Update on my insurance

Thank you all for the comments with information on who you are insured with. I got my Compare boat insurance renewal today and it was £310 up from £261 last year. I had a quote from Haven Knox Johnston for £278 so we have gone with them. They made no reference for surveys but we had an out of water survey  - all good in September 2022 in case they needed it. 

It was refreshing to cancel with Compare Boat insurance. They are in my experience a very poor organisation to deal with. I tried as said before to amend my policy to reflect the change of mooring and each time they said they needed to refer it to the underwriters but never got back to me. I followed up with the same answer. Today when I cancelled they asked why, I said cheaper quote and poor service, the person who was very monotone just said sorry to hear that ! 

No follow up 'survey' either to find out why I am not renewing shows a company that does not care for its customers or their image and progress in the market. Of course insurance is very much a two pronged product, the way they react to claims is more important than how they welcome you and deal with you in policy cover of course. 

So 4 years boat safety done, insured, gas safe, new stove, blacked last year, polished at last visit  - just need to use her a bit more !!

Boat insurance recommendations

Hi, talking to those of you who have or had boats. 

Percy's insurance is due at the end of November. We've used ' Compare boat insurance' for out last years cover and they have been very poor. All we wanted to do was change the mooring location on our policy and that seemed to blow their computer mind. Each time they said they would need to talk to the underwriters and get back to us.... never did. Went round that loop about three times and eventually gave up - which I suspect it is what they wanted as if we needed to claim they'd say our insurance was invalid no doubt !!

So I have got one quote so far from Haven Knox-Johnston, used them mainly as they are supporters of the You Tube Channel floating our boat.... nothing more. 

Who do you use ? 

Nature delivers in a few ways

Well we pit stopped and literally withdrew from the race - to carry on the motor racing metaphors. 

Back last Wednesday the plan was to go home, me visit my mum Rachel visit the grandkids, me have another go at the boiler - return Friday to carry on cruising for a few more days.

Not the best of visits to my old ma, while there and talking to her with all my news booked a blood bike shift as they were short of evening riders. 

12 strangers helped in a small way on the blood bike shift and the boiler got going again. But the weather forecast was northerly winds and rain.... so we decided to visit Percy on the Saturday to have a day and do a few bits while we emptied from the cruise. 

That went to plan and we managed to give the boat a wash and a polish while there, so she's protected for the winter in a small way. I want to go back and fit the rear stove now I have my stove fitting experience. Then we can do more cold weather cruising. It is when a trad stern and a rear cabin really do work well and Percy has both.

While packing up nature gave us a show of her overt beauty ....

I can't draw a line under a year of boating as we may well get aboard again and do some more up and downs, or just loiter on board in the warm .... we will see. 

The boiler burner was replaced yesterday so all good there, hopefully it'll give us 10 more years or however long we stay in the cottage .... we have plans of course, maybe dreams but Percy might be a short medium or long term part of those plans. When it's right they may get detailed here, for now it's catch up time on my blog from May where I think I left off  .....

Boating for 23 years now

Not my biggest boast, that would be being married to Rachel for over 40 years followed by riding motorbikes for 47 years.

Anyhow I got some photo reminders of our first narrowboat holiday back in October 2002. In fact we picked the boat up at Wrenbury Mill on the 21st October. it was a lovely if sometimes wet introduction. The two lads were constantly buggering about standing on the roof, up and down the gunnels and all over the locks like monkeys ! How were were able to make progress who knows. It can't have been so bad as we hired again, then shares in a boat then three of our own boats..... a tidy boating pedigree.

Some photos. If I recall correctly we got as far as winding a Frankton Junction - where the Montgomary joins the Llangollen canal a trip of 45 miles and 20 locks there and back.  

Very happy memories and apart from looking a lot younger seemed very happy doing this trip.

We didn't make the aqueduct but on dropping the boat off drove there to have a look.... it was September 2020 when we finally got to take a boat over the canal in the sky !  

Boating anniversaries coming quickly My Heaven and Hell cruise

Another one to talk about on Sunday but I've just been reminded of my Heaven and Hell cruise arriving at our moorings on the 23rd October 2018

Worth a read

So we've had an association at Shebdon farm moorings for 7 years now... we had a sojourn while we explored Great Haywood marina and a few months on Bobs moorings the other side of Bridge 44. But as I was reminded when we moored up yesterday back at Shebdon farm moorings how beautifully peaceful and just nice they are. 

I also re read my opening text from my testing solo cruise from Fradley to Shebdon back in 2018. 

