Batteries and battling wind and rain

The oil filters arrived earlier at Kings Orchard Marina than the courier's text indicated - excellent service. So I decided that I would do the oil change then.

5 new Lister Petter filters - one had already been removed ready to install.

The engine bay without 17 litres of oil and antifreeze in it, no rubbish and no water - well done, that man!

 

But, in my fear of the engine getting too hot for me to be standing in close contact with, I didn't leave it on long enough to heat the oil so it was runny enough to be pumped out in the new pela pump. I tried and it dribbled thickly into the bowl of the pump and I was hot, bent over with an increasingly sore back down in the engine bay. So David took over at my request. It was too thick and gluggy for him too. So at a litre pumped out, we abandoned the oil change, I poured back into the engine what we had struggled to remove, and we arranged to stay another night, then cruise away very early to beat the rain and be in a good place to rendezvous with the Jameisons.

So we unhooked the electric and David paid at the office so we could sneak out at 6am before the weather turned pants.

Rain was due to be heavy-ish from about 8am, so my plan was to be moored at Fradley by then. But no...

Early out of bed, the quietest preparations for leaving as there was an occupied boat moored right next to us. Pram cover down, buffers up, jackets, hats, scarf, gloves, windlass all ready, tiller attached. Turn the key to start the engine and there was a most pathetic sound - not of an engine turning over, but a sort of a whine.

I couldn't even swear out loud ...

David immediately diagnosed battery problems and checked the charge - it was down at 11.something. Bad news. Very bad news.

So a WhatsApp message to Ian who was awake, and a bit of a discussion. David plugged the electric back in to see if that would bring the charge up enough to start the engine, and we had a cooked breakfast (baked beans and a fried egg on sourdough toast) while we waited for the marina office to open to see if they sold a suitable battery - at 11.something, it was not coming back to life on any kind of permanent basis!

Their batteries were lead acid, not suitable for being left for 7 months of a year unchecked, and we couldn't stay on in the marina as they had hirers returning boats and filling the place up.

So, given the electricity had charged the battery enough to start the engine, we did so and moved out - no turning the engine off till we had reached a meeting place with the Jameisons so we could deploy Ian's charger cables for the next start - until we could purchase a replacement battery.

However, just along from Kings Orchard Marina is Streethay Wharf. So we called in - yes they did have the right battery! Yay! Did we require left or right facing. David went down to check and came back not sure, I went down to check, and came back with my verdict. David didn't believe me, so I went back to take a photo. Why didn't he appear to believe that either? Still, we bought the one that matched the photo (right facing). 

Right facing, i.e. red terminal on the right. No maker's label facing forward. No worries.

 

It was raining, so I suggested that he stay inside so I could reduce my grump (at publicly not being believed) without spitting fire and so he could keep dry - although the rain and my fire would have cancelled each other out, n'est ce pas? As I steered I wondered what had caused David to demur about matching what we were replacing with what we bought. I worked out that it was not the orientation, but what label was facing outwards. I asked, and he said yes that was it. He thought the instructions should be visible and on both the one we had and the new one, the label was at the rear.

Bah humbug! Couldn't he have just said that at the time? AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

So battery purchased, we boated on in the wind and rain - I am so brave and stoic. I am sure you have noticed.

A few boaters out but not many - others are not so stoic. Or maybe they are not so stupid?

We had decided that we would aim for a mooring at least after the second lock (Shadehouse) above Fradley Junction, and there was a space. It wasn't quite long enough, so while David and a couple of guys from a boat that had preceded us up the locks held Waka Huia, I bravely went and knocked on the window of the boat behind and asked if I could move them forward a bit - it was raining, and I didn't expect them to do it. The man was very happy to oblige - either he had left a boat sized gap behind him or a shorter boat had departed. He is South African and he did note that there was a rugby match on the next morning between the Springboks and the All Blacks and wondered if it wa ssafe for us to be moored up next to each other ...

Once moored up, pram cover up and wet clothes removed, I showered to warm up and then we blobbed for the day. The coats were hung up in the pram cover but mine was so wet and there was very little warmth that it pretty much hadn't even stopped dripping overnight!

Five crowns - I lost by 1 point!!

You may be aware that David is a soup fan, and he loves lentil soup. The contents of this can were a hit so the container needed to be photographed so its purchase can be replicated ...

Ian and Irene texted at about 7.30 the following morning, telling us they were in Common Lock and on their way to Fradley Junction. We got out of bed and dressed and went down to meet them at the services area - we arrived as they were emptying their 20 full toilet cassettes - OK, I exaggerate, it was 3. 

So lovely to see them! Hugs all round even though they had cassettes in hand...

I got on board with Irene, and David and Ian did the locks. We hovered below Shadehouse Lock and the boat owner whose permanent mooring has no gap between it and the lock landing was walking back down to the services with his water barrel. We had chatted with him at the services area and he was chirpy then. But when we spoke to him while on the water, about two boat lengths away from his boat and in the middle of the channel, he declared that Irene should moor up on the landing. We told him we were happy to hover and Irene noted she'd been boating for over 30 years. He said he'd been boating since the 1950s (he must be much older than he looked unless he was a baby when he did his first lock) and we could hold against his boat as long as we tied on. No, we're happy to hover, said Irene. Well, it's you experienced boaters who are the worst at banging into my boat, sez he. Bloody cheek! I noted that we were at least two boats away and in the middle so he was safe.

Question: if Ian had been at the helm, would he have made those comments? Somehow I doubt it. And would a man have responded without telling him to rearrange two words? Probably not.

