Category Archives: Narrowboat Maintenance

Strop And Crow Bar.2nd October

Stoke Lock

**Containers of oil and stuff and things**

Mick cleared the engine bay before breakfast, anything that might get in the way was put on the bank. A phone call from Kane with his ETA came at just gone 9am and his satnav was pretty much spot on as he walked up to Oleanna at 10:25, a big crow bar in his hand and other tools and a new drive plate in his rucksack.

He set to work removing the gear box to gain access to the old drive plate. This all took a while. Before the last bolts were removed he passed a strop around the engine and suspended it all from his crowbar which was positioned on our stern lockers. Inside I could hear just about everything, as the last bolt was removed I could hear the engine slump just a touch into the strop.

Inside I got on with re drawing the gates for Panto. Once scanned it was sent off to Jamie to see what he made of it. I didn’t hear back from him today. I then turned my attention to a logo that is needed for the show, an adjustment of a very well known brand logo was needed. This was done and shared. Not many little jobs left to do on my to-do list.

Outside work progressed. The drive plate was removed. Yes it had been the culprit, not that you can see that easily without moving it. Time for a cuppa and for Kane to stretch his legs. His estimate the other day of three hours to remove the drive plate halved. Would putting the new one on be as quick?

**Lots of crud where the old drive plate used to sit**

Tightening things up in a confined space, engine suspended almost where it needed to be caused a little cursing from the engine bay. A few bangs occurred, at least he’d warned us they might happen. He’d had to remove the oil sump pump from the engine, this had failed on Mick at the last engine service. Mick asked if instead of putting the old one back on, could Kane install the new one we’d already got. It maybe took him an extra five minutes to fit, but he didn’t mind.

After three hours in our engine bay the ignition key was turned on. Oleanna was put into gear, no grinding noise. Then reverse, no grinding noise. Hooray!!!

Kane said the old drive plate would have lasted a while longer before failing, but best not to find out how long! Mick was given instructions to make sure some bolts were still tight in a week or so’s time with a 17mm spanner. Job done. Kane now headed off into Nottingham to his next job somewhere between Castle Marina and Sainsbury’s.

We had lunch. Should we move on today or stay put? If the river was busy with people looking for moorings we’d have moved, but as we’d only seen a couple of boats so far today and one of them had pulled away from the pontoon mooring this morning we didn’t feel we had to move. Also we were the only boat moored on the visitor moorings and there is space for four. As well as all that, C&RT had given us an overstay approval until 14th October. So we stayed put.

My walk today took me along the road from the lock to Stoke Bardolph. Plenty of anglers and someone being trained in paddle boarding. I then carried on walking along the road on the river bank towards the big bend in the river where I followed the footpath. Here the anglers had set up fences around their vans, I wondered why for a while, but then twigged when I saw a heard of cows. Maybe these cows are known to lick vans like those do to boats at Lechlade on the Thames.

Back along a path that crossed the railway. Was this the crossing where Tilly had been found nearly ten years ago with her siblings? Then into Burton Joyce village. A lovely village hall where the local amateur dramatic society have just put on a show. Several nice looking shops and buildings. I popped into the Co-op for some milk. A heritage trail to follow, maybe next time when it isn’t a five mile round walk. Back in February 2016 my brother gave me a lift to Burton Joyce to a house on the hill here. That was to pick up our little thug Tilly who we adopted from Burton Joyce Cats, they no longer exist.

At the station there is a pebble display to mark the Platinum Jubilee. Lots of local groups and the school contributed to it painting pebbles. I was amazed at the number of cats wearing crowns, then later realised they were actually Corgis! The Beef Eater certainly had very square shoulders.

Back along the road to the boat. Today I’d tracked my journey via the NHS Active 10 app, 87 minutes brisk walking; on my step counter 12110 steps just short of 5 miles; but also with the OS app. The Ordnance Survey app had tracked my route and said it was 5.42 miles. So which do I believe? Have I got my step counter calibrated correctly to my stride? Have I actually been walking further than recorded all year?

Walsall Schnitzel tonight, turkey that needed finishing off from the freezer. We discussed where we should go now and when. There’s a storm coming, so we don’t want to stay at Stoke Lock with all the trees. Would we have enough time to go that way or should we just stay pottering about for a while longer?

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 new drive plate, 3 hours, 1 new gate drawing, 2 logos, 1 rose email, how many? 1 last day of good shore leave for Tilly, 4.95 miles, 0r 5.42 miles, 82 brisk minutes, 1 huge gaggle, 1 mended boat ready to push off.

