Tag Archives: Tuesday

Packing Up. 18th March

Scarborough

We are now into the run down for returning to Oleanna. We’re down to one ears wait!

**Our last Sunday walk on the Esplanade**

I had managed to find other things to do to help avoid cleaning things like the oven, but that avoidance didn’t go quite to plan. A day keeping a good friend company at a hospital appointment went too well and rather than being there most of the day it only took a few hours before positive results came flooding through. I had thought I’d be able to attend my last mosaic session which would have aided my avoidance, but the lady who runs the sessions had come down with a lurgy so an afternoon of sticking tiles to brown paper was called off. Only one thing for it, carry on with the packing and cleaning.

There are various items that go too and fro to the boat each time we move. Sometimes they are needed, other times they just stay in the boat cupboard waiting to return, then they get tucked away under the dinette.

A big light weight box was delivered, packing removed from inside and the space being taken up by a lot of air was used to pack light things including a bunch of bayleaf twigs, thank you Frank! The box will be reduced in size as soon as I have time and some space on the boat. Documents read and amended. An enquiry from an actor regarding digs later in the summer was replied to.

Gradually the dining room filled up with items to head to Oleanna. Tilly stayed calm, she was asleep for most of the time! The occasional sniff round things just to check we were packing in a sensible way. Overflow fridge moved inside as the lean to will be dismantled in a few weeks time and only one of us needs to be around for that. Beds made up, fresh bathroom linen put out, our next set of lodgers will see four actors take over the house for a few weeks.

**It’ll have to wait until next year to be finished**

Despite hoping to get my next big painting completed, I soon realised that this wasn’t ever going to happen, my paints needed to be packed up and the canvas put safely away from the bleaching rays of sun light that come through my work room window, the painting is now unlikely to be finished until next year.

Three paintings however have been put in frames and left in what is known as the fishtank until I can think of where they can be hung, another job for next year.

Monday night we had a very tasty chicken tray bake using up various items from the freezer, I’ll be making that version again. Tuesday involved packing up the kitchen and cleaning things down.

**Daffodils in The Valley starting to come out, it will be a sea of yellow in a weeks time**

I managed to get my last full walk in round Scarborough in the sunshine. Down the Valley, the daffodils just starting to come out. Across the sands in front of the Spa, the tide out. Up through the gardens on the cliff to the Esplanade. I paused to pull up my big girls pants and register with a new dentist. We’re not likely to cruise through Birmingham this year and as Colin my dentist there has moved down to Cornwall, now seemed a good time to change to a more sensible location.

More cleaning and packing, including sparkling up the big shower after the last shower had been taken. Just time to put some reasonable clothes on and walk up into town to meet with Mick’s old friend Mark. A drink at The Stumble Inn, we’ve not been in there before, followed by what seems to be becoming a last night tradition in Scarborough a meal at The Taj, well it saves on the washing up back at the house.

**The boys tucking into their starters**

Tomorrow we move.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 full dining room, 3 wees, 1 oversized box, 1 signature, 1 enquiry, 1 resigned cat, 2 papadums each, 2 much food, 1 set of scales tucked away, 1 stone less until today, 1 empty kitchen, 2 troughs of strawberries repotted, 1 urn of strawberries for lodgers, 2 boaters and 1 boat cat ready for the water again.

Bookings. 11th March

Passing. 25th February

3rd Painter. 4th February

Uplands Marina

With a window between house jobs and appointments we booked ourselves a hire car for two days so that we could cross the Pennines to visit another couple of boat painters.

Mick headed off early to pick up the car and I got on with my exercises followed by my daily walk, today before breakfast. I’m doing my best to get fitter, loose some weight and get ready for boating again, so I’ve downloaded the NHS Active 10 app. This measures how many minutes of brisk walking you do in a day. I aim for 30 minutes, on some days I’m managing far more which just shows how much better my knees are now.

The magic food bowl was set for Tilly. I thought She was starting to pack to go back on the boat, exciting! But no, I’d be home alone with Thomas Tom and Singing She next door to keep an eye on. Our car journeys normally take us over the top of the Yorkshire Wolds, but today we were back on the A64 heading towards York, then the M62 across over the top of the Pennines in the rain.

