December 23rd 2006

With so much going on (crawling out of bed, eating, cleaning teeth and returning to bed) there's no time to write a proper Blog.

So it's MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE from the Balmaha boaters.

Normal service will resume when the tree has come down, chocolate dangly things eaten and all visitors have left.

We have family coming and going all over Christmas week and it's lovely to share this time with them. True to form I shall pop out later today (Saturday 23rd) to buy V a present, wrap it on Christmas Eve and try to remember where I've put it on Christmas morning.

If anyone can find us in Market Harborough we are offering a glass of something or a hot cup of something (else) and a home made mince pie plus our smiley faces and a how-do-you-do.

A big thank you to all those who assured us this was a wonderful way of life - mainly Roger and Babs, John and Jean, Sandhills Narrowboats and dozens of friendly boaters we saw on the canals and rivers three years ago. 12 months on and we haven't regretted a single moment.

And a big thank you to Tezzer and Claire without whom it probably wouldn't have been possible.

There's no picture for this so use your imagination here ...........

raised glasses, standing on tip-toe and smiling from ear to ear.....

and later on ....caviar, smoked salmon ..... turkey .... Christmas pud .... glass of this, glass of that ...... sit down and sleeeeeeeeep.

Happy New Year !!!

M+V

Dec 13th 2006 - Wednesday
Destination - Foxton. All went well until we reached Gallows Hill Bridge where we hit wall-to-wall floating weed, the result of dredging further along.

Weed debris drifts easily in the westerly breeze and slowly but surely creeps eastwards towards the hairpin bend north of Market Harborough. A northerly wind in January followed by a north-easterly and then a westerly should see tons of the stuff nicely piled up in front of Canaltime’s fleet at Union Wharf.

Meanwhile we have to do battle with it. Much like approaching the Sargasso Sea we charge at it at full speed, cut the engine and steer as best we can through the stems, roots and leaves as it comes crawling over the bow onto the boat. Then flicking back into forward gear we bulldoze our way through to the far side. Or as it mostly happens we shudder to a stop and get out to push.

No too far away we find the cause - dredging west of the winding point. Thankfully they’re removing the muck from the canal bed so we keep our mouths shut but it would be nice if they used a bucket with holes in it and scooped up the weed rather than just muddy water.

Back at Foxton we marvel at BW’s progress in repairing the Basin at the bottom of the old Inclined Plane. Removing trees and their roots may have caused a small landslide so the plan is to hold everything together with new reinforced concrete piling.

Sorry to say it doesn’t look like the previous residents will be back at their old moorings in time for Christmas.

We slip back into an empty boat basin beneath Foxton Locks and ask the question “Where is everyone? Are we too late for the boat blockade?”

Dec 14th – Thursday
They’ve promised us rain tomorrow so we’re trying to get ahead with outside jobs. Cruised to Debdale for supplies. Diesel is still 45p and solid fuel £7.60 for a 25kg bag, the cheapest we’ve seen for a couple of months. Then back to Foxton to sit out the bad weather.
Tonight it’s Leicester’s IWA Christmas Social and we’ve a lift with Mike and Jo (nb Sarah-Kate).
The Dog & Gun at Syston saw more than 30 supporters gather for news, games, raffle, food and quiz in the room at the back.

Beryl’s games and quiz ensured we relaxed and saw prizes scattered amongst participants (yippee, mostly us).

And if you think the quiz was easy, can you recognise this?

Dec 15th Friday
The bad weather has been delayed (eh? their forecasts were wrong) so we’re making the most of it and moving down towards Harboro’ this morning.

Back through the Sargasso Sea followed by an arm down the weed hatch (cor, it’s cold down there today) we detoured to collect tree branches left by BW veg clearers.
We stopped near our usual spot next to 60 feet of steel piling. Tried splitting the logs but discovered our little axe and lump hammer bounce off solid oak. Need something bigger and heavier.
Hung a bird feeder on the nearest tree and watched for unusual birds. Over 12 hours we saw one robin. Took down bird feeder, think the batteries are dead.

Dec 16th - Saturday
After rain overnight we have a dry, sunny but cold day. What with the cold and the sun directly ahead just above the horizon, it’s the right conditions to make my eyes water. Tow path walkers take pity on me as we cruise past them and instead of a cheery “Good morning” they ask “Is everything alright?”