Drum And Bass Pace. 28th September

Tweeting Birdies. 26th September

Aerial Chase, Making Tomorrows Theatre, Day 2. 23rd September

3 Replies

Beeston, Aspley Basin, Huddersfield

An all you can eat breakfast at Aspley, I double checked it wasn’t going to contain any gluten, thankfully their hash browns were okay, bacon a little bit dried out, but it was the thought that counted. Most people were away from the hotel before me, heading to participate in Well Being hour at the theatre before the days work began. Instead I walked up the hill via Sainsburys’ to get myself something for lunch.

Many of the same faces as yesterday were about, plus some new ones, some people having travelled from Glasgow, some from Kent. Todays proceedings were hosted by Nicky Priest, an actor, stand up comedian, advocate for autism conditions, oh and wrestler! A short performance by Dark Horse choreographed to music by Loz Kaye mentioning everyone who has worked and taken part on the Making Tomorrows Theatre projects.

Key note speaker was Tim Crouch, an experimental theatre maker, actor, director. He rejects realism and invites the audience to help create the work he does. With the aid of some photographs and one prop he got his audience to think out of the box, the first image actually being of a cardboard box. What else could that box be? Give it to a child I could become a car, rocket. I’d seen him pick up an orange at breakfast he placed it on the stage. What was it? What could it be? We were all wrong, it was his dog. But what did his dog look like? We were all asked to imagine what it looked like, was it sitting, sleeping scratching some annoying flea. If we’d imagined a Golden Retriever then we were wrong and quite boring! His style of theatre doesn’t require input from designers, as my job is taken over by the audience each creating their own unique surroundings, characters in their heads. I once had an argument with a director about having some part cutaway doors in a theatre in the round, this was so they could be left open and the audience sat next to them would be able to see the play. He wasn’t having it, he needed full double doors, he wasn’t willing to trust that his audience could fill in what I had left out. Tim Crouch wouldn’t have had even the partial doors, the door frame, the room! A very interesting man.

Protagonist George Webster followed. George is a BAFTA award winning presenter of CBeebies, he’s an actor, author and public speaker advocating for disability representation, he is also a member of the Separate Doors National Ensemble. He posed questions on how learning disabled and neuro divergent actors could and should become part of the main landscape. How could the industries of theatre, television and film become more inclusive.

Panels answered questions, panel members posed questions. A very thought provoking day. The quote Tim Crouch had used ‘No one is free until everyone is free’ is very true whether it be about race, disability, or anything.

As the conference drew to a close, there would be time to chat more to everyone, but also there was a three hour train journey back to Beeston. I checked the times of buses back to Brighouse and the connecting trains, I had 25 minutes, time to say my rushed goodbyes and head off. A shame I wasn’t included in the company photo, but many of the National Ensemble had already left too. What a fantastic two days it had been.

Back in Beeston, Tilly was bored, still! Mick got on with installing the new Victron gear, I’ll let him explain a bit more about this.

Mick here. Technical stuff coming up. If you get bored skip the next four paragraphs.

For some time, in fact for a few years, I’ve been thinking that our 24 volt100 amp domestic alternator isn’t up to the job of fully charging our LiFePO4 batteries. The alternator doesn’t output the 28.4 volts required to get the batteries up to full capacity. It seems to stop short at about 27.5v leaving the batteries liable to “under voltage over charging”. This is where the individual cells can become over charged even though the voltage doesn’t reach the point where the battery management system (BMS) cuts off the charging when the cell is full. I do wonder if this is what caused one of our original LiFePO4 batteries, as supplied by the boat builder, to fail. About 21 months ago we suffered an alternator failure and I did wonder if the replacement from Beta Marine would work better, but it made no difference.

The system we had, as installed by the boat builder, was such that the alternator charged the LiFePO4 batteries directly and the 24v lead acid bow thruster bank was wired in parallel with them via a voltage sensitive relay (VSR). I had considered getting a Mastervolt Alpha Pro alternator charge regulator and indeed I had contacted the boat electrician Ed Shiers to get him to come and fit one. But we never seemed able to find somewhere suitable for him to come and visit us at a suitable time for both of us. I had considered fitting one myself but it involved taking apart the alternator and I wasn’t confident of doing this. Then last winter a new product was launched by Victron: a battery to battery charger (B2B) that was capable of taking a 24v DC input and providing a regulated 50 amp 24 volt DC output. This was capable of being programmed with a LiFePO4 profile specifically to charge our batteries properly. It was cheaper that the Mastervolt and as no tinkering with the alternator was required I could do the job myself.

