Stoke Prior Locks to Birmingham

26th June 2013 SONFLOWER was moored at Bridge 41 on The Worcester and Birmingham Canal and our friends handed her back to us spick and span and reported that she had behaved well for their holiday cruise to the Droitwich Ring and a bit more.

27th June 2013 After a hospital appointment in Oxford we drove to Bridge 41 in brilliant sunshine and got on board SONFLOWER at about 3pm. It immediately started to rain. We waited for the shower to pass. It eased off at about 5.30pm and the Best Mate decided to cook a dinner from the provisions in the cupboard. Fresh baked ciabatta under an anchovy, bacon, and tomato topping hit the spot with Vina Decana to wash it down. After dinner, with three hours of daylight remaining, we decided to work the 6 Stoke Prior Locks and moored at the foot of Tardebigge Flight at about 9.00pm. I then got on my folding bicycle and cycled back to the car. I put it in the back and drove to the top of Tardebigge Flight. By now it was gloomy, drizzly and mist in the narrow lanes. Long grasses brushed the sides of the car. I prayed that I would not meet another vehicle and have to reverse to a passing place. I found the church and its large car park but could see no way of getting to the canal with the bike so I drove back out and down the lane a piece until I came to London Lane. I had seen the other end of this from the other side of the canal so guessed that it had a bridge! I drove down it making one wrong turn into a country house drive. I turned round and drove out promptly when the security lights came on. I found the bridge and parked the car under a hawthorn tree at a field entrance. It did not look like it would be in the way. I got on the bike and started off down the flight past lock No 57 without any lights in the deepening darkness. I soon found that the gears would not change from the lowest gear and I was glad to be riding down the flight and free-wheeling most of the way.

I got back to the boat at about 1015pm, showered and got ready for bed. I slept like a log. 2 miles, 6 locks

28th June 2013 I woke at 0430 and found it was light and clear. I got up and dressed and started the engine at 0500. I had seen that the flight was empty in our favour the night before and knew there to be an Alvechurch Hire craft moored ahead of us. I was not going to risk losing the favour of "a good road". We entered the Tardebigge Bottom Lock No 28 at 5.15am and our ascent commenced.

We met the lock keeper at about 7.30, ten locks up and enquired where we might be able to break for breakfast. "At the top" he said, "Just keep going". We did. We met a Canal Club boat about two thirds of the way up and passed uneventfully.
By the time we got to lock No 50 the Alvechurch boat was gaining on us. With crew, they were quicker than we were so my decision to go early (and earlier than their early start) proved a good one. They were one lock behind when we got to Lock No 57. This took longer than usual as the CanalClub crew had left a bottom paddle open! (This is the only lock with hydraulic paddle motors and the indicators are not very evident). I sighted Bridge 55 where I had left the car. On the bridge were men in Hi-viz jackets. They looked very official and I thought immediately that the police were looking for the owner of the car that had been abandoned under the hawthorn bush late the previous evening. We moored just past the bridge and I went up to see what the fuss was. It was the water board looking for a water meter! Returning to the boat, the Alvechurch crew passed us and we decided to cook breakfast.

We now pored over the maps to see what our next move could be. After the Top Lock there were two tunnels. There were no tow-paths through the tunnels. We decided to drive ahead to see where the boat and car might meet up again. We went to the AngloWelsh base at Bridge 56 and looked. The lanes were narrow and busy and there was no where suitable to park. There was no real path back from there either as the "path' demanded a dash across the dual carriageway and climbing over the central barrier to boot. Not really possible carrying a bike. No path over the Shortwood Tunnel either suitable for a bike with only bottom gear. Gradually the truth dawned. The Best Mate would have to navigate the tunnels single handed while I drove the car ahead. We returned to the Tardebigge CaRT yard and the lock keeper was very nice. He told us we could leave the car or the boat as long as we liked. We parked the car and returned to complete the flight working through at about 11.00am. With the Best Mate at the tiller, I returned to the car. I met her at the Anglo Welsh yard to congratulate her on her first tunnel navigation and again at Bridge 59 after her second through the Shortwood Tunnel. She then went on to Alvechurch. I parked the car on the road near the station and met her at the 48hour moorings opposite ABC. Here we perused the maps again. We remembered that when we took our very first boating holiday it was from Alvechurch Marina and we cruised right into Birmingham on the first afternoon.

