Category Archives: Narrowboat Maintenance

One Bus A Week. 28th June

Cropredy Marina

Smarter clothes than boater clothes were put on this morning, time to take my white card model to Chippy and share it with the creative team. Cropredy doesn’t really have a bus service, well it does, on a Thursday, one bus into Banbury. Then there is one bus that returns an hour later. Or you can walk for half an hour for a more regular service, you may as well just keep walking on the towpath into town. No option but to get a taxi today.

I got dropped off at the new Premier Inn by Castle Quays so that I could walk to the bus station and check on the mooring situation and if anything had been happening with Lock 29, Banbury Lock.

As far as I could see above the lock there was plenty of space, who knows what it’s like further back at Spice Ball Park where many people prefer to moor. But there would certainly be room for Oleanna.

Two chaps in blue and high vis stood by the top gate, the gate with the problem. They were chatting to a chap and I overheard ‘Best case scenario’. I had to but in as I hadn’t heard the next bit, the bit everyone around here and further afield would like to know.

I wasn’t given the best case scenario but was told that today people would arrive from Oxford and London. Stop planks were likely to be put in to be able to drain the top end of the lock, but they doubted that the gate would be lifted out today. A crane boat was sitting just above the taped off lock waiting to be used. A couple walked past and asked me if there was any news, I relayed what I’d been told, basically no one would be moving today.

Below the lock the mooring situation was different than above. One boat on the services mooring, another opposite then at least two sets of boats breasted up under the bridge. I didn’t have time to walk any further as my bus was due.

I’d opted to arrive in Chippy an hour earlier than I needed to as this year I’ll be staying in different digs. Madeleine my new host had invited me to pop round to meet her and see her lovely house if I was in Chippy. Very handy for the bus stop at the other end of town from Suzanne’s where I’ve stayed before. I’m also nearer to the Co-op and Sainsburys which is handy. We had a chat over a cuppa and I got to look round.

Just time to grab something for lunch and walk to the theatre where John Terry (director not footballer) was getting ready to set up for our meeting. Half attendees would be in the room, the other half joined over the internet. Last year I’d done my final model showing on line and know how hard it is to get a camera set up for those on line to see properly. A laptop was tried but those in the room wouldn’t be able to see anything. Then a phone was used, this was much better.

With everyone present John and I talked our way through the show, scene to scene. Lots of questions from Gemma the production manager, a few from Sophie the costume designer and discussions with Nathan the lighting designer. John seemed very happy and informed me of various changes in the script that have happened recently cementing the twist we’d come up with for Cinderella’s coach. Just one alteration to do in the model, so I came away happy.

Paul, Louisa and myself then went down onto stage to check some measurements. My plans of the theatre have been based on incorrect plans I got the first year, gradually over the last five years I have updated and altered my master plan. But still dimensions needed checking. There would be 2m depth behind the backdrop. Items to be hung on tracks closely together were worked out and subtracted from distances between bars, my guestimate had been correct. Then we worked our way through where items would be stored and how some pieces would best be split for ease of moving. All done, time for a cuppa whilst scanning the drawings. I checked the time of the next bus, blimey seven minutes! I was off and on my way.

Back in Banbury I walked up to the lock, it’s handily positioned right by the bus station. Fencing around the lock had been erected during the day.

Stop planks were doing a good job of holding back the water above the lock and the lock was drained.

**Brought from doing towpath works by the look of it**

The crane boat had been moved to below the lock and was now facing uphill. The bottom gates still chained shut.

I’ve since seen footage of the crane boat being moved mob handed by C&RT staff. The top gate which had been quiet this morning when I’d visited was gushing forth soo much water!

Looking at the gate this evening nothing was immediately obviously the problem. But at least now those working to mend it can see everything without water gushing everywhere.

C&RT had said there would be an update today, but none came through. We hope to hear something tomorrow.

I walked to the station to get a taxi. This gave me the opportunity to see how many boats were moored below. I counted two facing away from the lock and then seventeen facing towards it. This was only as far as I could see towards the old foundry. Who knows how many were around the next bend at the Tramway?

Back at Oleanna Mick has had a busy day. He’d washed just about anything and everything, we’ve got fresh towels for the second time this week! The bilge pump float switch has been fitted, the stern glad tightened.

He’d also got in touch with Mark from LiFe Batteries in Cornwall who is highly recommended on the 12volt group on Facebook. We’d have no problem adding a new battery to our two older ones, he’d need to set it up correctly to match them. However the footprint of such a battery (100AH, so twice the capacity of the one that has failed) would mean that it wouldn’t fit in our battery tray.

**Looking back to the queue below the lock plenty more behind me**

Mick asked about replacing all three but with two, but twice the capacity. The existing battery tray wouldn’t accommodate them either. During the day he’d been thinking about changing where we locate the batteries. Being lithium they don’t have to be in the engine bay, so they could move inside and into the cupboard we call The Shed. This was designed to hold a Brompton bike and have a hanging rail. It now holds life jackets, extra coats, handheld hoover, scarves etc and really could do with a proper sort out. The base of it would certainly be big enough for new batteries, they would then have a shelf above them to protect the terminals, then it could be a more organised Shed. The batteries being indoors would also help them to charge in cold weather.

