Froghall Basin to The Boat, Cheddleton
There was no point in putting things back on Oleanna’s roof yesterday as we’d be going back through the tunnel today. Well the chimney went on in case it rained overnight. The mooring had been quiet apart from what sounded like a distant dog kennel, one with lots of hounds.
Yesterday we’d wanted to dispose of some rubbish. CRT signs suggested that the bins were theirs, but another sign said there were not and there would be a £600 fine for anyone using them, they belonged to Hetty’s. Mick popped over this morning to check on the situation. Apparently CRT removed the bins a while ago, Hetty’s then took over the contract with Biffa, so they are theirs. The chap at Hetty’s said we’d be okay popping one bag of kitchen waste in them before we left.
Time to make our move. Mick headed off to set the lock, no need to as there was no chance it would have filled up overnight. The chap from the waterpoint yesterday was walking his dog and came for a chat, at least someone other than us had now seen that we’d made it through the tunnel. Blimey the lock was like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon when empty, so much plant life. Up Oleanna rose, we then pulled onto the water point to top up the tank again.
Not such a powerful tap and I suspect it was connected to Hetty’s as the pressure varied. A CRT fundraiser came over to chat, full of the problems to do with funding. He confirmed the bins were no longer CRT’s, maybe someone should remove the CRT sign.
Opposite the lock is a rather nice building containing several holiday lets. They have their own swimming lake behind them. A lady came out to wave at us as we passed, heading back to the tunnel.
It took a while to line up with the tunnel again. Then we plunged back into the 75 yards, repeating yesterdays slow progress, only a little bit quicker this time, 7 minutes instead of 10 for Mick’s head to pop back up at the stern.
With all the covers removed it made sense to me to give the roof a much needed wash. Mick wasn’t so keen and busied himself putting nav lights back on and reassembling the horns. I however was determined to finally give Oleanna a wash, sick of the green and grey the cream had become.
With other items removed the roof needed a prewash and rinse to get rid of the worst of the muck. Then followed with a soapy wash and scrubbing brush, rinsed down. Mick ran out of jobs he could get away with, he really hates washing boats, doesn’t see the point in it! So I got him to do the prewash and rinse on the off side. Where the coal lives on the roof both sides got the full works the rest of the offside could wait for us to be moored later on.
Oh finally the cream was back with us. Unfortunately it did mean that I’d got to see just how bad the grabrail had got close up on the port side. Last year I’d prepped the starboard side for painting, then ran out of time. The port side didn’t get a look in. I’m going to have to find the time this year along with knee stamina to stand on the gunnels to get the job done. Washing the roof was at least a start.
As we had lunch a boat came past. Where had it come from? It had come from the tunnel, we’d not seen it go past earlier. Mick said he’d spotted it down an arm when he went into Hetty’s. So when we came across a boat heading to Froghall, thankfully not on a narrow section, we could confidently tell the helm that there would be no-one heading towards him as there were no boats behind us. We kept sounding our horn, just in case, but met no other boats.
Just by the water point at Consell Forge there was a For Sale sign. Not much of a river frontage, but hardly surprising as the house was up a track away from the weir and river. If you like a good pint and heritage railways along with a bit of seclusion this is your house.
Back up the river, back onto the canal. No Bob or Rob to help at Wood Lock, but that didn’t matter. We now wanted a mooring. A hire boat and CRT boat occupied the first length. The boat from the water point yesterday sat on the next mooring opposite The Boat pub. We pulled in behind, tucking in as close as we could, with boats moored opposite we didn’t want to be in anyone’s way. It did require some creative mooring, but we got there in the end.
Time to put Oleanna back together again. I finished off washing the roof, the offside no longer off, whilst Mick put the cratch cover and pram hood back on. Except there was a vital bit missing from the pram hood. An end that connects the end of a piece of frame to attach it to the cabin sides. When we’d taken the frame off it had been stored inside, last night it was put on the roof out of our way, then back inside again today. We hunted high and low, inside and out. Tilly was questioned in case she’d found it interesting and batted it under the sofa for safe keeping. It was not to be found, we needed some means of attaching the frame to the roof.
In amongst the things that have been kept for some reason was a broken bit from the tv aerial pole. A rubber end to it and a broken metal prong. It fitted into the frame leaving the prong which we might be able to clamp into the connector. Mick played around with it for a while, cable ties and for now we have a way to attach the frame when it’s up, it always gets folded down for cruising no matter. A new connector will need ordering next week.
Not the quietest of moorings. Plenty of dog walkers and noisy drinkers at the pub. This was then followed by a lot of cars coming and going. We’d be able to cope with it for a night and before there is any boat traffic in the morning we want to be moving.
4 locks, 4.8 miles, 75 yards of tunnel, £750,000, 0 boats behind us, 1 year of grime, 1 sparkling roof, 2 sides still to do, 15 patches of rust, 1 noisy mooring, 2 dogs to get along, 1 bored cat, 1 missing end, 1 broken bit repurposed.
