Wednesday 18th December 2013

Alarms had been set early for the morning. Getting the boat back between 9am and 9.30am when you still have to pack and wipe down is a bit of a chore. But we still manage to have a cuppa in bed, minding our heads. 
Packing and tidying didn't take that long and not having to deep clean the oven is always a bonus. A short pootle and we were pointed towards the narrow aquaduct to tie up on and off load. 
We had chats with the manager, no-one was going to fill up the diesel tank to see how much we'd used, but then we hadn't paid for any anyway!

Loaded up the car and headed to find somewhere for breakfast. Eventually we parked up in Henley in Arden to look for a nice spot, but all that seemed on offer was a Costa. So an expensive characterless breakfast and then we were off heading home.






It was a lovely few days on a slightly odd boat, but it was a BOAT!
Free bag of coal, free diesel and an extra day for free, which was the best bit as the sun shone all day. Perfect.
0 Locks, 100yrds, 5 parcels, 1 meowing cat.

Thank you Golden Finch

Tuesday 17th December 2013

A cold but clear morning greeted us today. We decided to light the stove to keep the boat warm all day, even though the sun was out. We had a full breakfast, minus mushrooms, and set about returning back to Wooten Wawen. 

The canal was steaming and spiders had been busy over night spinning huge long webs across the cut which we broke as we passed by. As we approached the fifth lock of the morning there was a lady at the lock, gosh someone else moving! She had just started to empty the lock when she saw us coming and proceeded to refill it for us. After informing Mick that there were four boats heading our way she jumped on her bike and headed off back to our next lock. Sure enough as we came out of the lock there was a boat heading towards us. This was my first exit from a lock with a fierceish by-wash with another boat there. I succeeded in not hitting the other boat. At the next  three locks we met boats heading up the locks which meant either we could leave gates open or they had been left for us. Chaps were out on the tow path strimming and with chainsaws cutting back the undergrowth.

We were making quite good time so decided to stop to fill with water at Lowsonford. Another boat was just finishing at the water point so we hung back and waited for them to clear. We seemed to have lost all power from the prop, so once we managed to get pulled over to the water point Mick investigated the weedhatch. We had actually managed to get weeds on the prop! A rare occurrence, not one plastic bag in sight!

We pootled on being spotted by a helicopter and later a Chinook. Our supplies were such that the ducks were going to be lucky, but non of them seemed to be at all bothered with our offerings.
 
The sun shone all day, but as soon as it was starting to head to bed the temperature dropped leaving us with a rather a nice sunset. We found a length of piling just before the last bridge back to base, so moored up for the night. The stove had kept the boat lovely throughout the day, so warming up didn't take long. A quick shower and then a wait for my hair to dry before we ventured out to The Navigation Inn for tea. 

The live aboards in the basin were all decked out with Christmas lights and it all looked very festive, the pub on the other hand had only two people in it, so it felt a bit echoy. Gammon and Pie followed by Treacle Sponge and Custard. Not the best cuisine, but okay pub food.

Back to the boat for a couple of glasses of wine and to observe the moon with a large halo round it (sorry photos don't do it justice) before an early bedtime so that we could pack in the morning.
Rather nice not having to do major chores on our last day. Definitely good not having to wash a boat. Hirers have it easy!

16 locks, 6 miles, 4 boats, 8 weeds, 1 helicopter, 1 chinook, 1 amazing moon.

Monday 16th December 2013

Not quite so chilly this morning, but we still had tea in bed. This boat, we decided, would be better if we didn't have heads. Mick seems to have a tendency to headbut the post at the bottom of the bed, it must be in his turning circle. Then when you get into bed the very useful cupboard above the headboard is just at the right height to biff yourself. Trying to sit up in bed is also interesting, I've never really slouched in bed before! Decapitation was definitely the way forward!

There was enough bolognaise sauce left over to have on toast for breakfast then it was time to don the waterproofs. Wet turned into wetter as we made our way up the three locks to the Sanitary station at the bottom of Lapworth Locks. We pulled over to fill up with water and watch a CART Boat go by having the same difficulty with leaves that we'd been having. So far it was the only boat we'd seen moving.