All of this cannot be done straight away. So our current plan is to cope with 100AH until later in the year. This will almost certainly mean turning the freezer off to help live within our means.

0 locks, 1 drained and fenced in, 0 miles, 2 taxis, 2 buses, 1 new host, 1 new deli to try, 1 model showing, 1 big thumbs up, 2 meters tick, 1.5 meters tick, 1 clock to alter, 6 boxes pasta, 14 scans, 42 copies, 1 dash for the bus, 17 waiting, 100AH to live with, 1 clean pooh box, 1 unhappy cat.

Electrical Means. 27th June

Cropredy Marina

**My assistant avoiding doing any assisting!**

Kind of handy to have a day without moving before heading off for a white card model meeting for panto. I got the drawing board out again to do a ground plan and section of the set. The section is useful to check sight lines, making sure things you don’t want to be seen until a certain point can be kept well out of view. This is a touch hard at Chippy because they don’t really have a fly tower, so things either have to concertina up on themselves or only be a certain height to start off with. A section is also useful for the lighting designer.

I also had time to run through the model doing all the changes, a kind of dress rehearsal for tomorrow when I do it in front of the creative team. Then I did a few sketches of some big props and puppets, these were only basic but enough to convey the basic idea of them.

All day boats have been heading downstream, quite a few hire boats. I wonder how many don’t know about Banbury Lock being shut. Yes there is a notice on a lock beam, yes there is a notice on line that you can sign up to. But not everybody looks or knows to look. I’m hoping to get to Banbury early tomorrow so that I can check out the mooring situation and see what’s happening at the lock before catching a bus out to Chippy.

On board Oleanna the two working batteries seem to be doing okay, they have charged up on the shore line. So the loose connection on the alternator will have been to blame for their sorry state. The temporary fix to bypass the failed battery needs to be made more permanent until we decide how to proceed. One new battery or three?

We are now down to two thirds of our normal amp hours. This was the original capacity Oleanna was specked with, we then changed our minds and wanted a third battery. This has served us well, but we’d been thinking we might upgrade to twice the capacity now that lithium batteries are more advanced, cheaper and easier to get hold of than they were seven years ago.

However for the time being we need to live within our electrical means. We’ll see how we go, but the first thing that will get switched off will be the freezer as when it’s hot it is working continuously. I’ve not restocked it and meals are currently planned around eating it empty. A big Sainsburys order arrived this morning, the wine cellar is restocked with boxes so that will make up for the freezer being off. Chicken curry new style tonight, lots of spices, but not too hot, yum.

This evening Mick turned the shore power off to see how the two batteries cope overnight on their own. Fingers crossed they survive the night.

0 locks, 0 miles, 4 loads washing, 2 tumble dries, 1 grounded cat, 1 Cr*predy! 1 model ready, 12 sheets of drawings, 2 batteries charging, 6 boxes under the back steps, 1 bag of peas to use up.

Topless Tunnel. 25th June

Bridge 123 to Claydon Top Lock visitor moorings

Another early start, pushing of at 6:30 with cuppas in hand. The lovely cool breeze was nice and refreshing as we wound our way along the summit pound of the Oxford Canal. Sun cream had been applied as few clouds showed themselves.

This morning our batteries hadn’t been complaining. At the moment we can’t check their state of charge properly, so all we can do is help them to keep topped up. Good job we want to keep on the move at the moment.

Wiggles and winds soon brought us to the contrasting landscape. One minute beautiful green fields, sheep grazing, bird song. Then round the next bend the huge mounds of earth from HS2 sat grey against the horizon. No activity today just earthwork scars across the gentle valley. I’d been at work last year when Mick passed this way so the new temporary bridge was new to me.

A short distance onwards the normally very popular moorings had only two boats on them! Blimey, maybe the HS2 works has put people off, or is it just the lack of view at this time of year with so much greenery about.

Late yesterday afternoon we had a Clifton Cruiser hire boat come past asking where the next winding hole was. Mick checked our map, Fenny Compton another two hours ahead. Their boat needed to be back in Rugby for Monday morning and today the temperature was due to hit 29C! Thankfully we passed them as we approached Fenny, already winded and heading back to base, a long hot day ahead of them.

Next Fenny Compton Tunnel where the roof was removed quite sometime ago. I looked for the towpath, but there was no sign of it amongst the cow parsley and nettles. As we passed through the narrowest part Oleanna had to push past the vegetation on both sides,

No need to stop at the old railway bridge today, no requirement for a festive wreath of ivy for the cratch. Then the first Oxford Canal lift bridge, sitting open to boat traffic.

The first mooring above the Claydon flight looked very nice and shady, sadly a boat was sat there. Strange conversations came from within as we passed, followed by a rendition of ‘Always Look on the bright side of life’. They had some sort of bird onboard, a parrot, a very vocal one.

Spaces were available on the rings before the bridge, we pulled in leaving an Oleanna sized gap between us and the next boat. Tilly was given an hour, knowing full well she’d take far more. The kettle was put on and we could sit down to join the Geraghty zoom only five minutes late and our cruising for the day done.

Topics today, what to do with ripe tomatoes, the deepest loch in Scotland and cheating on school sports days. I wonder how much ketchup Christine’s one tomato would make?

A late breakfast as the sun started to come across and hit the roof and both sides of the boat. Hopefully late afternoon would see us into shade.

