Out and about for a few days

For family reasons our cruising has been less than we would have hoped.

However we have just returned from four lovely days cruising to take Sonflower to meet up with friends at Warwick. Our friends have borrowed her before and this year are cruising with other family members who have hired nb Rebbeca from Kate Boats.

We had originally intended to be in the area at this time but circumstances changed so it was necessary to make a Special Cruise out of the delivery.

We were a crew of three, the Best Mate being up for the journey and Alex joining in to provide youthful enegy, muscle, and as it turned out music to keep our spirits up. The iPad was linked by blutooth to an outside speaker to keep the steerer entertained. HiTech on Sonflower, what is this!!

So the cruise went like this:

Wednesday: Home Mooring to Fenny Compton Wharf
Thursday:  Fenny Compton Wharf to Long Itchington
Friday: Long Itchington to Kate Boats Base
Saturday Morning: to and from Cape Bottom Lock water point - to wash the boat.

A Full English Breakfast was cooked by the Skipper each mornng: at Marston Doles (Thursday), Fosse locks (Friday) and Nelson Wharf, Warwick (Saturday) Other  Meals were  taken at The Wharf Inn Fenny Compton : (Wednesday evening), a sharing fish platter and Nachos Grande with an extra of potato wedges. Fed the three of us very comfortably.   The Boat Inn, Stockton (Thursday late lunch): Steak sandwiches followed by Ice cream. Very generous portions and tasty. On Board (Friday) Best Mate made meat balls in tomato sauce with pasta. All meals were washed down with approriate beverages as the weather was steaming hot!  We took late evening drinks in the Two Boats, Long Itchington on Thursday evening.

No silly boaters were on the water. In fact, after the Cropredy to Fenny Compton part, very few baoters were out. We had good company with plastic boat Maggie and her Aussie skipper who was waltzing Matilda between Bascote Bottom lock and Warwick. We had company of nb Rachel for a few locks but her (female) crew, who was shod in dancing shoes, flagged before lunch on Friday.

                                                                                         36 miles, 44 locks 

Doesn't she look smart?

Our tatty worn out black cratch cover has been replaced!

And I must say I am very pleased with the result. There are slight differences: it is green; more fasteners to stop it flapping in a wind; an angle on the tie backs to keep it taught, better detailing at the gunwhale so the water does not lay but runs straight off.

And all done with no fuss and a smile from Karl and Chrissie at K.C. Covers.


They promised to do it by the end of the month so are early! A first for a canal business in my experience!

It comes with a year's guarantee as well.

The price was very good too!

All round a pleasing experience.

First of Many in 2014

We didn't go far but we had a very enjoyable cruise to Nell Bridge and back.  The way there was against the setting afternoon sun and the "shades" were very necessary. It was so definitely SPRING. Chiff chaffs sang inthe tops of the trees. Blue tits darted inteh hawthiorn. The blackthorn was blossoming and leaf was sprouting everywhere.

Alex worked the locks, I piloted the boat and the Best Mate set about spring cleaning the cabin. Alex enjoyed walking the towpath for a time and I saw a pair of kingfishers on the bank just under the M40 obviously oblivious to the noise of the traffic above but startled by our presence as we approached.

As they cleared Grants lock and we prepared to enter we were snapped by Our Serendipity who are blogging every boat they pass! They had come off the Tjames and I have read a bit in a blog about Ric & Eileen who moor at Boulters lock. If this is them the only N/BOurserendipity blog that I have googled is a little sparse of photis at the moment. I hope they find time to post them all!

The winter off sid epruning offensive had made a great difference to the canal aspects and the pollarding of some of the willows was very pretty. There are many piles of cut wood seasoning for future fires on the off side banks.

The lovely thing is that Bones and another Alex were moored at Nell Bridge and we had a lovely evening chatting with them over tortilla chips,salsa, rioja and crianza.

We  had to leave this morning at 7am because we need to be back for noon and lunch at General Foods Club. This is a very regular appointent with our son who was not a member of the crew this time out.

This morning's cruise was excellent. Absolutely perfect weather and beautiful spring activity form the birds along the way. There were herons fishing, crows nest building and escorting a buzzard so closely that it could not venture near the tree that supported their nest. Ther were reed buntongs playing liss chase and chaffinches puffing up their new spring pink chests. The yellow headed yellow hammers were brightly visible aming the budding willows.

So there it was. A brief first outing for the boat and my sunglasses.

