Steak and ale at the end of a good day

Started just after Barlestone and we are just past Weston upon Trent. Just a good steady cruise with everyone we met in a good mood as the sun was shining. Youngest son has joined us at the woolpack for steak and cheques. Not a typo he has driven my cheque book over so I can write him a cheque for his deposit on his flat in Leeds for his years placement. It's a parent thing!!


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In a mooring far far away

Ok so it's between Barleston and Stone. We were going to wind just before the last Meaford lock and moor in the pound but decided to wind at the Wedgewood winding hole instead. There were no boats moored at Barleston, that is a first as it is usually very busy. So we are between bridge 100 and 101 it's a mooring I have spied before but the fist time we have stopped here so let's see what the fishing is like.....


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Water water everywhere but not in our tank

So it is a perfect summers day, warm no wind and quiet. But we last filled Waterlily water tank on Wednesday morning so based on past experience we know we are getting low. I will treat myself to one of the digital meters for the tank when next in Midland Chandlers. I just need to move the water pump slightly so I can get the meter in-between the tank stop cock and the pump.

Anyhow the water situation means we will move today. I know a warm summer Sunday is the day to stay put but needs must. I think the electric Brompton will get a run out today to check the mooring/water point situation as the next one is Stone and we are planning to get to one of our favourites today - Burston

Nev


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Location:Great Haywood

A good subconscious decision

When I left Mercia Marina on Wednesday I had not realised I had turned right back up the Trent and Mersey until I was passed the Willington winding hole. My other option was to go left and 'do' the Leicester ring. Having seen the weather forecast and now sitting here warm dry and relaxed in Great Haywood it was soo much the right decision. It is chucking it down again.



There are still plenty moving but under umbrellas and full waterproofs. I think the weather is set to improve tomorrow when we may or may not head up to Stone.

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The one that got away

I can only just relay this. Got the bait right got the presentation right the bloody massive carp did it's bit and bent the rod double only for the crappy reel to stop giving me the ability to give the monster ( and it was big) line so it snapped me. Aarrrghhhhhh !!!!!!!


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The opposites of locking control

Wednesday a foreign family on a Shakespere boat left it in the lock and opened the ground paddle resulting In the boat hitting the top gate with such force I really thought the gate was going to fail. Jump forward to Thursday and I have watched a crew of four using ropes on the expensive BW bollards to keep the boat dead still.

All sorts of locking techniques it's amazing the infrastructure lasts as it does. It also makes me wonder what information hirer's are given ??


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Waterlily is related to Granny Buttons - allegedly

How about this for a bit of canal connectivity. We were joined at Branston lock today by NB Clarice Elizabeth. The lady on board asked us if our boat was a Delph Marine which we confirmed. She went on to tell us she knew the guy who fitted it out Jack Prince. He brought the shell and fitted her out at Sawley Marina in 1992. She told us he came from Derby.... Where we live !! She said he did not have her long selling her on at Napton which is where she was moored by the only other owner who had her from 1994 until we brought her in 2007. She then told us the next boat mr jack Prince build was on a Liverpool shell and is Granny Buttons! So that make out boat related, welcome to the family Andrew !

What a small world and how good is it to find out the total history of our boat.

Nev

Stone again

A lot drier in Stone today than it was this time last week. It is also very quiet with only one Shakespere boat moving while I have been here. Role on next week

New communications option

Well it has taken a little time but I now have an Ipad2. It is the 3G version so combined with my wireless dongle router aboard I intend not taking anything other than this next time I am aboard Waterlily.

Now let's get app'd up

Nev

Fathers day

A good start to the day. Breakfast in bed courtesy of youngest son. Have a good day you fathers!!


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Summer holidays

Looks like it will be the Leicester ring for our next cruise leaving Mercia wednesdayish. Advice welcome ??

Nev


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In the rain

No boating this weekend as Waterlily is still bobbing about in Mercia Marina waiting for her window to be replaced so it is the motorbike today. It's raining but I don't mind the bike is suited to the weather and it improves your riding to be out in the rain. Just has breakfast at Cmc in Chesterfield then off to Buxton then Leek with a destination if Stone to see the problems caused by a lifted gate at Star lock. I expect quite a few boats to be queueing up !


