas bottles. Checked the dates on the firing mechanisms. Blew the whistles. Inflated them and left them overnight (well a couple of days) to check they remained inflated.
New firing mechanisms
A couple of the firing mechanisms had a few months left on them and Mick had broken one of the clips that is used to indicate that a firing mechanism has been manually fired. The green clip obviously needed replacing so it was worth getting a couple of new mechanisms.
When they arrived the oldest dated mechanisms were swapped out for the newest and put into the jackets we use the most, these will last us till 2024. The middle aged ones were put in our two spare jackets, these will last till December 2022. The oldest ones we are keeping as spares and run out in February 2022.
All rolled and folded how it should be
The next job was to fold and roll the jackets back up into the covers. This is possibly the hardest part of the servicing. But they are all done and in the crate ready to be returned to Oleanna on our next visit.
Next was the VHF radio. We bought our hand held radio a few years ago and use it to listen in to the big ships around Goole and when we are on tidal waters. You should have your radio licenced and have completed a course to use it. Mick has been meaning to do the course for a number of years but had never got round to it, I suspect like many others. My sister-in-law had looked into it for his birthday last year, but it was going to cost too much.
With the only way out of Goole for the next few months being through the docks to Ocean Lock and down onto the tidal Ouse (when/if ABP allow leisure craft), we have decided the cost of the VHF course and test would be worth doing. ABP normally require leisure boats to have two crew, life jackets and a VHF radio. Should the chance arise to be able to pen down onto the Ouse we’d rather meet all the criteria.
Tilly assisting with panto
The RYA VHF/SRC (Short Range Certificate) Marine Radio Course can be done online for £75. Then the test costs £60 on top. Mick contacted Scarborough Yacht Club to see if they were running the courses and test. This was possible, although the test would have to wait until after April 12th and would be done on a one to one basis at the Yacht Club at Scarborough lighthouse.
Handbook included in the course
Once the course fee was paid a chap popped the handbook through our front door the following day and Mick was ready to do the course. The course takes around 10 hours and Mick has worked his way through doing all the modules in the last week. Before he books for the exam I’m going to look at the course too. Should we be in an emergency situation and Mick not be able to use the radio, I would at least know what to do.
Once the exam is passed Oleanna and her crew will meet all the criteria that ABP require, if this also means that we can cruise as a flotilla with other boats who haven’t got VHF all the better.
*Sadly later in the day Mick received an email saying that as Scarborough Yacht Club building would remain closed until 17th May, exams would not be possible until after that date.
A few days ago marked our 7th anniversary of being boat owners. Today marks our 4th anniversary of the three of us moving onboard Oleanna in Sheffield. So I’d best do a Where Were We
Where were we
2020 Lockdown Mooring 3, Calveley, Shropshire Union Canal. LINK
2019 Above Lemonroyd Lock, Aire and Calder Navigation. LINK
2018 Stourport, Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and Beverley. LINK
2017 Victoria Basin, Sheffield and Tinsley Canal and Crick Marina, Leicester Line. LINK
2014 Bugbrooke, Grand Union Canal. Sorry no link, we were on too much of a mission to write a blog. But we did get Lillian off the River Nene where her EA licence had run out and up the Northampton Flight, her first narrow locks.
Three Months ago today we learned of the breach on the Aire and Calder. The canal was doing a good job of emptying itself into fields, the flow of water heading for the villages of East and West Cowick. That all feels like a long time ago.
This morning my computer binged at me, a message from Mark Penn with new photos from the breach site. His initial comment was that there was no change. This was right in some respects, no progress on emptying out the cofferdam ready for inspection. But on the other hand there has been quite a bit happening.
20/3/21
Four days ago we received the notice from C&RT regarding a temporary fix to where the cofferdam meets the piling on the south eastern end. They would be implementing a more secure seal here, which is in progress and visible on Marks photos.
The first thing noticeable is that the floating pontoon is back on site. It had been stored through the other side of New Bridge. The pipes pumping water round the breach have been extended towards Goole, meaning that the pontoon and workers wouldn’t be drenched whilst working.