Cricket was listened to, Tilly came and went, often opting to lie on the bathroom floor as she was too hot again. I worked my way through my Cinderella model, making sure I’d got everything and taking photos as I went so as to be able to do a new version of the storyboard.

During the afternoon a Carefree Cruising boat pulled up behind us, another foot would be good. Both Mick and a chap from the boat behind went out to see if we could adjust our ropes to accommodate them, this was soon sorted. Their dog took a fancy to Tilly at one point. Her popping out from the sideways trees, she got chased back in through the hatch. I showed her the front door entrance which she used for much of the remainder of the day.

She and Tom gave me an extra way on and off the boat too. Part of the see through sides was removed, just the hammocks left in place. She had to hold them closed at one point as the woofer walked past and all I wanted to do was stick my tongue out at it. She said because the glass wasn’t there I wouldn’t be safe, so not to be so cocky! I tried shouting at me later, but I just moved further down the towpath to get away from the noise.

My model is now complete, just a few bits to do before my meeting. Hoorah! Despite good solar for much of the day Mick felt it necessary to run the engine again at around 7 for half an hour to help charge our batteries, Boo!

Sadly the wind was too strong to sit out and cook our dinner on the barbeque, the defrosted pork was chopped up and made into paprika peppery pork, very tasty.

We ended the day by watching Elton John at Glastonbury. All the lyrics imprinted on our brains. Very evocative of my sixth form days and parties that ended up on the flat roof of my parents house watching the sunrise. Those parties were great parties. Elton still blasting out the tunes in tune unlike one onlooker in the crowd!

0 locks, 9.3 miles, 1 lift bridge lufted, 1 topless tunnel, 5 fields of broad beans, 3.5 hours cruise before breakfast, 1 hot day, 1 model complete, 2 batteries struggling, 1 near miss, 1 more entrance, 0 bbq, 1 pair of braces needed for a gold suit.

https://goo.gl/maps/4tWRBqK6hhwK4naFA

Snake In The Grass. 24th June

Napton visitor moorings to Prior Hardwick Bridge 123

Our lithium batteries had turned themselves off overnight, not a good sign. Good job we planned on setting off early. A cuppa was made and we pushed off at 6:30 and as quietly as we could we made it round the bend to the water point. As the tank filled we had breakfast then we pushed over to the other side to empty the yellow water tank and dispose of rubbish.

Time to enjoy the narrow locks. The bottom one was empty, as we rose up a hire boat came towards us from the moorings in the first pound. The ladies chatted away, it had been their first narrowboat holiday and maybe they’d be doing it again. Because we’d been chatting I’d got out of my usual routine closing paddles and the of side was still up as the gate was opened. I reminded them that it was up, the ladies took note.

**I only had two beers last night! Why am I seeing double?**

I walked up to set the next lock, the first few were obligingly empty for us, the pounds a touch low though. Thankfully the lowest pound could be topped up with a lock full of water from above.

**Bubbling below an empty lock as the lock above was emptied**

The first down hill boat, a couple exploring the whole network, they’d been at it for 2 years and have no end date as yet. They had come through Banbury and had serious difficulty at the now closed lock. It had taken several people to open the top gate, some having to sit on it, as far as it would open. Then as their boat came out of the lock it rose up over something possibly on the gate.

**Nice views, water buffalo not visible from here though**

At the last lock in the flight we met our third downhill boat. I walked over to the lady, she jumped in (not into the water!) asking me to cross over to the other side where I’d be able to open a bottom paddle for them. I replied that I was happy to do that but thought I’d come and say Good Morning first. She was obviously in locking mode, they were hoping to grab a space below the flight left by a hire boat returning to base, hopefully one of at least three spaces would still be free for them. She also warned me to mind where I put my feet at Marston Doles bottom lock.

I opted to walk to the next lock, about a mile. The towpath narrowed as it does on the Oxford Canal. Some sections narrowed even more due to bank erosion. Then I was soon walking through the overgrown towpath. A manchette at times would have been handy. I managed and got to enjoy being surround by butterflies and damselflies galore. Plenty of wild flowers to keep the insects happy. There are plenty of people complaining on the lack of mowing on the towpaths at the moment, this stretch did feel like it had not seen a strimmer this year.

At Marston Doles Bottom Lock I kept my eyes peeled. Then there it was, a 2ft long grass snake on the lock landing, very dead. I wonder how it met it’s demise?

The pound in between the two locks was really quite low and when I reached the top lock a C&RT worker was letting water down. The top lock has had new gates which are successful in holding back the water. The bottom lock however leeks like a sieve, so every morning the pound requires topping up.

Once up we swapped with another downhill boat and carried on our way. When did we last head southwards on the Oxford Canal? We seem to cruise the Oxford most years, because of Panto. We spent a while thinking about it, a check on the blog just now and it turns out it was 2018 when we last headed south. That’s ages ago!

Originally we’d planned on doing a few more miles and getting close to the HS2 crossing, but Mick was after stopping sooner so as to spend some time with our troubled batteries. A length of armco showed itself with a slightly wider area where we’d be able to sit out for a barbecue this evening. We pulled in just gone 10am and soon adjusted our fenders as few boats seemed to be slowing down to pass us.