Once we had come up inside the lock, I got off and headed to find out if there was a mooring spot for I&I near us. Yes!! And my task was to prepare cheese scones so Ian could be sustained after sorting the battery installation with David.  But as I walked past the South African boat I heard shouting. Surely they are not having an argument, I thought. Then I looked at my watch - ah, the rugby was on. So I rapped on the window and asked how it was going. The ABs were up 20 - 0 and had scored 15 points before the Springboks arrived at the grounds, apparently...

Battery installed and tested, and yes, the engine started happily. Yay.

And the ABs won convincingly - Richard, the SA man, kindly came over to give us updates.

Irene declared that we should move on - it was going to be windy, but she declared we would be fine. So off both boats moved - and at that very instant the rain started - I'd hardly got my coat dry enough from the previous day's deluge and here I was getting wet again.

And the one who said we would be fine is the woman who declares she doesn't boat in the rain - bollocks, she doesn't boat in the rain!

Lovely woods that we boated through.

So very different from New Zealand bush - open, little undergrowth, easy to walk through.

To be fair, it didn't rain the whole time we boated to Handsacre and it wasn't raining when we moored up. 

We did the oil change as a team - David pumped the very warm oil out; I changed the oil filter and filled with the new oil. The pela pump is a boon!

But boy did the rain hammer down that afternoon and evening.

• Cards: Quiddler
• Nibbles: cheese, hummus and crackers
• Cards: 5 Crowns
• Dinner: Roast vegetable Thai green curry (Donna Hay recipe originally with chicken, but roast veg are great)
• Cards: 5 Crowns again I think
• And then an early night.

 

Quiddler - a very close game for Ian, David and me. Not so close for Irene... But a huge amount of hilarity...

Nibbles about the be served in our saloon. Mel is keen but Irene wasn't sharing!

 

Off to Rugeley the next morning to just do a supermarket shop. However the weather was pants and so we stayed overnight. Cards, dinner, cards, dessert, cards, and an early night.

This morning we left Rugeley about 9am. 

A view of Free Spirit that is not often seen - Ian was steering while Irene sorted some stuff in the galley - I think it was to do with dinner.

I got David to take this for our friend Leith who has a mannequin in his front garden that he dresses differently for the interest of passersby.

People are very creative about how they use their canal frontages - my hunch is they let loose much more towards the canal than to the street. Probably a more appreciative audience for the wacky on the canal.

Ready, ladies? Love the clothes!

 

It was very bad timing leaving at 9am - we got stuck behind two of the slowest boats I've ever followed and the trip from Rugeley to Great Haywood took 3.75 hours instead of a more standard 2.5-ish... Painful stuff.

We passed this boat near Shugborough Hall. I took the photo for Kurt and Charlotte's son, Ollie.

 

Above the Haywood lock, we stopped for cake (Irene's - coffee and walnut: very yummy) and cheese scones (who made them?) and tea and coffee. I'd not had breakfast and we all needed the stress relief of a food break.

David and I went on ahead because Ian and Irene had to stop at Anglo Welsh at Gt Haywood to get oil. We found a lovely place to moor not far from Weston Upon Trent. and waited for the Jameisons to arrive.

The chairs and tables came out and the remainder of the cake was consumed. Well, it did have to be or it would have gone off, or Irene would have thought we didn't like it. Couldn't have that!

Dinner onboard Free Spirit tonight. A lovely vegan sausage and cabbage bake with roast potatoes, carrots and broccoli. Dessert was Irene's delicious homemade cheese cake. There is a second one in our fridge - I think we may accidentally eat it for breakfast while we are cruising tomorrow and Irene can't stop us...

We played a new to us game tonight: Mexican Train. It's a dominoes game and it's fun. We are going to buy it and get it delivered to Marta for them to bring down in early August.

Time for sleep now - David and I couldn't cope with this morning's snail's pace, so we are going to head away early. Fingers crossed the new battery continues to do its thing!

The days blend into each other...

 ...especially when there is sun, rain, sometimes thunder and lightning and then strong wind each day. Yesterday was distinguishable by the strong wind - not easy or relaxing steering. In part because you have to pass moored boats at a bit more than tickover and that feels wrong!

The day before, we left the middle of nowhere, by Grendon, after an afternoon of sun, rain (and thunder, I think), a night of rain (the pramcover was wet when I took it down. Once again we left early - it is the nicest time to boat, even though Irene and Ian almost never do (is there a causal link there, I ask?).

We were planning on mooring up beside the nature reserve just before Fazeley Jct, Ian and Irene's preferred place. However, like the rebel I am and because the offside is not so pleasant there by the nature reserve, I wanted to go on to the moorings just past the junction. I am not sure why, except that we had enjoyed being there the last time (2019, I think, with Marta and the boys arriving by train late at night). And I thought it was closer to the shopping centre - wrong ...

The light rain started a few minutes before we got to Fazeley, stopped and then restarted as we finished putting up the pramcover. David was keen to head to the bank, but when I showed him the app said it would start raining in 10 minutes and cease in 38 minutes, his boffin's need for observation and proof kicked in; so we checked the time and played cards in the dry while the rain fell outside and wet boaters came past...

My first hand in that game of 5 Crowns

And David's.

Final score after 13 hands: Marilyn 31 and David 62. Poor guy got a massive rockcrusher of 48 unwanted points on round 12, and even though I got 21 on the 13th hand, he lost convincingly! Yay!!

Rain stopped on time - how do these meteorologists predict this so accurately, dammit? And we got ready to head away. It was to be a half hour walk, and while I trust the meteorologists, I am also aware that the rain doesn't always accept their view. So coats went in the shopping trolleys too.