Arriving at Mkt Harboro’ we did the usual things at the services jetty and then took our place on the short stay moorings.
All excited we set off for a brisk walk (that’s a laugh) to the shops, passing Santa in the high street.

Discovered Homebase but very disappointed by the prices. Needed a new axe and the indoor market didn’t have any so Homebase made a sale. When offered a frequent shopper discount card I declined, no sense in raising their expectations unnecessarily.

THE SWANS
This merits a paragraph of its own. We are currently experiencing swan terrorism on the canal. Four lone boat peckers are trying to making our life misery by chiselling off the paintwork from the waterline to the portholes. We thought they were a new species until we realised their beaks were covered in green paint, our green paint.

Is there any end to their pecking? Trying to doze off in the armchair after lunch is as difficult as having a conversation next to a steel plate riveter in a shipyard.
Knowing they are protected and we can’t shoot or eat them we are thinking of calling the Queen and asking her to take them home.
We don’t feed them bread or cake (anymore) but switched to Jacobs Crackers which they avoided and gave to the moorhens but now they’ve adapted (non creationists might say evolved) and now they expect the crispiest biscuits, preferably flavoured, straight from the packet.
Once the side hatch is open it’s impossible to shut it, they stretch up and grab the first hand that appears.

We’ve tried ‘swan whispering’ but in return we are hissed and snorted at. Does anyone know of the existence of a swan anger management course?

We‘ve seen how effective anti-climb paint is at locks and moorings but do Masons supply a Deep Brunswick Green anti-peck paint?
And it’s not just us, they’ve taken to hissing at the dogs on the tow path, most of which cower in the hedges whilst their owners marvel at the swans’ bravery and bad language.
Meanwhile all we can do is report them to the authorities in the hope that they get issued with swan ASBOs. Although I’m not expecting this to change their behaviour as two of them have been in trouble before judging by the tags on their legs.

5th Dec 2006 – Tuesday
Moored at bridge 14 on the Market Harborough Arm of the Grand Union (the old canal line to Northampton before Foxton’s Locks were built) we could only marvel at the hire boats still cruising, in atrocious weather conditions. The wind blew unabated and the rain only stopped when the tow paths were full of water. It was all we could do to fill our own little puddle with ash from the fire and then some thoughtless cyclist drove straight through the middle and it filled with water again. Funny how possessive you can get over a six foot section of path outside your dinette window.
There was a temporary distraction as Sarah-Kate passed us heading for Union Wharf. Comparing notes we agreed to meet up and ‘do the town’ together on Friday. Something special was on, the town centre will be closed from 3pm and shops will stay open late.

6th Dec
Messed about with two smoke detectors, got one working. Wondered if the other one had a decayed radioactive element, checked and found its half life is 485 years so it should still be in good shape by the year 2491. Wonder if PP3 batteries would still be around then.
Decided against checking the 0.9 microcurie element, might wait until after dark to see how well it glows.

7th Dec
Yippee, time to go. Spun the boat, not easy with a force 6 blowing, and moved down to Union Wharf. Greeted by the dreaded swans but found no mooring spaces so hung around on the services jetty until one became available. Moaned at the lady in the office about permies on the temporary moorings.
One poor boat hirer had returned to the wharf a day early and gone shopping leaving the boat on the 48 hour moorings. Canaltime operatives moved it so we could take the space but we wondered how the hirers would react when they returned to find it gone. Imagined them trying to explain a missing boat to Canaltime’s manager.

8th Dec - Friday
Shopped in Harboro’. Bought a five foot brush handle to use as a mast for the TV aerial. Discovered that metal masts upset the aerial amplifier by earthing it to the boat’s steelwork so a wooden one should do the job.
Timed our visit for lunch at Joules (real chicken soup and hot chocolate). Must remember to grab a table by 12.30pm next time as it fills up fast on the run up to 1pm. Posters on the loo door advertise a musical night on 21st and all through next year starting in January. It’s worth checking on-line to see what’s happening in the evenings.

Joules – music, food, Victorian ambience.