Mick waited for the engine to cool off, lifting the engine board to assist. Tilly headed off into the friendly cover, but fairly soon returned complaining that This outside is far too hot! Too hot for cats!!!

Mick spent some time down in the engine bay, trying to alter the bus bars that connect our three lithium batteries so as to cut out the one that is failing. He’d found a suitable sized bolt, but not a nut to fit it. We looked in all the obvious places for a nut, boxes of bits and bobs. Nothing. The hunt extended to boxes of things under the dinette. Eventually I looked at a brand new attachment of doom (a handy grinding disc useful for rust removal). In the bag was a bolt, a nut and a washer, would the nut fit?

Well it was the right size but the thread wasn’t the same. How’s about using the bolt from the attachment of doom instead? This worked so long as you remembered that the thread went in the opposite direction to normal. Finally the failing battery was isolated, leaving us with two batteries and 100 amp hours at 24 volts.

The afternoon was spent adding elements to my white card model. These are details that I’d normally add when upgrading the model to a coloured model, but I felt it important to do them now as they’d affect quotes from set builders. So the Town Square went from being 2D to 2.5D.

An early evening engine run was required. Would the two batteries we’re left with work as they should do, or have they been brought down by the faulty one?

Burgers and sausages were popped on the bbq along with a foil package of butternut squash. The squash ended up being cooked for a little bit too long, one side a touch black, but roasted with some oil and thyme it was still nice. Our mooring was ideal for the evening.

**Just about zero footfall, what a good spot for a bbq**

Once the temperature had started to drop Tilly headed out again, maybe a little bit late in the day. All the time we were sat out we could tell that she wasn’t far away, her bell giving away her location. Then as we moved inside I called and called. The dingding bell was dinged. No sign of Tilly.

I tried several more times to call her inside, each time I’d hear just enough from the sideways trees to know she was close. So there was nothing for it but to just leave her to finish being busy and come back in her own good time. 10pm, 10PM!!!! Well you are the one’s that tied up the hot outside!

9 locks, 3.5 miles, 4 passed, 2ft of snake, 1 full water tank, 1 empty wee tank, 1 top up, 10 improvements, 2 batteries better than 3 (we hope!), 1 nut short, 1 attachment of doom to the rescue, 2 Mrs Tilly stamps of approval.

https://goo.gl/maps/SfAKMQWmGCPtfvVB6

Everything’s Going Backwards. 23rd June

Almost Napton water point to Napton Visitor Moorings

An engine at 6:30am! Who , what , where ? One of the boats on the permanent moorings ran it’s engine for half an hour, then thankfully peace returned, well for twenty minutes, then he started his engine up again! We were awake now, so had a cuppa.

Soon the two boats that had been filling the moorings with gaps came past, ah ha! We got dressed, untied and set about reversing back to the now wonderfully large gap they’d left, big enough for three maybe even four boats. Oleanna decided that she’d rather stick close to the moored boats as she went backwards, thankfully there were signs of awakeness in most boats. We pulled in and tied up as close to the boat in front as we could, don’t want to be accused of leaving git gaps! Of course over the next couple of hours other boats moved away and we were left sat in the middle of a very big space, enough for two in front and two behind at least. By late morning all spaces were filled up. Then for the remainder of the day boats came past some forwards others backwards hoping for a mooring, by the evening there were three boats moored at various jaunty angles around the bend where we’d been last night. Napton is a popular place!

Having a morning not really going anywhere we decided to use Mick’s culinary skills for the first time in an age. A very nice breakfast it was too, the sausages, Jolly Hogg tasted very much like sausages used to.

A day at work for me, the drawing board came out and Mick struggled to find somewhere to be as I worked my way to the bottom of the box of model bits. By late afternoon one box was empty the other full. I’ve still ground plans to draw up and a few minor alterations to do on the model if there is time before my meeting next week.

Mick has been monitoring our battery charging current, well he’s been doing this just about all the time we’ve been on Oleanna, but he’s recently noticed that on starting the engine in the morning the initial charging current is about 40 amps. Up until last week it always started off around 65 to 70 amps. Time to investigate.

He disconnected all the batteries and tested the voltage of each in turn. Two of them measured exactly 26.01v but the other one measured between 15 and 20 volts and didn’t remain steady at all. His deduction is that that battery is broken. I’m feeling that BOAT (Bring Out Another Thousand) is rearing it’s head!

An email has been sent to Ricky at Finesse for advice. Does he think the battery will still be under warranty and could be replaced by RELiON? If they did happen to replace it would it be ok to have one new battery in the same bank with two 6 year old batteries? Or does he have any ideas on how to reset the battery and get it working again?

Mick found information on line regarding the warranty, because our battery is between 6 and 10 years old , if it can’t be mended than we would receive a 10% discount off a new one. However Mick would choose different batteries now should we need to replace them, things have moved on in the last six years.

Yesterday a C&RT stoppage notice came through for Banbury Lock. Navigation closed until further notice due to concerns for structural condition of top gate of lock 29.

Today an update, Navigation remains closed until further notice. Following the engineers condition assessment of the gate assisted passage is not a viable option. We are working to deliver the repair of this damaged lock in the shortest possible timeframe. Further updates to follow Wednesday 28/06/2023.

