Trees....

I love them, but they can be dangerous. I recall last year a poor lady was killed when she was taken off the back of her boat by a falling tree.

We have quite a few trees on the Hunts lock moorings. Since we were moved up (by BW) we were under a Silver Birch. This allowed the local wildlife including what must have been a large Ostrich who routinely unloaded onto our boat roof.

A few weeks ago I took a photo and sent it to the moorings officer as I was concerned over the lean the silver Birch had towards my boat.

She was very proactive and said she would get the vegetation contractor to have a look. When I arrived at my boat on Friday after a little trip out on the bike I found this.....


I also found an email on my phone from the Mooring officer saying they were going to look at it today (Friday) They actually took it down with my boat in situ... I'm glad by all accounts I was not there to see it. What was not there when I got there was most of the tree. My neighbour said there was a steady flow of wheelbarrows removing the sections!!

The boat did have a good covering of sawdust even after the workers has cleaned the roof using the chainsaw exhausts! I prefer this to bird poo as it came off with a soft brush.

The base of the tree did have some rot in it so it was on its way. I'm pleased its gone. I intend planting an apple tree on the mooring for those boaters that follow me in the years to come.

I did manage a few of the larger rolls so I might have to being my electric chainsaw to the boat later in the year to get me some winter fuel.

I'll think of the Ostrich whilst burning the logs !

Nev

Small interlude.......the old mobile phone

I know I said this was going to be a retrospective on my 2007 cruising, but hey what the heck, its my blog....

I was passing an old mobile phone over to a colleague at work when I remembered I had some photographs on it. They turned out to be a few from a trip in late 2006 (remember I said I like out of season cruising)

Sylph was based at Hockly Heath on the North Stratford. We had done the trip to the basin in Stratford in the summer and also taken her to Stockton top* (for her paint job - a one way trip) at the Easter, so this trip was to venture on a new bit of canal - down the Tardebigge flight on the Staffs and Worcester and back.

It was a good cruise, we got held up by a tree down just before Brandwood tunnel. The BW lads were very good. I got stuck in helping. I was just glad they used a hire boat to get access to the tree. By the end it was covered in wood chippings from the chain saws.

On the return journey we (Rachel and myself) did the whole 29 locks in one hit - while the two lazy lads snoozed in their beds. When we got to the top there was a hire boat winding and getting ready to go back down, 58 locks in a day is impressive (isn't it?)

This is a nice shot, taken from the banks of the resovoir looking down on Sylph.

Nev

O yes the * .....................this was the first place I fell in !! We had moored up at Stockton top, and I had done a taxi shuttle to collect the car while Rachel cleaned the boat. Just as I was stepping onto the back of the boat in the marina/boat yard Rachel popped her head out of the back door, just in time to see me miss my footing and lower myself into the canal. I luckily had hold of the rear seat rail but I still went in to my waist. I did struggle to get out - its amazing how 'heavy' you get.

Anyhow......back to the sale of Comet

Automatic boat cleaning service

That'll be the rain - I hope. We had such a lazy day yesterday that the boat roof complete with some bird poo and lots of sap from the Birch tree did not get washed. I am relying on good old God and the wonders of nature to sort out my boat cleaning ;-))

I'm not sure I blogged about the bird poo that was dumped on the boat when we came back after the long cruise. I should have guessed that we were in for a $hit storm as whilst clearing the roof before leaving after the recent cruise I was shat upon by some flying poo bag on a creature. I almost laughed myself whilst looking for my air rifle.

A couple of weekends later I was up the tree Rambo like hacking off the perches of said poo bags. I even went up to the remaining branches and hung some cd's to deter the winged ploppers. It certainly improved it when we next visited. I guess it will be a fact of life now that BW moved us under the trees.

I have some free time this weekend, its a toss up between pottering on the boat of a 600 mile visit to friends in Scotland to see just how good the motorbike is ?

Nev

Nev's got wood... !

Ok, sorry it is a little inappropriate title but I could not resist it.

This was a problem tree to me and I blogged about it here....clicky

My intention was to cut the rolls down I acquired and I recently took the chainsaw to them to make this nice looking pile...

They are now undercover drying some more ready to burn over winter. It will allow me to burn wood during the day and then use my coal for overnight warmth.

I feel better that the tree is going to be put to good use. It also has justified my purchase some time ago of the electric chainsaw. I'd prefer a petrol model but this one sorted some large logs working with the genny.

Nev

The problems of reading a canal mag on the toilet...

....is that it is a constant reminder to maintain your boat!

I have a Canal boat mag that seems to have taken residence in the bathroom basket that hold fresh towels. It is the one where they give advice on maintaining paintwork. Every time I sit and ponder I read the front cover and it reminds me I have a responsibility to the paint job Aqua did on Waterlily earlier this year.

It got to me in the end and on Sunday we spent an 'enjoyable' few hours cleaning the boat. Getting the Rook poo off was one challenge as was washing off the tree sap from the non slip roof.