I took over the helm to have a go turning into the Lapworth link. On our side there was a very large wide pound between locks where the service station is, from here you turn right into the link (which saves you going up and down two locks, cutting the corner onto the Grand Union Main Line) which is about six inches wider than your boat, very straight and long. I succeeded to pivot the boat and line it up for the link and passed through without touching once! I was very pleased with myself. Then on past where we had moored in March when there was about a foot of snow on the ground and a turn left onto the Main line. We pulled over and moored to pay a visit to the shops here and so that Mick could post his Christmas cards at the off licence.

Left: December 2013
Right: March 2013

The small shop was found with no plain flour for the Tuna Lasagna I was planning to make. Yes I'd forgotten that too, along with the mushrooms. So an experiment would be made with Self raising flour in a white sauce, at least it should be light!

We pootled up the Main Line as far as the next winding hole. We'd hoped to get through Knowle Locks before winding, but today was turn around day and there just wouldn't be time enough. We winded at the end of a long line of moored boats and pootled our way back to the junction. A sudden flash of blue sped past us. A Kingfisher, wow! It may have been the same chap but by the time we returned to the junction we had seen two more. They are stunning to say the least. Right at the junction, not quite so perfect this time then left after the link. Down one lock to join another boat for the night.




Stove lit, no TV reception so it would have to be a DVD after we'd eaten the not too different Tuna Lasagna.








6.5 miles, 4 locks, 1 immaculate link, 14 not 13 2nd class stamps, 1 small bag SR flour, 1 wind, 3 kingfishers, 1 okay link, Harry Potter 2, 12 hexagons.

Sunday 15th December 2013

My a fire overnight makes a difference! We were glad that we'd brought our 15 tog douvet and not relied on the boats thin hollow fibre one. Tea in bed whilst the gas central heating warmed up, then a full Mick breakfast. Now when I say a full breakfast, it wasn't quite and it was my fault totally and utterly that the mushrooms had stayed in the fridge at home. Oops!

Time to break out the walkie talkies for the locks. For Mick's birthday this year I'd bought him walkie talkies as he has a tendency to not hear his phone if I need to get hold of him at locks. Turned on ( bubeliup! ) and in pockets we set about the first locks of the day. Mick took the helm and I went on ahead to set the lock. It looked like not many boats had been this way for a while, the narrow entrance under the bridges was full of leaves for about 4 meters. I opened the bottom gate and waited, just a single one on these locks, saves a lot of walking round! I waited... and waited. The positions of the bridges made it hard to see what was happening, so walkie talkie time. No reply! Okay old fashioned way, back I went to see what was happening. Logs, leaves, who quite knows what had Mick stuck under one of the bridges. Toing and froing eventually got him moving in the right direction. The engine being noisier than on WD meant that he hadn't been able to hear the Bubeliup from the radio. Oh well.

We carried on up the first three locks passing Reliant Robins in trees and sheep on balconys, no elephants though! Then a swap at the helm. Could I remember what I'd been taught by Andy in October? Yes. Up another three locks before it started to rain. Most locks were empty but every now and then one would surprise you by being full. The wrong sort of leaves kept catching us out and making the prop fairly useless at it's job. The lock keepers cottages along here are quite interesting with their curved roofs. Some have been added to and others left alone.

Another four locks and it was time to get warm and dry. Soup was called for. Up two more before passing under the M40. Boy they were noisy and fast! It was starting to get a little dim by now so just two more locks and we moored up. The constant noise from the M40 was in the background, but it would have been another hour before we could have moored up if we'd carried on and that's just not allowed when hiring. The heavens opened again so we were glad we were stopping. We lit the stove had cake and tea, tuned in the TV for Homeland later. Made use of the hot water with showers, Mick cooked his very good Spaghetti Bolognaise whilst I worked on my Patchwork.

Stopping at 3.45pm gives you a really long evening on board, so not surprisingly Crabbies and wine were consumed and quite a few hexagons were sewn together for my Memory Quilt project. 

3.75 miles, 14 locks, 1 reliant robin, 1 sheep, 0 elephants, 2 showers, 20 hexagons.