**I’m helping put together a community mosaic**

We were headed for the top of the Trent and Mersey Canal. Once off the main roads place names started to become familiar, a few more wiggles and we were crossing the canal, Anderton Marina to our left and the boat lift to the right. A pit stop at the services was required, we pulled up by the rubbish skip a white van parked next to it. A chap inside asked if we were wanting to use the elsan, no just the loo. He was there to mend the elsan and it should be up and running again in half an hour.

Whoever cleans the service block manages to mop the floor, but the black mould around the sink and on the door frame was horrible, plus the smell was pretty bad too, maybe something to do with the elsan. I made sure I washed my hands knowing I’d be able to get out of the block without touching anything!

We had our lunch over looking the marina. Long pontoons stretching off into the distance, much bigger than we’d imagined it to be. There was one familiar boat moored up by the slipway. NB Firecrest, Eric and Cheryl whom we’d met shortly before the Thames flotilla and then afterwards whilst in Paddington Basin.

Time to see if we could find Nick from The Paint Shed. We’d been warned that the boat they’d be working on today was quite a rusty old boat and they would just be starting to strip it back. The covered dock was very noisy, but someone spotted us and Nick came over to say hello, he just needed to finish something so maybe we’d want to wait in the office.

As a scenic artist I’ve had several spray guns in my life, several giving up the ghost on me getting clogged, that’s when I yearned to have more than one. Here they had at least four and several spare needles for them too, I was jealous.

Nick came to chat, then we had a walk around the marina. As with most boat painters the nearest marina tends to have several boats that they’ve painted, so as we walked he pointed out boat after boat and told us roughly how long ago it was that he painted them. Of course today was a good day for him to show off his work, rain makes everything shiny and bright, he admitted they all looked top notch when wet.

Over the years we’ve seen quite a few boats painted by Nick, the last one we shared Big Lock in Middlewich with, it looked immaculate and when we asked how recently their paint job had been we were surprised when they mentioned years rather than weeks. So we’ve seen quite a bit of his work around the north west, when it hasn’t been raining.

We sought refuge back in the paintshed to have a look round. They certainly had their work cut out on the boat in there. One chap was stripping the paint off in the well deck as another was removing window frames. Here they strip every boat back to bare steel using scabblers, needle guns etc. Then the shell is acid treated, this kills off any rust and gives the shell a layer that acts as a primer. 2 coats of 2 pack epoxy primer are followed by 2 coats of 2 pack base coat, then 2 coats of the desired finish including bow, stern hatch, tiller and anti slip painting all in their heated dock. Their sign writing is done by Robin Wagg.

The Paintshed’s dock is not a dry dock, meaning that they don’t do blacking at Uplands Marina as your boat sits in the water. They can black your boat but they do this at Hesford Marine on the Bridgewater, there the hull could be shot blasted. Nick chooses a day with suitable weather, the chaps at the marina shot blast the hull and then Nick very quickly follows them with the first coat of 2 pack blacking to keep the hull as dry as possible. He also insists on doing the job himself. We chatted over logistics for this. Ideally the hull should be shot blasted and blacked before the cabin is painted. However this does mean that when the cabin is being prepared dust and swarf from the sanding is likely to end up sitting along the water line of the new blacking, not ideal really.

Their next slot for painting would be March 2026, but he suggested that we should get the blacking done in the last warmer months of this year when the weather is better for such things. He’d be able to do it in September then we’d look at mooring at Uplands for the winter so then Oleanna would be sat ready and waiting for her painting.

We chatted through all the other jobs on our list, he made some suggestions and nothing would be a problem. He called Caldwells Windows regarding a delivery he was expecting, but also asked them if they do double glazed sliding windows for us. They don’t, I’d suspected as much just from looking on line.

Nick is a nice cheery chap, we liked him. We worked out an estimate for blacking and shot blasting so that this could be added into the price he’d come up with, so we’d be able to compare painters prices better.

Down side to The Paintshed was the blacking having to be at a different time in warmer months. September was suggested, we already have a lodger booked in the house, so we’d be homeless and more to the point Tilly would be homeless! Not being able to grit blast the cabin sides and get them painted quickly due to a days cruise between Hesford and Uplands Marina is also a negative. The distance back to Scarborough in a vehicle for Tilly also might be too much. So sadly as much as we liked Nick and the boats of his we’ve seen he dropped into second position.

It was still quiet early in the afternoon when we left. What to do with ourselves for the rest of the afternoon? Cinema? Nothing on we fancied. We ended up driving to find the portals of the tunnels on the Trent and Mersey, one found, no boats waiting to go through. Then headed on up to Midland Chandlers at Preston Brook to see what we could see. Mick was after a few connectors for the tunnel light and horns and some new screws for fixing things back onto the bracket. We had a good look round and gave up, only purchasing a bottle of Marine 16.

