Mick was into the engine bay early this morning as last night I’d been able to hear a slight squealing noise, Mick had only been able to hear it with the engine board lifted. This morning he gave the alternator belt a tighten and that seemed to do the trick. He does however have a slight thought that the bearings may be going!
Tilly still isn’t enamoured with our mooring, but she’ll have to put up with it for a few days as access to Rugby Station is required.
The coal skuttle was filled up, yellow water emptied then Mick had an early lunch whilst I had a lemsip. I think these post Christmas show colds are sent by your body to enforce you into having time off, which is good for me right now as resting my calf muscle is the most important thing.
Receipts and tissues
A little before midday Mick set off for the station, a visit to Scarborough needed to meet a plumber. A convoluted route north took him via Sheffield and Hull meaning a saving of at least £20, but he did get to see the Humber Bridge and wave to his Mum.
Back on board Tilly and I had a quiet day. It was time to sort out my expenses from Panto and invoice for the weeks painting I did before rehearsals started. The big stack of receipts were sorted through and then logged on the computer. Scanning followed and all was done. I’ll soon need to update my accounts for last year and file my tax return, maybe in the next few days.
He didn’t do it
Later part of the afternoon was spent in front of a Lewis episode, the one where poor Robbie gets to meet the chap who killed his wife. This was followed by more lemsip and some courgette, pea and feta fritters. The recipe gets better each time I do it, but before I share it with you I’ll need to make a batch of them when I haven’t got a cold.
Fritters
0 locks, 0 miles, 0 steps of the boat, 2 short explores by Tilly, 3 trains, 1 cold house, 1 invoice, £300+ expenses, 1 Lewis, 1 stove piled high, 6 fritters, 2 left for lunch tomorrow.
An early start to meet my lift into Peterborough. Ken from NB Cleddau had very kindly offered to give me a lift to the station this morning saving me sitting defending my model box on the bus as well as trains and the tube today. We arrived in plenty of time, I bought my ticket and then had to wait until 8:30 before the barriers would let me through. I was catching the slower Thameslink train to St Pancras, if I’d waited another ten minutes I could have got to London earlier but it would have cost another £90! I was happy enough sat watching Brampton and St Neots go by, only one boat moored on the GOBA mooring where Tilly got stuck behind the double fence weeks ago.
Panto Model on tour
A quick transfer onto the tube and I was soon walking up to Abi’s house in Golders Green. Today the meeting would just be Abi and myself working through the show scene by scene, scene change by scene change. A few notes were taken for small amendments, but generally all was good. When it came to the troublesome scene I had taken three options with me just in case. I set up the latest which thankfully got the thumbs up! Just some minor adjustments to make it even better. Hooray!
We were joined by Gemma the production manager for the last hour to chat through anything that might be problematical, then tucked into a bowl of soup whilst chatting props. A very productive three hours.
The water tower at St Pancras Cruising Club at the end of the road
Meanwhile my phone kept making noises. News was coming through from Oundle. This morning NB Barbarella who have been moored on the lock landing at Whiston Lock were woken by engineers working on the broken lock. At around 10am I got a message from Mick saying that the lock was open again. Hooray!!
I passed the good news onto Cleddau. But so far no news of Islip Lock.
At 12:30 my phone pinged again. The engineers who’d mended Whiston had just completed works at Islip Lock which was now also open. Hooray!!! Our way ahead is now clear, I just need to get things in the post and then we can push off.
The model managed to have a seat to itself on the way back too
Ken met me at the station again and brought me back to Oleanna who had moved. During the afternoon NB Shadow had decided that they would head off and obviously needed their hook up lead they’d lent us back. There was still credit where they had been moored so Mick moved us up to plug in there instead, our old space soon taken over by NB Charlotte May.
Mick had spent the day washing what ever he could find. The chimney was swept, the boat hoovered through, water tank filled, a busy day. Tilly spent much of the afternoon being adamant that NB Charlotte May was actually Oleanna, she had been inside when Mick had moved the outside but sometimes scent is more persuasive to her than looks. Good job she didn’t go for a walk through of their boat as they have two woofers in residence.
Showing the model on zoom
At 7:30 this evening Mick retreated to sit outside under the clubhouse canopy whilst I took over the dinette table. It was time to do my Final model presentation to Producers, the Writer, Production Manager and Technical Manager. To get a reasonable view of the model it was set up on a couple of shoe boxes and moved to about 14 inches away from the laptop, I had to perch on a radiator as I showed everyone through the model. Another good meeting, half a days work to do tomorrow and then we can be off! HOORAY!!!!