So while we were at the house last winter I ordered a Victron Orion XS 1400 from 12 Volt Planet. I have bought stuff from them before and they have always been quick and reliable and apparently have good technical support, although I’ve never needed their advice. While Pip was away for 2 days I decided to install the B2B. I ran in the necessary cables on day one. In my career as a telecom / IT technician I only ever had to deal with thin wires (just lots of them!) and big thick chunky copper cables are not my idea of fun. But I got the cables in and terminated them with the required lugs at each end. I mounted the B2B in the electrics cupboard with the thinking that it would be cooler in there than the engine bay. The next day I connected everything up. So now the alternator is connected directly to the lead acid bow thruster bank and the B2B sits in between the alternator and the LiFePO4 bank via a fuse. I programmed the B2B with the LiFePO4 profile and changed the settings in the BMS so they would match the B2B. All the correct lights came on on the B2B and I started the engine. After the programmed 60 second delay the B2B went into “bulk”charging mode and the batteries started charging properly.

It all seems to be working well with the batteries charging quicker than they used to. I have still to connect the B2B up to our Victron Venus GX monitoring system. I need to shift the GX to the left because the USB socket is too close to the wall of the electric cupboard and I can’t plug the plug in. Maybe I’ll do that tomorrow.

At some point in the afternoon, someone on an electric bicycle came whizzing along the towpath, Mick thought they may have been doing 30 to 40 mph. They wore a balaclava hat and hood. What had they done? Up above them they were being followed by a Police helicopter! I wonder if they caught them? Or was the bike too nimble for the police on the ground to be able to catch them?

**Front seat on the bus back to Brighouse**

My train journey back to Beeston went with only slight delays which were helped by delays to the connecting trains. Then a walk back to Oleanna in the dark to be greeted with the smell of dhal being warmed up for our meal tonight. It may take me sometime to download my photos, I really hope I’ve something that will be useful for illustrations.

0 locks, 0 miles, 3 more trains, 1 bus, 9 ensemble, 2 panels, 5 provocations, 76 replies, 1 orange/dog, 1 high speed aerial chase, 1 Victron Orion XS 1400 installed, 1 afternoon of regretting that chicken last night, 1 cosy boat with a cat on my lap.

150 Minutes In Dawlish. 22nd August

Shobnall Fields

Alarm set for 6am, cheese and pastrami butties made, laptop packed along with two pieces of panto model. Then I was off to the station to catch the direct train down to Exeter St Davids. Thankfully the train from Burton wasn’t that busy to start with and I didn’t feel the need to play seat hopscotch. I opted for my first reserved seat, then moved into my third one across the way a stop before hand.

I tried writing a blog post, but lack of space made that a touch hard, then I got on with some knitting. Gemma, the Production Manager for panto, joined the train at Bristol Parkway, her seat behind mine.

When I’d left Burton this morning it had been 10C, now the sun was out and I was heading for the south coast which would be the warmest place in England according to last nights forecast. I made sure to keep an eye out as we headed southwards from Bristol, did I spot Paul Balmer dancing around in his garden waving at trains?

At Exeter St David’s we changed trains, a very seaside feel to those getting on and off the train. The train skirts along the River Ex, the tide seemed to be out and many boats sat on the bottom. Then the train turns along the coast of the English Channel, the sea bright blue today reflecting the sky.

Just a couple of minutes to enjoy being close to Dawlish beach before Jamie arrived to pick us up and whisk us along to his workshop. A quiet time in between festivals for Back Drop Design, a few TV things coming up and Chippy panto would fit nicely in between.

Gemma had brought the model pieces for us to discuss. I have to say I was a little bit surprised that the finished model drawings hadn’t been forwarded to Jamie, nor the colour model storyboard. So various things had changed from the information he’d had, but at least there was time to go through everything and for him to make notes.

A cuppa as we chatted. How was the budget? Well I’d been told a month ago we were fine, it looked like there’d be no need for any amendments then. But Gemma asked if Jamie could bring the build in for a couple of thousand less than he’d priced it up and a few extra bits had been added today. I wasn’t surprised at his reaction, ‘that’s my profit’. It’s a shame this conversation couldn’t have happened a month ago, but people are busy, maybe a bit too busy! Another hour sat with up to date drawings would have helped us find some savings, but Gemma and I were booked on specific trains back.

Back along the coast, up the estuary, changing trains again. The train back north was two units, one would be stopping at Bristol Temple Meads the other one carrying on. Announcements were too quick, platform staff guided us to the front carriages, thankfully these weren’t as packed so tightly as those behind. We found seats a miracle, the previous train had been cancelled and there was suggestions from the passengers that tomorrow there is a strike. One lady said they had only just added four more carriages, so she’d quickly moved so she could breath. Then there was the announcement that meant we were actually in the wrong part of the train, but half an hour later another guard had been found so all eight carriages could continue onwards to Edinburgh, phew!