The HSBC is near Ankerside, a 1970s (?) shopping centre that is built behind the most amazing brick castle with wonderful colourful gardens.

Isn't that cool?

I really like the close order planting and the colour combinations.

And right across from the HSBC is one of those amazing and mostly British little hardware shops that have thousands of stocklines which the proprietors know - where they are located in store and whether they have them. Heaven for people like David and me.

So we bought:

• a small bucket
• a brass door lock for the stern doors
• some M6 bolts to stand in for the bolt for the pramcover that I dropped overboard the afternoon before (cold hands can't hold well)
• a multibox (trailing socket to the English)
• some cable ties - cable ties to boaters are a bit like flour to a cook, or pens and pencils to a teacher - you can never have too many

Just outside the hardware shop and in front of the Exchange building (these can be seen in may English towns) is a statue of Sir Robert Peel.He was the MP for this area and also the man who started the original police force in England - hence they were known as peelers. Read your Georgette Heyer, if you don't believe me...

David wanted to get a couple of spare keys cut - the day before he's spent a pleasurable (to him) couple of hours sorting the various keys on the boat - he has history in this pursuit: back before we shifted out of Rata St he spent AGES (and I mean hours and hours) sorting out keys when there was packing to be done. The man has no concept of critical path, even though I have tried many times to explain it and its importance . His critical path is the one his brain meanders along and gets caught exploring its byways and dead ends and rabbit holes. Good thing he's not a conspiracy theorist, eh!?

So we found where Timson's used to be and found the notice that said they had shifted to outside Asda. I am not an Asda fan at all - they are part of the Walmart brand, and  Walmart has hideous employment practices, is owned by 5 billionaires and rorts its staff in terms of zero hours contracts, low pay, and increasing the number of self checkouts to lower staff numbers. The same seemed to be true in Asda in Tamworth - about 10 self checkouts with one staff member and only a couple of staff-operated checkouts. We only went in so David could use the toilet ...

But on our way there, we had walked through the lovely park beside Ankerside, and over the road to Ventura shopping centre where all the big brands were.

A young couple hailed us to ask if we were locals. Nope, but why did they ask. 

Well, the 20 minutes or so that followed were hugely interesting: Rebel and Kol run a company that specialises in producing interactive historical experiences for people. Not the Warwick Castle dungeon kind of thing where the operators are dressed up and you are entertained by them, albeit with some interaction.

Omenstar experiences are completely experiential - participants are all involved in the role play rather than observing from the outside, or reading. One that they have done recently (or are they about to create it?) is the Blitz in London during WWII. I that that was a 4 or 5 hour experience - I am not sure I could have coped, tbh  - I struggle with my overactive imagination enough when reading about it, or when watching Foyle's War episodes. But amazing stuff.

What they were looking for on Tuesday were people who were local and old enough to remember Tamworth in the 1950s. We qualified on age grounds but not on the residence condition. They noted that where the Ventura shopping centre is now was empty land. Our guess was flood plain as there are two intersecting rivers and quite high stop banks... Now, there's a shopping centre, roads, houses. 

Meeting Kol and Rebel was a highlight of the day! We are so lucky to be living this life and meeting such interesting people.

Rebel and Kol in the Ventura Shopping Centre - which once was flood plain...

If you want to see more about them, check this link out. They describe it much more clearly than I have. And their profile photos are much more dramatic!

We had tarried a bit long though - the black clouds were approaching and they were very huge and very black, and in the distance I could see that they were letting the rain out... So we hurried back up the road towards the towpath, but we did get caught in the rain! I wasn't worried about getting wet, but I did not want to be outside during thunder and lightning - I am so tall, I would be the obvious choice for the lightning strike ...

On went the coats and we continued to scurry. Once on the towpath, I did stop to rap on the window of a boat whose occupants were unaware their back doors were open and letting the outside in. Back to Waka Huia, coats and shoes off in the pramcover, and inside to the warm and dry. Lovely! Having a pramcover and cratch cover makes such a difference in the poor weather!

At Tamworth - blue sky and black clouds ...

Yesterday, we needed some shopping that I had eschewed purchasing at Asda (principles, you know), and also not got at M&S Food next door (I was hungry and had been distracted by the mushroom pies and the cauliflower, broccoli cheese pies and the desserts...). So I headed off to the Tesco Express, having first walked to Fazeley Mill Marina to see if they had the oil filter we needed. I had tried to call them but the line was engaged so I walked there. No joy. Nice walk though.

The Tesco Express was more of a corner shop (dairy in NZ), so not all things stocked. But no worries - toilet paper was available ... On my way back to the boat, I called Streethay Boat Yard to ask if they stocked the oil filters but no. So I called David and asked him to get the boat ready for the off. This critical path work, and parallel processing - these are not concepts David recognises...

We are aware we are a bit overdue for an oil change - on this Lister Petter it's meant to be done every 100 hours, and the last one was done by Debdale before we got back to the UK and I know we have had the engine running a fair bit longer than that - not only when we are moving but when we've been heating water. I am noticing the engine is running rough, and I remember that that disappears when the engine oil is changed.

So I took Streethay's advice to contact Primrose Engineering who are the Lister specialists. Yes, they did have the oil filter I required. So there followed a series of calls as I was steering the boat from just out of Tamworth:

• getting the oil filters delivered (we ordered 6 so we have enough for this season and at least one spare for next year) requires a delivery address, so we had to find a place we could use.
  
