A working holiday

Earlier this month we managed to take a week off to undertake a few repairs and improvements to the boat - and to pop out for a couple of trips to the pub, of course.

One of the easiest jobs was to put new covers on the bed together with a couple of cushions. It's amazing what a difference just changing the covers makes. You walk into the cabin and think "Wow"!

The next room to get Brigid's attention was the shower room. Now I do confess that I saw a bright red venetian blind in one of our local shops and immediately thought "Polgara".

That, together with a touch of paint changed the whole feel of the room.

Now, you're probably wondering "What's Laurie been doing while Brigid's been doing all this hard work?"

Well, I was turning my attention to the main cabin.

Now we loved this cabin as soon as we saw it - but look what I did to it!

I wanted to relace two spotlights that were ceiling mounted with two traditional wall lights. But I didn't know where the wiring went or how the walls came apart. I soon found out! As you can see, all the lagging got exposed and I discovered that the wiring was nowhere near where I thought it might be. So, the next task was to take the ceiling apart - even then, things were not as straight forward as they should have been. However, with the assistance of a Swedish fid (used to fiddle wires through behind wall studs) I relocated the lights, tidied up the tongue & groove fixings, changed the curtain rails for rods and put up new curtains. Once again the result was just what we were looking for.

As I've said in earlier blogs, Polgara is old enough that I can dare to take her apart and put her back together without worrying too much about getting it wrong. I know that if she were a 'new build' I wouldn't dare spoil the new woodwork by ripping the walls apart. I'd be too worried about scrapes and scratches to even point a screwdriver or pair of pincers at them.

I love my boat - we love our boat - luckily she found us last year just at the time we were looking for her. A partnership made in canal heaven!

The Dreaded Boat Safety Certificate

Now what is there to be afraid of where a Boat Safety Certificate is concerned?

Well, everything, particularly when you think the boat is most likely to fail. After all, when we bought the boat our surveyor gave dire warning about all the faults found and as to work that HAD to be done in order not to FAIL the BSC examination.

What should I do? Should I have the fire extinguishers overhauled first - or should I remove the wiring from the engine room that was running alongside the copper piping - or should I install wooden clamps on all the batteries - or - why not call in the local inspector a month or two before the deadline date and get him to tell me what needed to be done?

Chris arrived on the duly appointed day and I freely confess that we spent an enjoyable, stress free time together turning the boat upside down. We checked gas pipes, water pipes, fuel pipes, exhaust pipes, gas alarms, fire extinguishers, fire blankets, ventilation - it felt as if we checked everything, even the kitchen sink. Mind you, that was only when washing up the coffee cups. And the result? A request to rectify some minor points, arrange a quick re-check and all would be OK. Whew!

One thing I had to do was to lag the exhaust pipe on the generator. Now, the exaust pipe is tucked neatly out of harms way under the rear deck and the only way to reach it is by crawling under the counter and grabbing hold of it. Also, when the generator's running the sound is deafening and the last place you would want to be is under the counter trying to grab hold of the exhaust pipe. Still, I had fun doing the job and I think it looks great.

Another area that did cause concern was that there was no access to the fuel cut off for the generator. Luckily Polgara is old enough that I set to work with saw, sander, glue and hammer to make a proper door with mahogany decorative edging. Once again I had fun - and that's what owning Polgara's all about.

Our epic voyage

During our thirty-six years of marriage Brigid and I have enjoyed sailing on the river Blackwater having owned a Winklebrig, a Leisure 17 and spent many holidays on hired narrowboats. We have always thought of owning our own narrowboat but, only when we retired and had time to enjoy it to the full. Also, I had convinced Brigid that it would be sensible to hire a boat for a month or two each year and let someone else worry about blacking, servicing, painting, etc.
So, imagine my surprise when, within a month of this year’s holiday on Holly, a Middlewich boat, we were driving some 195 miles from Chelmsford to Barbridge to look at a boat, recently reduced in price to encourage a quick sale. That same day we booked a berth at Pilling’s Lock Marina in Quorn, Leicestershire, knowing that we had fallen in love with Polgara and that, one way or another, we were going to buy her. Within a week the deposit was paid, a surveyor instructed, haulout arranged and nails bitten to the quick.

What were we doing? All around us the money markets were crashing and here were we trying to spend most of our savings on a narrowboat!