Hmm, our next port of call is Banbury or further south for me to get to Chippy for a meeting, then our destination is further south still. Should we stick to our chosen route and hope that the lock won’t take too long to mend, or should we wind and go down the Grand Union? The latter option isn’t that appealing and would make getting to panto meetings awkward. So we’ll stick to our plan and keep our fingers crossed.

This evening we headed to The Folly, well it would have been rude not to as we are moored at the bottom of their garden! Time to catch up with our friend Lizzie from Crick. Have to say the menu was a touch disappointing for me, only two things marked as gluten free. I chose the gammon horseshoe steak, which should be gluten free, maybe the accompanying chips get fried in the same fryer as their battered fish. However they’d sold out of gammon so I opted for some ham instead, this also wasn’t marked as gf, it must be the chips! Mick and Lizzie opted for burgers which looked great compared to my slices of ham. We were all quite naughty and had a pudding too, only one option for me Chocolate Brownie, which was very tasty.

It was lovely to spend the evening with Lizzie, catching up on news. Sadly she’s not had enough time to do much boating on NB Panda, but she’s hoping for a few days away soon. So a walk down the towpath to say hello to Oleanna and Tilly gave her a bit of a canal fix.

0 locks, 0.1mile in reverse, 1 day at the drawing board, 11.5 sheets of drawings, 1 cat occupied or asleep, 1 out of 3 batteries not well, 1 load washing, 1 lovely evening, 2 options, 2 beers, 2 glasses wine, 2 burgers, 3 slices ham, 2 eggs.

https://goo.gl/maps/WyWLqpo5jHArxP8y6

Sitting On The Bottom. 22nd June

Bascote Bridge 27 and Former Railway Bridge 26A to Napton Water Point, almost, Oxford Canal

A nice cuppa in bed this morning, we seem to be snoozing in a little bit later each day. However when Mick got up to walk through the cabin things were not quite as they’d been an hour earlier. Somehow the boat had developed quite a list! Water was rushing past the windows down towards Bascote Staircase.

In the past when we’ve moored in this pound it’s been further towards Long Itchington on the aqueduct. There the level can fluctuate over night, but we’ve never been sat on the bottom like here. We’ve also not noticed water rushing by! Was someone just filling up a pound below or was there something far more serious going on? We both put our shoes on, Mick got the Brompton out to cycle down the towpath to see what was happening.

Terry from NB Barley Twist behind us was also out watching the water zoom past. As we compared notes on our boats listing the flow of water slowed, then it stopped, then it came back. The paddles at the staircase must have been up and now were closed. We stood down, now we just needed the level to rise again to get us off the bottom.

A short while later a chap walked by with a windlass in his hand. Mick asked what had been going on as we were on the bottom? The chap said a low pound and the pump wasn’t working. He carried on walking.

A little while later another six or so people walked past all with windlasses in their hands. Then a few more. They were all wearing dark blue t-shirts, it must be a fund raiser. A while later the first boat came past a sign stuck to the side of a Willow Wren hire boat. Walk for Matt. As we had our breakfast more windlass carrying walkers passed us by followed by another three narrowboats all from Willow Wren.

Terry and Chris were going to explore the village but returned saying that the towpath was flooded ahead, so they’d move down by boat. A while later we were on our way too, the level had come up enough for us to get moving.

**Ah ha that’s why there’s so many walkers**

As I was just lifting the paddle at Itchington Bottom Lock two people came bouncing along with windlasses in hand, more Walkers for Matt, they were from the last two boats, six in all. I got chance to chat to one of them.
Matt was an England under 21 Rugby player who broke his back during a training session, he is now paralysed from the neck down and breaths with the aid of a ventilator. He was determined to concentrate of the things he could do and get busy living. At first fundraising went towards helping Matt with his rehabilitation, now funds go towards running The Get Busy Living Centre where people can have support and rehabilitation to live their lives with their disability. The walkers today were raising money by walking the Warwickshire ring from Rugby in a week, some people were walking for a day, others the whole week, some were recipients of help from the foundation.

By the time we reached the bottom of the Stockton flight we’d not seen NB Barley Twist anywhere, they must be ahead of us, climbing the flight. A volunteer stood behind some fencing, I said hello and was asked if I was with the charity boats, no but they were hot on our heals.

**Nb Barley Twist heading up to empty the next lock**

He ummed and ahhed as I asked him if Barley Twist was up ahead. I could then see that they were about to exit the second lock up. The volunteer seemed a bit grumpy to be honest, I didn’t know if he was going to stay behind his fence. ‘Well it would be good if you could share with the boat in front’. Well yes it would! I walked up to see if Terry and Chris would wait for us. They’d obviously had some grumping from the volunteer too, well we all have off days.

Mick and I worked our way up to meet NB Barley Twist and then carried on up the flight. The charity boats soon appearing behind us, mob handed. Thankfully the volunteer now came out from behind his fence and worked up the flight ahead of us, emptying locks and opening a gate. Our opinions of him soon changed.

It was warm in the sunshine. Chris and I changed sides every now and again so we took it in turns to wind the stiffer paddle on the off side. Very cheery people to share the flight with.

At the top we all thanked the volunteer for his help. Grumpy must just be his general demeaner!