It was now about 3pm. We thought we could be in Brum at 7pm and decided we would treat ourselves to a curry on Broad Street when we got there. The car was parked outside houses and not on yellow lines so we left it there and off we went. It started to rain almost immediately and the rain got heavier as we progressed. We followed an Alvechurch Hire Crew through the long Wast Hill Tunnel. I think that they had been told to keep to the right and slow down if they saw a light coming toward them. We could see the light of a boat almost as soon as we entered the tunnel so this is what they did. After we had passed at the middle of the tunnel they increased their speed and the second half of the tunnel was pretty good going.

Apart from being soaking wet, the trip was uneventful after that and we moored outside Bobby Brown's Bar at 7pm. I showered and we had a Banquet for two in Barajee overlooking the Brindly Place Basin. They packed up what we could not eat and we took it back to the boat. 17.1/4 miles, 30 locks, 4 tunnels (Tardebigge Tunnel (580 yards long), Shortwood Tunnel (614 yards long), Wast Hill Tunnel (2726 yards long) and Edgbaston Tunnel (105 yards long)). 14 hours.

29th June 2013 We moved the boat to Farmer's Bridge Junction and filled with water. Then I discovered that the Basin at Cambrian Wharf is all 14 day moorings. We moored on a finger mooring and locked up to walk to New Street Station and catch a train back to Alvechurch where we collected the car. I discovered that I had left the drivers window open! We drove home.

To be continued! Without the car!

Droitwich or bust

SONFLOWER has got to Droitwich.

I knew it would be tight under the M5 crossing tunnel but I didn't think it would be this tight.

Well done to the crew for shifting the coal and taking the top off!

OFF Again

Here is a picture of the Best Mate making sure that Sonflower does not drift away from the water point as we prepare to give her a bit of a spruce up. There were a lot of boats about yesterday and we only managed to wash the starboard side again. We did top the water tank up so she is in trim for her cruise.





Our friends are taking her to the Droitwich ring and we will be meeting her on the Birmingham and Worcester Canal in a little under two weeks time. However, the first part of the cruise did not go as planned:



Here we see SONFLOWER moored at Bridge 161 and our friend is returning to the boat after walking back along the canal and checking the mooring, the car park and finally his car for that essential of the 21st century boater- his mobile phone. Fortunately it was not lost or overboard but it had been stowed int eh glove compartment of the car instead of his sat-nav.

Now fully equipped with electrickery he can sleep easy and enjoy the rest of the cruise! Hopefully they still have time to make Cropredy tonight.

Back in the swing of it.

Yes I reversed the three hundred and twenty yards to Sovereign Wharf.

There I took on 101 litres of Diesel @85p plus tax and 13kg of Calor Propane. Thus, including a donation of over £20 to the HMRC (which is about as much as Vodaphone have today if the press is to be believed)I passed £127.37 over the counter.

The chat was long and good. We put the world to rights before the skipper of NB Genie came in to rub a new lamp and get 5 litres of BLOO!

On the way back I stopped to chat to NB No Problem face to face rather than through a blog or twitter! They were worried because there had been talk of diesel bug from Sovereign Diesel. I went back and asked Ray straight out. He confirmed that they have NEVER had diesel bug because of his high turnover and new plastic tank. He did say that the jury is out in the effect of the 7% biofuel that has been added to the diesel this year on the orders if the EC.

Then back to the mooring. 1/3 mile and 0 locks in 1.5hours

Wasted Effort

I made the journey.

Just a short Cruise to Sovereign Narrowboats as mentioned in the last post. Past NB No Problem (No-one aboard)

As SONFLOWER approached at a snail's pace, the sign "CLOSED" came into view. I checked the time: 1430. Perhaps the lunch "hour" had been extended? The owner's Jaguuaaar was parked in the car park so I thought there may still be someone around. NB William the Conqueror was not open so they were not aboard.