0 locks, 55ft reversed, 2 trains, 2 tubes, 1 shower, 5 thumbs up, 2 mended locks, 1 full tank of water, 1 chimney swept, 1 confused cat, 4 faces almost in my model box, 1 very BIG thank you to Ken for the lifts today.
Not being able to go through Stanground Lock today we had a choice, to stay put on the rural mooring (24hr mooring) or move on and be that bit closer to Stanground for Saturday morning. We chose the latter to cut down on the cruise to get us there for 10am.
Middle view
We un-flung our ropes off the big posts, crossed over Angle Corner, no other boats in view, then I headed back to work below whilst Mick pushed against quite a flow towards Whittlesey.
Fresh air!
A temporary method of holding the mesh in place meant I could have the side hatch open today, Tilly wasn’t too bothered as she was busy having her morning nap, dreaming of Mrs Tilly stamped moorings in the middle of nowhere with no woofers and an abundance of friends.
That’s flowing well
After an hour of work I came back up top ready for Ashline lock. Up ahead we could see the flow coming round the bywash, would this pin us to the lock landing?
At the lock a chap had just arrived and was walking over to the weir with a handle, presumably to adjust how much water was coming through. The lock was full, so required plenty of turns to the slackers for it to slowly empty. Chatting to the chap he said that the Middle Level had been struggling for water for much of the summer, so they were glad of any water they could get, and blimey it was thundering round the lock. Just to raise the lower level by an inch would take time as the drains stretch off in many directions for miles.
Will Mick be able to get her moving?
With Oleanna in the lock Mick passed a rope up to hold her to the side. I started to wind the slackers up. Round and round the windlass/key went. 78 times and 60 times. The force of the water coming into the lock nothing like that going round the bywash. It took forever to fill, almost time to have a morning nap ourselves! Good job we’d roped up to stop her from being bashed about all over the place!
Nearly at the top, only another ten minutes to go!
We pulled in behind NB Nina on the moorings. Gave Tilly six hours, knowing that she was unlikely to make the most of her time, due to the number of woofers and the lack of friendly cover.
Back at work I concentrated on a few versions of my troublesome scene. By the end of the day I had three versions, here’s hoping Abi takes to one of them, I know which one I prefer.
Mick sat out at one of the picnic benches and had a go at mending the water pump that he’d removed yesterday. He thinks it’s sorted again, we’ll see!
Around 7pm a boat pulled up heading towards Stanground. With no space left on the mooring we offered for them to breast up to us, which they accepted. They are booked for 10:15am at the lock, so both boats will be up and off early.
1 lock, 2.67 miles, 1 straight on, 1 fast flow, 1 pump mended for the third time, 1 unimpressed cat, 1 very VERY slow filling lock, 1 woofer neighbour, 3 versions of Petiti, 1 designer with her fingers crossed.
March Visitor Moorings to Angle Bridge Rural Mooring
As I picked up the few things that end up on the floor alongside my side of the bed this morning, I noticed a little glistening under the front steps. Then I remembered that yesterday I’d nudged the mat that lives at the foot of the steps and had noticed a few faint lines on the floor, I’d immediately put this down to the floor needing a good sweeping. Then I remembered that whilst the washing machine had been on yesterday I’d heard a slightly different noise as the machine had been filling. One should always make a comment about such noises, but one doesn’t always get a convinced reply back, so one doesn’t always mention things. I have the better hearing of the two of us, well Tilly most probably beats me but she rarely says anything we can understand.
Delving into the depths of the steps
Everything was lifted up off the floor, the mat lifted to reveal a puddle that capillary action had been holding there. The lids of the steps were opened to reveal a very wet area. Either the water pump was the cause or we had a problem with the water tank! We’d prefer the former if we had a choice.
How many nappies and water pumps does it take to fill a step?
The water pump was turned off, water was mopped up and nappies put under the steps to soak up more as we had our cuppa in bed, we’d not be moving on as being in March might prove useful should we need to purchase things.
Just have to see how the floor dries out
The kettle was filled and my paint pot before there was no water left in the pipes. Mick tinkered away inside the steps. It looked like the main body of the pump was leaking. Under the steps there were several spare pumps, which had been bought last year when Mick had found a leak. These pumps were known to have a possible problem when bought (long story, being sold cheaply I think we ended up with three), Mick had put two of them together and come up with one that would possibly be problem free, this would do for the time being.