NB Barley Twist pulled in opposite what used to be Willow Wren Training Centre, which is now Podtastic. We waved our locking partners goodbye as they tucked into some shade, we wanted to get that bit further today.

A boat ahead got to the bottom of the Calcutt three and started to ascend. I walked up to help close gates etc, the chap from the boat mumbled something about what they were doing, which certainly wasn’t waiting for us at the next lock. A boat came down then it was our turn, we checked behind us, one boat just in view, almost certainly the charity boat with it’s partner close behind, we went up.

A rather warm volunteer appeared, he set the next lock for us and on hearing that the charity boats would soon arrive he headed down to empty the locks behind us. At the top a boat sat on the water point, it’s hose attached to the tap but not the boat. We asked if they’d finished, they obviously had so we pulled in infront of them disturbing their lunch.

**The lady with the ruck sack is on day 6 of the walk**

As our tank filled the charity boats came up the top lock. A lady who’d been walking this morning, apparently doing the whole 7 day walk had had a pit stop at the cafe. The crew on the boat checked in with her before she carried on walking towards Braunston tonights resting place. I just hope they managed to find space for six boats near a pub so she didn’t have to walk any further than necessary. This weekend it’s Braunston Historic Boat Rally!

I popped to the bow to check for oncoming traffic at Napton Junction. One boat coming out from the marina, then the coast was clear. Past the hire base, plenty of boats at home today. Then we were quickly reminded that we were back on a more popular canal.

Mick brought us to a halt as three boats were headed towards us at the next bridge, moored boats slowing everyone’s progress. We held our position to let them all through.

Every mooring from here on was full. A hire boat had moored with pins, possibly with bow, stern and centre line, the only one that wasn’t hanging in the water was the centre, this was being held onto by one of the crew.

Would we find a space? We slowly made our way, hungry and hot really wanting to stop sometime soon, please! All the spaces full before the bottom of Napton. Then a gap, would it be big enough? Certainly the two boats either side of it had space where they could move up. We tried but required another 8ft, no-one stirred inside their boats, we carried on.

At the end of the visitor moorings we just managed to pull in, just about on the bend. Not ideal, but the only choice according to a lady who’d walked down the flight hoping to find herself a mooring. Tilly was given three hours and a serious reminder of the rules!

Some work for me and boat jobs for Mick. Our shower mixer has become not so mixable, not a problem in the winter but a touch too hot when you want a cool shower on a hot day. A new one was bought in Birmingham and this afternoon it was fitted along with a new shower head. We both enjoyed a nice cool shower.

13 locks, 6.8 miles, 1 right, 6 charity boats, 1 lonely Red Indian, 1 pound down, 20 walking windlasses, 1 full tank water, 3 coming through, 3 big git gaps, 0 boats moving up, 1 bendy mooring, 1 more in front of us, 3 hours, 0 friends today, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval, 1 mixer mixing, 1 closed lock ahead!

https://goo.gl/maps/bbUgVSdnNwSnYbPX8

More Than Just A Handful 14th June

Sheepcote Street Bridge

**The spiders have been busy overnight**

Our mooring here isn’t in the shade all the time, sun shines down on us until about 11am and then again in the late afternoon, thankfully these times coincide with the morning still being cool and then the temperatures starting to drop down. However this does mean that the solar panels are a touch redundant during the best part of the day, so unfortunately the engine had to be run for hot water and to top the batteries up.

Float switch, used to detect water in the bilge and turn the bilge pump on

Mick unwrapped the float switch, this was as close to being fitted as it was going to get today, he had more important things to do. The tablet I bought him five years ago has gradually been failing. First it was the detachable keyboard, then the screen cracked and then yesterday it ceased to turn on all together. A hunt round for a second hand tablet started.

So Mick caught a tram out to West Bromwich to visit Cex, he’d also hoped to get a new (to him) phone, but they didn’t have anything he fancied. There was a tablet that would do the job. He also paid a visit to Screwfix for a new mixer bar for the shower. I think this is now the third one we’ll have had, the current one doesn’t really like to mix the water anymore which is fine in the cooler months, but should you want a cool shower you’ve had it!

Across the way a few boats arrived to use the services. The pumpout can only be used up to 11:30, that is when the pub behind the service block opens. They must have had customer complaints.

I set to on trying to have a productive day model making. First extra greenery. Then I moved on to the scene where the Fairy Godmother casts her spell. I now needed to make a lot of bananas. All at 1 to 25 scale, or as close as I could manage.

I could have spent hours mixing up milliput (an epoxy modelling putty), rolling out individual bananas, then joining them together to make hands. As I was wanting to make hands that were still attached to their stem rather than bunches of fives, I decided on a different method which I hoped would be quicker and give the general idea.

Circles of foamboard were cut out, split in two. Then I cut the edges into a flower shape to represent the bananas. These were a touch too broad, you don’t really get bananas 5cm thick, but for my purpose they would do. These then got slotted onto cocktail sticks and bent in one direction. Once glued in position I then covered them in small pieces of tissue paper and pva glue, hoping to retain the shape whilst making them easier to paint and more sturdy. They do the job and give the idea.

I now need to work on the coach.

Tilly came and went every now and again. The occasional long stare came in my direction, I know she was willing us to move the outside. She’ll just have to wait a day or two. Plenty more boats arrived today, so maybe we didn’t miss a memo.