Because of overcrowding the train was delayed a bit. Gemma alighted in Bristol. Then there was a points failure, necessitating going into Gloucester to get round it. Then because of the train before having been cancelled they added an extra stop at Tamworth. All in all I ended up being over an hour late back into Burton, at least I’ll get some money back.

Mick had planned to spend the day in the engine bay fitting a new bit of Victron kit. But another bad nights sleep had had to be made up for so he’d had a good afternoon kip. Tilly had had an inquisitive black Labrador come to visit her, but she’d spent quite a lot of the day on her throne under the pram cover. Three loads of washing were hanging about the place, so Mick had been busy for some of the day.

I got back to Oleanna around twelve hours after I’d left, I’d managed 2.5 hours in Dawlish. Now I’m waiting to see what adjustments are required!

0 locks, 0 miles, 4 trains, 1 production manager, 5 week out of date drawings, 2 attempts to write the blog, 1 sock completed, 5 reserved seats, 4 sardine carriages, 2 giant figures, 3 loads washing, 1 black lab, 1 hello, 10 C to 25C, 12 meatballs and spaghetti, 1 spring weather forecast!

Am I Your Sister Or Your Wife? 10th 11th August

Scarborough/ Retford and Worksop Boat Club

The Geraghty zoom included more about Alastair’s under croft, oil pumps, contactless access and Berlin. We then started to do chores about the house. Some curtains required some attention, just as Adam appeared to say his farewells. Chance to say how much we’d enjoyed the show last night, apparently a few bits had gone array during the show, but from the audiences point of view it is all so bonkers and seemingly array we really couldn’t tell. A shame not to have had chance to chat with him more, but he was headed for a well earned brunch and we needed to crack on. Adam scores an 8/9 on the lodger tally.

Bedding and towel washing, shower cleaning, easiest done whilst in the shower, but I didn’t need to have two showers! Gardening, dusting, a touch of hoovering, the kitchen cupboards needed a de-fingerprint as ever, kitchen floor washed. We gave ourselves a little break and headed out to buy something for lunch and this evening, plus stock up on a few things for the house, bumping into a few friends as we shopped. Time was ticking for our first arrival and I think we got there by the skin of our teeth, still a pile of ironing to be done, but that was fine.

Liza arrived having driven up from Norfolk. A quick look round the house for her to choose which side she’d prefer to be on, decision made then we helped her unload a very full car. Liza has been to Scarborough numerous times before, so she’s aware of how the seasons are likely to change over her 9 weeks, she has brought a coat for every eventuality.

An hour later Stuart arrived, having travelled by train his luggage wasn’t quite so comprehensive. I’ve worked with them both but quite sometime ago now, Liza was in ‘Life and Beth’ and ‘Snake in the Grass’ 2008 and Stuart ‘Game Hunter’ 2003, then he toured in ‘Improbable Fiction’ 2006. There was lots to talk about, lots of mutual friends. Of course there was the show they are here to rehearse, Alan Ayckbourn’s 91st play Earth Angel. The big question was, were they playing sister and brother or husband and wife? This was soon cleared up and the ironing could resume.

Monday morning, costume fittings for Stuart and Liza whilst we packed up, finished a bit of gardening then headed for medical appointments. I took a detour down to the beach, the tide was out and most of the holiday makers were close to the waters edge meaning I had plenty of room to brisk walk across the sands to the Spa, then up through the gardens listening to the brass band playing in the Sun court. I’ve not had a proper summers day in Scarborough for years! Around the houses to one which today was guarded by a unicorn. Duncan was at home for me to deliver sock pair 102 for Jaye. Nice to have a quick catch up, enough for a mention in the blog!

Once lunch was eaten we had two things left on our Scarborough list. First one a visit to see Frank. We only just caught him before he was heading out to see a friend. It’s been a few months since we last saw him and he looked pretty good. Rather than getting a bus into town we gave him a lift to see his mate, all a little bit quick, but at least we’d checked in on him in person and seen what we could see.

Next the oil from the engine service was dropped off at the tip. Jobs completed, blood test done, dentist, 1 lodger out, 2 more in, 1 new oil pump delivered, 1 box of panto delivered and scanned, Frank seen, show seen, EatMe eaten, beach walked on, time to head back to Oleanna.

A slight detour was made to Thorne Boat Services to buy 15 litres of red diesel which would make us both feel happier heading out onto the Tidal Trent in a few days. The Chesterfield is a lovely canal, but the lack of someone selling diesel canal side is a negative especially when you don’t normally have a car.