• a marina is the easiest to arrange when we don't know what's around. So I called Kings Orchard Marina - the person had to check the marina map that they had room for us (we think it's a bit cheeky to ask them to be our delivery address and not pay to stay) and call me back: she would do it immediately.
• She didn't call in my definition of an "immediately" timeframe (15 minutes), so I called her again - yes, they had a space and she gave me instructions on which jetty and how to find it. So I had to get their address and postcode - not easy to hold the phone, the tiller and a pen and write on a piece of cardboard that needed to be held down too ... So we pulled over after Hopwas and before Hopwas Woods (nice moorings), David tied the middle rope and I could make the arrangements without putting us, the boat, moored boats, passing boats or the canal sides (onside and offside) at further risk. 
• then I called Primrose Engineering back and arranged the payment, the delivery address and the delivery timeframe (next day, please).

Phew! That's a relief to have that sorted - I don't remember FRAM oil filters being so scarce in the past.

So onwards to Kings Orchard Marina, through Hopwas Woods, during which part of the trip I called and spoke to Ian and Irene and updated them, gave Irene a hard time (well, she loves it, it cracks Ian up, made their daughter laugh, and I consider it my civic and friend duty to oblige on all those counts).

It was a beautiful cruise through the woods - no wind, the canal is deep so there's no debris knocking on the hull.

Then out the other side through farm land with very high weeds on the towpath and reeds extending almost right across the canal in a couple of places. Two very large farms there with three and two bridges respectively (Tamhorn and Hademore - I don't think they wanted boaters mooring nearby ...)

And the rain came down and the wind blew. As we approached the marina entrance (narrow as a narrow lock), I suddenly felt very hot (stress) and the rain had stopped so my coat came off in a hurry. Into the marina (I did manage it without hitting the sides), and then it's always a trick to find the numbers for the jetties. The people who tell you have the marina in front of them and have the local knowledge - and as is often the case, the numbers are small, on the electricity stands at the wharf end of the jetties - good thing David had the binoculars deployed! I shouted to a boater asking where 12 was and he pointed a few jetties down, then came running along the wharf and on to the right one, signalling which side I needed to be on, ready to take a rope if needed.

It was hilarious even at the time - the wind was really strong, and turned the boat sideways with the bow pointing where we needed to go - my job was to go hard in forward at the right moment to get in the gap. And then stop before destroying the wharf ...

Sometimes the wind is your friend... But I would not have been saying so, if I'd missed the opening, that's for sure!

One advantage of staying here is we can get all the washing done with no worries about where the next water is (at the end of the jetty) and not worrying about the batteries because we are on power.

And last night I had a call from our friend Judy in NZ. So lovely to talk with her.

At 10pm there was no wind and it was still twilight.

The ducks were still up ...

 And this morning:

When he got up to put washing on and to make a cup of tea (my first of 5 so far today and it's 11.30am), David was struck by the early morning light on the marina. I think the ducks were still asleep though!

 

Lovely

This morning, David put washing on before 6am and he'd done another load since. A pretty blobby day while we wait for the oil filters to arrive - due between 2.51 and 3.51pm - howzat for precision!

However, blobby is as blobby does - I am going to send David out to wash the roof shortly because he's said he would do it and hasn't yet. It needs to be done before we meet up with Ian and Irene and that is likely to be tomorrow! His procrastination has reached its outer limits...

As I edited this post prior to uploading it, David is out washing the roof. He left one mushroom vent too open - I was standing under it when he hosed. And he hosed viciously at the pigeon box, knowing from the heavy rainfall the other day that it is not fully sealed - and where was I? Sitting under it ... I am sure it's deliberate, dammit!!

I sent this to Olek last night - he was travelling on the National Express bus from Luton to Oxford after a flight back from Bulgaria, visiting his dad. I thought he might need cheering up. A weak joke, but funny all the same.

Atherstone and then in the middle of nowhere

 Yesterday we fetched up in Atherstone, after a cruise early in the day from just around the corner from Hartshill Boat Yard - the day before we had moored near the quarry and could briefly hear machinery before they stopped work. Nice cruise, lovely part of the canal, I think. Lots of bendy bits, lots of straight bits and some good views. 

One thing I did notice was a huge workshop with enormous amounts of machinery in it and moored up alongside it over quite a substantial length of canal - it was Rothens workshop. Looking at the signage on the tugs and barges and cranes and dredges, Rothens is a company contracted to CRT to do canal maintenance.

Looking at the shiny state of their machinery, I cynically commented to David:

• their machinery is too clean to be doing much work
• so that's where the licence fees are being spent - on the establishment of a company to outsource maintenance to.

So let's not complain about the cost of a change of signage and interp from BWB to CRT. Let's focus on how much Rothens are being paid in their maintenance contract, what's included in the Service Level Agreements and what's not, and how much of it is actually being done and what is the cost per metre of canal. And is it more cost effective than when CRT/BWB did it themselves with their own equipment?

And the same goes for the lawn mowing and strimming of the towpath which are also now contracted out.

I'd be really interested to know how much the costs for both those sets of works have increased (taking inflation and wage increases into account) since the outsourcing. 

From my experience in both corporates and government organisations, outsourcing is never cheaper. It is almost always a way to 

• cut staff, 
• change from having CAPEX items (equipment etc) to OPEX (the contract cost) because OPEX is easier to get because it doesn't go on the Asset Register and require depreciation or impact the bottom line ...and 
• shift costs from one budget line to another to make financial reports look better. 
• remove the costs of employing staff... 