I started to position myself for a slow turn. (This is NOT really a turning spot but I have turned here many times before). The boatwoman on NB Blue Horizon came to the well deck to see what was going on. She confirmed that "he locked up and has left". Oops, I am now turning for nothing! "We are an aluminium boat you know", she said. "I will take care and put the bow against the opposite bank and pull her round with the bow line", I said. So that is what I did.

I stopped on the wharf. Then I noticed a notice: "SORRY CLOSED WEDNESDAY PM".

I left and returned to home mooring.

I will be back down tomorrow afternoon. In reverse!

SONFLOWER is back

SONFLOWER is back on her home mooring having been to Crick and back via the Welford Arm.

She is looking very nice inside as our friends have given her a real good going over!

She behaved well on the trip apart from losing out to a hire boat in Braunston Tunnel that resulted in the loss of the starboard navigation light against the tunnel wall. Small beer! C'est la vie sur l'eau!

I went to empty the fridge today and found that the gas had run out with impeccable timing. A bottle change completed we now need to cruise to Sovereign Wharf for a re-charge and diesel. I will enjoy that.

Foam from the Bilge

Any idea what this foamy substance is?

It collapses to next to nothing as soon as it is touched.

Photos from Napton Yesterday

A GRAND DAY OUT

I went boating today but only got onto the boat for a cup of coffee.

SONFLOWER is in the hands of Tim. Tracey and Oakley. I met them at Marston Doles Lock No 16 to 'lock wheel' down the Napton flight.

Before I did, I spent some time in the company of Bill, a Canal and River Trust volunteer lock-keeper. He was adjusting levels by running water down through Lock 16. Apparently there are problems down the flight because the top gate of lock 16 has been renewed and doesn't leak. All the others do and the levels in the pound below get rather too low! The back pumping scheme continues to work automatically to make things worse. As it takes three hours for the water to get to the bottom of the flight (Bill's estimate) it needs a bit of work to let water go down between the boats that were queuing to use the lock this dull Monday morning in May!

It was fun to chat to the variety of people who were using the flight. A real mixture of owners and hirers. A couple of working boats. A Royal Navy submarine officer and his family were on The Andrew. I was also of service to two boaters. One was wearing British Airways overalls. I commented that I expected he'd rather be flying. However he said his flying days were long past. However, a couple of boats behind I got chatting to a chap who had a rather nice Lister two cylinder engine, recovered from a RN destroyer auxiliary generator with only 80 hours on it. He mentioned that he had flown with BA. I told him about the first man. Later in the day I met him again. They had met up and found that fifteen years ago they had flown together!

I also met, and helped, single handers: nb UFO who wintered in Banbury last year and nb Salad Days who was meeting a friend in Banbury for a return cruise to Crick.

Another boat I helped along was nb Lapaz. We met him again at the water point at the foot of the locks. The master of this 'posh boat' was not at all complementary about Tim's helmsmanship on the long summit pound, suggesting that he was dawdling and meandering "all over the place". Tim had the engine on 1600RPM which equates to about 3mph on the S Oxford Canal. Quite a reasonable speed for leisure boating I would have thought. However, not fast enough for this clown. He hadn't had the sense or manners to ask to pass, however, and just mouthed off to Tracey, not knowing she was Tim's First Mate! Very Rude. I expect they are back home on The Ashby by now at the rate he left Napton! I wished them "God speed", which is slow on this canal! "Good riddance!"

I left Tim and Tracey with an Australian family on Kate Boat's nb Thomas David. They were having a different type of holiday having cruised through the Suez Canal and then from Rome around the Mediterranean Sea, they were now having a five day cruise on the English Canals before four days in London to complete their six week holiday. Quite an educational trip for their twelve year old daughter who didn't seem too keen on the prospect of the next nine locks! "We don't have canals in Australia", Mum commented. They decided to moor and have a meal at the Folly Inn as they had no food on board and were a mile away from the nearest shop! The Folly "canal shop" was not open although the signs were out. I think it was when I told them the next pub was 7 hours away that they made the decision!

The sun even shone in the afternoon. Bill, The volunteer lock keeper, was at the bottom of the flight by now, assisting and encouraging boaters who were starting the flight. "Join us, you'd enjoy it" he called. I told him that if I volunteered to work on the cut it would be another type of calling!