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Manifold valley

9th June

Picnic in the valley for Rachels birthday today. Leia thinks it is her birthday as well!



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Thunder

Just enjoying the first thunder storm of the year. I think it is my best type of weather, there is expectation the event and the aftermath.... really shows how dramatic and powerful nature can be.

Nev

6 locks before 7 am

Early start to wind Waterlily on our way on the 2nd broken window cruise.


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BW contractors break another window !

Yep, we got Waterlily back on her mooring all safe and sound on Friday then Fountain the BW contractors come to mow the grass on our moorings on Wednesday and broke another window !!!!!!!!!


I got a email from Chris on NB Belle on the Friday giving me the bad news. I met the contractors and BW at my boat yesterday and they agreed to cover the costs (again) of a window replacement. Thing is I have to take it back down to Willington to have the window removed and replaced in a day to remove the risk of water damage as they do it in a day out and over to Newark then back in.

Count to 10..... count to 10...!!

A bigger boat

Ok so it had to have a boaty theme. We were in Scotland yesterday staying with our good friends and their two lovely twins. We caught the big boat and took our motorbike over to Belfast for a meeting with about 30 like minded people. Today we have a 170 mile guided tour of county Down. Should be a good day if the weather holds for us

Nev


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Busy May

Took Waterlily back from Aqua at Mercia to Fradley today. The canals were quite quiet but all of Alrewas was full of boats and now opposite my mooring there are 4 boats. I have never seen 4 boats below Hunts so Fradley must also be full. Tomorrow will see the Shakespere boats come this way as well as the Aqua hire boats plus the canal timers....

There are busy and quiet days that do coincide with times of the week here at Fradley.

The trip back was good apart from that wind again. Only this time it was full on in my face so now I am sitting here with a whiskey with a wind burns face - not the whiskey of course !

Nev

Wind....

...not the self generate stuff, the weather stuff.

We were taking Waterlily into Mercia on Saturday morning and the wind was really blowing. For those of you that know Mercia you go in via a road bridge which is in effect a small tunnel. As Rachel turned in we felt the effects but as we entered the wide water all hell broke loose.

We were aiming for one of Aqua's moorings for the window to be replaced. Justin was trying to give advice but we could not hear him, Rachel tried to get the boat lined up but the wind just took Waterlily sideways - it was totally uncontrollable as we were pushed for about 10 yards into the corner of the fueling jetty. It was a really hard bump...

Justin came round off the pontoons where were then perfectly lined up on the pump out landing as the wind had turned us 90 degrees back bow into the wind. Justin advised to go into the marina and wind (!) and apprach the pontoons with the wind behind us. I took over and winded and then kept the wind at my back and slowly put the bow onto the pontoon then with Justin's help turned the boat into the pontoon fighting the winds desire to take us sideways again .

All in all a real trial, it just showed how easily a narrowboat can turn in to a large sail. I bloody hate boating in strong winds !!

Thanks to Justins help we got in ok only to find the bump has actually pushed the broken glass that was in the window out all over the corridor next to the bathroom on the boat - such was the force of the wind and the bump.

We have been caught twice before badly by the wind. Once on the GU when it pushed us to the far side of a winding hole and it took us about half an hour to get off the bank - that was on Sylph.

Then again at Streethay - the wind was coming down off the bank and straight across the cut - we went to the bank side to pass a boat and the wind just pinned us to the bank. It really felt like the wind was playing with us - we just could not get the bow into the wind enough to get off the armco - it was another 30 minute trial of our strength - until the wind got distracted enough for us to get on our way crabbing down the cut - did I mention I hate the wind !!

Nev

Your old boats ?

We have part owned a 58 foot cruiser called Sylph under the old Ownerships scheme. A great way to start boat ownership unless you were unlucky enough to still be involved when Alan Mathews fraud was uncovered - very sad.

We then owned our 45 foot Teddersly plastic topped boat called Comet. It was with great please we saw her moored up and in very active use on the way back from the Ashby cruise...


She has been repainted and generally kept very tidy. It is a credit to the lady who brought her she has survived the last two winters and looks better than when we sold her !!

Nev