**Neoprene lined fender hooks, might be worth it once Oleanna’s painted, expensive though**

We then wiggled our way back towards Northwich. Sign posts to Lewis Carroll’s birth place and visitor centre caught our eye close to Daresbury, shhhhh! Would these be close enough to the canal to be able to walk there in the future? It was too late in the day now to visit.

Our accommodation for the night was the Travelodge at Lostock Gralam, just off the A559 to the north west of Northwich. It has recently had an upgrade! I think this means a new lick of paint, a funky covered arm chair and a new painting above the bed. Instead of having Rudolf’s red nose in the painting we now had a stylised landscape with moon and we’d be serenaded by a black cat plucking a fiddle.

Nearby is a La Turka, a Turkish and Mediterranean restaurant. It was big with a very good menu having plenty of gluten free dishes. Mick chose a pizza and I had chicken kebabs with a side salad, twice as much as was need for both of us, maybe we should have got a doggy bag for breakfast. It was very nice and I suspect if we ever moor near Wincham Wharf we’ll be back as it’s only 1km away.

0 locks, 0 miles by boat, 1 yellow car, A64, 3rd painter, 1 blogging boat, 4 spray guns, 1 wet day, 2 complicated sadly, 1 small bottle Marine 16, 1 Dante pat, 1 cat and fiddle, 1 pizza, 2 kebabs, 1 side salad, 1 bottle of wine on a week night, 1 cat home alone!

Presents And Licenced. 25th to 31st December

**Tide was in by the time we got to the beach Christmas morning**

Christmas and Birthday. We’ve had a good year this year, not so many boaty presents as usual, but still some worth mentioning.

Mick got a serious pair of bolt croppers. These may be handy should anything ever seriously stubborn find its way onto Oleanna’s prop. A new weather station is currently being tested out, there are frequent comments as to the temperature on the coal bunker outside the back of the house. The old weather station wasn’t quite so detailed and it had ceased to show you much other than the time! I had considered getting Mick one that showed the tide times, this may have come in handy for 2025, but he’d selected a different model on his present list. Gardening gloves and bulbs for the house, hopefully the squirrels will leave the bulbs alone as the number of daffodils in the front flower bed seem to have decreased since we let the house out ten years ago, so hopefully we’ll be able to boost them again this year.

I got a new ‘to me’ camera! It was a well researched pre owned purchase from Amazon. I’ve taken a few photos so far mainly of garden benches for reference in the weeks to come. I must read the instruction book to make the most of it. So far so good, it has a 30 times optical zoom. No macro setting that I’ve found yet, but a symbol occasionally appears. I’ll just have to get used to carrying it about with me again and using it rather than my phone.

**We need at least two more people to be able to play The Traitors game**

A new bumbag came from Josh. The one I bought last year was waterproof to start with, but as it was used the coating was wearing off, so a bad purchase. Hopefully this new one will be better and there is plenty of room for my camera and phone. As suggested by Jennie I will endeavour to swivel it round to the side or my back when working locks so as to avoid pressing buttons on my camera which most probably did for the last one.

Tilly got a book on the Regents Canal with places to eat. I’ve had a scan through it, however it doesn’t mention Perivale Wood at Ballot Box Bridge, a busy fast moving spot, with delicious rodent main courses. It also mentions too many places I’ve not been allowed to sample as shore leave was deemed unsafe.

I’ve also had three large white hardback books. One a gluten free baking book with lots of science in it, another a veggie cook book and Billy Connelly’s arty book. All will require some looking at. I also got a bag of Italian pizza flour that is gf. I’ve heard good things about it so I’ll be giving it a go in the new year. Oh and some sock stitch markers.

A cats Protection t shirt and a chopping board came from Tilly, She needs reminding of my dingding time at frequent intervals throughout the afternoon when She’s in, so let this serve as a reminder when she’s outside too! I also got some new baking trays for the boat, the ones I’ve been using were really quite cheap and tinny, so these are an upgrade.

We’ve gradually been eating our way through the mountains of Christmas food, my birthday cake is still on going, I must remember to make a half sized one next year. It was a very good choice, but we’re a little bit bored with it now.