The pump that was leaking today was the one that had sprung a leak last year, Mick had mended it and it’s lasted us nine months, so not bad. The pump was turned back on, fresh nappies put beneath it, a fan positioned to help with ventilation, Tilly locked out of the bedroom.
I worked away whilst Mick headed out to the shops. We needed a few nails to make the cat proof screen for the side hatch along with some staples to attach the mesh with. We’d run out of damp crystals so more of those were bought, two big bags to refill our containers.
Thank you March
By lunchtime we were convinced that a temporary solution to the leak was working, we decided to move on and out of town, hopefully so that Tilly could have some shore leave. I stayed up top until we’d passed Foxton Marina, having a nosy at all the numerous sheds and things that people have in their back gardens.
A group of young lads were hanging about under a bridge. We engaged in conversation, only for one of them to throw what turned out to be a none existent stone at us. We both winced unnecessarily.
The going was slow. Weed, the occasional blast of reverse needed. Mick had his instructions. After about an hour to go right, then another hour and we’d reach the rural mooring we hoped to moor at, I would continue to work below.
Hanging gunnel garden
The occasional look out o the windows showed a narrowboat with tomato plants along it’s gunnels, several ripe ready for picking. I bobbed up top to make sure Mick made the correct turn and then carried on working below.
Mick matching the sky
My work wasn’t as productive as I’d hoped today. That one scene (Petiti) still being a problem. I’m not convinced by the current solution, but need to come up with a better one. This along with not trusting Tilly to be able to work with the hatch open meant that inside the boat was getting very stuffy and fractious.
Angle Bridge
Angle Corner came up and the posts we wanted to moor to. We pulled in and quickly realised we’d not be getting off here. The depth was not sufficient to get close to the mooring poles and our plank not long enough to reach dry land. If we let Tilly out we’d not be able to get to her should there be a problem, so much to her annoyance shore leave was cancelled.
Our posts to tie to today
During the afternoon Mick had called ahead to Stanground Lock to see if we could book a passage through tomorrow afternoon. This would not be possible as at the moment there was too much water in the River Nene. Instead of the excess water being allowed to run out to sea it was being sent down onto the Middle Level where it would be of more use. Tina said we’d most probably notice a bit of a flow, this was obviously why our progress had been a touch slower than expected.
Against the bottom not the side
Along with the extra water, they had problems with weed on the Nene side of the lock, they’d had three boats get stuck there today. A booking was made for Saturday morning when hopefully the Nene would have returned to more normal levels.
0 locks, 8.33 miles, 1 puddle, 1 broken water pump, 1 stripy floor, 10 litres crystals, 1 scene not good, 1 model box requiring more mending than originally thought, 1 stroppy cat, 2 temporary measures, 2 much water ! who’d have thought it.
PS The pork pie from Upwell, was reasonable but had a few bits of gristle, it won’t be going on the must stop and purchase list of pork pies.
Cawdle Fen GOBA Moorings to Little Thetford EA Moorings
Opening up the hatch
Plans change when you are on a boat. We’d planned to stay put today as we’d be experiencing the hottest day this year, so far. But as we had our cuppa in bed we decided to move on. Not sure if Tilly’s tale from yesterday of woofer chasing was the truth, we didn’t want to be sat all day with the doors closed for her safety, or with them open wondering how safe she was with three roaming woofers about. The advantage of being on a boat is that if you don’t like your neighbours you can move, not that we didn’t like them, we just wanted Tilly to be able to come and go in safety.
Bye bye
So even before breakfast was considered we pushed off and aimed for the next mooring south. Dipping under the bridges Ely Cathedral vanished behind the concrete.
Soham Lode
We passed Soham Lode which looks like it was once navigable, today no entry signs and a huge mass of weed prevent access.
Moorings ahead
Two miles on the banks are high again and the EA mooring came into sight, plenty of boats there, but a gap big enough for us and maybe a cruiser too. As we pulled closer I spotted a woofer on the boat that would be behind us, hopefully the owners would be a touch more responsible than those we’d just left.
Doors open
Mick had a chat with them, the dogs (two of them) are likely to chase, but do no harm, the owners would keep an eye on them. There was however a request, could we hold off letting Tilly out for a while as one of their dogs was about to have a shower and that job was hard enough without a cat being added to the mix. We obliged, which wasn’t hard as Tilly wasn’t chomping at the bit to go out due to the heat.
Please can we have a cool outside again
The sun was now heating up the port side nicely, curtains drawn to help deflect some of the heat. Covers were poppered in place, sides rolled up to try and give a touch of shade and encourage the breeze in through the open doors. Tilly looked out a couple of times, we walked up to the top of the bank, plenty of friendly cover to keep her busy on the other side, but it was way too hot for her. The escape pod or bathroom floor became her preferred positions for much of the day.
180degrees at 32C
As we had breakfast I cooked some pasta which was then cooled and popped in the fridge for our evening meal, best to get any cooking out of the way before the temperature rose even more.
Tilly sticking to what shade she could find
We pottered the day away inside behind the curtains, the breeze making things bearable inside. As the sun moved over head and started to heat up the starboard side the curtains were opened and closed accordingly, we could now have the hatch open, windows were taken out to encouraging the breeze even more.
Mick spent time moving my email from one provider to another. Quite often my messages end up in peoples spam folders so we’re hoping the move will eliminate some of that.
I set about trying star darning on a t-shirt. My t-shirts get holes easily and I tend to look like quite a scruff in some of them. I chose one and gave it a go, if I can extend their life by another year that would be great. Practicing on my cheapo t-shirts hopefully I’ll be good at it by the time I get to those with sentimental value. I soon learnt that smaller stars were better than bigger ones which with the cotton I was using looked like they will catch on things quite easily.
The maximum temperature reached 32C, the highest temperature recorded today a little before 4pm in Cambridge not that far south of us. Thank goodness or that 16mph wind. I got the cool mat out for Tilly. Last year she’d rejected it, Well it smelt funny and who in their right mind would want to curl up on plastic in this heat! She at least sniffed it, tried to see what it was hiding on the floor and then walked away. Maybe next time she might actually stand on it!
Back they go again
The river was far busier than we’d expected. Plenty of people out and about enjoying the sunshine. We had cruisers of all shapes and sizes. One with six topless chaps came past the captain shouting over his engines so that the world could hear him ‘They (referring to narrowboaters) shout to tell you to slow down and all we do back is say’ a hand gesture involving one finger followed! We said nothing but thought plenty. Strangely enough Oleanna then bumped around for a half hour as the river gradually calmed down.
Hmmmm!
As the temperature started to drop we all headed outside. The solar connection box still needed fixing back onto the roof and with rain forecast for tomorrow it needed doing today. Mick debated on rewiring the panels to be in parallel again. Just because he doesn’t like thick wires was not a reason to keep them as they were. I asked if he’d regret keeping them in series when it came to the winter. Well he thought he would, so the wiring was revisited.
Checked and ready to go back on
A rim of black tack was put around the connection box base, some Captain Tolley’s creeping crack dripped on where the cables came out from the roof, just in case. Then the four screws were done up, the black tack that had squeezed out between the cabin top and box was neatened off. Job done.
Complete!
Well then we found that one of the cables going into the box wasn’t fully tightened up! Mick tried to rectify this without us removing everything off the roof again. Here’s hoping it’s all weather proof!
Thankfully the temperature gradually dropped during the evening and hopefully we’ll be able to get a reasonable nights sleep.
0 locks, 2.17 miles, 1 final goodbye to Ely, until we come back! 3 woofers down to 2, 0 shade, 2 hot or cats, 2 boaters 1 cat sitting in the dark, 1 cool mat rejected again, 1 connector reconnected, 6 lobsters, 32C, 1 hole in the side!
Padnal Fen GOBA Mooring to Cawdle Fen GOBA Mooring
Jobs before breakfast, the yellow water tank needed emptying and a coat of paint on the roof. Mick did the honours with the toilet whilst I put masking tape around the areas to be painted.
A stunning day
All over the roof this morning were small dead insects, as though they had all landed on the roof and died instantly. I suspect that is what’s happened to the white insects that we seem to keep getting on the river side of Oleanna. Each morning when we go out the river side of the boat is covered in these white little creatures. Are they newly hatched nymphs? Have they crawled up the boat mistaking it for reeds where they would mature then fly away? Maybe maturing into the dead things on our roof! I suspect that during the day at the moment these little white creatures cook nicely on the dark blue of the cabin sides.
A better photo today, but a missed bit hard to reach
I cleaned off the areas to be painted and then started with my brush. Thankfully it was still early enough in the day for the cream roof to still be cool, meaning the paint flowed off my brush with relative ease. The downside was that the centre ropes could not be reattached today. Painting the centre line loop I took selfies again to check I’d not missed bits. From what I could see in the bright sunshine it looked pretty good, on later inspection for the blog I’ve noticed that on the inside of the loop I’d missed a section, it wasn’t a shadow!