Back at Oleanna, the doors were opened up, Tilly could have some shore leave. Have to say she’d done quite a good job of keeping the boat cool, but it soon warmed up with the doors and windows open.

The last of the steak and kidney gravy from the pie went in with some mushrooms and some pasta, a good quick meal after a busy weekend.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 hire car, 30L cat litter, 2 clean and tidy houses, 1 oil pump, 1 pair socks, 3 lots of blood, 1 dentist, 1 hygienist, 3 actors, 1 Frank, 1 lift, 4 lots of bed linen ready for next time, 2 beds changed, 2 clean houses, 63 brisk minutes, 1 more mention of what’s’is’name, 1 husband and wife.

Pumping And Pacing. 8th August

Main Street Winding Hole to Retford and Worksop Boat Club

Mick put his overalls on this morning, ran the engine to get her a little bit warm and then climbed down into the engine bay. The Lidl electric pump came out again, connected to the starter battery, he’d thought about this, then it set to pumping out the old engine oil. It took time and was really quite noisy, but it did the job. A new Beta pump is on order and we’re awaiting a delivery. The filter was changed then fresh oil was poured in, all ready now for our trip out onto the Tidal Trent. *Thank you Tony for your suggestion re a dribble of oil, we’ll try that before we change the existing pump.

I spent some time weaving in ends of a pair of socks ready for their delivery over the weekend. Then Tilly and I had a bit of a walk along the towpath. What a lovely mooring this is. Thankfully the field we’re alongside had already been harvested, so no clouds of dust kicking up in the air as there was over in the distance where straw was being bailed up. I spotted a snake swimming across the canal, maybe that’s what I’d seen the other day, all far too quick to get a photo.

Lunch, then we made ready for the off, we’d be the only boat moving along here today. I walked ahead, only a mile to walk today, then some pacing out to do. Boats had moved about a bit on the boat club moorings, one boat had taken the space we’d had ten days ago, others had been out and winded. I was on the hunt for a suitably sized gap. 26 paces required for Oleanna.

22, 24, ah ha! 26!! Mick put Oleanna’s bow in for me to get a rope, then we did an Andy spring line to bring her into the mooring which had just six inches spare. We rang the warden, Phil this week, who came riding along on a bike. Did we want to be here or further on, someone was leaving tomorrow so we could have their spot. We were quite happy where we were with some shade during the second half of the day, which might be handy. A key for the electric was found and we plugged in, we’d be seeing Phil later on at the Club to pay our dues.

An exploration of the sideways trees was deemed to be not quite as good as the last time we were here. Mick had a towpath haircut all whilst the batteries topped themselves back up to full.

Yesterdays leftover pie was heated back up and consumed along with some Jersey Royals and cabbage, very nice. Then we walked down to the club house for a drink.

Gosh it was popular, in the main room not a seat was to be had, so we took our drinks outside and got chatting to various people. Some have moored here for years, decades even, others a few months. Cruising tales were exchanged over beer and wine as the moon rose in it’s brilliant orange fullness. A very pleasant evening.

**Not the best photo of the moon rising, I needed my camera really**

In the latest Towpath Talk there’s an article on our friend Chris Stanbury who is well on his way back from walking from Lands End to John O’Groats and back. Not sure how many more days he’ll be walking for, I think the last time we caught up with his videos he was south of Tewksbury on day 127!

**Chris! Click the photo for a link to his Just giving page**

0 locks, 1 mile, 3rd space, 26 paces, 1 oil change, 9 litres, 2 outsides, 1 snake in the water, 102nd pair finished, 2 glasses wine, 2 pints of T, 1 bunged up nose, 1 familiar closeish neighbour.

https://what3words.com/tailwind.exhaled.agreed

Pump Problems. 5th August

Mile marker 23 to Ranby 2 day moorings

I’**m in here for a very good reason, honest**

Floris was still whipping up the air this morning, we opted to stay moored for a while. This meant Mick could do an oil change, a little bit over due but now we’re through the assisted passage we’ve a day in hand. Overalls on, back doors pulled closed, the wind was blowing right in at the stern, he lifted the engine board and got started.

It was handy not to be working locks as some time was required as Frank’s medical PA.

Tilly wasn’t being too busy outside, maybe she’d used it all up yesterday. So to keep her occupied we went for a walk Blackberry hunting. The ones alongside the boat were already wizened as though they never really come into fruit, but maybe a bit further on they would be better. My hunch was correct and quite a mass of almost overly ripe plump blackberries were ready to be picked. Tilly wasn’t much help, but a new patch of sideways trees kept her busy whilst I filled a pot with almost half a kilo of berries. I feel some baking coming on.