Well, where do I start this rather large blog post ? I guess picking up the opening sentence, something I reflected on while moving Percy single handed from Fradley on the Trent and Mersey to Shebdon on the Shropshire Union canal..... I'm 56 now and I don't really know how I got to that age so quickly.... quickly but 56 years quickly. The same as going along the canal at 3mph, the destination seems distant based on the speed and stop starts at locks, bridge holes and moored boats but you arrive at that evenings destination and ultimately you arrive at your final destination. So the conclusion is the destination while important is not by a large margin the prize, the prize is the journey so we should all enjoy it as much as we can.

Reviewing the blog post and the text above gave me a shot of  'reality' in those 7 years I have become a tad more anxious  - I've pushed myself more but the anxiety is ever present. I wish there was an anti anxiety pill but there is not and if there was I think I'd give it a miss and carry on with the odd metaphorical smack across the cheek I give myself. 

Back to base - a pit stop

We ate in the pub last night - not the best food sadly. We had a nice walk through the village back to the boat via dirty lane and a bit of a fractious night sleep due to the cat insisting  on sleeping where my legs wanted to be.

Up and away for 9.45 (we are getting better) and a lovely cruise back to our mooring. It's always nice to know you have a guaranteed mooring for the night. Even if the silt bar bumped Percy off her approach, not helped as two boats were passing the mooring so I could not go in at the required sharp angle. 

The day was notable for the number of times we had to hit reverse to clear the leaves from the prop.  A small price to pay for the lovely wooded sections that were ever more raining leaves into the cut. It did occur to me I wonder if C&RT put any extra 'scores' to the dredging of this canal due to the leaf harvest each year..... 

Looking up and down the canal from the engine room after doing the morning lube ! 

Our overnight mooring looking onto Dirty Lane Bridge

I do like this canal  - can't fail to be impressed by the ambition of Telford in planning the cuttings and the embankments. Even more so the hard grafting navvies who dug it out by hand. 

Norbury was a small busy bit of the day with two hire boats loitering for the water point. Thaksfully the secodn was competant and held back to let us through. Diesel here is 85p better than the 89p we paid at Turners, but it was easier to service the boat at Turners. 

Soup and Ciabatta on the go follows by coffee and Cherry liqueur chocolates! 

Back on her mooring. We noticed a tyre fender missing and dug it out of the mud before mooring up - I suspect I knocked it off on leaving  - could have been disaster iff the prop had picked that up !! Another job to get it reattached  - you can see the tyre 'resting' after its recovery 

The return home was predicated in one part by the boiler at home locking out - it's an oil boiler that on its tenth anniversary is good to its word - or the manual that advises most of the burner parts need replacing - I spoke to the manufacturing company that is in Telford and they advised rather than chasing the problem by replacing parts I buy a complete new burner which was on my radar. So on arriving at the mooring I swept the roof and jumped in the van to Telford to get said burner for the local plumber to fit as and when.

Talking of the roof we have been getting soot from the exhaust this trip... I suspect it's a combination of older diesel and not running the engine so much this year  so what is in there is easier to blow out - softer if you like. Another job will be to take off the exhaust manifold and clean that ( inside) then clean the exhaust stack with the chimney brush... winter work.

One thing I did see today on the trip back was a boat that has one of those cheaper diesel heaters retro fitted... got me thinking of putting something similar in the fore cabin to give some instant heat for diy trips over the winter - another project maybe 

So back for a bit but the boat was left to be reoccupied when we are able ..... 

A failed wind to beat the wind and diesel and hours recording.

We've been watching the weather forecast whilst dealing with some family stuff. Anyhow we decided to wind this morning to get back to our mooring before the Thursday 'low' comes through. After that we may just stay on the mooring or may venture up to the winding hole at the top of the Adderley flight, we'll see.

Anyhow we were off at a sprightly 10.15 am this morning with a destination of Wheaton Aston visitor moorings for a pub treat tonight. Our target was Lower Hattons winding hole just past the three mile marker and just before the M54 motorway bridge. 

The astute will notice we are winded and heading back up the canal but the wind at Lower Hattons was a fail... the off side was far too silty and the bow just stuck, I was fearful of swinging round and getting jammed on the shelf or worst the rudder lifting out of the cup. So common sense prevailed and knowing the canal a bit we opted for the much larger Pendeford Hall Lane winding hole and Rachel did a smashing job of swinging Percy round. Percy is a slow boat and takes some winding but we got there and she was rewarded with tea and cake ! I'll send C&RT a note but I doubt much will be done sadly. 

Then it was slow time back up to Wheaton Aston but with the south westerly at our backs a much nicer cruise. A few reverses to clear leaves and we were soon dropping down our second and same lock of this cruise. 