20-3-21
Water is actually being pumped into the cofferdam from the western end. This at first seems strange, pumping water in to where there is a breach, only for the water to flow out and into the drain below.
20-3-21
But thinking about it, it must be to help relieve pressure on the cofferdam whilst they make a more robust seal. We all know that lock gates open easily when the water level is equal at one end of the lock, yet the water pressure at the other end is immense. So keeping the water level between the cofferdam and the canal will mean less stress on what they are working on.
By the pontoon you can see a lot of new piling being put in along the bank where aggregate had been added last week. The void has been filled and now they are reinforcing the piling where it meets the cofferdam.
20-3-21
The above photo shows this better. A better fix than some blue tarpaulin and a roll of gaffa tape would do!
20-3-21
From above you can see the new piling lines up with the dam and the aggregate. Here’s hoping that this fix is nearing completion and that no more voids will hold up the cofferdam from being pumped out fully next week. Then the investigations can start and the engineers can get to work on a solution.
20-3-21 A boom has been positioned downstream near the bridge
A year ago we had arrived in Nantwich to stock up before continuing northwards. Little did we know we’d be there for months. The world was a different place, everyone getting used to what social distancing was, panic buying and hand sanitizer were new things. Supermarket shelves were empty and queues were long.
Tomorrow, Saturday, we’d have our first Geraghty Zoom.
21/3/2020
In all our minds back then we knew lockdown was coming, but only imagined it would last for a few months. Then life would return to some form of normality. Kath, Micks sister had left a plant on her office desk hoping it might survive, she’s not been back.
Theatres closed their doors on the 16th March 2020. A year later it was apt to have a panto meeting. Showing my white card model to the creative team and producers was a little strange on a Zoom meeting. Mick had enabled my phone to be an extra camera so that I could show people round my model whilst giving them motion sickness! A good meeting.
Muddy Cows
On Wednesday I caught a bus up to Scarborough Rugby Club where I joined the queue for the local vaccination centre. I’d last stepped foot in this building eight years ago when collecting old rugby shirts to be used in the premier production of John Godbers Muddy Cows at the SJT.
SRUFC Vaccination Centre
This time I left with my vaccination card and a sticker. My photo on social media has caused some unrest from those who didn’t receive one. Mick is miffed and so is Kath from Herbie along with numerous friends. Sorry!
This morning I have received my NHS vaccination letter, I’m glad my doctors had everything in hand as the nearest hub to us is Saltburn 31 miles away. The 3.5 miles on the old railway line is much better. Just a shame I’ve had a few side effects, hopefully todays vertigo will pass soon.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 dam filling up, 1 reinforced joint, 2 boaters still with fingers crossed, 3 months, 53rd Geraghty zoom, 1:25 scale white card model, 18 rugby shirts, 1 jab, 3.5 miles home, 1 sticker controversy, 1 wild flower bed planted, 6 more houses to go, 2 thank you’s to Paul (Waterway Routes) and Dave Scouts for blog advice, 1 map from last year to check it still works, 1 window open all sunny day for Tilly, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.
In my last post I got distracted by the blue tarpaulin at the western end of the cofferdam. I’m still not sure why this is there but a comment from David has confirmed that the leak last week, that filled the cofferdam up was at the eastern end. A void adjacent to the eastern end of the piling, on the south bank, allowed water to fill the dam back up. This was mended, but there seems there must be another leak somewhere as the cofferdam is still quite full, well it was a couple of days ago.
The extra raft at the western end is also most likely to increase the amount of water being pumped round the site, trying to keep up with water that is used at the docks.
It is thought that there are voids and leaks all along the aqueduct on the north bank, so not just one hole. The extent of these won’t be known until the cofferdam is fully drained. At the moment the best case scenario is that the canal will be closed for a couple of months, worst case until the end of the summer. But until the engineers can get a better look they obviously can’t really say.