Backwards to go forwards

SONFLOWER navigated about 3/8 of a mile today. From the mooring at Marsh Footbridge No 163 to the mooring at Marsh Footbridge No 163 via the winding point at Grimsbury Arm.

The purpose of this unusual journey?

SONFLOWER is going to the Crick Boat Show and that means going North. She needed to point in the opposite direction to how she is normally moored. A little over a quarter of a mile backwards saves two miles, two lift bridge operations and two locks! That's about two hours cruising forwards!

Visitor Mooring Consultation Report

Canal and River Trust have published their Report on Visitor Mooring changes in the SE Region.

Have a good look and you will see that they listened to the responses and have changed the proposals in many areas.

Now we have the pilot year with changes in eight key sites to look forward to.

Beautiful Malvern Hills

We are away for the weekend in a lovely Conference Centre nestled just below the summit ridge of the Malvern Hills.

I would love to show you the view from our bedroom window which takes in the whole vista over the Wye Valley and the Severn Plain all the way to the Brecon Beacons and the mountains of Wales. I can't because I have left behind the USB lead that connects my Nokia phone to the laptop!

We are here with the other Trustees and Committee members of The Boaters Christian Fellowship to worship and fellowship together and plan the future witness of the Charity. We expect a good and relaxed weekend together. We also have 34 acres of private landscape and garden to explore and relax in.

Marlow Lock and a day out.

Today we were in Marlow and here is a photo of the town from Marlow Lock.

But today we were not here for boating reasons. There was no boating. As you can see in the picture the yellow boards are out with "Caution Stream Increasing" being displayed on the lock gate.

We had lunch with friends. My friend Gerry I met on my first day of school in April 1954. We chose to meet at The Hand And Flowers. All it is reputed to be. Great food, good wine, interesting ales (served with pudding), great company and good ambiance. We were first in and last out for the first lunch sitting (12.15 to 2.15 but we didn't leave until after 2.30!) We then went for a walk by the river.

The sun shone this afternoon and we had a really good day.

We chose the Hand and Flowers at Marlow not only for its great reputation but also because it is reasonably close to our friends home and I thought that, had we been on the BCF Easter cruise to Windsor, SONFLOWER would have been very close by. In the event, the cruise was cancelled long ago for the reason noted in the second paragraph! We went by car.

Fixed!

STEP 1: Take a photo of the wiring so that you can put it right if you lose your way!



STEP 2 Make sure that the new switch is the same as the old one!

STEP 3 Put all the wires back in the same place as they came from.



STEP 4 Try it out and ensure that the indications expected are shown on the panel!

In fact 100% improvement as the voltmeter, that is covered because one couldn't believe it, is also working at the moment!

Always something to fix!

The fire is fixed and we blacked it and lit it to warm things up. Nice to see smoke rising from the chimney again.
Then I went to look at the engine.
The new spill rail is sparkling in the sunlight. I instructed Tooley's to change this in order to eliminate the diesel leak that has plagued us season after season.

I the switched on to find that there were no indicator lights or indications showing!

One more click of the switch and lights showed and then the starter turned. All seemed well for a couple of minutes and then there was a change of note from the engine and the generator failure light came on. I switched off immediately and checked the generator drive belts. All seemed fine so I tried again. The engine ran but the lights and indications did not respond.

Waggling the key a little bit made things work while the key was held almost in the right place! It appears that the ignition key switch has failed.

How far should I go?

No Excuse

I went to the boatyard this morning and collected the repaired door for the fire.

The photo shows the new glass fitted and

the new bolt to replace the one they had to drill out.



So now we have no excuse: We need to re-fit it, light it up, warm ourselves up and go boating!


There is still ice on the canal! Brrrrrrr

Heat Sources

At this time of year we should be boating!

Last year we were sweltering in tropical heat and daytime temperatures of 21 degrees C. This year we have night time temperatures of minus 3 degrees C and a wind chill factor of -3 degrees if the temperature in the day creeps above freezing.

So we are not boating.

