Winter Cometh

SONFLOWER is almost as neglected as this blog.

But we went to visit her today. I have been to see her once since Canal Day but only to discover that the frost had already got in and pushed out a "push fit" Hep2O connector near the gas water heater over the sink. I drained the water system and lagged the heater to prevent further frost damage.

Today the Best Mate wanted to check out the soft furnishings and tidy up a bit. I started the engine to give the batteries a bit of  a boost. Starting was touch and go with ALL batteries connected in circuit! I warmed her quickly by putting a bit of load on the prop.

The Best Mate decided to take down half the curtains to wash and repair them ready for next year. While she was busying and tidying I looked under the back stairs and pumped out the bilge of accumulated water. I sprayed the fungal attacked woodwork below stairs with bleachy cleaner and hope to kill it off.

We have done a bit to her but she still has the look of an unloved boat. We will be coming back miore often to make sure she gets through the winter.

Boater's Breakfast

Being in Bradford on Avon for a wedding celebration yesterday afternooon and evening we couldn't leave the town without trying the much recommended, world renowned and "as shown on TV" boater's breakfast available all day every day (except Christmas Day) at The Lock Inn.

I admit to leaving food on my plate! Not because there was anything wrong with it buit it was just too much for one meal!

We are now wondering how we can make the fourteen day cruise to get another one!  One can probably survive that length of time.

Boating Today

I had a text from a friend about an abandoned narrowboat spotted under Tom Rolt Bridge today. That is of course SONFLOWER. The only way for her to get back on own mooring is if I take nb Auriga back to Cropredy and her home mooring. So that is what I did today.

I thought out the logistics:

• take car to Cropredy
• Get bus back from Cropredy
• take Auriga to Cropredy

This seems simple enough but the current health of the Best Mate means that I had to meet our son for his Wednesday lunchtime at General Foods Club.

The timing was imaculate:

0945 Drive to Cropredy. A text to The Coal Wharf ascertained that there was somebody there and they would let me leave the car.
1005 Bus back to banbury
1030 to 1130, Prepare family meal for the evening: spicy lamb kebabs with nachos grande
1200  Lunch at General Foods
1300  Walk to Home mooring and cast off
1515 Arrive Cropredy Coal Wharf and moor Auriga
1600 Collect older son from drumming lesson in Cropredy and take him and his PA home.
1630 Make the salad for the family meal
1715 Collect other son from violin lesson at school
1800 Serve Dinner


Right:- I did all that.  Here is nb Auriga rising in Hardwick Lock

 

Here is nb Auriga leaving Slat Mill Lock:   oops I had better get on!

Lovely picture of the "mackeral Back" cloud announcing the depression coming from the northwest to bring us wind and rain



No folk club or singing tonight.   An evening to relax.

Now, tomorrow, I can take SONFLOWER back to her home mooring. Just the usual 2 hour cruise to do after boccia in the morning. I might take the short cut and back her up first thing. It would only take an hour to rope haul her back. I'll see how I feel.

Fabulous Performance

Wonderful, fabulous, extraordinary, exhilirating, not to be missed performance from Kate Saffin as Ramlin Rose on the stage of Theatre in the Dock in Tooley's Boatyard, Banbury

Just one more night for you to get there.

Come to think if it, most of my readers were probably there yesterday, but any who weren't this is a good canal story that will break your heart and encourage you to keep the cut alive!

Get along if you can.

Banbury Canal Day

Here are the Cropredy Gospel Edge Singers performing their songs set at the Banbury Canal Day in front of SONFLOWER.

They did a marvelous job and were appreciated by many who stopped to listen or who passed by.

Thank you ladies.

49 out of 100

I put my last post to the Grammarly check:


Grammarly found 19 critical writing issues and generated 2 word choice corrections for your text.
Score: 49 of 100 (weak, needs revision)
Plagiarism

The text in this document is original

Contextual Spelling Check 4 issues

Spelling (3)Commonly confused words (1)
Ignored words

Grammar 4 issues

Wordiness (2)
Passive voice use (2)
Use of articles

Punctuation 6 issues

Punctuation within a sentence (4)
Closing punctuation (1)
Capitalization (1)

Style and Word Choice 5 issues

Writing style (5)
Vocabulary use


Thank you to Miles Away for telling me about this tool which sponsors his page. I am not taking up the offer of a 7-day free trial.