 Of course, I've not seen any of those things actually achieved, apart from the CAPEX/OPEX swap and budget lines. When a firm takes on a contract as a service provider, they build the costs of employing people into their contract, PLUS a profit margin, and a contingency for risk. And they are always lookinmg for the items that are not included in the Service Level Agreements because they bring in additional income. And all of that equals no cost savings ...

Rant over, apart from saying I'd like to see more strimming done on the towpath so that there is more accessibility for walkers, cyclists and boaters. And let's not get trapped in the argument about providing habitat for wildlife - there is a balance achievable that would meet the need of all parties, including the insects, birds, voles, fish as well as people. My concern re the rampant growth on the towpath - particularly bad on the Oxford - is that some of the plants, if left, will become shrubs and trees and will, as they grow, damage the sides of the canal/blow over in the winter storms and block the canal - and end up costing more in remediation than trimming to a reasonable level on a regular basis.

OK, so my rant wasn't over ...

In Atherstone, we managed to get a mooring in between the last two bridges before the top lock - lovely, open, good sun, and even though the batteries weren't up to 100% because we had done some washing on the way, the solars did a great job of filling them up.

We headed off to the Coop - we remembered sort of where it was from our last trip. I was surprised to see there is an Aldi there too now plus a second Coop, if the teenager I asked was correct.

It's a nice Coop in the north end of town, and we asked a staff member if they sold coat hangers. No she said, but try the charity shops. Yes there were one or two open even though it's Sunday, she told us.

So off we went. And before we found a charity shop, we found the Turkish barbers. I bravely asked if they could cut my hair. Yes, because it's short. So we both had a haircut.

My turn - the young man had hardly any English but was most obliging and a good cutter.

David's first professional cut for many years - I usually do it, but this man did a far better job!

Stylish!!

Then we found it was cash only and we had none. We clearly look trustworthy because we had to go back to the boat to get cash and they didn't object at all.

I scored 4 coathangers at the Air Ambulance Charity Shop, and we went back to collect cash. Cash in hand (pocket) we headed towards the bridge and I noticed a teenaged boy and girl - he was squirting water at her from his drink bottle. I asked him if I could have the bottle - and because he was so surprised I think, he just gave it to me. 😮 I handed it to her and said "Now it's your turn - get him.' 😉😊😝😄

We had boated early because the forecast was for heavy rain in the afternoon - and it sure pelted down! Thunder, lightning, big fat drops of rain. Lovely to be in a warm dry boat!

 

Big rain drops!

The pram cover is an absolute boon! I was trying for a photo to show the rain on the canal surface but when I look at this photo I am just so impressed with the shelter we get from the pram cover!

And forward view from that fab pc...

 I prepared three loaves of sourdough throughout yesterday, having left the starter to do its thing up in the pramcover the night before. And because I wanted to get the bread baked before I went to bed, I stayed up till about 10pm  - very late for me. When I had finished ACP asked if there was a slice of fresh bread going. Nope!

There were eleven locks to do today, so I was first up, even before I had a cup of tea! I got the washing machine filled, 2 loaves of bread into the freezer, the pramcover down, fenders up and ropes untied while David was doing other manly chores. We moved off at 6.15 and it was immediately time to deal to the locks. As I approached in the boat, I noticed that the forward paddles were still partially up - from last night! Doh!! (We had seen the last boat go through that didn't wind, so we knew which one to look out for.)

That was the case on the first two locks, and in the first pound the water level was down about 18 inches below the 'high tide' mark. It was a bit lower in the second pound but not so extreme.

By the third lock they had worked out that they had made a mistake but didn't go back to sort it for the first two - oops.

I had been looking for the hire company to let them know their hirers needed better training, and couldn't find them on Facebook and their company offices are in Spain ... The 0800 number is not staffed at 6.30am for some reason!

But while I was looking for them, I found our friend Robert so sent him a friend request. Then I sent him photos of where we were and of David working.

I called him to get him to turn around so I could take a photo for Robert. He's walking although it does look like he's sitting on the lock arm.

Hydrangeas at Bridge 43, leaving Lock 5

He is letting me out ...

We caught up with the hirers where they were still moored this morning and I went back to chat with them. They were apologetic and very friendly. They asked for top tips, so I gave them a few:

• stop the boat with the middle rope rather than the front one - parallel pulling works better than on an angle made by the bow and the canal side
• wrap the middle rope twice around the bollard and then stand on the trailing end to bring the boat to a halt - keep your hands well away
• stop for water wherever you see a tap
• check for boats coming your way who may be able to use the water before you fill or empty
• leave the gates open for approaching boats if they are within sight or only one lock away
• if no boats close, then close all paddles, close all gates, unless the signage tells you otherwise
  

All simple stuff, but stuff that passes you by often when getting instructions from your hire company when you are on information overload...

Going down in the world - 80 feet down over 11 locks.

 

My friend the crow!

We moored up at 10.30 this morning about a mile out of Polesworth , in the middle of nowhere. We can hear the trains in the distance, but it's peaceful apart from multiple boats coming past. It seemed weird and a bit wrong or lazy to be finished up so early in the day. But we had already done over four hours of boating. So I just have to get over the puritanical thoughts of a full day's work, don't it? I know Mick and Julia would not approve though ...

And the weather was meant to turn a bit nasty, so getting settled before it did so seemed sensible. And we hadn't had breakfast either!

So moored, pramcover up, washing hung inside it and in the cratch, breakfast made (the leftover mushroom sauce on sourdough toast for David, berries, yoghurt and nut mix for me) and consumed. Then reading, blogging and blobbing. David though has been active - look at this:

Tidiest it's been since we got on board and unpacked! Now I want him to do mine ...