SONFLOWER has two sources of heat inside the cabin. The gas cooker and the solid fuel stove. The glass in the door of the stove broke and seized nuts have meant that we are without it while an engineer rectifies the problem: removing the nuts with heat and re-threading the holes as required. So we have no door on the fire. I think it is too risky to move the boat with an open fire on board. Lighting the oven for cabin heat isn't really on either.

I am not just a fair weather boater but no heat on the boat in weather like this is not my idea of fun!

The best heat source of all is the sun. But that source is letting us down at the moment. When the sun comes out for a lengthy period and the night time temperatures stay above freezing we will join the rest of you out on the water.

Visit to the Centre

I have just been to the Centre of Milton Keynes.

Not terribly interesting I hear you say people go to the centre of cities all the time. Yes, but this was with a purpose other than shopping!

I joined other interesting stakeholders to examine and work on the 357 responses that Canal and River Trust received in their recent SE MOORINGS CONSULTATION. 357 responses is quite a lot. C&RT told us that approx 8000 boats visit the SE waterways each year so that is a good proportion. In respect to "for or against" C&RT reported a 50-50 result!

There was a great deal of boating experience and opinion in the room this afternoon to examine proposals for Oxford, Banbury, Foxton and Thrupp. Another workshop is being held on Thursday to look at four locations on the GU south. Hopefully a sensible boating solution will be implemented to solve the "problem" of increasing boat numbers.

All agreed that the essence of visitor moorings management is enforcement of the rules, not new rules for the sake of it.

Wilts and Berks

We have just returned form a BCF gathering in Bradford-on-Avon where we had an interesting talk by a representative of The Wilts and Berks Trust

I was amazed that a non-boater could be so passionate and enthusiastic about restoring a canal that has been abandoned for over a hundred years and requires major re-routing in many places.

Good luck to them. The first part, a wide canal link from close to Semington Junction on the K & A to Melksham, might be opened in 2017!

For Divers

For those of you who dive or for those of you that like to take to the water more intimately that I do, whether intentionally or accidentally, here is the product you have been waiting for.

A water proof MP3 player from Sony

Speaks for itself. The link leads to a video as well!

Back in touch

Wow,it is good to be back in touch.


We were only away a few nights but he broadband WiFI at our hotel was so slow that we were not able to upoad the photps for the last post until we got back!

Apart from that, there was no signal for the mobile phones and it snowed which made it very unlikely that I was going to go out looking for some!

So away for a while should have read "electronically disconnected for a period!"

Away for a While

We are away for a weekend. But we are not with the boat.

However we cannot be far from water so we broke our journey to the weekend hotel and had a very leisurely lunch at The Navigation in Maesbury on the Montgomery Canal.

A very nice meal in a very nice spot with views of the snow topped mountains of Snowdonia in the distance.

Boating Tunes

Just spent an enjoyable evening at Banbury Folk Club in the company of Haddo a duo who live on their 60 ft narrowboat Midama in Wygrams Turn Marina.

They are Will Pound, a virtuoso harmonica player and melodianist, alongside his wife Nicki, who plays violin and viola. They have a debut album available now. We appear fortunate to have them in the area at the moment. Tomorrow they are in Newcastle! (It must be half term in Warwickshire!)They were supported this evening by the singer/songwriter Pete Joshua with his sublime guitar accompaniments.

I look forward to meeting them on the cut. They appear to be very busy people. Nicki teaches! I hope that they make time to do more than move their boat to Cropredy Marina when it is completed in the Sunmmer. Their tunes need to get about too.

Serviced!

Hours run since overhaul: 1050

Anything to report?
* Antifreeze needs topping up- it is only protected to -5degC 1 litre added, will need to drain a little if more is required
* Diesel leak at No 2 injector- not a surprise.

"The sweetest easiest BMC I have worked on. A dream to bleed and a good starter" "A bit of smoke at the start" said young Tom the marine engineer.

Hardly surprising either after a frosty night and no exercise for a month!


I am pretty pleased with that.

Well done SONFLOWER.

Service!

I got a bit mixed up. I wanted an engine service before the cruising season starts. I thought about mid March would be good. Unfortunately, the marine engineer is booked in for tomorrow. I easily get Feb and March mixed when the dates in both months match the days of the other one. You know what I mean! SO the engine will be serviced a month early.

I'll let you know how we get on.

Tooley's History

I have just listened to this audio file. It dates from about 2004 but gives a very interesting account of the position of Tooley's Yard, Banbury, Tom Rolt and the IWA in the scheme of things that make the canals what they are today.

Someone might be interested.

I think everybody should be!

Love is

.......not being so idiotic as to buy her a £50 bouquet of roses for Valentines Day so that a florist can buy champagne for his!

MOOR ABOUT MOORINGS

I was at an AWCC Regional Meeting last evening and was surprised by the contrast in opinion that the South East Mooring Consultation has distilled. Many are very much in favour of shorter times at popular mooring places but there are also very strong opinions that think the present system and arrangements are adequate if CRT use their powers of enforcement adequately. There is a contrast between the occasional visitors from the river clubs and those who are based in the canals in marinas too. The marina dwellers fear not being able to pop their bows out to go to a popular pub for lunch and back more than eight times a month!

Get YOUR opinion in! You have until the 1st of March.

I look forward to reading the responses in March.

Mooring Fees (Stealth) Increases: The Decision

I have received the Decision Letter from Canal and River trust.

I have not been successful in getting the "Reserve" lowered. The main bit of the decision by Richard Mercer, Head of Utilities is this:

The final point is the use of the Reserve Price at mooring auctions. I have found that the Reserve Price has increased over the last three years and currently stands at 90% of the target price. This percentage is applied nationally and not just at Spice Ball Park Mooring. The Trust uses its discretion as to the level of the Reserve Price and this is entirely appropriate as the Reserve should be set at a level which makes the auction economically viable. At Spice Ball Park Moorings there have been 23 auctions in the last three years. Ten of these auctions have resulted in the mooring being let at the reserve price, on three occasions the mooring price achieved has been above reserve and in 10 cases there were no bids. I think this is a reflection of the general economic situation and clearly auctions function best when there is a strong demand. A review of the auction system is to be undertaken and your complaint has crystallised the need for this review.

I have discussed your complaint with the National Moorings Manager, Jenny Whitehall. The concerns you have raised are real and legitimate. The Trust will take your points on board as part of the proposed review. Your input has been very useful.

So Canal and River trust now know that there is a national problem. I complained specifically about Spice Ball Park Moorings.

Where do we go from here?

Snowy Pictures

Because everybody loves snow

(Stealth) Mooring Fee Increases

I seem to have another person who thinks that the Canal and River Trust are way off beam on "Reserve Price" setting.

Peter Underwood of Norbury News waxes lyrical on the subject here.

Meals Out

We went out for a couple of meals this week.

I am amazed by some of the reviews I read about Restaurants and pubs. The Review sites often ask for the upload of a photograph. On Tuesday my meal was so good that I thought after I had eaten it that I should have taken a photo and shared it with you.

However all I can tell you is that the pie dish and plate are completely empty. It was that good.

When the pudding came I already had my phone in my hand so here is a handy shot of the cheesecake. I can tell you that the plate was emptied in this case as well!





Today, after working on the boat for the morning, I was in need of a pint of ale and The Best Mate was in need of a log fire. We went to The Plough in Warmington which provided both. The game pie, with mash (ordered as a special) was lovely and The Best Mate said that her pâté and baguette really hit the spot. A lovely place to chat and the muzack was quiet enough for one to have a real conversation but loud enough to listen to Queen playing "Don't Stop me Now". We have already decided that we will go back again.

Winterisation

We started to winterize the boat this morning. The weather forecast is beginning to come true and it looks like we will have snow this weekend followed by cold weather for a week or two.

We will not be on the boat. So I need to take some precautions.

I have: 1) checked the engine antifreeze
2) Morco water heater: drained element and the hot water system to tap level leaving the taps open. The heater element is wrapped in a towel to keep it cosy.
3) Domestic Water Pump: switched off the and opened the cold water taps
4) drained the shower head and opened the mixer valve
5) stripped the bedding and put it safe in lockers. Pillows in plastic bags.
6) removed the chimney and put a lid on the flue pipe.
7) cleaned out the fire and blacked the stove.


Have I forgotten anything?