It’s been two months since we last checked on Oleanna ourselves, others are doing a great job of checking her ropes when the levels alter, but today we paid an essential visit to her. Our Boat safety is booked soon and we knew of a few jobs that needed doing before hand.
Mick picked a hire car up from Beerhouse who are working out cheaper than Enterprise at the moment, £10 cheaper if you call them rather than booking online too. Not a pristine car, bumps and scrapes, but we weren’t bothered.
The trip over the Wolds was lovely, snowdrops filling the verges and reaching up into the woods. Daffodil leaves stretching up towards the sky, hopefully they will be in bloom the next time we do this drive, some of the roundabouts are spectacular.
Spring spinging
The level in the docks still isn’t what it was when we first arrived in September, but today Oleanna was certainly afloat and not sat on the bottom. It was a big step down, no need for the booster block though.
Masked up we went to check in with Laird at the marina. No new news regarding the breach and our only possible escape route would be if we dig a tunnel.
Then it was time to get on with jobs.
A kitchen shelf made to measure, it just needs an extension for the starter battery
The battery terminals needed some form of covering, this is so that you can’t drop any tools on them. A piece of wood would do the job. An unused shelf from a kitchen cupboard had been brought with us. This proved to be the right size for the leisure batteries, but the starter still needs something. We took measurements and will look for either a piece just for the starter, or see if we have a slightly longer shelf that would cover all batteries in one go.
Mick started her up, first time, no grumbling. She was left to run, the leisure batteries already at 100% from the solar, but the bow thruster battery could do with a charge.
I measured up the poppers on the front door blinds. One is broken so needs replacing and I’m wanting to make us two new blinds for when the original ones get too tatty, due to our second mate! The poppers appear to be 12mm diameter, so I’ll need the press stud side and a die to fix them to the cloth. I’m hoping a costume friend may just have what I need to do this.
3003
The red grabrails are all looking very faded, apart from where I touched them up recently. Somehow the red mentioned in the boat bible isn’t the correct colour, but when we were last in Sheffield the painter there gave me a tin of the right colour. I’m wanting to get a new tin to have enough to do all the grabrail, plus this tin reacted strangely when applied.
Cratch rolled up
One place the Boat Safety will need to get to is the gas locker in the bow. Oleanna is on a short pontoon, moored stern in, so not the easiest place to get to. So next job was to wind. We’d chosen today to do this so as to avoid a named storm that is due tomorrow.
Untying all the ropes holding Oleanna to the pontoon took quite some time. The fender eyes on the gunnels are useful in such situations, but really awkward to get to when your boat is lower than the pontoon. Mick had to lie down and then lean over the edge to feed ropes back through the eyes. I could reach the bow rope from the cratch, but this took quite some feeding too.
Reversing
With the cratch cover rolled up both sides and the pram cover lowered we were ready to move her for the first time in six months. No chance of pushing off, she just drifted away from the pontoon and we were off!
Even though all we were doing was winding, just standing at the back felt good. The lady from the Dutch Barge two boats over waved to us as we pulled out of our mooring.
Winding in a marina can be dodgy. Usually the wind will pick up as soon as you want to turn and you end up being pushed towards lines of moored boats. We once got to meet a whole new section of boaters at Crick Marina doing this, everyone trying to give you a push in the right direction away from their boats!
A different view
Marinas have people who watch and the space required to manoeuvre is never luxurious, so the odds are always stacked against you. Mick brought Oleanna out, turned her into the gap almost opposite, then swung the stern round. A touch of bow thruster whist turning meant we kept away from other boats. Reverse, forwards, reverse and then an extra boost of power to finish the turn and we’d finished our handbrake turn and headed back to our mooring.
Only five minutes until we were back tied up, facing the other way. Then the rope tying started again, leaving enough slack we hope for varying levels, but tight enough that she won’t be blown all over the shop in the next storm. The plank that had been positioned to stop us drifting under the pontoon was leaned over a touch. The corner of the pontoon could possibly just catch the gunnel if the levels came back up. A Tilly fender was also added into the equation.