And 5 Crowns and Quiddler. David won 5 Crowns, but I WON QUIDDLER!

Quiddler  - I won, but only just, and only on the last hand!

David's last hand

My last hand - mine scored 69 and his scored 60. It was enough ...

 

And the boys have gone

 

Since we have been back onboard, we have moved on to Hawkesbury Junction. We moored up, buttons touching behind another boat with a git gap in front of it. The reason for being so close was that the rail for chaining to ended about a foot shy of our stern. And using pins was not on my list of desirables that day (or ever now, to be fair). Later the guy came back to his boat in front of us and asked David if we could have got any closer. David didn't reply. However if the man had asked me, I would have said I could try if he wanted me to ...

On our way, just after the M6 bridge we passed Peter and Lynley on their boat, we pulled over to stop but they waved and kept going - I think they thought they weren't in a good place for stopping - or maybe they didn't want to see us.... 

The following morning was meant to be raining, but the forecast changed and so we headed away at about 7.30.

I got through the bridge at Hawkesbury (a 330 degree turn) without touching the sides, but did notice a squeaking noise when I changed from forward/pause/reverse as I made the turn. We stopped for water so I took the opportunity to ring Irene's man who can for advice. I also checked the gearbox oil and topped it up, and checked the engine oil. The noise didn't recur. Ian reckoned if anything, it was the Morse controller rather than the gear box. We are seeing them in a few days, so I will feed him Thai green curry and ask him nicely for his help...

The last time we came this way, I boated all of today's trip by myself. It was back in 2019, and David had to go to the NHS Walk In Centre in Coventry to collect a prescription for eye drops and then wait for the pharmacy to dispense them. A 4.5 hour wait at the Walk in Centre and then a wait at the pharmacy. I did the lock and the 330 deg turn by myself and then the 6.5 miles to where we are moored now and then about another 1/4 mile, I think. I moored up just past the Hartshill Yard, IIRC.

Fortunately, Tim was joining us overnight so he collected David, but I still had a couple of hours still to wait till they arrived.

Today, I kept looking for where I had stopped that day, and I have just found it on the map.

Cows in the canal. None of them looked like they were heading for the market, as per the cow who fell in the canal in the children's book of that name (Dutch ...)

We stopped sooner than we had planned (just after we passed the people on Two Lazy Bees from Debdale) as the rain started and I'd had enough rain boating over the last few days. It has rained intermittently all afternoon, not hard but enough to be annoying if you're out in it for no good reason.

These flowers are right outside the galley window. Very pretty. Photo isn't clear because there was rain on the glass.

If the boat was higher, I'd be able to see this view from the galley. Blackberries obscure it, but it's lovely.

 

So tomorrow we will head for Atherstone and beyond. No rush - we are meeting up to boat with Ian and Irene and they are stuck above Trent Lock because of a water shortage: not sure of the cause but it's being sorted this weekend.

Really looking forward to seeing them again, but don't tell Irene!

Grandson the Younger, plus Grandson the elder and we do our last bits on the Oxford this year

 We have spent so much time moored at Rugby and near the golf course between Rugby and Hillmorton that I have lost track of the days! And I've lost track of how many times we traversed that section. Suffice it to say, we have been both active and blobby - not much boating done for a few days except to get ourselves into position to receive the lovely grandson, Karol.

Quiddler with a score I am pleased to show...

One of the tasks David undertook while we were moored near the golf course was to remove the oil and anti-freeze that had been dumped under the engine by the previous tenant. We think at least two oil changes had been done by just opening the sump plug and letting the oil drain out, and given the anti-freeze in there too, we think that the heating system had been drained that way as well.

When I write it like that, it doesn't sound like a big job, but all up it took about 5 or 6 hours bent over down beside the engine, over 2 mornings. 

That inky blackness is the oil under the engine. The steel that the engine sits on is all covered in oil too.

About 17 litres of waste oil and anti-freeze removed - not good that the task was required.

David had previously removed detritus (solid, inc a full dog poo bag!) from the space, including an oil filter; but because there were still bits of solid stuff in the oily/af mixture, the old pela pump quickly got clogged. So he had to use a takeaway container to scoop it out and pour it into empty oil containers, a 2 litre milk container and a 5 litre water bottle. To obtain a water container, we had to walk to Tescos and buy water - we bought 2 x 5 litres just in case. We hate buying water!

Once he'd scooped as much as possible out, it was then on to using a sponge - filling it and wringing it out. 

My only contributions were to fetch and carry items he needed, and to clean the deck down after he'd finished each day. And to send him back to the bathroom to wash all the way up to his elbows, not just his hands ...😘😜 - both days...

And I did make sure he was fed well afterwards.

One day, I washed and cleaned one side of the boat with Demon Shine - not a fabulous wax finish, but far less effort! No photos of that though - David was down in the engine bay!

Dinner one night. Rather nice.

I know I am short, but the overgrown nature of the towpath plants is more than a bit ridiculous, I think. Much of the Oxford Canal is like this - I gather CRT isn't getting any strimming done on this canal. Bugger! It makes walking it a bit problematic as the nettle has free rein, and that is not pleasant on your arms or legs - hence the jeans and jersey...