Returned to town at 6.30pm with Mike and Jo off Sarah-Kate and found the roads blocked to traffic and a carnival atmosphere breaking out down the high street and side roads. Mums and Dads were tucking in to mulled wine and mince pies.
Started tasting outside Joules, had one outside the Old Grammar School and sampled another inside the church where we took a pew and sang carols.

We hadn’t gone more than 100yds and the price had already halved.

There was late night shopping, if we’d wanted it, stalls selling flashing ears, light sticks and cowboy hats. Morris dancing interspersed by ale quaffing carried on around us.

and a delightful street organ filled the air with music outside the pubs.

For those with money there was the horsey carousel and kiddies car rides and for skinflints like me there was piped music, a brass band playing Christmas carols and a boy band hanging out the side of a truck that cost nothing to watch.

Santa was out in his sleigh and he (or she) looked like he’d lost a few stone since I saw him last year in Leicester.

Too late for me, I discovered there’s a Homebase and a Focus DIY shop in Harboro’. They’ll both have to wait for another day as will Lidls, for that all year favourite Amaretto.

Half way up the hill we saw the shepherds and wise men knock on the Inn door. This happened just as Mary’s pony was led back to the side of the church to receive its blanket now that the wind had picked up and temperatures had started to drop.
But baby Jesus, no crying he made as he lay perfectly still under a bright evening star, at the feet of Mary and Joseph.

9th Dec
Our 48 hours were up so we bid the wharf farewell and headed into the sun. Passing Harboro’s back gardens we admired their manicured lawns and ogled their white plastic conservatories covering swimming pools, saunas and sun-drenched places to sit.
We laughed and waved at the four swans that had plagued us every day as they slipped further and further behind. No more peck, peck, peck at 5am and again at 7 and 9 until fed. Clever little beggars, they recognise boat colours and came straight for us last time we stopped at our bridge 14 moorings, three quarters of a mile away.

Remembering we had seen logs in the hedge somewhere between Foxton and Harboro’ we slowed every so often and scanned the canal bank for signs of BW’s chainsaw activities. Catching a glimpse of a log we charged into the weeds and swung the stern around to get ashore. Watched by tow path walkers we collected enough loose wood for our stint in the countryside and headed back to the boat. What with the weight of the wood on the stern deck and our passage through the weeds we found ourselves stuck fast. It must have looked odd to the landlubbers as we hung off the handrails, rocked the boat and spewed mud from the prop, but it worked and we scampered off down the cut relishing the thought of a real wood fire.
Leave it to dry for a year? Not likely. On it goes with a pile stacked on top of the Bubble stove forced drying ready for tomorrow.

With Gallows Hill Bridge before us we pulled over and chained ourselves to the ground. Bird feeder tied to the bushes, wood on the fire, glass in hand we are content.

Not everyone likes this ruffy-tuffy lifestyle with its deprivations, lack of shops, no traffic noises or human company. But we have grown to love the coarseness of nature, its unpredictability, its wildlife surprises and endless wind and wet over winter months.

Even with two days of rain we got time to slap on undercoat, split logs, spot birdlife in the bushes and feed moorhens with scraps from the breadbin. Not to mention writing Christmas cards hunting for last year’s address list and wondering how we ever managed to function in a house with all those rooms and cupboards in which to lose things.

10th Dec
Cloudy, windy, rain later. Dodged the showers to chop wood. Sat indoors hitting head on doors, floors and furniture, dismayed by the announcement that it will be illegal to run our engine on ‘red’ diesel. Not looking forward to running the engine four hours a day for £4 just to charge the batteries just so we can have the lights on in the evening and pump hot water around the radiators. This winter’s diesel bill for heating and lighting will be in the region of £650. If you see a scruffy boater holding out a tin while sitting under a hedge next to a faded green narrow boat, spare a few coppers.

11th December 2006 - Monday
Congratulations to Chris and Stelle on the successful launch of “Belle”, a Sandhills production.

and a big ‘Well Done’ to Mark and Gary for yet another beautiful bespoke narrowboat.

A few days to adjust the trim, varnish the wood and she’ll be ready for her first cruise, almost exactly a year since Balmaha took to the water at Hanbury Wharf.