Well the time of year to buy a new licence for Oleanna has arrived. A bigger outlay than in previous years as we now have the Continuous Cruisers surcharge to pay for. We want to cruise the network so we don’t mind paying the extra. However we have waited for the latest credit card statement to come through before buying next year’s licence to help spread the cost a bit.

**Tilly’s new rechargeable catnip felt balls**

On the renewal there was a button to read the continuous cruisers rules. Mick clicked the button only to find it led to a “404 error. Page not found”! He then hunted round until he found a version of them from 2022. I have just found a more up to date copy (03/2024) but blimey it doesn’t half take some finding!

For those who don’t know about the new Continuous Cruisers surcharge, this has been brought in this year for boats that don’t have a home mooring, we fall into this category. The T&Cs say that we have to move every 14 days, this is nothing new and we abide by this as it’s what we’ve always signed up for and we prefer to be cruising anyway. To avoid the CC surcharge you need to prove that you have a home mooring for 6 or more continuous months. On the latest T&C’s (I think they are the latest!), I’ve just spent a couple of hours searching for, our winter mooring at Goole is covered in the section “14 days or such longer period as is reasonable in the circumstances” in Schedule 1. For staying longer than 14 days anywhere we should have immediately contacted the Trust’s Licencing Support Team, this is what you should do if you have engine failure, medical requirements etc, to overstay in an area.

In previous years we’ve logged onto our C&RT account and changed us from being a Continuous Cruiser to having a mooring. This meant that should we want to go out every weekend to Sykehouse Junction or Pollington Lock we wouldn’t be classed as over staying if spotted in the same place three weeks apart as we’d have returned to our mooring in between. Now that there is the CC surcharge you can no longer adjust this on line, it appears we should have contacted the Licencing Support Team regarding our marina mooring otherwise we could get an overstay notice. Oh well, we’re fairly unlikely to go out for little jaunts every weekend anyway, but contacting a team member to let them know seems like a waste of their time when we just used to switch from CC to a mooring.

PS if you follow a link on the C&RT website to what is expected of you as a Continuous Cruiser you end up with a document from 2012, long before the surcharge came into existence! Oh Well!!!

But Oleanna is now licenced for the next year, that is what’s important and we can start looking forward to our new adventures on her.

0 locks, 0 miles, 3 treat cheeses, 1 year older, 4 balls, 8 pairs of socks, 2 pairs scissors, 1 green triangle, 3 white books, 1 weather station, 1 camera, 1 very cheeky cat, 2 much to eat, 1 Christmas show, 3rd Paddington film, £1525! 54 pairs of socks, plus a little bit.

Thank you Bridget and Storm for your photos this morning of the last official #pipssockathon2024 socks

I have managed a 54th pair too. I really must get round to updating my sockathon page!

https://www.justgiving.com/page/pip-leckenby-1704636205453?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

**OOps! I just can’t help myself! Pair 55**

Happy New Year! xxx

We’re Ready, Are You?

24th December 2024

We’d like to wish all our readers, friends and family a very Happy Christmas.

**At least it’s Micks stocking Father Christmas won’t be able to fill if she stays there.**

Tilly has decided to keep our stockings warm and keep a close eye out for the big man in red. I’m hoping she doesn’t over heat before he arrives!

We’re Ready, Are you?

Shh! Don’t Tell Tilly. 29th October

Viking Marina

Our return to Scarborough was perfectly timed so that after all the unpacking we could enjoy an evening walk in Peasholm Park. We weren’t the only ones to enjoy Moonlight on the Lake, there were at least another 10,000 people who, over two days, walked round the lake appreciating the lanterns and illuminations created by our friends from Animated Objects. In the last few weeks I’d been a little concerned as Dawn had been very quiet on social media, this was the reason why. So many lanterns to make, from Dolphins, houses in the old town, the wonderful swans, music from a local harpist and Elvis impersonator. Plus we got chance to catch up with various friends who were all there ready to start dismantling the display. We’d have lent a hand too if it wasn’t for my knees.

Then it was time to remind ourselves that we are theatrical digs landlords and make sure everything was ship shape ready for our latest lodger to arrive. We seem to attract the baddies from the Christmas shows at the SJT, this is our second year of hosting the evil ones, although David does get to play several other characters as well in Aladdin.

The list of jobs to do at the house is long, emails and phone calls have been made and we’re hoping to hear back from people rather than just being ignored as seems to be the way of things nowadays. I’m giving a few people the excuse that it’s half term and hope to hear from them next week. The hunt for a gardener continues.