I got the wood glue out, time to restick some of the edgings on shelves and cupboard doors. The glue seems to be giving up being sticky in some parts of the boat. So some encouragement for the glue to go in the gap, a good squeeze, wipe down and some tape to hold it in place whilst it dried. Job done.

Mick wasn’t having much luck. The sump drain pump had stopped pumping, not good when you want to pump the oil out! He’d had a go with an electric pump he’d bought from Lidl a while ago, but this would take forever and possibly drain our starter battery. After trying numerous things he ended up giving up today. Maybe rigging up the electric pump to the 24v-12v dc-dc converter in the electrics cupboard so the domestic bank could be used instead?

After lunch we opted to move on a bit to the next mooring.

**It’s a good view here when the wind stops**

This morning a CRT tug had come past with a skip boat, as we made ready it came back without the skip, would we be slowly following this to Osberton Lock? They crawled past us, but as soon as they had gone past they cranked up the speed. We followed, at a far slower speed.

This stretch of towpath is currently closed right up to the lock, the next stretch is where the problem bridge is. From the canal it didn’t look like anything was wrong, but looking up the side it’s had quite a wallop and bricks are ready to tumble onto the towpath.

Above Osberton Lock, CRT were just leaving having removed the skip to further up stream, we actually now had a lock landing to land at, then a limbo under the once five bar gate. I lifted the paddles to set the lock just as the heavens opened! Both of us retreated to the shade of the trees, thankfully the downpour didn’t last long. I opted to walk the remainder of the way, knowing I’d not be getting my full quota of steps or brisk minutes done.

**Here she comes giving me a reason to be stood here**

Past the green/cabbages/cauliflowers again, if only there was a way down into the field to see what they were. I soon approached the Ranby Moorings. Here at one end sat the boat from The Lock Keeper, they have a cat called Nutmeg, so I headed to the far end of the mooring and loitered for Oleanna. Not only am I now a mad cat lady, but I also loiter on the towpath!

1 lock, 2 miles, 1 blowy day, 1 litre of oil pumped out, 1 litre of oil put back in the engine, 0.5kg of blackberries, 5 edges stuck, 1 cat walk, 1 sharp shower, 0 climbing trees, 1 mad woman waving to the other boat.

https://what3words.com/workroom.prune.improvise

Waiting Day (1). 18th July

Vazon Swing Bridge

We both woke early, would the temperature have dipped sufficiently for Vazon Drawbridge/Sliding/Railway Bridge to move out of our way? Mick put some clothes on and walked over to the signal box, a different signaller from yesterday. Here he met up with a chap from NB Early Rise, who is waiting on the other side of the bridge. A phone call had already been made to York, the temperature not low enough even at the coolest part of the day. Chats were had, then Mick returned and joined me back in bed for some more shut eye, after all it was only 5am.

Over breakfast we considered our options. Should we wait here by the swing bridge, close to the trains kerchunk kerchunking over the sliding bridge through day and night? Or should we try to find a different mooring? One where Tilly could go out further away from the bridge. We decided to have a pootle to see if we could find anywhere. But first Mick walked up to the signal box and made sure they had our phone number for when the temperature dips enough and the bridge opens.

There had been hi-vis people at the bridge this morning along with Northern Power Grid. The domestic electrics were off in the signal box and had been mended. The hi-vis people were from Network Rail and they had been busy painting parts of the bridge white, this will help reflect some of the heat away from the structure. Now as we untied I spotted several blue t-shirts, CRT t-shirts. Hands were shook between orange and blue, might they be about to do a test opening? No chance, the temperature way above the 15C.

We winded and headed back towards Thorne, maybe, just maybe there might be enough depth for Oleanna back close to Pilfrey Bridge, not too far away, but just far enough. There was a lack of blanket weed making the canal obvious to those with four legs and feet, no rocks in view. But sadly no matter how much we tried the bow or stern didn’t get to within jumping off closeness of the bank. We opted to return from where we’d come. When the back doors opened up again, Tilly was most peeved that all we’d done was shake the outside up a bit!

Mick headed for a walk and a possible earwig at what was being said at the bridge between orange and blue people. Other than stopping to tie a shoe lace he didn’t find an excuse to loiter within ear shot for long and ended up going to say hello to NB Early Rise instead.

Once the meeting had finished the blue bods walked back towards Keadby Lock and stopped for a chat. There was quite a high up person in amongst them. CRT are putting a lot of pressure on Network Rail to get the bridge working for boaters more reliably. They are hoping that the safe working temperature might be raised, even by just one or two degrees. Sections of the bridge had now been painted white and a big light installed so should passage be needed when it’s dark there is now light.