It was also a good reason to take Waterlily to the winding hole at Alrewas to enable us to complete the other side as well as charge the batteries. It was a perfect wind but not a sole saw it - typical. Now we have a clean boat plus she is facing the way we prefer for a short trip out in the next few weeks. We also received a nice compliment on how she looked so that was worth the hard work.

Nev

Canal Royalty

It's something you hear about when people refer to the old working boatmen and women, and rightly so. They had a hard life and the latter workers stuck at it and in some ways bridged into the next 'life' of the canals. This new life is characterised by the live-a-board, those who take a brave decision to move aboard, yes I think it is brave to step aside from the umbilical cord of bricks and motor and all the connectivity that comes with it. So these people are the new generation and in my opinion true custodians of the waterways, they look after it for me while I am at work ;-)

So today I met canal royalty. I have hailed Les on a couple of occasions when doing our own bit of cruising. I then started to read of a true romance (and I'm a bloke remember) his princess lived thousands of miles away, living a completely different life. I started to wonder if was reading fact or fiction, it was so unlikely but so worthwhile, especially as the two life journeys had been so seemingly difficult. The writing was compelling, the story was absorbing, as soon as a blog entry had been consumed you were left waiting and wanting more update, the next instalment.

Like all fairy tales this one had the very best of endings, the English gent gets his bride and the princess gets to live in her stately home.

So back to today, I visited that stately home and it rivals the best. It's one full of love and laughter. Its represents everything that those desiring to live-a-board must aspire to. It was certainly helped by the lovely smell of baking cake when I was invited aboard!

We chatted for a good couple of hours about life, boats, culture plus much much more that will no doubt come to me in reflections as the days pass.

So in my book this pair are canal royalty as they represent so many canal users but they are at the top of the tree in their story, their use of the canals and what came over most was the love of the life they lead. Better not shout about it too loud otherwise there would be a massive rush to buy boats.... and I know how hard that can be !

I came away inspired, certainly by the lifestyle but I think more so by the obvious love and affection between the pair, it was nice to see the last chapter of the book in real life. Long may they cruise the waterways.

Worried about me boat

All the decorating at home is taking its toll. We have not been to Waterlily for such a long time. Now I see on Metcheck it is going to be -5 today.....

I love proper winters. I don't mind being iced in - especially as next year in the spring we will be having a good reblacking so the ice should be not a problem.

Decorating takes soooooo long - especially as we try and do it properly. Good job there is limited scope for wallpapering and painting on a boat.

It would also be this year that we have not had the engine serviced so I am a little concerned about the protection level of the antifreeze - should I be worried ? Also should I be adding anything to the central heating water to stop that freezing?

Today is the last big push on the decorating and if we get it right we will be getting the house back to rites tomorrow. I'm off work for a couple of days next week so I may just drop all the Christmas prep (we still have not got a tree up or written a Christmas card) and visit the boat. I was thinking of dropping a days holiday ad going into work but sod it - all the same old same old will be there next year !!

Have a happy safe and peaceful Christmas whoever you are and wherever you are,

Take care

Nev

Another great year...2011 in pictures

Checking back at what I was blogging about this time last year, I read with much joy our previous year. So I am repeating this just so in these dark winter nights I can reflect on what we did and where we went to give some reassurances there is a whole range of things to do when the nights get longer and the sun a bit warmer.

January 

 We started the year as we ended the last year - on board. There is my brass lantern, a Christmas present

 My Christmas present to myself, a bike sat nav, sign of intention !

 This is it installed on my 700 Honda Deauville

First test was a trip out to blow away the cobwebs, somewhere at a greasy spoon near Mansfield with a couple of lads from the Deauville owners club.

I ended the month visiting Waterlily to sort out the tiller bearings, it should of been done when we had her painted but got missed. There was also a lot of cold weather about as you may recall in the early part of the month.

February

Good start to our cruising plans - a smooth operating tiller arm. Shame about the nipple

We always try an be on our boat on our anniversary  (14th February) and this year was no different with a few days aboard moored past Woodend lock, really peaceful. We had a few walks, one being passed the Ownashare base near Kings Bromley

 

Leia did some relaxing at home with the telly !

Finished the month with a ride out to a heritage train yard somewhere near Chesterfield with the Deauville owners club

March

It was towards the middle of the month we had a stop over on Waterlily. This is a moonlight shot looking down our moortings from Hunts lock.

Leia got relaxed on the bed !

March

The middle of the month saw me on my own on the boat as Rachel was in Wales with her father. On a walk up to Woodend lock I collected the discarded full poo bags left fro A.N. Idiot to collect  - seen right on the new bench at Shadehouse lock.

Just a little video of our walk. Leia was spooked by the guns going off, or it could have been crow scarers?
I also replaced the batteries on Waterlily  - I recon the old ones were a mixture of ages going back five years.

We finished the month celebrating the loss of the leaning silver birch poo platform. No more bird poo on the boat and fuel I have subsequently been burning aboard Waterlily over Christmas

April

The start of the good weather....... and I went all over the place !!

I traded in my 700 Deauville.....