Towpath Talk

Not a very exciting day today. But we caught up with some of the news.

We went for a walk. Life on the towpath is recovering from the festive season and there were quite a few of the moorers out and about today. NBWilly Nilly went by with guest crew on a water run while the weather is fine. The crew of NB Athco were relaxing on a bench in the park and the skipper of NB Nene Pilot was walking his dog and surfing the net at the same time. It was good to chat with folks, not just to wish them a "Happy New Year" but to keep up with the towpath telegraph. Not the published free paper but the genuine news of real boaters with real lives and a love for the waterways.

It was good to be out in the fresh air on a dry day. The Best Mate could tell it had been raining a lot recently: there was only half a carrier bag full of litter to pick up in the park!

Weather forecast

Weather Forecasts fascinate me.

Living in the middle of the country we often find that the country is divided into different types of weather and that the dividing line goes right through where we are.

Here we see a weather front depicted right overhead.

Yesterday I caught the weather man chalking the line in the sky.

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!

Don't you hate it

when you just click in the wrong place and your whole blog roll disappears!

Sorry bloggers. It may take some time for things to be put right.

Happy Christmas to all of you!

Bright Period

That was what was forecast so when I woke I looked out, saw the sun and started the engine.

I made the best of it while it lasted:
0745 Let go
0800 Through Lift Bridge 164 thence through Banbury Lock 24
0830 Turning at Bankside (Tramway) Winding Hole
0900 On the Services Point for ash/rubbish disposal, water and pump out
1030 Prep the lock and work up (encourage "crew" to shower and dress)
1045 Through the lift bridge, coaching a young woman who was waiting on her way to work, to close it for me, Thank You. Saved her and me time!
1100 Turning at Grimsbury Arm (encourage "crew" to have breakfast)
1115 Tie up at Home Mooring
1130 Rain commences, and Bright Period over!

Result!

Colder and Bluer

A clearer sky and a colder canal. The ice broken by a passing craft yesterday is completely reformed this morning.

Forecast is -3C all day today.

This was how cold it was this morning!


Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Highlight today was seeing 25 waxwings in a tree near here. They flew off south. Cold weather has its compensations. Beautiful, truly beautiful birds.

Saturday Morning

Just the water run to do today.

I let go (note the new, correct, boating terminology used since reading "The Amateur Boatwoman" which was kindly lent to me by Mortimer Bones) at 7.50am and was at the Lift Bridge at 8am. Piglet popped up to work the bridge on his way to the Station to catch his train to Oxford, where he rehearses with the Kent Youth Orchestra. I settled onto the water point.

Tigger's alarm sounds at 8am and I was happily surprised to find that he had silenced it AND got up. I shepherded him into the shower while we filled with water. He duly dressed and settled at the table for his breakfast as I worked down the lock. I tied up below the lock and let him off as it was time for him to leave for football training.

I let go again and winded at Tramway, passing nb Annie who was busy unloading a ton of kiln dried oak logs that had just been delivered to the parking layby near Samuelson (Tramway) Bridge.

Back to the lock I worked up and thence through the lift bridge

(A little close to the bridge here as the flow is toward the lock and hence the bridge!)to return to the mooring, tying up at 1050. nb Willy Nilly was also preparing for the cold, sawing logs as I passed.

Another water run completed.

The felled trees on the opposite
bank do look inviting!

(Stealth) Mooring Fee Increase

Those of you with a long memory will know that in September I posted to let you know that I wrote to Canal and River Trust about this issue.

Today I got a reply.

The reply was written yesterday, 59 working days after the date of my letter.

Apart from confirming the facts the reply did not address my concerns at all.

I have asked, for the second time, for the complaint to be elevated to "the second level".

How do you think I will get on?

"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.

Volunteering

These A3 size posters have been appearing all over the place attached to all sorts of street furniture, trees etc. This one was attached to the park boundary fence near to Marsh Footbridge No 163.

However, it very quickly became just another piece of litter. This time plasticized and non biodegradable! Hardly keeping the canal special!

Don't worry! I got my screwdriver and hammer out, removed the old tacks and re-affixed the poster.

Does that mean I have now become one of Canal and River Trust's team of volunteers?

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,