Saturday 14th December 2013

We finished packing on Saturday morning. Enough food to last us with hopefully a couple of meals out. We waved goodbye to Houdini, leaving her with chocolate banana loaf for a thank you to Frank who was to feed her.
Normally the pick up time should have been 3pm at Wooten Wawen, not much chance of getting anywhere at this time of year especially on a hire boat. Mick had called the boat yard on Friday to see if we could pick the boat up earlier and they had said it should be ready at about 12.30pm. If not we could go to the pub to wait. We arrived around 12.45 to find our boat tied up on the narrow aqueduct. We went off for a little saunter to wait. After about half an hour we went to see how they were getting on, nearly there! A while more waiting and then we could put our bags on board. 

The layout was similar to Winding Down but no dinette, instead a free standing table and two chairs along with two swivel chairs in front of the TV and stove. The bed was a kind of 2 poster bed which meant swinging bags onto it was a bit tricky.
Then the walkthrough with one of the chaps. We haven't done this for ages! I had mentioned that we were experienced boaters so much of the instruction was left out. They had provided us with half a bag of coal and we asked where we'd be able to get some more. One of the chaps popped off in his van to get a new bag, then a chimney was borrowed from another boat. We were the only ones heading out that day and for the forseeable future. They refused payment for the coal as they had held us up, so off we set finally opening up the navigation on the aquaduct. Good job it was quiet!

First time out after our training I didn't want to have to do any serious manoeuvres in front of people, so Mick took the helm. We headed north towards Lapworth and Kingswood Junction as the other way there were stoppages. Gosh the bridge holes were tiny, only about three inches spare each side, oh well, good practice.
We pootled along with a cuppa and a sandwich in hand along the longish pound stopping just short of three bridges before Preston Bagot Bottom Lock. It was about 3.30 and we'd have to do at least three locks before we moored up for the night , by then the sun would have long gone, so we decided to moor up. 
First job light the stove. On Winding Down we had become very adept at this, but a different stove with different vents, we managed in the end, although we did seem to be getting a bit of a wiff from it. We set about making ourselves at home, finding places for our things. The wind was getting up outside and with no fenders we were bumping into the side quite a lot. Also every now and then there was a strange nose which we later worked out was the rudder moving with the wind.
At 6.30pm we headed for the local pub The Crabmill Inn. Quite posh and busy. We elected to sit in the bar, more like a lounge, to eat. Mick had a Venison Burger and I had Belly pork with a tiny toffee apple. All very nice and nice beer too, if a little bit posh.
Back at the boat we decided that it maybe wasn't wise for us to try to keep the fire going all night, we were still getting some fumes from it. So we let it burn out and listened to the wind as we drifted off to sleep.

2 miles, 0 locks, 1 narrow aquaduct, 2 poster bed, 0 fenders, 2367 bumps against the side!

Planning

With our share in Winding Down sold and the long wait for Oleanna to be built getting longer, Mick and I were in need of a fix out on the cut. In October we had been on an RYA Helmsman course in Leeds, where we learnt how you are meant to do things and I had learnt to take the tiller with confidence. We needed to put our training into practice.
Mick had a few days holiday still to take before Christmas so we planned on hiring a boat for four nights somewhere after my Christmas shows had opened. Of course the weather might have gotten the better of us and all boats on the network have been iced in, so we waited to see what the elements were going to do. With the Countryfile forecast watched we decided that we'd be okay. So I set about doing research on where we could go. An ideal would have been to hire a boat on a section of the waterways not connected to the network, but no-one was hiring boats in December.
So on Wednesday I put together a short list of boats that met with our requirements. 58ft, not a trad stern, fixed double bed, countryside, locks, a bit of pootling, central heating and a stove. The short list became two boats when Mick got home, both Anglo Welsh. One was based at Wootten Wawen on the Stratford Canal the other at Great Haywood on the Trent and Mersey.
On Thursday morning I rang Anglo Welsh, their long weekends are from Saturday returning on Tuesday, we wanted to see if it was possible to get an extra night, hopefully without paying any more. Yes this was okay, with the extra night thrown in. The number of locks was the deciding factor, both for practice and to help keep us warm. Boat booked, packing for a hire boat was different to our usual pack, but the chocolate banana loaf still had to be made!