I’m wanting to do some decorating, but I don’t as yet know how my knees will cope climbing ladders. Paint has been selected for the room influenced by the pantomime cloth that is on the wall. There will be a gap of three weeks between lodgers at the beginning of next year when I’ll see how I get on, if I do okay then I’ve my eyes set on another room.

The jobs list for Oleanna is also quite long. When we left last week we were under pressure to move Tilly as stress free as possible. This meant we didn’t do various jobs that need doing when leaving the boat for a period of time. Cleaning the fridge, freezer and cooker to start with. A trip back was needed. The last few years Mick has done this on his own as I’ve been busy on panto.

Double handed and in a car, not reliant on the train, we’d be able to do more, a car was hired, a list made of things we’d forgotten or it would be nice to have, we also managed to remember to take it with us!

Today the journey was vastly different to that made on Friday. Firstly it was quiet, no MEOWING! Secondly the sun was out, no fog today. We chose to drive through Sledmere to see how golden the trees were. Most of the leaves have fallen now, but it was still rather lovely.

**Time to have a tidy and tick some jobs off the list**

Oleanna sat on her mooring, looking a little sad without her smile. Unseasonably warm we were able to have all the doors open, Tilly not being around also helped. Mick headed off to find Alastair with a list of jobs for him this winter, thankfully he was about rather than having been called out to a brake down. Engine mounts, fuel filters, stern gland and most importantly if he could make us a new connector to our yellow water tank. The one we have is loosing it’s thread and therefore not sealing properly.

I made a start on the weeding. Cleaning out the window channels. Last year I’d managed to do all windows apart from those in the galley. They’ve not been touched since and grass and moss was starting to set in, we’d have a lawn soon if I did nothing about it.

Each window was lifted out, the channels cleaned out, the soft bit that the glass sits on is where the dirt collects and was really quite muddy! Then the drain holes were cleared, important over the winter. The glass given a good clean inside and out before being put back in.

The galley windows are a touch more difficult as they both slide and are not removable. The window above the cooker was accessible from both sides, but leaning over the cooker I must have pressed and turned one of the knobs by accident. I didn’t notice the smell immediately but once I did Mick had also smelt it. Thankfully with the boat being very well ventilated we shouldn’t have a problem. Gas is heavier than air so can sink, lingering in your bilges.

The offside gally window was much harder. Mick positioned himself on the gunnel of Oleanna and our neighbours boat. He ended up kneeling down to reach the mossy bits and flick out the worst. This did require me to pull our neighbours boat in so he didn’t end up doing the splits. Both boats are quite loosely tied due to the level in the marina fluctuating with ships coming and going in the docks. The inside glass was cleaned, but the outside will have to remain dirty for a while longer. It’ll all be filthy before we’re back anyway with the dust that Goole creates.

The portholes got new cushioning on their supports, a new bit of weed hatch tape. This means they all now close properly, in fact they are now quite a tight fit and need pushing down to be able to close them. Much better than them falling open all the time.

The galley blinds have always been awkward to clean, most probably because we don’t do it often enough! If we could take them back to the house then that might make it easier. I spotted that they had brackets which with the assistance of a knife swivelled to release them. They’ll get a good soapy clean back at the house.

**Tilly Too is also headed back for a wash**

Mick cleaned out the multifuel stove and when I was finished with galley windows he moved on to clean the hob, fridge and freezer. The stove looks like it can last another year before being spruced up, I’ve not been cooking on it so much this year as it’s been so mild.

**It really isn’t that exciting back there!**

The sofa was pulled out, Shhhhhh, don’t tell Tilly! revealing the secret passageway to it’s fullest. What lurks in there? A cupboard door that used to be in front of the washing machine, which just got in the way. The left over foam from when I made an infill cushion for the dinette and a roll of sleeping mat which we bought to try to insulate the porthole frame above the bed. The mat will return to the house, the foam turned out to be a good thing to kneel on, so will stay onboard. Hoovering up behind the sofa meant a computer mouse and a knitting stitch marker resurfaced, along with plenty of pens and pencils that get filed there by Tilly for safe keeping.

Outside things were happening. The pot holes alongside the parking area and Oleanna were cleared of water. Then a JCB arrived with some tarmac/ stuff. A chap filled the holes, brushed it flat. He was then followed by a roller to flatten it all out. Blimey it vibrated so much our flue reverberated. Hopefully this will mean we don’t return to Oleanna covered in mud this winter.