Labelled up, another on the door
After eating our pack up the next job was the fire extinguishers. Oleanna has three. The ones at the stern and bow are both in cupboards. When they were fitted we were warned that we’d need to label the cupboards for the boat safety. So big labels went inside the cupboards and smaller ones on the outside. Each fire extinguisher was turned upside down a few times before going back into position.
The third one has for sometime lived in the gap between the shower and bathroom door. This means it is near the centre of the boat, close to the multi-fuel stove and not in the way. We’d never got round to fixing it to the wall.
A quick check with our Bubble Carpenter Frank as we’d be screwing into laminate. Franks final words were ‘don’t mess it up!’ Small pilot holes were followed by slightly bigger ones then the bracket was screwed into position. Job done and not messed up.
Tilly’s paws absent
The CO alarms and heat sensors have all had their batteries removed whilst we’ve been off the boat, saves some poor neighbour having to live with a dying battery and the beep that accompanies it. Each detector was checked in turn and then the batteries removed again, these will go back in on the day of the test.
We might wash the ropes
After six months of sitting still Oleanna is showing it a touch, both inside and out. All the ropes are turning green, the cratch and pram cover could do with another spray of Wet and Forget. Inside the bathroom windows have been left ajar, the plastic frames now covered in a thick layer of dustyness. These got a good clean, sadly my faithful assistant wasn’t on hand to inspect them from the outside, leaving her stamp of approval on newly cleaned glass!
If only Oleanna 25 times bigger was so quick to clean
A sweep through and a tidy in the galley. The wine cellar emptied of the bottles we’d stocked up on for Christmas, this gives access to the Alde Boiler. Jobs done, just a couple of things to sort on the morning of the inspection.
Hello
Mick had chance to have a chat with Geoff. We’d been hoping to see if anyone else was plotting an escape. Apparently someone had approached either ABP (who run the docks) or C&RT to see if it would be possible to use the lock out onto the Ouse if half a dozen boats got together to share. Sadly this will not be allowed. So currently the only way out of Goole is on the back of a lorry.
Looking back towards the docks
Before heading for the house we turned left out of the marina and drove down to look at the caisson. Lisa had mentioned that the top metal stop plank had been removed the other weekend and that the gates had been opened.
Gates open a bit at the caisson
The area has had a tidy up since we first came to have a look back in December and sure enough the caisson gates are open a bit, red lights indicate that the navigation is closed and you certainly wouldn’t get a boat through the gap.
Across on the southern bank the top stop plank lay. Not just a foot/eighteen inches deep but around three foot. All the pumps and pipes have gone from here, most probably to the breach site.
The water in the docks was slightly lower than that in the cut, causing there to be a flow over the rest of the stop planks. I suspect the remaining planks are being left in to protect both the docks and the cut. Should the level drop on one side, there is still something to hold back the water. So unless a lot more water gets pumped round the breach site, Oleanna is likely to be at her highest right now.
Looking towards the breach 4 miles away
Here’s hoping the cofferdam can be emptied and work of a solution started soon.
No going anywhere
Back at the house Tilly was waiting in a window for us. Her plight of cat food pouches having hit the main stream media after she’d brought the situation to their attention this morning. Apparently the shortage is due to the increase in pet ownership during lockdown and pet food manufacturers are finding it hard to ramp up production to keep up with demand. Don’t worry Tilly you’ve still got another 60 pouches to go before we have a problem!
0 locks, 100 meters, 1 wind, 2 girlie button presses, 3 extinguishers, 5 signs, 1 piece of wood, 1 more needed, 3 down to 2, 1 water tank almost empty, 12mm popper, 3003, 1 plank jauntified, 2 tyre fenders, 2 ham butties, 0 milk, 3ft stop plank, 1 red light, 0 escape, 2 thank yous to David and Stuart, 1 cat staying out of the media hype, 2 months of pouches, 1 blog with all photos again.
Later this month we will be changing our website hosting. Readers shouldn’t notice anything different and those who get an email each time I post should still get one. I will do my best to inform you of the last post before we move, JUST IN CASE!