Our return was quick and uneventful. We had time when we arrived in Banbury to give SONFLOWER a well needed wash.  With all the Best Mate's hard work inside the cabin she is looking and smelling much healthier now!

Moving foreward toward General Foods Club we came up behind the Braidbar Boat "Fetina Lente". The crew were about to disembark and looked at us unapprovingly. There was not room for us to moor behind them as they had left 120 feet between them and the boat ahead of them. Why dont people share bollards? So we moved further on and were greeted by Maffi.

After lunch SONFLOWER was duly returned to her home mooring.

Finished for now

The survey report arrived in the post this morning. Careful reading indicates that there are no problems with SONFLOWER that would make her uninsurable!  All the recommendations are advisory. All are intended to prolong the life of the boat.

hardly worn anode (magnesium)

Newly coated rudder

The report also indicates that, from the index number, the boat was biult in 1982. I think we knew tyhat but a previous survey had said 1984. Hence this was a 32-year inspection!

The main probem is the damp bilge. We must find a way of keeping it dry and ventilating it. The surveyor suggests removing the fixed steps and fitting removable ones that could be remived to provide access to a 400mm square  hatch in the floor.

Removing the rot from the back of the boat and replacing the floor fills me with dread but will provide the opportunity for a much needed re-fit of the aft end of the boat, sorting out the outdated shower oom. A lot of thought needs to be put into this.

One interesting recommendation is to have the hull shot blasted and coated with an epoxy resin coating at the next "out of the water" opportunity. Sounds expensive.

The "cosmetic" welding to the port bow rubbing strake/eybrow was completed by Tooley's this morning so I  went down, collected my Invoice and keys and took the boat cback to the mooring. The 1/4mile cruise didnt even get the engine to oprarting temperature so I left her idling for a while to charge the batteries whike I chatted to three crews of other boats inteh mmoring. The sun has brough all out. The chatter put another hour on the hours run metre!

Now all I have to do is pay the bill.

SURVEY - PROBLEM 1, 2, 3, 4 . .

Here is SONFLOWER in the dry dock. She has been water washed and is waiting for inspection.








PROBLEM ONE: The boarding plank was rotten. Alternative means of access was imediately saught!

 

PROBLEM TWO. It is not difficult to spot that an anode has been comletely ripped off the stern starboard side of the boat.

A new one is to be fitted a little further forward where there is a little more "rake" on the side of the boat.

 Here is the inspector at his work tapping the plates to see if he can dislodge rust to reveal pitting from galvanic action. There was a little but nothng serious.

PROBLEM THREE  The fungus  had done its worst at the stern end of the cabin of the boat. My inability to keep the bilge dry and the lack of a drying stove during the winter months has meant that there is rot in the woodwork that needs to be dealt with. Maybe it is time to think about the refit on the bathroom and bunk room that is well overdue! No photo: it is too distressing.

PROBLEM FOUR Minor cosmetic welding work required to the rubbing strake on the port bow. The hollow section has rotted from the inside out.

RESULT: Nothing that prevents the boat floating and she is likely to keep afloat for the next five years.

So on with the blacking.

Then the engine service.....

. . .  . then getting the bilge dry   

............then the re-fit?                    

Anxiety

I am getting anxious!

One never knows what a survey will throw up. Five years ago SONFLOWER floated into the dry dock and recieved a report that indicated that it would not float out again! The problem was the weed hatch. There was NO ULLAGE (air space). Although the weedhatch was bolted down and sealed the water under the bolted cover was below the water line! If the cover had been taken off the boat would have sunk! A new weed hatch was fabricated and fitted to give 6 inches of ullage  below the hatch to the waterline. This could well have been the problem that caused CRT's Problem here . We also removed a considerable amount of ballast to ensure that the swim was, correctly, only just submerged. It looks like the tug was too deep inthe water too!

I wonder what the surveyor will find this time!

Getting Ready

I visited the boat today.

I have a visit to Tooley's Dry Dock booked for 6th to 9th March.

SONFLOWER is thirty years old so has to have an "out of the water" hull survey every five years for the Insurance Company. She will also be blacked.

As she has lain idle for so long I wanted to make sure she will start! Batteries are at 12.4v. A little low but acceptable.

The cruising season will so soon be upon us and it was so good to be along the towpath chatting to boaters who are already on the move. Some said they have not stopped this winter because ot has been so warm. Another confessed that he had had four weeks in Greece! He had overstayed on teh 14 day moorings! Good luck to him.