Mick took some time to program the invertor into winter mode. The yellow water tank was emptied, contents taken to the elsan. The solids bucket was only in use for a few days so can sit and do it’s thing. The other buckets have been taken to the house already and added to our compost bin that is currently cooking. The other is at least 18 months old and has been deemed compost suitable for the flower beds, when they’ve been tidied up.

Then it was time for us to close everything up. Switch lots of things off including the water pump, turn the tap between the pump and taps off and open all the taps, leaving the shower head laying in the shower tray. Water system winterised. I flicked switches off in The Shed. Last rubbish to the bins and use of shore based facilities. Also time to admire the orange sky before setting off back to Scarborough.

Paint for the horn and tunnel light bracket were packed to bring back with us. Now we’ll need to hunt round the chandlers for suitable replacements.

We’d just closed the marina gate behind us when I went through the list of things we’d needed to do. ‘Damn!’ We hadn’t turned the gas off in the gas locker. Mick popped back and did the honours, we were now safe to head for home. All sorted.

Well except on reaching home we realised I’d turned off too many things in The Shed, turning the camera off that the spiders like to take rides on. Plus the heating hasn’t had the thermostat set to come on when it gets really cold. So another visit will be needed soon.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 hire car, 10,000 plus viewers, 1 bored cat already! 1 new lodger, 1 picnic by the hatch, 4 big windows, 3 portholes, 2 sliders, 1 stove, 1 hob, 1 fridge, 1 freezer, 11 potholes, 1 secret shhhh! 1 thumping roller, 1 empty wee tank, 0 camera, 0 heating, 2 tins paint, 4 quotes sought, 5 more to go, 1 still bored cat.

Spaghetti Fork. 22nd October

Castleford to Sykehouse Junction, New Junction Canal

Yesterday was the start of Chippy panto rehearsals for Jack and The Beanstalk. I’d be wrong if I said I wasn’t missing working on it this year. I’d also have rather been at the meet and greet followed by read through and fit up followed by fish and chips at the Blue Boar then having stinging eye drops in my eyes yesterday. I’m hoping we get chance to go down to see the show but we need to combine it with other things in the south, otherwise it would be a very expensive theatre trip. I’m still in touch with many people and am getting the occasional sneak peek at what’s happening.

Rather than drawing things out or base coating bits of scenery, today we were going to find out what the health and safety problem was at Ferrybridge Flood Lock and hope for a mooring suitable for some jobs and some cat shore leave.

We got up and pushed straight over to the water point close to Bulholme Lock. With the tank filling we sat down for breakfast. Then the yellow water was pumped into a container for disposal later. Just as we were sorting this a boat came past heading for the lock. We’d have been able to share if they waited five minutes, but by the time we were sorted they had dropped down the lock and were on their way.

I was on key duty and filled the lock. Just above the top gates was a huge island of pennywort, it spanned the the width of the lock. Mick decided to take a run up, either to split it in two or to take it into the lock with Oleanna. As soon as the bow hit the island he cut the engine and she drifted into the lock with the weed surrounding her. As the lock emptied the weed drifted in front only to be picked up again on exiting the lock. Mick then managed to loose it by stopping to pick me up at the lock landing.

Going downstream there’s about an hours cruise before reaching Ferrybridge. Lots of trees and today lots of sunshine. One of those lovely autumn days to enjoy being on the back of a boat.

Just about the only thing that gives away the old Ferrybridge power station is the old wharf where the Tom Puddings were brought to be raised up to empty their cargo of coal. The building is now gone, but the wharf still exists. Pylons stretch off in all directions and stepped back from the river power is still generated. It’s a boring landscape now the cooling towers are gone, so there’s no point in taking photos anymore.

The last couple of bends and we could see we’d caught the boat ahead of us up. A boat came from the lock too. Then through Ferry Bridge we could see the amber light, self operation! The flood lock is operable.

We caught the boat ahead up just as he was about to negotiate climbing a ladder. I managed to stop him, suggesting that as there were two of us we’d work the lock. I climbed the ladder, then over the footbridge.

Maybe the health and safety issue is with the walkway on the top gates, as you’d need a very big stride to get onto them, the step being a good three foot. But that has been the case for goodness how long. The river level board showed green! Not long till the gates could just be left open. I knew there wasn’t a gate through the handrail to reach the panel, so climbed over it. Maybe I’d have been better walking to the far end of the lock and crossing the gates there, but that was a very long way round, these locks are big round here!

