Getting Ready

Only five days to go B4 we set off. :-) I have done an oil change including the filter and even bought a replacement (lesson learnt from May day hol, even got spare fuel filters). We are busy packing cloths and getting other things that will (I hope) make us self sufficient on our cruise (we will have RCR as a backup). I also hope to get the gunnels painted black rather than Middle Green as they have been ever since we bought the boat. It should make it easier to keep tidy. I have just received the NCCC Commodores Caldon Cruise itinerary so it looks like we will be at Bridge 85 on the Macc on Friday night all going well!.

2011 The blog starts

I hope that all the leaks caused by the low temperatures have been fixed. I found two - one behind the kitchen area cupboard and one in the toilet (You have guessed already haven't you) yes behind the cupboard again but you only had to be a contortionist to get to the first, the second required dismantling the cupboard first.

We have had two short cruises so far this year, one a short trip from High Lane to Higher Poynton and back and the other on the NCCC opening cruise to Bridge 20 and back. Both times the weather was fair with the rain stopping just a hour before the start of the Opening cruise.

Plans for this year include a trip to the Caldon Canal, Bugsworth Basin for Easter and for the main cruise Lincoln and the R Witham to Boston and onto the South 40ft Drain via the new tidal Link. After that on the return the R Soar through Leicester and up the Foxton Locks and on to Braunston and then ?????? who knows ------ the R Thames is only a few days away from there via the Southern Oxford Canal. Watch this space.

Fools Nook to High Lane

Miles 12.4 Locks 0
Shortly after we left Fools Nook we were proceeded along the canal by a Kingfisher, this is the first time for ages that this has happened on the Upper Macclesfield canal. A fitting tribute to our last day. We managed to get most of our gear off of the boat in the afternoon and evening without getting wet as there had been showers all day. It was nice to be home and see the ravages the dry weather had done to the garden. The Lettuce hand Cauliflower had bolted but the beans and raspberries are coming on fine with a crop of beans ready to pick. Just to prove we are gluttons for punishment we went to the NCCC club night to chat to those poor souls we had left behind almost 9 weeks ago. Now I have the task of counting locks and miles which will be reported shortly, Honest.

May Day

We spent the May Day Bank Holiday at Whiteley Green on the Macclesfield Canal. We went on the Friday and returned on the Monday. The moorings belong to the NCCC and two large gazebos were set up to have a space for people to gather and chat. there was heating provided and lighting was by two Tilley Lamps. Quite a few club members turned up, the BBQ was light on Saturday and Sunday for people to cook their own food. On Sunday members with a musical bent gave a show.

Boats moored @ Whiteley Green Br 24 Macclesfield Canal.

Back in the water

We relaunched the boat earlier today after a week of cleaning and blacking the bottom. It is a very satisfying feeling to see the boat gently slip back into the water, now all we have to do is get the rest of the boat ready for the summer cruise.

On the Slip

Disaster! the engine water pump failed as we were running the engine last Sunday. We had stayed on board overnight and were recharging the batteries when all of a sudden a cloud of steam from the engine compartment. A quick word with our local mechanic and a new pump was on order. I decided to replace our existing 45 amp alternator at the same time for one with a higher capacity whilst work was going on in the same area.
We had decided to black the bottom of the boat before we go on our extended summer cruise and a slot was booked on the NCCC slipway for early May. Last week I had a call asking if I could move to the slot for Monday 19th April (today) as the boat due for this week couldn't be done and needed a little more time before it would be convenient. A quick call to the mechanic to check that the water pump and alternator could be fitted for Monday was met with a sigh and a promise that it would be done in time to move up to the slip by 11 am. As it turned out the water pump proved to be more difficult a job than anticipated and the work was still being done as the boat was polled from its moorings to the slipway and during the pull up.

On the slip with the bottom just having been pressure washed

The alternator is still being fitted at this stage hence the engine space hatch cover still being up. What looks like a flying bridge on the roof is really the step/seat we have at the back of the cruiser stern deck.

I decided that as most of the wear seemed to be around the waterline some extra priming should be done in that area. Hopefully the first coat of bitumen paint will be going on tomorrow after the hull has been sanded

NCCC Opening Cruise Sunady 28 March 2010

Our first time out this year on the North Cheshire Cruising Club's opening cruise from Bridge 12 on the Macclesfield Canal to Bridge 20 and return.

The convoy on its way out
Just after Bridge 20 turn around, boats moving in both directions. As we arrived back at the moorings we noticed that the domestic water pump was coming on for short periods . Quick looks behind the sofa showed we had a leak in the same area as before. the system was turned off and left till next day when it was found that the pipe that had come off due to ice earlier needed replacing. This was done so hopefully we should be O.K. for this weekends trip to Bugsworth Basin.