By the time we’d had breakfast and made ready to push off the surrounding boats had all headed off themselves. With stocks on board now depleted somewhat we needed to do a big shop, just as well we were headed for Ely.
How many fenders!
Back to the Great Ouse we turned southwards. WB Karma sat on the EA moorings, we biped our horn and stopped mid channel to chat briefly with them, they are certainly making slow progress along the river. We may see them again on our way back.
Today fishing could start again on the river. At first we only saw one chap with his full kit set up in a fishing peg. But then the number increased as we got closer to Ely, this also coincided with boats heading towards us and rowers, all really rather congested.
House extension coming on a treat
Once under the railway bridge we paused to let a boat wind and then we tucked ourselves in, stern right under a willow and very close to fishermen. In Ely neither boats or those fishing have more right to use the river bank than the other. So if there is someone fishing in the middle of a gap of boats you have to leave them to it.
Busy Ely
A trip to Sainsburys with the bike to act as a sherpa stocked us up well for the next week or so. Then it was decision time.
Should we find a mooring in Ely, have lunch do a bit more sight seeing and then stay put tomorrow in the heat. As last Friday night had been really quite noisy, the weather today was likely to encourage more people to the river bank for a drink making it even noisier. I had wanted to visit the art gallery and have a general wander around Ely again, but we decided to move on.
Goodbye
Just south of Ely is a GOBA mooring, Heather had suggested Tilly might like it there. So that is where we headed waving Goodbye to Ely and its busyness, although we could walk back into town should we want to. The mooring was quite overgrown, hard to work out where solid ground started and where wet feet ended! It took us a while to find a suitable spot, deployed the plank and then opened all the doors. The day was heating up, so curtains were drawn against the sunshine. Normally on hot days we’d find a good shady mooring, but trees and moorings along the river don’t tend to coincide, I’d hunted round Google earth for ages so I know!
The only tree available
After a late lunch, I pulled the masking tape off the roof, the paint can now cure before the solar connection box gets screwed back on. I then retired to hide inside Oleanna as Tilly made the most of a new area to pounce. She didn’t agree with me when I brought a friend back into the boat to show it how shady it was inside. I was picked up and made to walk the plank carrying my friend all the way!
First rule. No friends home, dead or alive, or putting them on the roof for later!hmnmeowhm!
A cruiser pulled up right in between us and the other boat at the other end of the mooring, they obviously knew each other. Their two dogs, or was it three came sniffing round, obviously their noses had found Tilly. She was quite happy either indoors or out under a nearby tree, in a nice shady spot!
Our mooring
Late afternoon we heard a dash through the friendly cover followed by a scraping sound, then a splash. Almost certainly Tilly going in! In the past she has always run inside to safety, but today she legged it back to the tree. The dogs came to have a look, the lady saying one of them had also fallen in. It was most definitely a woofer related splash, calculations done rapidly had been miscalculated and I lost my footing!It was a very big jump back to the stern.
Try as we might she wasn’t moving from under the tree, at least we knew where she was and she’d come back on board when ready and a touch drier. When she did eventually return she’d still some lick drying to do, her tail a third it’s normal size. Whether it was a woofer induced splosh we’ll never know, at least it had happened where the bank was very easy to get out.
Chicken and Bean Salad
This evening we’ve enjoyed a hot chicken and bean salad. This only ever gets made in the summer, I try to time it for when green beans are in season, a bit early today, but still tasty. Click on the photo for the recipe.
0 locks, 4.88 miles, 1 left, 1 willow for shade, 1 fully laden bike, 2 boxes wine, 3 red peppers, 3 courgettes, 30 cetirizine hydrochloride tablets, 1 after bite pen the horse flies are about! 1 soggy moggy, 0 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval due to pesky woofers, 1 mafting day.
A day of staying put, but not sitting still. Tilly was allowed shore leave first thing, it wouldn’t however be a sausage day, more of a salami day, handed out in slices.
Washing day
The washing machine was put to work, the solar doing it’s thing first thing. The whirligig was erected and soon filled, the washing drawer just about empty. Whilst Mick did this I collected together what I needed to give the covers a spray.
Here’s hoping it works again
Wet and Forget and the new pump spray bottle. At last the covers were going to get a spray. Its quite a while since we gave them a scrub at Pollington Lock and a couple of days sat under the trees in Ely hadn’t helped! Once the mixture was ready it was time for Tilly to come inside. Wet Wet and Forget isn’t good on paws as it can be licked off!
.