On our own now, the other boat not in a rush, we carried on heading eastwards. Fishermen lined the banks and nodded at us as we passed. Lots of boats around Bank Dole Junction, quite a few big ones too. We headed right, turning left will be left for next year, or maybe we’ll head to York direct from Goole, or via Pocklington?

Kellingley Colliery is getting more overgrown around the edges, only the occasional gap to see if anything is happening, nothing since March that we could make out.

Now we were back on the waterways with big skies, reaching from way over there to way over there! We’ve enjoyed trees, hills, rivers this year, but we alos like being back here with so much sky.

The M62 comes close then drifts away. Then it returns to be passed underneath just before Whitley Lock. Here a weed boat was busy collecting Pennywort. The fork lift prongs on the bow jab into islands of leafy green, then rise up. The down side of this is it’s a bit like eating spaghetti with a fork and not being allowed to twist the pasta onto the prongs, the tomato sauce making the pasta slip off. The chap scouped up the pennywort time and time again to deposit it on the bank. Whitley Lock seems to be a place where the weed congregates. Last year there was a closure for quite sometime whilst it was cleared, at least they seem to be trying to keep on top of it this year.

As we approached the lock he asked if he could come down the lock with us. Apparently yesterday above the lock had been choaked with the weed. So we lowered down to the next pound the weed boat shooting out of the lock in front of us, hunting down the next mass of weed to collect and deposit on the bank.

This is all such familiar water to us now. Past the CRT boat yard at Heck. Plenty of work boats in, one out on the bank getting a new lick of CRT Blue.

Then Pollington Lock, our last lock of the year! In Oleanna went, the lolly pop indicators raised and down she descended to the Goole level of the Aire and Calder. The Key of Power could be put back on the main key ring and have a rest.

The VHF radio blurted something out. We always have it on around here to listen in in case there are any freight boats about. It was hard to understand what was being said, Mick checked on boat movements into Goole, Exol Pride had come up Ocean Lock an hour and a half ago. Exol was heading for the New Junction and all the lift and swing bridges, then on to Rotherham. We’d almost certainly have missed her by the time we got there ourselves.

Now at every overhead power line there were notices on the bank on posts, at every culvert notices too. Back towards Christmas 2020 there was a breach on the Aire and Calder, a huge amount of water was lost, the level from this huge pound dropped and several sections of piling and bank slumped into the canal. There is currently a stoppage notice for piling works.

Four hi-vis CRT staff walked towards us on the bank. Then a fence that really meant the towpath was closed, not one that you can manoeuvre to get round. Up ahead several work boats. New piling had gone in and a digger was back filling with earth and packing it down. One worker walked backwards with a remote controlled spikey roller. Skip boats of fresh earth were being brought from past Sykehouse Junction, no dredging silt from the canal, this back filling needed to be sturdy.

Our favourite spot at the junction was taken, so we turned onto the New Junction Canal to see what was available. One narrowboat at the far end, we pulled in just where the edging starts to flatten out and tied up. This would do us nicely.

Tilly you have four hours! Four!! Brilliant!!!!!! No eating your own body weight in rodents! Spoil sport!

After lunch I got the attachment of doom out. The rusty patches on the port side that I’d treated before Standedge needed cleaning off again. Then a coat of primer was applied. The boat ahead was being repainted by the looks of it. Tilly would now have to stay off boats and cat walks!

Mick put the mushroom vent top back on, only tightening it with his fingers, not wanting to put strain on the glued threaded bar. This will be fine. Then the interior cover went back on.

Then it was time to enjoy our evening as the sun set. Tilly zonked from so much friendly cover, now lounging on the sofa in front of the stove. Yarn was selected for the next pair of socks, they were cast on. What a lovely day and cruise.

4 locks, 16.5 miles of big skies, 0 red light, 1 lock on self operation! 2 locks shared, 1 full water tank, 1 clean pooh box, 1 empty yellow water tank, 1 right, 2 colds still clinging on, 1 grab rail with some paint on it, 4 hours of freedom, 3 little friends, 43 pounces, 2 trees, 1 slight patch of white, don’t know how that got there! 1 exhausted cat, 1 cosy Oleanna on our last night out on the cut.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZxiYHj3QcSKLyPwH7

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna