Lovely Day

It is bright and beautiful. So I have spent a few hours in SONFLOWER's company.

There was quite a frost this morning so I thought it was time to do something to protect the vulnerable bits. So I have drained the water heater, opened all the taps, drained the shower and switched off the water pump.

When I am feeling like kneeling and reaching below decks I will put a cosy on the pump but at the moment, as she is under the waterline and water temperatures are still above 10deg C I am happy that it is safe to leave for the time being.

I have a fully charged de-humidifier on the table in the centre of the saloon to keep the condensation to a minimum.

I have checked the bilge and it is bone dry. Great after a few years of working hard to get it that way.

SO I then paid attention to the outside and have touched in the cruising scratches and bruises that the paintwork suffered during the summer. My touch up is not quite a perfect match for the Royal Green that the painter used but it will keep the rust at bay fro the winter months, I hope. It will only get knocked off again next spring!

So I am pleased with my few hours work and the time I spent with fellow moorers over a cup of tea.

That;s what boating is about!

BACK AGAIN

Hi! Are there any bloggers out there?  It is so long since I have posted anything that you have probably all gone away!

This is a picture of our new shower room.

No it isn't quite finished yet! Don't be silly! We have only been working on it for 15 months! But it is really looking as though it is ready for use even if there are a few things that will need sorting out: like a loo roll holder and towel hooks and a latch on the door.

But the better news is that we might be ready to move away on our travels again soon. With that in mind we have given the CaRT their required one month's notice that we will not be needing the mooring any longer. How will people know that they have arrived in Banbury without seeing SONFLOWER moored adjacent to the footbridge? It will take some getting used to won't it?

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.

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.

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.

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.

BACK CRUISING

SONFLOWER has visited Tooley's Boatyard. After a long wait, the replacement engine foot arrived from Culcutt Marine, by post, on Wednesday.

 John worked on the boat on Thursday and Friday to replace the engine foot (including a difficult withdrawal of the broken stud),

    

  to sleeve the main cable loom where it passes through the bulkhead from engine bay to cabin,

  and to clip insecure gas piping with a clip within 6 inches of every joint.

All that completed, we took our granddaughter for a ride this afternoon to turn the boat round ready for return to hime mooring via Sovereign Wharf on Monday.

                                                                                                        1.1/2 Miles; 2Locks, 2 LB, 2 hrs

Fenny Compton to Home Mooring

We (Eeyore and son Piglet) caught the 0858 bus to Fenny Compton, adj The Wharf Inn, and were under way by 0930. First stop was the water point for the days's refreshment although, as a treat for myself, I did stow away two bottles of Brakspears Bitter.

Then with Piglet at the tiller we cruised uneventfully through the "tunnel" to Claydon Top moorings. Here we stopped for breakfast. Bacon and Eggs is compulsory on these occasions.

While moored to eat we were passed by two boats so we were filling locks for the rest of the day, apart from one lock where a craft rose before us and we passed in the pound.

Cropredy Marina is now being filled. They are filling it slowly and there is a pipe well inside the marina flowing gently. It looks like a diverted stream is being used rather than dropping the dam boards and filling form the canal.

We stopped for lunch in Cropredy at The Old Coal Wharf, the mooring of nb Auriga. We discovered that we could not breast up to them with the CaRT craft moored opposite! We were thankful to John who allowed us to breast alongside his moored boat. With thanks to our hosts, and the beer drunk, we went on again uneventfully to our home mooring. At Hardwick Lock I became a CaRT volunteer and cleared the bywash of all sorts of vegetable matter with the help of another boater who was moored below the lock near the White Cottage.

Near there we passed a 40 ft craft that had been ahead of us at Little Bourton Lock. They were looking for a 14 day mooring to leave the boat and asked of the location they were trying was safe. I suggested they put it on the permanent mooring site and inform CaRT at Milton Keynes of their need. They have a nanogenarian parent who needs them over the next two weeks. There is space and they are in possession of a CaRT mooring permit. In some ways they have already paid for the mooring! There is a 45 ft space between nb Shadows and nb Bump and Grind on our mooring site so there should not be a problem.

As we pulled up the mooring lines on our home mooring Bones and Kate, nb Morning Mist approached to welcome us back! Nice to be home.

10.1/4 miles, 12 locks, 8 hours

Last of the Year

A break in the rainy weather this morning.

We were moored in town for the Festive Season. Needing fresh water we had too much flowing past us, in the bilge and falling from the skies so SONFLOWER lay lonely beside the quay. The bilge was pumped out.

At 1000h the lift bridge was raised and I went through to the water point. Another local moorer had descended the lock to the facilities below and left the bottom lock gates open. He probably thought they were on their own in the Sunday sunshine. I couldn't be bothered to close them and fill the lock, only to have to do it all again when I returned from turning, so I backed through the lift bridge and all the way back to home mooring. I arrived at 12 noon. Regular readers will note that this is the average time for a "Water Run" whichever way you do it.

Back on the mooring I was just in time for coffee on board Willy Nilly where I savoured the bacon, eggs, sausages, mushrooms, beans and toast that were being prepared for the crew. I was offered some but regretfully refused so as not to spoil my appetite for the paella that I was to cook for Sunday lunch. The smell was good and the conversation flowed. The boat's dog enjoyed a sausage and eyed up the baked beans.

I had to take my leave a little under an hour later to get away to cook for my own crew but stopped to chat to the boatman on Grace who was chopping oak logs. He told me that he had not bought any logs in the seven years he had been on the water. He only burns logs too! He was extremely accurate with the axe he was wielding which he put down to the fact that he had been chopping wood since he was seven! He was thankful to be on our relatively sheltered stretch of water during the rainy spell. His home mooring is at Welford on the Warwickshire Avon. He told me his story of survival during the 2007 rise in water levels of over 16 feet overnight! He managed to secure a single rope to the overhanging branch of a tree just before the rings came off the poles to which he was moored. Less fortunate boats were swept by dragging their mooring lines!

The paella was good and used up some more of the Christmas turkey!

"Red sky in the morning: shepherds warning"?

I waited patiently for the sun to appear. I expected a large red disc to slowly ascend into the sky, yellowing as it progressed in a long lazy arc.

I anticipated a gorgeous bright but crispy cold day.

Actually the sun never shone. The clouds were already gathering on the eastern horizon and the sun has been masked from sight.

Cold it is though.

We had the first ice of the winter on the Canal this morning.

If it clears during the day I may go down to town for water. A long freeze would be a little inconvenient!

The warning this time is for a cold snap I think rather than a storm or rain. But who knows.

Out of Touch

To be quite honest I have been too busy to blog.

The Best Mate has not been well and has had to take to her bed. That has meant that a lot of the things that would be easier with two have been handled with my two hands. Just keeping the cupboards full, the crew fed, the fire alight and making sure that the crew are in the right place at the right time takes a lot of effort.

We have done everything we have needed to do. Firstly, once navigation re-opened and water levels were sensible again,