Hopefully it wasn’t too sunny today for it to have maximum effect
The covers came off and I started to spray them with the new bottle. The last time I actually did this was in lockdown with a standard plant spray, it took forever! Today once I’d got the spray more or less how I wanted it, a fine spray not possible, it took no time at all. Brilliant.
Now what to do?
After a lot of scrubbing, before the scraper came out!
The birds in Ely gave me quite a task to scrub their deposits from the roof and cabin side. The back counter had to wait for the pram cover to be back on as it was hard working away with the brush with the frame and whirligig in the way. Once I could get to the newly decorated deck it took a lot of work. White bird sh*t is easy, it just washes off. It’s the green residue from eating grass and plants that is the problem. It had welded itself onto the lid of the weedhatch. Scrubbing with the yard brush got so far. Leaving it soaking a little bit further. Then the paint scraper came out and a mixture of soaking and scraping away time and time again meant that at least we’d be able to open the weedhatch again!
Checking all’s well
Mick put on his overalls and climbed into the engine bay. He wanted to check over the cooling system after our problems last year. As the engine ran with the header filler cap off (so air could escape if needs be), he sat with his phone in hand watching the gauge as the temperature of the engine gradually rose. All was good thankfully. He also filled the stern greaser, a messy job.
Once the covers were dry they went back on Oleanna so that the grass below could dry off whilst we had lunch. The grass would then be dry enough for feline paws once again., Tilly was allowed a few more slices of shore leave.
Next came the roof. There has been a small bubble of rust gradually showing itself for a while towards the stern along with a couple of patches on the hatch sliders. Earlier in the year we’d had a leak where the solar connection box sits on the roof, a year or so ago I’d done my best to sort a patch of rust here, but it needed looking at properly.
Solar disconnected
Mick undid the screws and I carefully went round the box to break the seal of silicon we’d put on when we added the second panel. Gradually the box lifted and the cable could be disconnected. The rust was scraped away along with any loose paint.
All rusty bits had a good sanding back and then I applied some Fertan, rust convertor. During the remainder of the afternoon I gave the brown fertan the occasional spray with water to keep it active. Early evening the solar connection box was cleaned of old blacktack and silicone then reconnected and a plastic bag taped down over the top, hopefully to stop any possible rain from coming in, but this would also mean the next time I want to do anything all I have to do is lift the tape and bag. I just mustn’t leave it too long so that the tape welds itself to the roof!
One happy cat
Tilly and I had a little walk along the bank, the wind very fierce up there. Gradually as the afternoon turned into evening the wind started to subside, just as well as we’d planned a barbeque.
Everything ready
I made up veg and haloumi kebabs and a spring green and carrot coleslaw with a bit of wholegrain mustard added. The asparagus was threaded onto skewers, burger buns cut in half ready for toasting.
Yum!
We huddled in the corner, knowing that the smoke would be blown away from our washing drying in the cratch. The pork and apple burgers I bought yesterday were very nice as was the asparagus even though the wind had just about cooled it down as soon as it left the barbeque!
Lowering sun
As we sat finishing off our meal a rather plump bird flew along following the reeds on the other bank. Definitely an Owl, we think it was a Barn Owl. We watched it fly along, turn and head back. Sadly I only had my phone on me, but if you look carefully you can see it. It returned and came over our heads. Another privileged moment on the fens, our first sighting of an owl in eight years.
Owl!
0 locks, 0 miles, 0 winding but plenty of wind, 1 coolant system okay, 3 loads washing, 5 rust patches, 32 welded on sh*ts, 1 busy happy cat, 1 set of covers that we can hopefully forget about for a few months (maybe I’ll give them another spray before winter), 4 kebabs, 15 spears asparagus, 2 burgers, 1 low flying Barn Owl, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.
Our 48 hours would be up today, so it was better to move early rather than later and maybe not get a mooring where we wanted. The hire boat moved off and without us even noticing a cruiser had pulled in, they had staked their claim at the end of the mooring and would be joined by friends later in the day. Not sure Neil will appreciate their Jubilee celebrations!
Bye bye Karma
As we pushed off we said our goodbyes to WB Karma, Lana popping her head out to wave, we might see them somewhere up stream in the next few weeks, but today we were continuing on downstream.
Not far for us today. We passed under the railway bridge. Past the pink house with good vantage point windows to see up and down stream, past the end of the River Wissey and gradually caught up with a narrowboat that had passed us a while earlier.
We were now too close to Denver moorings to overtake so Mick put Oleanna into tickover and we drifted along behind. The chap ahead continued on past the moorings to pull up on the lock landing for Denver Sluice, a hire boat having just gone into the lock. We pulled in, moored up and did a cat health and safety check. With nothing of feline interest on the actual bank, the nearest would be across the road at the top. After yesterday there was no way I’d be letting Tilly out here, she’d have to just lump it!
Bags of rubbish had accumulated, so Mick walked over the lock to find the services taking one bag with him.
Very apt for it to be the Lancaster
Blimey, that’s low! Well it certainly sounded low inside Oleanna. Over head a Lancaster bomber heading down to London for the Jubilee fly past. Out of all the planes that could have gone over us today, this was the one we’d hoped we’d see. In fact it was the only one we got to see today! Mick was fortunate enough to be able to get photos being high up.
As 1pm came closer we settled down in front of the TV, flight radar 24 on Mick’s tablet, tracking the Lancaster’s movements, circling around near Chelmsford. We watched as the royals came out on to the balcony at Buck House and then watched the fly past. It looked great on TV, but according to Heather Bleasdale who was in London, you could almost tickle the planes tummies as they went overhead. Our other observation was that the future King, George needs to learn not to scrunch his face up so much, he’ll regret the photos from today for decades!
A lovely clean roof!
With the excitement of planes over with the roof of Oleanna was cleared and I set about washing down her port side. The bank being a touch higher made the roof easier today, but then it was further to reach down to get the gunnels! She’s looking all clean again. Just needs a polish, her grab rails also desperately need a repaint as in parts they are getting beyond being even pink now.
Mick headed back off the bins with more rubbish and the yellow water container. He was gone for quite some time as he couldn’t find the elsan. Maybe a girl look tomorrow will be needed.
Red white and blue of kinds
Later on we were joined by a cruiser, Mick nudged us up a touch so they’d fit the gap batter. The lady who’d had a gin or two asked how to get to The Wash, then she enquired about the Hundred Foot Drain. Both are below Denver Sluice, Mick suggested they should consult the Lock Keeper about tide times, knowing full well that they’d thought of going for a pootle around having no idea about what was entailed! Beetroot risotto this evening with a glass of white wine. The only thing I could find close to hand that was blue were hayfever tablets! A patriotic tea.
At around 9pm we dug out some tea lights and popped them into our guiding lights to join in with the lighting of the beacons, any excuse for us to light them.
0 locks, 2.79 miles, 1 straight, 1 slow boat, 1 very bored cat, 1 clean Oleanna, 3 bags rubbish, 1 yellow water tank empty, 1 missing elsan, 1 personal fly past, 2 guiding lights, 1 red white and blue tea.
A staying put day as we need to pace ourselves to make the most of a 48 hour mooring we’ve our sights set on at the weekend.
Boats on the move before we were up
Tilly was allowed out this morning, no sign of Neil, however she wasn’t too keen on using the stern doors and preferred the bow to come and go, just incase. The washing machine was put to use and both hose pipes were uncoiled joined together to refill with water. This meant there was time to chat with our neighbours on WB Karma. They plan on heading as far as they can on the Great Ouse until a low bridge will stop them, their wheelhouse can be collapsed, but is a right pain.
The steamer is coming in handy
During the morning I carried on working on my project. More layers of paint followed by some more filler applied with a pin to get extra details into 3D.
He’s quite a good swimmer!
Early afternoon there was a sploshing noise from the river, followed by a gentle snort. It was Neil. He bobbed about for a while, the occasional attempt to get out onto the bank, followed by more gliding around. As we watched Tilly came out to observe too, she really doesn’t know what to make of him. Mick had a thought, maybe we should be a touch more careful with Tilly, not so much what she might do, but she might be seen as a tasty morsel by Neil!
It’s seriously filthy under the mats where the bags of coal live
With water easily on tap for the next few days I decided to give Oleanna a much needed wash down, her first since winter. The starboard side half of the roof was cleared, buckets retrieved from lockers along with boat wash.
Being outside meant I could supervise Tilly and make sure she stayed away from Neil. She did try on several occasions to bypass me, behind the fence, on top of the bank, but thankfully a warning from me turned her around. She busied herself jumping from fence posts to higher fence posts, if her calculations had been out then she’d have landed in a bed of nettles!
That’s a whole lot better
A hire boat approached the moorings. A lady stood at the front ready with the bow line, they intended to moor behind us, Neil not initially visible as he’d decided to have an afternoon dip. Although as soon as the boat was starting to get close he bobbed his head up, giving the lady a start.
