Monday 22nd to Sunday 28th June 2009
At last it feels like summer, but I’ve underestimated the use of the barbeque and we’re down to the dregs, those crumbly bits of charcoal that lie in the bottom of the bag. There’s enough to light one more fire and after that it’s back to the stove.
We’re mostly on our own, each night a couple of boats join us but they’re generally gone in the morning. You can tell we’ve been here longest by the number of flattened weeds along the bank.
We still see boats heading for the Braunston boat festival, if the Leicester Line is anything to go by they must be pouring in from the Oxford and Grand Union Canals. Glad we’re here not there.
Tuesday was earmarked for work. There’s a new shutter lock to install in the stern doors, a job that’s been waiting for three years and I couldn’t put it off any longer. With the door panel removed and all the parts assembled for fitting I had almost run out of excuses when along came Del and Al on Derwent 6. Breathing a sigh of relief I pushed everything aside and joined them on the towpath for a cuppa and news catch-up. Such was the news that I went right through to dinner time without lifting a finger on the lock.
This was our first look-see inside Derwent 6 and well impressed we were too. Amazing attention to detail, hundreds of good layout and storage ideas and a very high quality fit-out, which is a rare find and a credit to the cabinet makers at Fernwood. Six months from launch and she still smells like a new boat and the exterior shines just like it did when she came out of the paint shed. If only there was a way to keep it like that.
I can’t remember how the subject arose but when the time came to part Del donated a refill for our barbeque and we ate out once again on a balmy summer’s evening. Thanks you guys, you saved our bacon (well, actually the chicken).
Wednesday was sunny yet again and we planned to move up to Foxton. The sky was deep blue and cloudless first thing and I couldn’t leave without poking the camera through the porthole.
Reaching Foxton around 1pm we met Mr Ter who was doing a spot of consulting in the vicinity and just happened to be carrying a bag of mail for us. While we sat on the taff rail chatting V worked the locks on the way down to the boat basin. This didn’t go unnoticed by V or the public who, leaning over the lock wall, made the usual comments about who does all the hard work.
I have to say it’s not all fun, I could be suffering from claustrophobia in those deep locks for all you know.
Did my best to cross the centre pond without touching the sides but it wasn’t to be and coming out of the bottom lock we only just missed Vagabond by using the bow thruster, and turned right to Black Horse Bridge in preparation for a Tesco drop tomorrow.
Thursday started grey but things brightened up about the time of our grocery delivery. Being the only boat on the moorings we were surprised to see another one tie-up behind us so close that we could have shared the same rope. Thinking this was unusual V met him and discovered he was hoping to join another boat at the swing bridge. He was a single-hander and not as young or agile as we. The bridge in question was only two minutes away and not the easiest to manage when you’re on your own. Brambles have taken over what must be one of the shortest offside lock landings for a swing bridge. I wouldn’t want to have to attempt it on my own.
But he didn’t need to wait long, while V shoved large packets of food into tiny spaces in the boat I cut the ropes and set off towards the bridge.
While he wandered off to Harbro’ we spun 180 and returned to Foxton before setting off again, this time to Debdale for diesel (55p self declare).
I haven’t thought out the full implications of this but just north of Debdale Wharf there’s a new sign telling us that this is the start of an SSSI area. Apart from cruising in such a way that we don’t chop the rare pondweed with our prop and stopping only in designated mooring areas there’s nothing to spoil our fun. However, this bit of canal is getting like the Harbro’ Arm was four years ago and is in need of weed clearing. Does SSSI mean no dredging?. Perhaps a few quids worth of signage saves thousands of pounds in dredging expenses. Very clever.
We looked for designated mooring places but couldn’t see any. Does anyone know what they look like?
We also looked for a sign to say we were out of the SSSI area but we hadn’t seen one by the time we reached Fleckney. Designated or not we moored anyway. And we cooked pondweed on the BBQ (not really).
Friday was wet and V said we didn’t have to go anywhere if we didn’t want to but I was worried about overstaying in a non-designated mooring area.
I agreed to stay for the weekend so V changed her mind and we went.
Spotted a friendly local blue shirt filling up a low pound and forgot to ask where we could find the north end of the SSSI. Making way again we were caught up by nb.Grumpy Git so we shared locks for the rest of the journey. Knew we’d seen this boat before but it wasn’t until we looked through the magazines that we remembered the article in Canal Boat (Sept 07) describing Paul’s new 54 foot narrowboat.
There was no mention of the dog but you certainly know she’s onboard when you get too close. Woof!
And so to a quiet weekend at Wistow.
I’m about to start dismantling the stern door to fit the new lock when “Hello Balmaha” echos across the water. Looking out who do we find but nb.Windsong with Pip and Roger on the stern.
Fresh from their launch they’re exploring the system in their brand new boat and bumping into bloggers at every turn.
Find a space up the cut and come and have some tea, we said. Jobs were put on hold, the lock was stuck back in its box and we waited, and waited. We guessed what had happened, the only moorings for miles were full and to make matters worse the heavens opened.
Sorry it didn’t happen but we’ll catch up with you another time.
Saturday and Sunday were hot and humid, terrible for working outdoors, but the lock wouldn’t wait and now we are the proud owners of a shutter lock. It’s all about shoving metal rods upwards and downwards through metal door edges into metal door frames. That way no one can jemmy the doors open without making a lot of noise. We had one fitted to the bow doors during boat build but when it came to having one at t’other end we’d run out of time.
But it’s done now.
It’s been a week for spillages. A can of WD40 squirted itself dry under our top step when a windlass rested on it and a bottle of apple juice emptied itself under the side hatch steps. So what with the weather we are very sticky.
Next week we shall more than likely be heading into south Leicester to do shops, see people and celebrate yet another birthday, whoopee.
