We're back on the water

Well, here we are again, back on Polgara with the gas locker having been repaired and the water tank repainted. Also, the water filler point has been moved to the outside of the boat.

Looks good, doesn't it? Now, when the water overflows, it just goes into the canal and not into the boat. The only problem is that nobody can see what's been done. I want to put a notice telling everyone what's been going on below the water line!

Out for supper tonight: smokey beef and pancetta lasagne for Brigid and crayfish languine for me.

And look how happy we are.

So, a night in the marina and then off again tomorrow.

There's a hole in my bucket

An early start today getting ready for Lee and Dale of Candle Bridge Fabrication to pick up the boat for the repair to the water pipe.

And there she goes.

Turning into Braunston Marina.

And going along to the workshop.

Now then, what to do for two hours while they work their magic.

Well, first a walk up to the butchers to get a joint for the weekend and then a walk round the supermarket while it rained. When it started sleeting again we sheltered under the pub awning and got a call from Lee. They had started the work and all was going well until they found that there wasn't any metal at the front of the gas locker. Whoops. Did we want to take a look and see what needed to be done?

Minds in a whirl, we still had time to chat to a baby robin on the way back. 

Had a good look at the hole but the problem is that there is nothing to weld anything to. Recommendation: remove existing floor and replace. They will also clean out the water tank, repaint and fit a new filler pipe on the outside of the boat so that any overspill goes into the canal and not the gas locker. 

So, we have emptied the boat and have come back home. Hopefully the work will be completed in a fortnight and we can then finish our time away. Also, it might be a bit warmer by then! 

Ta-ta for now - hope to be back again soon. 

Baby it's cold outside

Well, the weather forecast indicated 61% chance of rain.

Dead ahead the 61% and 90° to the left....

the 49%. I know which one I prefer. However, we got the 62% with the added bonus of a bit of hail again.

While the rain wasn't raining the captain took the helm. She does like to be in charge!

We pootled along taking time to charge the batteries as we only have a short way to go to get to Braunston for tomorrow's welding appointment.

We stopped off at Midland Chandlers again for some odds and bobs and then picked up a mooring about 100 yards from the repair shop, all ready for an early morning start.

Looks nice, doesn't it? But I can tell you it's freezing cold outside in the wind. We think it's the worst week of weather for this time of year since we got the boat. Come on, it's May and we've had the fire alight every night. So, we've tackled some jobs inside ww2today, a bit of knitting (not by me!), maintenance to the stove (not by Brigid!), a bit of reading and keeping warm.

Late afternoon and a family of swans dropped in for tea.

That's all for now. Lamb chops for supper. Luverly jubbly. 

Hail the sun

Sorry, title should be 'Hail then sun.'

It's been a funny day today, weatherwise. Overcast first, a bit of sun, then rain, overcast again, then hail followed by a calm sunny evening.

Cleared Hillmorton Locks in good time with a volunteer lock keeper helping much of the time. Then past Wharf Farm by Tarry's Bridge.

Here’s a touch of the overcast lowering clouds that give you a good soaking every now and then.

At the entrance to Barby Marina there are three alpaca keeping the grass down. This length of canal is almost dead straight for over a mile with the welcoming view of the M45 creeping slowly towards you. At least, that's how it feels.

Once again we have stopped relatively early to, once again, sit out the rain - and hail! Now that was not forecast.

Yet, a few hours later, lovely sunshine, hardly any wind and the sweet sound of birds singing in the trees.

I must say that the birdsong is wonderful at this time of year. Even at 4 o'clock the other morning when Brigid unwillingly marvelled at the calls before crawling back into bed for a few more hours of sleep. 

Wet, wet, wet.

Sorry, but no post yesterday for two very good reasons: 

1) it rained all day; and

2) when we stopped for the night we had no Internet.

A window into our day.

We managed to get past Rugby and stopped short of Hillmorton locks. Didn't fancy tackling them in the rain. And, boy, did it rain. We battened down the hatches, lit the stove and hibernated. 

Line of Duty or line of sight?

Sunday morning started well with egg and bacon on toast. Then on to the water point, fill up and off we go. 

Even though it was Sunday morning, there were two C&RT men struggling away trying to get a section of tree trunk out of the water. As we left I think they calling up reinforcements. C&RT get a lot of criticism but, so far, we have been impressed with all the work we have seen being done. 

Just approaching the turn under the bridge to get on to the Oxford canal.

Safely through and now coming into the stop lock.

And out the other side.

Sadly, not all boating ventures end up that well. Don't know what happened here but it wasn't there when we came up. Let's hope no-one was hurt.

There have been many warnings about gas cylinders and petrol cans on boats. We are always careful to turn off the gas at night to be on the safe side. 

Right then, who remembers the Muppet show where the announcer says something and all the characters look up and down to see where the voice was coming from? Well, we had a similar experience ourselves. We were waiting for a boat to come through a bridge and we could hear a very loud conversation but we couldn't see anyone nearby. Until, that is, we looked up. 

Two engineers working on the overhead cables.

And this is our view for this evening at Brinklow. We have stopped reasonably early so that we can have a roast supper and watch Line of Duty, the final in the series.

Aerial aligned (line of sight OK), batteries charged - will we finally find out who is H? All will be revealed! 

Goodbye Coventry

Went into Coventry to pop round M&S and we were stunned by the queue for Primark.

And this is only half of it.

Opposite is Holy Trinity Church.

That's enough sightseeing for one day so back to look round the canal basin.

This is the old weighbridge office and here's James Brindley planning his next canal system.

In the background you can see our boat.

There, a better picture with the winch crane to the right.

It's a pretty tight fit getting in and out of the basin and in the old days, the basin would be emptied of boats at night and a stop plank put across this entrance. 

Proud mum and dad with their new family. If you enlarge the picture you will see one of the babies nestling on the back of mother swan. 

Dotted along the canal are sculptural items, this one being in the form of a settee.

We've arrived back at Hawkesbury Junction and will stay here overnight. Still needing to light the fire overnight but at least it keeps us nice and warm.