It’s just four o’clock and the light is almost gone. We saw a beautiful orange and pink and red sunset and most importantly it cost us NOTHING. They haven’t found a way to tax it yet.

British Marine Federation (BMF) says “RED DIESEL - DEROGATION IS NOT RENEWED

Granny Buttons quotes others on the subject.

Moore 2 Life says " Diesel IS going up in price"

Aren’t there already ways round this?

The Bio-Diesel / Vegetable Oil in road vehicles debate has run for years and Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has quite happily taken a duty payment (was 27p/ltr) from those declaring their use of alternative fuels.

Some have gone as far as making their own bio-diesel (treated veg oil) or bought it from UK producers who pay the duty on their behalf (see Bio-power (UK) Ltd).
The general rule is that it is the use of the fuel that decides its duty level.
Quote
“Unless used within an authorised pilot project, alternative fuels are charged duty at the same rate as the fuel they replace”.

HMRC websites contain numerous helpful references to the use of red diesel in road and off-road vehicles and it seems to me there are parallels for boat owners (see URLs below).

There are cases where road vehicles may use red diesel (rebated fuel) and in these cases the duty difference is declared and paid on the fuel used. A licence to do so must first be obtained.
Road vehicles using red diesel for dual purpose must keep records showing road use and non road use.
Quote
“6.1 What is this section about? It explains how, in exceptional circumstances, you can repay the rebate on rebated heavy oil and then legally use it as road fuel, or if the oil is kerosene as fuel to propel excepted vehicles or as fuel in the engine of a road vehicle”.

All HMRC are concerned about is getting their cut from any fuel used in a propulsion engine on public highways (and waterways?).

Couldn’t boats be included in this category and keep separate records of boat movement and the generation of heat, power and lighting.
Quote
“6.10 What records must I keep?
The law requires you to keep a daily record of all the rebated heavy oil you use as road fuel; you must record the details on the same day as the fuel is used. Show in the record the registration mark and number of every road vehicle using rebated heavy oil as fuel. Also show for each vehicle:
the quantity and description of oil supplied to the vehicle for use as fuel;
the date of, and number of miles travelled in, any journey on public roads;
the total number of hours the vehicle is used at places when it is not on a journey; and
the quantity of oil used in the vehicle while not travelling eg to drive machinery or pumps”.

Of course, records must be kept, but only for a year.
Quote
“6.14 How long must I keep them?
You must keep them for at least 12 months from the date of the last entry in them”.

Those with separate onboard generators may have a case for using red diesel.
Quote
“You need not use fully duty paid fuel for your separate machinery so long as it has its own fuel supply and engine separate from the vehicle’s fuel supply and engine. You must use fully duty paid fuel if the vehicle’s fuel supply OR engine drive the separate machinery. If your vehicle is allowed under section 8 to use oil other than fully duty paid fuel as fuel, you can similarly fuel any separate machinery on it.”

But without some serious high level eye poking it looks like the rest of us can’t use red diesel for charging batteries, heating or lighting.

Presumably permanent moorers could disconnect their propellers and claim all use of their engine is non-propulsion. But what about continuous cruisers without that extra generator.

There are HMRC forms (HO50 and HO50(CS)) dealing with the reclaiming of duty on fuels used onboard a vessel or hovercraft (non private pleasure craft). Perhaps we should all register as business vessels.

Looking at the rest of HMRC‘s forms they all seem slanted to businesses, so maybe we all need to register ourselves in business on the cut.

At least red diesel isn’t under threat, it’s only our use of it that may have changed. Whether we can still buy it at the canalside is another matter. I hope the option remains for those who can legally use it. Otherwise it looks like we will have to call those who supply farmers and get "red" delivered to the canal.

There’s so much more to say but you can get your own info and a headache by reading the following HMRC sites:-

Fuel for road vehicles, Public Notice 75 Dec 2002

FAQs - Road Fuels and other oils

HMRC “Forms” website

Motor and Heating fuels

An A-Z list of subjects

27th Nov 2006 – Monday
A grey, windy day, quite a contrast to the weekend when we saw the sun shining on the anti-DEFRA protests. After watching the last remaining boats take water and leave the Basin below Foxton Locks we joined those heading east towards Market Harborough.