 On one of the days moored near the golf course, I needed to get some exercise to lift my mood (I think it may have been about the time I wrote the previous post when I was so down in the dumps I couldn't have posted without sounding suicidal ... 😡😩😢). So I walked to Hillmorton Locks and back. It was lovely to stride out - as much as I can with short legs... I rewarded myself with a magnum icecream (mint flavour) at the little cafe/bar, sought the advice of the volunteer lockies about a plant I had seen growing in great clumps (was it the dreaded poisonous-to-touch hog weed? Turned out, when they walked along to investigate that it was hog rhubarb, so not the bad stuff but very similar in looks, I understand). I also stopped on the way back to chat to a boater who was new to his old (and cheap) boat and having to do a fair bit of remediation and renovation. He'd removed his shower fitting and so I asked about the size of the tap - 25mm or 38mm (inch or inch and a half in old money). I like the style of the new kitchen tap Tim fitted, but it's got a vegetable spray faucet which is not very effective in a low pressure system like the boat. I have seen a tap in the Screwfix catalogue that I'd like to replace it with, but I have no idea whether it's 25mm or a 38mm. My intuition (based on empirical evidence and memory of the tap that was there previously) is that it's 25mm, but purchasing the wrong one is a bit of a problem when on the move - makes returning it problematic. Note to self: wait for Irene's man who can - he will know, and I bet he has a tap wrench too - ours has disappeared and it wasn't found in the oil bath under the engine either! Although a spanner and a pair of grips were 👍

Wildflowers growing on the towpath. Very cheering!

So I returned to the boat in a much better frame of mind, wrote the previous blogpost and got most of the grump out of my system.

David had also researched how long a walk it was to and from Rugby station and I messed up the calculation of that trip by including a walk along the towpath to Tescos - last minute food shopping for the grandson, as a Grammy does!

So it was a big walking day - David walked on to the station directly we arrived at Tescos in case we were late getting there to meet Karol. I did a rapid shop and walked very very briskly to said station.

We were both early and Karol's train was delayed, so plenty of time to recover my breath from the four ramps up to cross the overhead bridge and not look too exhausted when Karol arrived.

Karol getting on the train at Dumfries - one change at Carlisle.

Marta sent us these photos so we would know he was on his way.

Our walk back to the boat was the third side of the triangle so shorter than the walk to the supermarket and then the station. And Karol took over towing the shopping trolley - he saw his Grandad was struggling to keep it upright at the kerbs! We had decided that we were going to boat assiduously for as much time as we could while we had Karol onboard - keeping him busy and active and off his device were the aims. Might as well start by having his assistance right from the get go.

So within about half an hour of getting on board, he was helping to fill the water tank once we got to the tap below Hillmorton Locks and then 20 minutes later he was working the locks with David.

Refresher course on lock working with Grandad. Bottom lock, Hillmorton pairs.

I had planned to have him learn to steer the boat that arvo too; however it was quite windy and steering in the wind isn't easy with the long horizontal sail that the boat side becomes. And it rained a bit, so once we were almost through the Barby Straight I sent him and David inside - no sense in 3 of us getting wet!

We moored up not far from Bridge 87, not exactly where I had wanted to stop, but Karol and I went round the corner to see if 'our' space was clear (I walked, Karol ran at top speed) and it wasn't. Didn't matter; where we stopped was fine and it was only for overnight.

Dinner was pizza and salad - Karol isn't that keen on lettuce so the salad was a deconstructed one, but he had to eat at least one lettuce leaf. So he ate 3 - I think he likes romaine.

Look away now if you are of a sensitive disposition - I had declared that the boys should do the dishes. Karol and David tried to pass the job off to Mel, and he was appendaged (is that a word?) to qualify him.

Karol added further proof of Mel's masculinity... However I still ended up washing the dishes and left David and Karol to dry and put away - after all, the task did need to be done before Cinderella had to be home!

 

Karol was in bed by 8.15 and asleep by 8.30 - he'd had a long day: up at 5am to get ready to catch the train from Dumfries, then a good walk, 3 locks and a game of Quiddler. I was glad he was out to it early for him, as I was pretty knackered too!

8.30pm and out to it!

We set off early the next morning - the sun was shining as we pulled away but pretty soon it turned very grey. 

I implemented my plan of getting Karol to steer the boat from the get go that morning and he was a very quick learner and did extremely well - moored boats to pass at tickover, bridges to negotiate.

Excellent skills!

And through the bridge - success!!

 

The weather was still a bit inclement and I debated** whether to keep going to our planned turnaround point at Norton Junction. 

Working, Grammy! Closing lock gates that are pretty damn heavy.

Getting his back into it.

Carry on we did - up the 6 Braunston Locks which we did with an experienced hiring couple, and then off we went speedily through the tunnel. Didn't meet anyone coming towards us - it was still rather early! 

After the tunnel, a few hundred yards short of Norton Junction, we pulled over to let our lock partners pass - they were heading for Crick and needed to turn into the Leicester Arm at Norton. Sure as eggs are eggs, if I'd tried to turn around while they were waiting to turn left, I'd have mucked it up. And I've already had one disastrous winding experience so far recently and I didn't want another!

Turn accomplished and back we headed - the couple of miles to the tunnel. 

Fruity sustenance provided by Grandad

 

This time in the tunnel, we passed 6 boats making their way towards Norton. Two youth trip boats, a stag party boat (my assumption - lots of young men, raucous singing and the smell of marijuana as circumstantial evidence) and 3 others - Karol and David had kept count. I was too busy focusing on not hitting the boats or the sides. I've noticed that many approaching boats slow down to almost stationary - makes the passing extremely drawn out. And it is really hard to judge how far away the boat is by its lights - must be the concentration of the light that isn't diffused in the confines of the tunnel, or some-such. Elucidation, anyone?