So far, we hadn’t had a chance to take her out for a ‘test drive’ so we asked the vendors if we could stay on her overnight and deliver her to Swanley Bridge Marina for her survey. A fortnight after having first seen her, here we are navigating Polgara along the Llangollen canal enjoying the sunshine and experiencing what would eventually be our retirement dream.

The survey confirmed all that we had seen – an older boat that needed a touch of TLC – but a boat with a sound hull – also, the bit that I loved, a two cylinder Deutz air-cooled 26hp engine. It might not be a Gardener but it sounds just like one!
Exactly one month after seeing her, Polgara is ours, lock, stock and barrel. Wow! Now comes the exciting part. We have a six day window in which to move her from Barbridge to Quorn, a distance of 114 miles and 72 locks, before the winter stoppages take effect and everything shuts down for maintenance.

We set off for Pilling’s Lock early on the Monday taking two cars so that one can be left at the finish point and the other, loaded up with provisions, tools and bedding, can take us to Barbridge, the starting point, and be left there for collection at the end of the week. Everything is going well, it’s a sunny day and we’re off to fulfil our dream – that is until we get to Cambridge services. In the nearside mirror I see Brigid pulling over to turn into the service area so I pull over as well and look for somewhere to stop. Trust us to pick the busiest day of the week with nowhere to park except the diesel filling area. What’s the problem? Toilet? Drink? No! The exhaust has fallen off! An hour or so later our friendly AA man arrives, tells us not to worry and that he can fit a spreader to get us on our way. Which he does. Off to Pilling’s – again.

When we arrive at the marina we discuss the route we intend taking only to be told that the Trent & Mersey is blocked at bridge 20 where an agricultural trailer has landed in the canal. No worry, they say, take the southern route – it will only take an extra three days. The only problem is that we don’t have an extra three days, we only have a six day window and no more time. A few phone calls later and we learn that the canal has just been cleared and we are on track again. Except that we are now four hours behind schedule and instead of picking up the boat at four in the afternoon we arrive at eight at night. The handover is made in pitch darkness. We offload the car and get as much stowed as possible before setting off to the pub for supper – which they stopped serving half hour before we got there! Well, at least we now know that the oven works.

Tuesday morning we wake at seven only to find that Brigid has a blinding headache. We have breakfast, take painkillers, check the engine, oil, water, chemical toilet, stoke the fire and, at nine, an hour later than planned, set off. At about 12:30 we arrive at Audlem bottom lock, good going so far, that is, until it starts to snow. Snow!? In October!? Three hours later we are at Audlem top lock having paused only to take on water. The snow has settled and there is a layer of some 2cm over the boat, the lock gates, the banks, everywhere. Not exactly the start we anticipated.

Over the next four days we travel nine hours a day without stopping for lunch but keeping a wary eye and ear on the engine, waiting for a change in the beat or a hiccup to show that all is not well. But, no, she keeps going purposefully and steadily getting us through to where we need to go, until it starts to rain – heavily.

Rain!? As we leave Shardlow on day five we pass traffic lights indicating flooding on the River Soar. Flooding!? What now? Surely not! Who do you phone? Where’s the water equivalent of a policeman when you need one? Hesitantly we go on until we happen on Sawley Marina where we thankfully settle on a visitor’s mooring. What do we do next? How do we get our cars back? How do we get Polgara to her new home? How do we get home?

Luckily we are now members of the Pilling’s Lock Marina community. We give them a call and John, after having established that the boat is safely moored, offers to come and collect us so that we can recover our cars and get back home.
After waiting three days for the river to open, we make yet another round trip of some 260 miles and get Polgara to her final home.

What a voyage! Nothing went wrong that we expected could go wrong, but, as for everything else! What a baptism of fire for our new boat. Mind you, we are really looking forward to our next visit to Polgara. At least we know that in six days of some of the worst weather we could have had she looked after us and got us home in the end. Let’s hope that eventual retirement isn’t always that unpredictable. Watch this space.

Laurie Main

Holiday Surprise

Imagine my surprise when, within a month of this year’s holiday on Holly, a Middlewich boat, we were driving some 195 miles from Chelmsford to Barbridge to look at a boat, recently reduced in price to encourage a quick sale.

Our new boat

Exactly one month after seeing her, Polgara is ours, lock, stock and barrel.