Not particularly relishing the thought of fighting dense weed on this canal we were pleasantly surprised to find a floating dredger at work and a little further on its companion spreading the filthy muck over the fields.
Weeds, reeds, mud and roots were leaving the canal while uprooted reeds floated like a carpet on the creamy black water. Our propeller struggled to give us forward momentum and once we’d passed the glue factory we pulled into the side and made fast for the night. The weed hatch was opened and the right arm did its stuff before the day was through.

The vivid greens and browns of grass and trees looked their best just before the sun buried itself at the top of the field on our right.

On our left the sun reflected off car windows hurrying along the A6 to and from Leicester until suddenly the picture turned into an indistinguishable grey blanket as an early dusk fell.

Despite a drying wind the towpath puddles didn’t dry and the few walkers that passed were mud splattered up to the knees. Not wishing to ruin our shoes on the muddy path we soon developed gunwale gait by walking along boat sides to get coal, wood and potatoes from the cratch.

29th Nov Wed
Another dry day, with a large patch of blue over our heads, saw us move down to the 48 hour moorings at Market Harborough, outside the Basin (Union Wharf).
Inside the Basin every pontoon space and concrete jetty was occupied. We counted eighteen Canaltime boats waiting for hire and heard that a further five more were away for painting.

We grabbed the last space on the 48hr moorings and wondered why the moorings were so busy at the start of the winter season.

By the looks of it, some of the other boats had been here for many days, covered in twigs and leaves.
Asking the people who manage the wharf for BW it seemed discretionary to rent out the 48 hour moorings for days, weeks or even months at a time during the winter when demand was low.
She assured me that a couple of spaces would always be available for visitors so we would encourage everyone who visits Market Harborough by boat to call in at the BW/Canaltime office and make their presence known if there’s nowhere to moor.
Imagine town councils doing the same thing with 2 hour parking places near the shops.

If there are any other questions, such as what’s the time, you can always ask Frank the Plank. He’s a rather unique full size sundial. Pity it was cloudy.

No stop here is complete without a walk to the shops. An easy downhill walk and you’re in the centre within ten minutes. Tesco, Sainsburys and Woolworths within a couple of minutes of each other and half a dozen shoe repair shops, why so many?.

30th Nov Thurs.
Another walk to the shops.

!st Dec Fri
Oh alright, another walk to the shops.

Perfect timing for a lunch break at Joules tucked away up an alley behind Joules’ dress shop.
Two spicy hot curried parsnip soups and large mugs of hot chocolate crowned with real cream and chocolate dust, please. Yummy.

The owner’s history is all over the walls and ceilings. It’s worth asking about.

Acoustic guitar evenings once a month see players and listeners pack the room across the yard and it’s mostly local talent.

A look round the bygones shop out the back is recommended if only to reminisce.
But our stay was over, 48 hours had passed and we were due back on the cut.
We travelled as far as bridge 14 and stopped. Fitted a couple of wire shelves inside a kitchen cupboard and called it a day.

2nd Dec Sat
On my own today as Vanessa went to Mum’s. Nattered to the lad on the next boat, as you do, and learnt all about the locals, some good and some not so good. He had dealt with the traveller’s lads and wasn’t expecting any more hassle. I could sleep easily tonight.
Today is booked for engine servicing and battery tests. The weather was wonderful, couldn’t have asked for better, the puddles dried to form a skin over an underlying brown jelly. Another day of this and I’ll be able to walk on it again and lose my bandy legs, developed on the gunwales.

3rd Dec Sun
But no, it wasn’t to be. It rained and it blew and it rained some more. In the gaps between showers I tried fixing up an outdoor TV aerial but the picture was worse than before. Missed the first part of Green Berets.
Even the swans got the message and didn’t persist outside the side hatch. Tap, tap, tap and they were off.

4th Dec Mon
Three kingfishers seen messing about. Chasing each other up and down the canal. Surely Spring can’t be far off. And how unusual to see three birds together. Back and forth they whizzed, up into the trees and back down to the water. Not skimming as they usually do, these were doing aerobatics for no reason at all.
Run out of food, run out of clothes, run out of coffee cups but needn’t have worried, Vanessa is back today.
All returned to normal, even the weather improved.
Cleaned the brass, now watch the weather change.