.....for a 1300 Pan European. Ever the optimist. It's a big heavy bike but Ihave always wanted one and thought sod it you are a long time dead so got it. Bloody brilliant is all I can say.

We went on our first cruise of the year.... to the Ashby Canal

Proof we made it (we were short last time) this is Shakerstone tunnel. The Ashby is a great canal

We found and rehomed this little fella... he now lives on Ghosty Hill the coal boat

Returning we saw our first fully owner boat  - Comet, still very much in use as a livaboard just near Fazely junction.

We had to move the boat at 10pm on one mooring when there was a large fire above us and the boat got covered in soot...Grrrrrrr

 

The day after we got back from the Ashby (16th April) I was on my bike around Derbyshire and up to Squires Cafe in Yorkshire. Here is Gary Bob Alan & Jane. Good friends met from the Deauville forum who now ride, FJR, Pan, FJR (bikers will know)

I even did some DIY on the flat roof and painted the facias I recall it was very very hot and just the middle of April.

The 24th saw us back on the boat and we took a nice walk around Alrewas, one on the list for next house location !

26th and I was on the bike for a day to Barmouth via the Pontyc.....you know aqueduct. Great roads for a bike

I ended the month with a run up to Scotland to visit our good friends John and Carrie. Up on the 29th and back on the 30th as I had something planned for May......

May

May day Sunday is a gathering of the Deauville owners club and they have a run out.... this time we ended up at the Cheddleton railway, well worth a visit.

Then later that week I was told by BW they had broken my window cutting grass !!

On the 8th I was in Bridlington for the day. I started off for a cooked breakfast as Clay Cross and ended up having ice cream on the harbour wall.

I don't seem to have any photo's but we did take Waterlily to Willington to have the window replaced , I think I single handed down and we brought her back just before we went to......

......Scotland on the bike (John always gives me beer ) . This time I took Rachel as we were going over to...... 

.......Ireland once again with the Deauville ow=ners. We had four great days over there with a real good group of people. Great rides great company great bike.

We spent another day with John and Carrie in Scotland before returning on the Tuesday, I think it was the 31st May. Busy month.

June

On the way back from Scotland, in Scotch corner services as I recall I got a call from Mandy and a text from Chris both boaters on Hunts telling me BW had broken another window....!!!!! We only dropped it off on the Wednesday and they bust another on the Friday!

It gave us an excuse to get an overnight and an early start on the 4th June to wind Waterlily at the junction and take her back to Mercia for another window replacement. This was taken just after 6am.

On the 9th (Rachel's Birthday) we had a day in the Peak District walking the newly opened Monsal Dale railway tunnels coming back by the river vally, it was a fantastic day.

July

Early July I went to some local lakes off the boat to catch the carp(s) that alluded me when on the two week trip of which a considerable effort was undertaken at various locations

Mid July it was the bike to Stone and surrounding areas in the wet, can't get enough of this bike

The end of the month saw me tripping to the Humber bridge for Pan style entertainment

August

We had a great weekend on the bike meeting up in Leeds on the Friday evening for a trip around north Yorkshire on the Saturday and a run around Derbyshire on the Sunday. We met up with more bikes at CMC in Chesterfield where I took the pic of an FS1E (fizzy) my first bike. Ended up at the pork pie pub near Waterhouses

My birthday in the middle of the month saw the arrival of my captains chair (it does not live there now) and a stay aboard

We then did a charity motorcycle ride to Skegness  - air ambulance  There was well over 150 bikes quite impressive

The end of the month was a planning visit to the boat to replace the calorifier

September

Scotland again .......

Went to Dunoon this time with a couple of other bikes.  Great great biking roads and great company. just a long weekend and plenty of miles.

Next weekend we were back on the boat again for an overnighter.

Middle of the month we were in Cormwall (in the car because of hurricane something or other) fantastic hotel great scenary

We came back and added a couple of days on the boat to fit the calorifier  and a trip to Alrewas arboretum on the pedal bikes

Finished the month on the bike again back into Wales for a canal fix, can you guess?

October

Final bit of boating improvements was the addition of a solar panel and controller 

This is Barmouth in October !!

Then back on the baat towards the end of October with some nice walking ...picnicking in late October,  can't complain can we?

November

I was on the boat myself as Rachel was working a weekend in early November and helped a fellow bloggers boat beat the stoppages... Chertsey

While aboard I sorted out the rolls from the tree that came down in April.... half burnt already

In the middle of the month we had a short break and went to Stenson and back. I think I overdosed on wood smoke  - lovely

At the end of the month we (I) went looking at other boats.... I am still tempted by this one so am not giving more details.

My goldfish of 17 years died in November, he deserves his place on the internet, RIP little fish (his name as his mate big fish dies about three years earlier)

December

Another overnighter for me with Rachel joining me as she was working. This is the Hunts stoppage

This is how we ended 2011 and brought in 2012, aboard Waterlily enjoying all that is good about boating.

All in all a great year, lots done, some lows that balance out the positives but as I have said on a few occasions its one life live it.......