There follows a short video showing the boats getting ready between bridges 11 and 12 and the boats passing near Br 20, starting with the Commodore on the Vice's boat as hers had developed a fault part way along the trip.

Been to the boat Yesterday

I went to the boat last night to change over photographs. It seems that we have a photo of the boat on the boat and a photo of the House in the house so I was instructed to change them over which I did. Going on the boat reminded me that I had not reported the alterations that took place before Christmas
The previous owner changed the original fit out by adding cheap vertical tongue and groove planking to some internal partitions and then painted it in a matt stain paint that I could never quite match. Earlier last year I experimented by taking off a small bit to reveal quite good mahogany faced ply under that, after a sand down and several coats of varnish, looked quite presentable. The rest of the partitions were done late last year with a few being clad as the old tongue & groove was the only thickness there was. It all looks better now. At least I think so.
You may also recall seeing the fresh water pump when it was repaired in the summer at Stourport well................ over the winter the plastic pipe connecting the pump to the copper piping feeding the rest of the boat was forced off by an ice build up, which ment all the shifting of furniture and panels again to fix it back on. Fortunately only a small amount of water was released onto the carpet.
I will have to spend a couple of days checking things out soon as the NCCC opening cruise is on 28th March and the Easter cruise shortly after.

Awakening to 2010

As the days start to get longer it is time to poke the embers of last years blog in preparation for the new cruising season. One thing I promised to do was give the summary of last years cruising - we traveled 496 miles and negotiated 334 locks and one Lift ( the Anderton), twice. The canals travelled on were the Macclesfield,Upper Peak Forest,Trent & Mersey,Shroppshire Union including the Middlewich branch and the Wardle canal, the Staffs & Worcester and the Gloucester and Sharpness. We also traveled from Stourport to Gloucester on the River Severn in both directions and spent two days on the Bridgewater canal between Preston Brook and Sale. Oh one other thing, unfortunately a picture of the winning hat in the NCCC Easter Competition has been found and I have been persuaded(arm twisted behind back)to include it in the blog. So Here Goes ----

Gloucester to Frampton on Severn

Miles 8 Locks None Days 2
We have finally exhausted ourselves with Gloucester, although M wants to revisit the Gloucester Quays Retail outlet on our way back.
We are now on the Gloucester and Sharpness canal proper with its many swing bridges, this is Rea Swing bridges one of the three that can be navigated by us without the bridge having to open
We are now moored close to Frampton on Severn. This is the view looking from Frethene Bridge towards Saul Junction.
For NCCC followers we met up with Columbus yesterday when they arrived in Gloucester docks. we went out for dinner at an "All you can eat" Asian /Thi style restaurant. It was superb.

2009 Cruising Blog Starts

The Blog has been resurrected from its winter slumber and in a fortnights time we will be on our Summer Cruise. We have started to get the boat ready by taking all the bedding and towels etc that we will need for about 6 weeks to the boat yesterday.
We have been out on the boat since the last blog entry in August 2008 all with the NCCC on club organised cruises. The first under the new Commodore John Suggitt was to the Services and Social club at Marple, better known as "The Legion" on Boxing day 2008.The next outing was to Bridge 20 on the Macclesfield Canal on 22nd of March the day after our 46th wedding anniversary (yes I did remember it). This was the NCCC opening cruise of the season.
At Easter we cruised South on the Macc staying at Macclesfield on Good Friday night and had my first game ever of indoor bowls using full size bowls. Saturday saw is cruising to Fools Nook and taking a bus trip to Leek (aren't Senior bus passes wonderful) followed by an evening in the pub ( wanted to call it the Royal Oak but it seems that the sign outside is now calling it The Fools Nook). On Sunday a short trip to Gurnet Aqueduct for the Easter Bonnet,Hat,Tie and decorated egg competition.
My Hat won the men's hat section much to my surprise. I thought the guy with the chicken hat should have won. Anyway Marilyn enjoyed the Chocolate egg that was the prize. Unfortunately there were no Photographs of the winning hat (thank goodness).Easter Monday was the return to High Lane. Water levels were low throughout the weekend making mooring close to the bank difficult, partucularly in Macclesfield.
Mayday Bank holiday took us to Bugsworth Basin, the water levels on the Macc and Upper Peak Forest Canals was about 4 inches lower than normal and it took us about 10 minutes to get the boat afloat at our moorings and after that a slow trip to Bugsworth. I understand that it is BW policy to lower the canal levels before a bank holiday to avoid any call outs if there is any un-forcast heavy rain, this seems madness as it is the time when the levels should be maintained to let the increased traffic pass one another without going aground. I wonder if it is the same on all canals or is it just the Macc, which is a shallow canal anyway.