** David's view was it was my call as I was the one who'd be steering it and getting the most wet.

We were following a boat through the tunnel - and realising they had no rear facing lights made me aware that we don't either - and they were hard to see while other boats were approaching. So we need to get rear lights or at least big red  reflectors fitted.

And as we came out of the tunnel, the rain started in earnest. We had already decided we would moor up for a lunch stop at the Admiral Nelson, and both David and Karol declared they didn't need their coats. But we were all soaked (I did have a coat on) by the time we had done the first 4 locks. I was really chilled as I'd been steering, so I had a hot shower before we headed off to lunch. 

Part of the reason I was so cold was probably to do with wearing shorts and sandals - no socks though because I am an NZer!

Karol's burger - he decided he liked onion nests - essentially onion rings but more like a bhaji, I think. He devoured that burger in less than 6 minutes, I am sure - he didn't put it down once. A good thing really as it would have deconstructed itself into tattered remains of bits if he had let go of it, I reckon.

 

Karol and I each had this chocolate truffle (very yummy), David had a cheesecake, and part of my dessert that I couldn't finish - EBBs, as my mum and dad would say: Eyes Bigger than Belly...

The rain didn't stop over lunch so we decided to stay moored up and get up extra early the next morning, so we could meet the deadline of being back in Rugby before lunchtime.

Some games of Quiddler - Karol is good! and we taught him 5 Crowns - he is also very good at that! Sausages for his dinner, breakfast for dinner for David and me - berries, yoghurt and nut mix.

And earlier to bed for all of us than the night before! 

I was up at about 5am and we decided that Karol could stay in bed for the last two locks. We rugged up warm and pushed off at about 5.40 as quietly as we could given there were other boats moored behind us, and we did the first lock. At 5.58am as I was approaching the second lock, Karol appeared up the steps from the galley, already dressed and ready to work the next one. We were very impressed. I did go and get him one of my jerseys as it was bloody freezing!

Just after 6am, he was emptying the lock.

Like his big brother, he is a great worker!

We pulled over for water before the A426 bridge and determined we needed a new hose - the wiggly hose had failed miserably: somehow water wasn't coming through and the hose wasn't filling as it's meant to - the old blue flat hose came out and we saw that it has a few leaks too - we agreed to buy a proper garden hose on a reel and in a cover.

Karol steered the boat almost to Rugby and then went into the galley to prepare pancakes. We lucked on to a one day mooring (near the water point), tied up, Karol cooked his pancakes (very yummy) and then I prepared some of the dinner. 

After a bit of a blob (having requested of David that he not adjust the solar panels again directly over my head...) our next mission was to go to Chipping Norton to collect Olek, bring him back to the boat for an overnight and then deliver he and Karol to Luton Airport the next day.

While Karol and I drove down to Chipping Norton, David did shopping (a new hose and a refund for the wiggly one, a few groceries - it is hard to keep grandsons suitably well fed!), some dinner prep and some boat clear up stuff - the last items were mainly not accomplished though, as he had only looked at the items relating to food...

Collection of Olek and the 6 items David had ordered on line over the previous week or so was achieved in good time and no delays on the way back, even though it was rush hour in places.

Dinner - toad in the hole: sausages in yorkshire pudding (me), with mashed potatoes, carrots and peas (veges were David's task), home/boat made brown onion sauce (me). And David had made Eton Mess for dessert. Washing up was horrid - it was patently obvious how much fat we had consumed in that meal! Made me determined to be much more rigorous about not eating anything that purports to be meat, and we have decided no more cream!

It was all very yummy though, but NO MORE!!

Apparently he didn't really want to be photographed licking the serving bowl...

David did try to shield him from the paparazzi, but no such luck...

 

But he would not be deterred!

Olek looks a lot like his dad.

Quiddler, 5 Crowns and then bed for 3 of us; Olek stayed up.

Why was I losing? And I went on to lose the game, dammit!

The height difference between Karol and me is less than a centimetre! I reckon by the time we see him again in August, he will be as tall as or taller than me. Olek reckons he has grown each time he sees him now. I told Karol it was good he was sleeping lots here because he grows when he's asleep, not when he's awake! True. I also noted that Olek was 13 when he finally got taller than me, so it's going to happen for Karol.

In the morning, I made a batch of pastry and made a cheese tart - I had promised Olek. 

I decided that we should move off the one day mooring after we had filled with water. So Olek helped David put together his new hose, Olek and I helped Mo (one of the single handers we met and locked down with at Braunston a few weeks ago) move her boat back to a more convenient place to get water, and then when we had watered up after her, Olek moved our boat over to the 7 day moorings.

The seeds have sprouted and soon we should have some lettuce and rocket to pick.

After a second breakfast of cheese tart and another game of 5 Crowns (pairs this time, Karol and Olek against David and me - the boys won, 434 to 413, dammit!) we headed off to Luton. Karol got to ride shotgun - not sure Olek approved though ...

I've not been to Luton before. Its approach is complex, not helped by our not knowing which Luton choice we should enter in the GPS. We chose Luton Parkway - mistake: it's the railway station. So on the approach, Olek had to use his maps app to direct me.

We decided we would see them checked in and then head back. But having followed Olek and Karol walking with purpose into the terminal and not really watching where we were going, we were a bit stumped with how to find our way back to the parking building ... Then the trick was how to exit the bloody building - the Exit signs had us circumnavigating the level we were parked on about 3 times until we saw an unmarked ramp. I was getting very panicky and considering driving down the IN ramp instead ...

We returned the car and got a ride back to the boat; then blobbing and an early night. How unusual!

Apropos of my previous grumpy post

Yep, also apropos of that post...