Services again - I walked down to see what if any moorings were available and was surprised there was only one with nothing on the southern side of turners garage. 

We took diesel and a fresh bottle of gas from the nice fella at Turners then slipped into the end mooring just before Dirty Lane Bridge - great name, be interesting to understand the history of that name !

Booked a table at the Hartley Arms for food later. We will have a walk into Wheaton Aston in the morning for a few supplies before we head off back to Shebdon to sit out the worst of the weather - or Rachel will I have to be elsewhere for a while. 

For the records 61 litres of diesel put in and the engine hours counter was on 1209 hours. Last top up checking the blog was 14th October 2024 when we were returning from our trip to  Buxworth basin and the Macc canal. The counter was on ........ wait for it 1177 hours so we have run Percy's donk for just 32 hours in a year !! That has truly shocked me.  

I can't imagine the costs per hour or would rather not. Suffice to say we need to do better or..........

I can't use the hours and litres as a consumption calculation as this time I brimmed the tank. 

The shortest cruise....

I've been dithering and uncertain about this cruise where to go how long to cruise etc etc.... I thought leaving it open ended would be more relaxing, turns out it's not (for me), it seems I need an itinerary.  Today we deliberated, again before deciding to just hop to the other side of Brewwod to a favourite mooring just past bridge 9 and the winding hole. Its a snuggler free spot only allowing enough space for one boat  - great for the cat.

As soon as we arrived we made a picnic having been away late again - that is not helping our travel plans.  A nice 4 mile walk was plotted picking up parts of the Staffordshire way and the Monarch's way.... 

An explanation from AI land 

The Monarch's Way is a 625-mile footpath in England that follows the approximate escape route of King Charles II after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The route starts near Worcester, goes through the Cotswolds, Bristol, and Yeovil, and ends in Shoreham, West Sussex, passing through diverse scenery and historic sites. It is a long-distance trail that requires careful planning due to its length and varied terrain.   

Back on the boat at 4pm and some jobs were done and a early tea for us was taken - thats still 7pm 

We opened the bow doors and listened to a Tawny owl first then a juvenile screech of a Barn Owl. Tomorrow we wind and head back for a pit stop back at the mooring as I need to be somewhere on Thursday that nicely coincides with wind and heavy rain again - if we can trust the various weather guesses. 

A rare slow day 800 quid in the cut and another inconsiderate boater

It was always planned to be a go nowhere today  - heavy rain forecast which didn't arrive until 10.30. We'd decided to have an early'ish vitamin D walk to Brewood for bits and bobs so actually set an alarm.

We were off by just after 9 for a lovely walk in the dry to the nice village of Brewood... the first/last on the Shroppie before Wolverhampton. It is a well to do village. I've stopped here before when searching for pubs with friends on the boat. 

Nice walk but same old issue with dog poo... which I was sporting on my boot as we got back to the boat just as the first spits of rain started. It was while trying to wash off the last bits that my phone and connected battery bank plopped into the canal. Last time I did this it was at Fradley when I was living aboard, thankfully then my phone was supplied by work  (24 hour on call 365 days a year for 20 years, least they could do was provide a phone and pay for my calls !!) The fact we were able to easily get to the bank signalled a deepish hunt and I was lucky I have my landing net which after three of four sweeps found the phone and battery bank. The phone I was expecting to be working and it was as it is waterproof, the battery bank less so but it seems to have survived, Both are in a bag of rice by the fire just in case. 

Just got in and enjoying a cuppa when the fastest and I mean full bore hire boat went past - Pulling the pins. It was ridiculous  - obviously a four counties in a week boater but never had a boat go past that fast before. So bad I actually emailed the hire company to advise they may want to have a word  - he is going to upset a lot of people.

Used yesterday evening to catch up on blogs, prompted by seeing Sue and Vics No Problem at Industry   - sad to read of Jo and Keith selling Hadar but pleased they seem happy in their flat. Also Debbie from NB Tickety Boo with a slightly sad update. Also the move back to land for Pip and Mick from NB Oleanna albeit for the winter I think . I  spend some time in silent reflection on how much the blogging community helped me and entertained me from Andrew on Granny Buttons Mike on Snecklifter, Jaq and Les on Valerie, John and Jan on Jubilee  .... all sadly no longer blogging and or boating. Ironically as I was thinking this Rachel brought the  very out of date little bag of chocolate buttons Andrew left on Waterlily's stern many years ago - asking to throw them away - 'no they stay on the boat' ... was the answer

Pinging it down now so more tea and rest .....