Network Rail are working towards publishing a weekly weather report for the bridge, noting windows where the temperature will be at a suitable level for it to operate. Apparently the chap who oversees Vazon for the railway, is in charge of around 9000 bridges, and Vazon takes up half his time!

So we just have to sit and wait, ready to snatch the first opportunity to go through.

My migraine improved enough to go for a steady walk. I’d spotted a couple of paths when we were here last, checked them out on Google maps and set off to cross the railway, then the first ditch and to walk round and back through a wood.

To cross Vazon, as a pedestrian, requires you to press a plunger and wait for a red light and siren to stop, meaning that the gate is now unlocked. If the siren and light stay on, there is a train coming, which there was on my way out. Once it’s clear you zigzag your way across the tracks which go diagonally across the sliding bridge. It’s well worth looking at by foot even if you have to cross at speed rather than loiter on your way across.

The first track I aimed for had a very protective Cob and his swan family, so I looped back round and walked through the wood to a track and up to the main road. The tide was on it’s way out but still pretty high, would any boats be making their way down stream right now?

**Pouring water on the road bridge to cool it down**

At Keadby Swing Bridge, the road bridge just by the lock, two Council employees climbed out of the van and walked to the bridge. Here they started up a generator and started to pump water onto the bridge, most probably where it pivots. There was evidence of them having done this earlier in the day. It turns out that at least one boat had been headed for Keadby today, they’d been told to moor up in Gainsborough overnight as there was a problem with this bridge too! Here’s hoping it’s sorted by the morning for them.

After all the excitement at the bridges, even if we didn’t manage to get going, it was time for an easier afternoon. Blimey it was hot and sticky inside, more so outside.

Mick pottered on with a few jobs, adding new hooks to fenders, wrapping wire round the yellow water connector whilst Tilly and I watched Denmark (2019) and knitted. Denmark is a bittersweet comedy about a down-on-his-luck Welshman who travels to Europe with a crazy goal, to get himself arrested and sent to a Danish prison where the beds are warm and the water is hot. It’s a gentle British film, with cool outdoor scenes which were welcome today.

Our only neighbour here had been absent during the day. He’d left his woofer shut up inside his make shift boat. We’d been getting quite concerned as the howls were becoming progressively more pathetic. Mick had wondered over to see what he might be able to see, which wasn’t much from a safe distance, we’ve been aware of this chap for a while. Then thankfully the owner returned, beer in hand and quite merry. The door to his boat was flung open and his large dog surged for the bank, all four legs crossed. After dancing a jig or two he packed up all he wanted, bundled his dog back onboard and frantically untied and set off into the sunset. So apart from the trains we should have a quiet evening now.

0 locks, 1.3 miles, 2 winds, 4 blue, 3 hi-vis, 1 sticky day, 0.5 sock, 1 film, 1 mended dishwasher, 2 fenders, 2 broken bridges, 2 more hi-vis, 1 jig, 1 woofer on our radar, 1 boat setting off into the sunset, 1 good place to smoke!

As One Wait Is Over. 17th July

Thorne Visitor Moorings to Vazon Swing Bridge

We’d guessed that they might be on their way today and sure enough photos appeared on the Strawberry Fools group this morning of sunrise at Vazon Railway Drawbridge, 5am the bridge had been at the right temperature for boats to go through and NB Purple Emperor with Ian and Alley were the next boat from the Fund Britain’s Waterways Cruise to be heading for home. Breakfast had just been served up when we heard the Princess Royal Footbridge opening up. Sure enough on the other side was the familiar bow.

Three boats in all came through, the second crewed by a chap we remembered from the get together on the bank at Keadby and again in Newark. Ian manned the gates as Alley led the boats through, we were spotted and there was time to say a few hellos. Alley was so looking forward to being back home by the end of the day after their three months cruise of around 1000 miles.

We put together a shopping list, perishable items and headed on up to Sainsburys. Some salad we’d got from Lidl had expired long before it should have, all slimey and horrible so that along with fruit needed sorting. On our way back we got a call from Sean from SPL covers, they had arrived and let themselves through the gate, we were only two minutes away. As we arrived back the new side was already on and Sean was hand sewing up where the zips on the pram cover had come adrift. The blue just about matches and the see through panel is just that, see through compared to the original one which is now more frosted.