0 locks, 0 miles, 3 trams, 1 flat switch, 1 tablet, 1 mixer, 1 shower head, 400 plus bananas, 1 bench, 1 tea chest, 3 crates.

Fewer Distractions Please. 11th June

Cowley Double Road Bridge to Pendeford Bridge 4

**What a lovely mooring shame we can’t stay**

A slight change of schedule has increased the hours we need to cruise so an early start was needed. The alarm was set and after making a cuppa we pushed off a little after 7am with mugs in hand. There soon appeared a boat behind us, it felt as if we’d pushed out in front of them so Mick pulled over to let them past as soon as we reached the first straight.

I headed below aiming to spend much of the day model making. Being on the flat should make it easy to concentrate, yesterday this hadn’t proved to be the case as there were so many places I wanted to see. Today I had to do better!

I finished pieces for the hallway scenes and then got on with the additions for the Ugly Sisters boudoir scene for when they are getting ready for the ball or in this case the Carnaval.

We pootled onwards. After an hour and a half we’d reached Wheaton Aston. Diesel at Turners would have been 83.9p a litre, but sadly it being early and a Sunday meant they were closed, no top up today. Pigs on the far side of the winding hole already seemed to have had enough for the day, all covered in mud and very much horizontal.

The boat we’d let overtake us was waiting at the lock as another boat came down, the world waking up and being on the move. We were soon on our way up and heading along the next tree lined straight.

A message was sent to sisters, we were following a slow boat, we’d be late for the Geraghty zoom. Bouncy castles, flag poles and little crevice flowers featured today. At last it was time for breakfast, too hot for the full works but Mick made us both a bacon and mushroom butty to keep us going.

As we pushed off again two old planes came circling overhead, a Messerschmitt and a Hurricane maybe, or a Spitfire, RAF Cosford air show today, maybe we’d see more planes. We pootled in towards Brewood timing our arrival very well to slot into a gap just before other boats arrived hoping to do the same. Have to say some of the boats there look like they have settled in nicely on the 2 day mooring!

Shopping was required so we walked into the village to stock up on nice things for lunch. A sit down with a Sunday newspaper was requested by Mick before standing at the helm for a while longer today.

The temperature continued to rise as I headed into the rainforest and gardens of Cinderella. Rostra archways and the front cloth all getting attention.

Before we got too close to the urban areas around Autherley Junction we were wanting a mooring. Mick peeked over the hedge at the first possible candidate, far too risky for an enquiring feline mind, we carried on. Every now and then Mick would attempt to pull in, every time the Shropie shelf or silt would have other ideas. Running out of the rural setting we made do with a gap between us and the bank, no need for tyre fenders we were sat on the bottom.

***You’d have thought after all these years of boating they’d be able to tie the outside up properly!***

The Red Arrows gave us a display, a little bit too far away and looking towards the sun made it hard to see them. Several other planes went over head throughout the afternoon.

Blimey it got muggy, we’d thought of having a barbeque but with the bank being a gap away from the boat we decided against it, the defrosted salmon and a red pepper could be cooked onboard instead, just as the heavens opened and thunder rumbled over head. Rain bounced on the roof and came in through the bathroom mushroom vent, a little disconcerting being dripped on whilst brushing your teeth!

1 lock, 10.7 miles, 3 moorings, 3 cheeses, 2 meat, 1 pate, 2 scenes solved, 3 hours, 8 red arrows? 55meg, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

https://goo.gl/maps/CHqQhDLfZiA9r5nV9

Double Arches. 10th June

Tyrley Visitor Moorings to Cowley Double Road Bridge 31

Last to leave this morning, we followed on behind a while later. A short distance ahead Woodseaves Cutting, narrow and prone to land slips. You need to keep your speed down and enjoy being below masses of trees all clinging on for dear life. Last time we came along here it was March, it’s a very very different place in June. The large boulders that had sat on the towpath three years ago have been moved, somehow!

It’s magical down in the depths of what feels like a rainforest, all the time you just hope no one will be coming in the opposite direction. The two boats we did meet we met at places where thankfully there was space to pass.

The Shropie was built with its locks in flights, then the canal maintains it’s height through cuttings and embankments. Mick enjoyed the views on the embankments and then the cool shade from the cuttings whilst I did my best not to get too distracted below and carry on with model making.

It took quite a while to get a new version of the Town Square clock made, then I could move onto Cinderella’s house. Several scenes meld into one, so a hallway has to transform into a boudoir into a very lonely place. Sadly the archways I’d already cut out just didn’t do the job so a new set were drawn out on paper before being offered up in my model box.

I bobbed back up top as we came past Shebdon where NB Percy sits on her new mooring, one day we’ll get to meet Nev. A nice mooring with views.

A chap stood in a bridge hole chatting away to people on the offside. As Oleanna came through the bridge a lady shouted out ‘How did your panto go?’ It was Ann from NB Caspar whom we’d met last summer in St Ives (not the one in Cornwall) on the Great Ouse. We managed a short chat as we passed by then pulled in close to Anchor Bridge for some lunch.

Grub Street soon followed, another excuse to be up top. Was the lovely car still there? Yes. Could I take a slightly different photo of High Bridge with it’s telegraph pole? Not really. In amongst the friendly cover there was a shelter made from branches, the tarpaulin slipped under the weight of falling debris making it not that water proof.