‘Slow Down! There’s a seal!’ The chap at the stern shouted back ‘But I can’t hear you when I slow down!’ He obviously couldn’t see Neil who was now trying to claim his space on the mooring, bobbing up. The boat slowed, she shouted back ‘There’s a seal!’ There was an incredulous look back.
Neil by now was midstream bobbing about. I pointed, the chaps head turned ‘IT’S A SEAL!’
They managed to bring their boat in leaving a good 8ft gap between our stern and their bow which Neil then used to get in and out of the water, showing off to the cameras. he’s so tame he didn’t mind me getting close as I was finishing off the cabin side and windows.
The stroppy one!
Cat curfew time. Tilly bobbed out of the friendly cover, but then decided to play up as she had an audience, Klaud, John and Neil. First she decided to make use of a big pile of wood chip next to a tree down the other side of the bank, Shore based facilities you know!
Then what followed was a stroppy cat who decided that she wouldn’t be coming in just yet as she was far too busy! I should have given up straight away, but with Neil back on the bank and the proximity of the road bridge I did my best to be fascinating, excelling at failing! I know not to try to follow Tilly as that only encourages her to carry on in the direction she has decided on, unfortunately that route today was up the bank and onto the road!
I had to follow, being near should anything happen would be better than not knowing. We crossed the road and then came back, thankfully the road void of traffic, but my heart was still in my throat. Then she trotted of along the lane alongside the road, a possible route back onto the tarmac through the friendly cover not passable for a human. I tried playing stick, then gave up. Sitting on the ground tossing stones into the air so that she could hear me.
This nearly worked twice, but she just managed to escape my grasp at the last minute!
Tonight’s sunset
We’d been gone for so long that Mick came to find us. This was good as he was far FAR more interesting than I was. Still she escaped our grasp. But she started to follow us back towards the river, only for a man to ask ‘Is that your cat?’ Yes and please would you disappear as your presence isn’t helping in our mission.
Fifty minutes after I’d gone out to encourage her home she trotted back on board in front of us! Well it was only because you wouldn’t let me go on WB Karma to say hello to the boys!
As the sun started to descend, Neil slipped back into the water for his last swim around. He was heading off somewhere else for the night.
Please excuse the soundtrack, Mick was doing the washing up at the time!
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 seal back, 3 figures painted and glazed, 0.5 roof washed, 4 rust spots noted, 1 cabin side washed, 1 cabin side in need of a polish, 1 seal, 1 hire boat, 1 stroppy cat, 1 road, 754 stones tossed, 50 minutes, 1 under bridge inspection, 1 stunning evening swim.
What a quiet day. Three fishermen turned up, I could hear them being disappointed that they’d not all be able to set up on the landing here, but they soon got settled around the basin. I could then hear the heron being disappointed that his favourite spot for fishing was now taken up by on of the chaps, this was followed by a disgruntled swan. We’ll be moving on soon, so all will return to normal.
Fishing
The doors front and back were opened as soon as I was dressed and Tilly came and went, mostly through the secret gap in the cratch cover, for most of the day.
First job was to glue Mick’s slippers. Mick has alien feet which seem to break slippers very quickly. Supermarket slippers only tend to last around 9 months before they fall to bits. His last pair of sheepskin slippers were replaced twice and then mended by myself a couple of times before the new pair took over at Christmas. The joint between sole and upper was starting to show a possible parting, so some Max Repair Uhu was put to use and then clamps were applied to assist in the setting. Here’s hoping this works for a while!
You will stick!
It was the turn of the bathroom floor to get a good scrub. Everything lifted from the floor, including the 30 litres of wood cat litter. Tilly’s numerous balls tend to hide behind her pooh box were found and moved elsewhere, then the floor was given a good scrub and a wash down. Now all we have to do is levitate and not molt!
Circles
I set about working on a little project. Model making things were retrieved from deep inside the dinette, reference photos printed out to a useful size. Then I started drawing out numerous circles, cutting them out and threading them onto cocktail sticks. I’m not going to say what they are for just yet, but I’ll give you little teasers in photos.
Circles stuck together
Mick arrived back late afternoon with two tins of sweetcorn and a parcel I’d had sent to Scarborough. Sadly the parcel only contained half of my order, so only half of Mick’s birthday present! Oh well that just means his birthday will have to be extended a touch.
0 locks, 0 miles, 2 more trains, 2 buses to avoid the rain, 6 months, 2 tins sweetcorn, 1 spotless bathroom floor, 12 paw prints! 9 hours of open doors, 0.5 of an order, 1 project started, 26 circles, 1 cake decision to be made, 4 clamps, 24 hours to cure.