When Oleanna gets a repaint, we’ll be looking at smart new covers for her, not a cheap thing, we asked Sean for a ball park figure. £1200 for a new cratch and around £2300 for a new pram cover, he suggested we have the sides zipped so we can roll them up rather than remove them completely and risk another one falling into the canal and drifting away. A good idea, but how do they fare when the whole pram hood is folded down? We always do this for cruising, many boats around here never seem to take their covers down preferring to just have the sides up and peek out of the sides. Research needs to be done on this.

BIt of a tight squeeze to get under there, that chimney needed to come off.

We were now free to leave. A top up with water, a shower too to maximise the tank fill as we’ve no idea how long we might be waiting in Keadby for the drawbridge to open. Lunch, then we came out from the moorings, leaving them empty, Mick reversed us back onto the diesel point at Thorne Boat Services. £1.05 a litre, a touch more expensive than in Goole but the last place before the Chesterfield Canal.

I walked up to the bridge whilst Mick winded Oleanna. As I turned the key in the panel the gates all clicked, a good noise. I made sure every barrier was locked in position and the bridge swung first time. I can now see where the confusion lies with boaters. A light comes on on the panel saying that the bridge is Closed when it isn’t quite and you have to keep pressing the close button until you hear the barriers click unlocked, a light illuminates saying the bridge is Locked. Job done without a hitch.

Out through the remainder of Thorne, time to work the bridges. Time also to decide how far we should go today. To where we’ve stopped before between Medge Hall and Godnow Bridge? Or all the way to Keadby in case the drawbridge might open overnight? We’d certainly be crossing the Yorkshire/Lincolnshire border.

The canal started to get greener and greener, both banks a stretch of pet fooling green away. Our landing net has not lasted eleven years and I doubt would take the weight of Tilly now should she casually walk onto the green and find she needed to be buoyant. Temperatures didn’t seem to be as high as they’d been forecast, maybe it would be worth going all the way to Keadby incase the temperature dropped to 15C and we’d be able to get through.

I chatted to the bridge keeper at Godnow, did he know anything about Vazon? Everyone is asking as they come through by boat, he was careful what he said more concerned with the wasps nest by the door to the little hut.

At Crowle I hopped off Oleanna to walk the rest of the way, over 2.5 miles would see my brisk walking to where it needed to be today. Soon it started to spit, Mick tried out the new umbrella he bought after leaving the old one at the cricket the other week. As we got within a mile of our planned enforced stop for the day I got the hint of a blind spot in my vision, a migraine coming on. I hoped I was wrong, but it soon was evident that my suspicion was correct. I rang Mick, getting back on board soon would be a good thing, but also it looked like there was a stretch without too much weed which would be good for Tilly and shore leave.

Sadly the bottom was far too close to the top as Mick tried a few times to come into the side to moor up. Only one option, carry on to the bridge landing at Vazon. Three little yoghurt pots sat on the bridge landing, a big space in the middle for us. We were just starting to tie up when the drawbridge started to make it’s familiar noise of sirens, this is what you hear when the keeper is about to open it for boat traffic. I took a key of power for the manual bridge before hand and walked up to the signal box to check on things.

Up the steep staircase to chat to the keeper. ‘You got my hopes up there!’ I said. Sadly we’d not be allowed through. A phone call was made to York to check on the bridge temperature, 19C it needs to be 15C for them to open it for boats after it failed a few weeks ago. Maybe overnight the temperature would drop enough for us to sneek through, I gave them my number to call in the early hours should our luck be in.

**Vazon Swing Bridge our mooring for the night …. or longer**

My migraine now took over. Reading and speech problematical, time to lie down for a while with my eyes closed, Mick and Tilly being quiet.

The trains however weren’t quiet, neither are the bridges or sirens at the bridge and level crossing which seems to be in constant use, that person in the box is kept busy.

Later in the evening Mick bobbed up to the signal box and suggested we’d be happy for them to call us during day light hours, going through in the dark, having to open a manual swing bridge and then moor up would not be the safest thing to do, but as soon as the sun was up would be fine, if the temperatures dropped enough.

A quiet evening in front of the TV. My was phone left on with the sound turned up, I was in bed a little after 10pm leaving Mick to watch the cycling and waiting for the news to come on after the football. We’ll see what tomorrow brings, we’re not that hopeful.

0 locks, 9.4 miles, 1 reverse, 1 little hot pork pie, 105 litres at £1.05, 6 bridges, 4 held up, 1 digger, 2 black labs swimming, 1 returning boat, 1 new pram side, 3 bags of fruit and veg, 1 border crossed, 1 wasps nest, 61 brisk minutes, 1 sock frogged, 2 warm, 1 sensor in York, 1 white painted bridge.

https://what3words.com/predict.acrobats.daunting

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna