Absolutly shattered !

Owning a boat can be hard work, owning two is more than double hard work.. Anyone says different hasn't owned a boat.

I wanted to get Waterlily onto brokerage before Christmas. This is based on the thought that many will be making New Year plans and will have time to both surf and view....

So to get Waterlily on brokerage.........

There were some fixtures I wanted to take off so early Saturday I went ahead (Rachel was doing family stuff that included a hairdresser, I have little need for a hairdresser nowadays) First job was to remove the solar panel and controller install, not too bad, I installed it simply, no holes in the roof for cables or the panel (good decision). I swapped over a few other bits, nothing if you are reading this thinking of buying Waterlily that is a detriment to the boat, just personal bits. I then set to cleaning the outside.

I bloody well hate trees, over autumn the leaves left on the boat roof had stained, it took considerable scrubbing to remove the stains , I think weathering will eventually remove what I did not but they were very stubborn. I then washed and rinsed both sides plus front and back. After that both covers came off and were scrubbed to get the green algae off that was taking hold. One thing I have a problem with is joint pain and boy was I going to be repaid for stretching my should joints to the max with all the scrubbing !

I was now just about out of water.... my super reliable water gauge told me (another bonus for the new owners) so I packed up and was just scuttling across the cut to the Hunts water point when I spied Rachel arriving (about 3.30 now) A quick conflab resulted in taking on her good suggestion of locking up Hunts and Keepers and watering at the visitor moorings. By the time we had done that it was dark as we pushed Waterlily off the waterpoint to the last visitor mooring looking at Junction lock. Just before leaving for Water I took this last photos of Waterlily on Hunts lock moorings.

Percy was still unlocked so we took what we could carry over to Percy.... stopping to chat to Kev on Such as Life with the result of a an offer of 2 x 110ah wet batteries for £100 brand new. Good deal for all parties and ideal to upgrade the 2x 85ah or so on Percy of unknown vintage.

Back to Waterlily for the car shuffle next. We were planning on a Sunday cruise to Great Haywood boat sales at the marina meaning a car shuffle was in order. So we drove both cars the 45 minute journey to Great Haywood. left the Honda can came back in the Smart. I started to remember I had had no lunch so we took the easy Mucky Duck food option. I don't normally do mixed grills but I ate the £11 offer at the Swan washed down with two pints....the day was almost at an end, apart from a late walk round the Fradley pool with my trusty lantern as all the torches were on Percy.

I had a bad last night on Waterlily, too hot and despite taking pain killers before bed still woke up at 1.30am needing more. Age is a bugger of a thing....I eventually got off only to get woken by the alarm clock at 6.20am for a pre dawn start for day two.

The boat was ready by 7.15am and I walked up and set Junction lock. Nothing moving apart from us.... quite magical even if it was very cold, but no ice.

We locked up the three remaining Fradley locks then set off for the countryside via Woodend lock. This lock does attract a lot of detritus and I fished out a scaffold plank and a couple of very nice rounds that will make someone a evenings fire for sure. Then it was beautiful cruising all the way to Great Haywood, constant amazement at the lack of moving boats ( we passed 5 all day) plus lack of boats at the honey pot moorings with no boats at bridge 69 none at Woolsey bridge and only 4 below Great Haywood lock and the same above.

Woolsey Bridge moorings

We eventually reversed into mooring 41 at Great Haywood at 2.15pm, checked in, dropped keys off then started the unloading of the boat..... just as we were finishing we got the first viewing, a lovely couple from Leicester, looking to go up from a 45 footer, hello if you found you way to our blog.

A quick clean inside .... we will be back over the Christmas break to do better, then car back to Fradley to pick up the other car then drive home, unload all the stuff the the garage to be sorted over Christmas as I am not taking half what we took off Waterlily back onto Percy.

Mission accomplished. Percy on our mooring at Fradley and Waterlily on brokerage at Great Haywood.