I took their advice and revised the text. I know score 51 out of 100!

BCD EVE

Yes, tomorrow is Banbury Canal Day.

So this morning we are arresting a period of considerable neglect. No time for pics, I am sorry to write. They certainly would not be pretty, anyway.

The LOG speaks for itself.

We have not been anywhere, or doing anything on SONFLOWER so the gas bottle had run out leaving all sorts of smelly stuff in the fridge, including a leaking bottle of milk. After a gas bottle change a full refridegerator clean was required . The Best Mate set about evicting the spiders and wiping over the saloon from the pine roof lining to the floor. She also derusted the top of the stove and blacked it so it looks the business now.

I went outside, squeegy in hand, and washed the boat from stem to stern. Looking at her from across the canal she doesn't look so bad now except below the gunwhales where we need a passing canoeist to run a wet broom along her side. More spiders were evicted. I don't like doing that as they are very good at catching flies, mosquitos and midges before they get into the boat.

SONFLOWER is under Tom Rolt Bridge. When we regain our strength we will start on the decoration.

There is a "Boaters Bash" this evening. We hope to be there.

Tomorrow I might get enough time to take a picture. Who knows. Hopefully I will see some of you throughout the day. We hope to give you tea and cake.

Because We Can!

We went to Cropredy and back yesterday afternoon.

The day started really cloudy with that lank hair feeling all around. A bit if drizzly rain and misty heaviness. But we had promised a friend a trip on the boat. After our Boccia session in the morning we boarded at about 1150. the Boat was pointed toward town and there was a brief debate between the Best Mate and myself as to which way to go. Through town to Bankside winding hole and back? (2 miles, 2 locks, 2 lift bridges, about 2 hours) or to Cropredy and back which is a four to five hour cruise? The boat was pointing toward town. "You make the decision", The Best Mate said, so I backed SONFLOWER to the winding point at Grimsbury Arm, turned,looked at the sky, which had blue patches in that direction, and the sun came out!

WE HAD A LOVELY CRUISE. Warm sunshine. Temperature rising toward 20 deg C. Shedding cardigans and fleeces we had a wonderful time.

Within 2.1/2 hours we were turning at Cropredy Wharf and setting off on the return leg. The sun now lowering in the sky was straight ahead of us at times as we headed south. There was no help at the locks from craft coming in the opposite direction on the way back but we didn't have to queue anywhere. On passing under Bridge 158 I marvelled at the 200 year old structure. It had withstood the pounding of huge earth movers during the construction of the Flood Alleviation Scheme but stands unscathed and proud. A witness to so many events over the past two centuries and to the strength of the men who designed and built the canal.

So 5 hours cruising without any problem: just because we can! May it long continue. 7 miles, 6 locks, 5 hours

Collision Course

I am wondering whether SONFLOWER is seriously magnetic!

I looked up the canal this morning as I untied the mooring straps to see a Napton Boat heading toward me about 200yards away under Tom Rolt Bridge. Having pushed the bow out it was too late to stop on the mooring so I straightened the boat and stopped it. There was a 100 foot space on the other side off the canal at Castle Quay so "no problem" I thought. How wrong I was. The hire boat headed straight for the boat moored opposite. There should have been plenty of room to pass between us but once he had hit this boat the richochez took him into my bow! The crew of the boat I was now alonngside came up and I assured them I had not touched their boat. "Thank you " they said. The helmsman on the hire boat did not say a word! I was stationary so surely they had the responsibility to pass safely!

What is wrong with these people? Would they drive their Volvo down the motorway bouncing from Merc to Beamer in the same fashion? He had just hit about £60,000 worth of boat and didn't even acknowledge the fact!

The rest of the 1/2 mile journey was almost uneventful. A little nudge by nb Shadow, a fellow moorer, who arrived at Sovereign Wharf at exactly the same time as I did! £140 was the total for Gas, diesel and a water cap key. It was a good feeling to pull away with all the main essentials serviced and full. I turned at Grimsbury Arm and moored ready to do battle with the town centre again.

Now for the winter. Summer is officially over after Labor Day according to Google!
3/4 mile, 2hours