**Norbury Junction looking soo summery**

At Norbury Junction we pulled in so that Mick could visit the chandlery whilst we topped up on water. At last we had a float switch! That will keep Mick busy on a day when we’re not moving.

More work, more excuses to look out of the hatch at Gnosall. We passed an oncoming boat in the narrow section whilst passing the mooring with Soo much stuff that entertains the eye as you pass.

We were now on the look out for a suitable mooring possibly for a barbeque this evening. We soon found one between bridges 31 and 30. Here we could get in to the side, a wide towpath, the long grass having been flattened by previous boaters. Perfect.

Well until you looked up at the sky! The wind was picking up and dark dark clouds were coming overhead. Maybe they’d just pass us by, I made some burgers and rested them in the fridge just as the heavens opened, we’d be cooking them inside tonight. The rain didn’t bother Tilly too much, but she soon returned home after some loud claps of thunder.

0 locks, 13.1 miles, 1 straight on, 2 many distractions, 1 clock, 2 arches, 1 hot humid day, 1 Great Ouse boat, 1 blogging boat, 1 busy pub, 2 wet for a barbeque, 1 soggy moggy.

https://goo.gl/maps/3yhRfU6YVBuD9ocD9

Yarn Bombing. 9th June

Coxbank Visitor Moorings to Tyrley Visitor Moorings

Boats were coming up the locks behind us before we’d really got ourselves together. A couple pulled up in front of us pausing for breakfast, they had just come up the thick of the flight.

Two more of the Audlem flight to do, both had boats coming down and one arriving as we left making working them very easy. At the bottom of the two a lady walked up and chatted away, in her hand was a bag of crocheted flowers, she was a yarn bomber. This morning she’d checked she’d have enough flowers for each lock they’d pass through, crocheting keeps her arthritic hands moving.

By the top lock the cake stall was just being replenished for the day. A fantastic assortment of cakes then two small fridges one filled with pork pies and pasties. Mick had the required £3 for a pie, fresh from the bakers this morning the lady said as she brought out paper carrier bags filled with scones for cream teas.

We decided to get the remaining lock flights done today, Adderley and Tyrley, leaving only Wheaton Aston and Autherley Stop Locks to do, so I’d be able to get on with panto again tomorrow.

Soon Adderley came into view, would we be so lucky here with boats coming down? After all the busyness of Audlem yesterday and this morning it suddenly felt as if we were the only boat in the world. Most chambers were empty, apart from one that had filled itself back up.

Into our rhythm of uphill narrow locks. I’d set the lock filling, wait until the boat was high enough for Mick to step off before walking up to the next lock to empty it and open the gates. Most of these locks I used to be able to kick/push open the bottom gates, reducing the number of times I’d have to walk round. However the handrail I’d need to grab onto to push the off side gate open was loose, unsecured at one end, unsafe for me to rely on it. I walked round. The next lock the gates were a touch too heavy, after recent back and calf muscle aches I decided I’d walk round this one too!

We pootled on to Market Drayton a mooring just after the water points gave us somewhere to stop for lunch out of the sunshine with a view of Betton Mill, THAT building where we’d talked at length to our first boat builders. Such a shame the building doesn’t seem to be used for anything.

Once fed and watered we were on our way again, entering the shaded cutting leading up to Tyrley Locks. Mick held back away from the most forceful of bywashes possibly on the Shropie whilst I walked up ahead and opened the bottom gates. A boat could be seen entering the third lock up, the second one in our favour.

Normally going up such locks, I go ahead to set the next chamber leaving Mick to close up behind, but this is not recommended at the bottom lock as there is a stone shelf lurking under the cloudy water. I opened the lock ahead and walked back to close the top gate behind us, much better than getting stuck on that shelf with the bywash sucking the boat towards it and the pressure of water coming down from above doing it’s best to push you further on it as well! All I need to say is, you really don’t want to be in that situation!

We met a couple of hire boats coming down and we were soon at the top of the flight.

The lovely buildings at Tyrley Wharf were lit wonderfully in the sunshine. The new owner of the end building owns the winding hole here, it’s one of those things on the Shropie. Over the last couple of months he has caused a lot of comments on social media as he won’t allow winding in his winding hole. First a sign went up. Then he positioned his boat in such a way to make it hard to wind and now there is also a rope across it. He is entitled to do this, but is really not making himself popular with other boaters. Rumours are that he also isn’t too keen on the locks being used after 5pm! Given time things will change, we hope.

Pulling in onto the visitor moorings the unwashed side of Oleanna presented itself. Oh dear!!! What a filthy boat. I set to with cloth bucket and water. Sadly this side was the side that got most of the sun when Oleanna was stranded in Goole during the Aire and Calder breach. The paint needs more than just a wash. To me that is a boy job, to Mick that is a job that should be put off for as long as humanly possible!

12 locks, 6.7 miles, 1 yarn bomber, 5 flowers, 1 empty workshop, 1 upside down 48hr mooring, 3 hours shore leave, 1 better cabin side, 1 bottle of polish sat collecting dust, 1 panto digs sorted.

https://goo.gl/maps/EvmucahBDSom9Vwq7

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna