Two ends of a canal I'd love to see reopen

Not in my lifetime if ever sadly. The canal is the Cromford Canal. Within a week I'd visited both ends for different reasons. In fact over the last week we've walked The upper Peak Forest, The Caldon and the Cromford canals. Makes up for not being able to get to Percy when we had planned. 

Looking back at the pump station on the aqueduct 

Some renovation work by volunteers on the aqueduct cottage 

Lovely views 

Just under 8 miles post covid not too bad for me 

As in my last post I had passed covid onto Rachel so our mothers day plans were cast aside much to Rachels understandable frustration. So on the Saturday we went for a drive and parked at Buxworth basin and walked into Whaley Bridge. Our last visit was on Percy last year when we got to the basin in the dark ... Bollington to Buxworth on Saturday the 5th October.

Bollington to Buxworth

This is the stretch where we met a cruiser in the dark  - he had no lights !! 

The Sunday we visited Rachels mum's grave at a natural burial ground on the outskirts of Derby. I'd woke up with an idea about moving Percy to the great Northern Basin as they had mooring vacancies advertised on their web site.... our son lives in Heanor with 3 of our 4 grandkids. So we drove on for another socially distanced walk ( why we didn't hail Freespirit) It's an interesting gaggle of boats and facilities. But we agreed if we did move there Percy would get less cruising use than she does now. 

Going back a few days  - yes all over the place, we'd also had a walk down our canal to Cherry eye bridge for a little picnic to break the monotony of isolation! 

A much viewed view from my favourite bridge - Cherry eye 

Hopefully on Percy when this is published .... and I promise myself to try and get some boat memories at least up to date....

Pleasing but more questions need answers

This blog is a mess, so much I have not put on that I would have done so in the past. Can't even say it just boatey stuff as there are visits missing updates. Hey ho .... here is something by way of a catch up and an excuse!

First off I need to recognise the move onto the water by Adam and Adrian on NB Briar Rose. Its nice to see a blogger realise a dream of canal living. I always wanted to and remember the excitement and a bit or dread when I moved aboard in April 2014..... I can't believe ( I did it )  and that it will be 11 years ago later this month 

My living aboard announcement

Anyhow  - here is a link to their blog 

Briar Rose day 1

We were due on Percy up the Llangollen last week but this put paid to that. 5th consecutive virus since Christmas .....  

Went down with it while up in Scotland on my motorbike - maybe a blog to follow on that. Made that lovely trip a challenge but one that was achieved. Problem was in my return Rachel got it from me so our plans were messed up !

I used my first day free of virus to go over to Percy and get a sample of the hydraulic oil from her drive system as I wanted to know if it needed replacing. The internet gave me an oil testing company and for £50 plus they sent me a container and instructions. I was able to run the engine and circulate the hydraulic oil for half an hour before the sample was taken via syringe and pipe out of the reservoir. As the lab was near Burton on Trent I took it over on my bike for the testing.

Go the results today, they classified it as satisfactory with some technical data I need to dig into. I'd like to get it topped up a bit but unsure of the grade and make etc... I've reached out to Tony and Paul Redshaw in case they are able to offer advice....

I've also ordered a complete gasket kit from Stationary engine supplies as the crankcase door has an annoying oil weep I need to address. It means draining down the block and removing the alternator water pump and starter to get the door off. I will drain and wipe out the sump which is a 500 hour service item but as I did it last year and we can't have done more than 100 hours on the engine since it's premature but such simple jobs (relatively) with nice fresh SAE30 oil afterwards can only be good for the engine. I'll check the impeller at the same time..... maybe pics to follow. 

Short lived but enjoyable

 ...Ok we are not now on the boat, but that was part of the plan/arrangement. We both had opticians stuff in Leek today plus other stuff this PM so reluctantly we left at dusk last night. Part of that was me wanting to watch the rugby and fish a bit which I did.

Earlier in the day I'd gone for a warm up walk around Shebdon prior to getting the lawn mower and strimmer out. We also made an enquiry on our original Shebdon mooring but it was gone within 24 hours. No real hardship as we like where we are and it is quite private whereas the farmer had napalmed our old mooring removing all the lovely vegetation and other structures I had put up such as wood storage and compost bin. 

Our old mooring ....taken within 24 hours 

A nice result was we did not  need to run the engine or genny as the sun charged up the boat and ecoflow batteries on both days before noon. So the electric was FOC thansk to our lovely star of burning energy.

Caught some nice Chub Roach and Bream on bread also.

Back today and treated myself with a 70 mile lanes exploration of the Staffs Moorlands, Staffs Peak district, Derbyshire Peaks High Peak and Derbyshire Dales on my Royal Enfield 411cc motorbike. 

Need to get back to give the boat some polish and paint as well as an engine service, but before that I've an appointment with the furthest point west on mainland Britain... not on the boat !! 

We're only on the boat !!

Reports of my early demise are greatly exaggerated as was one said and attributed to Mark Twain I think.

Where was I  - yes I was giving a review of my 2024 and waiting until December was over and done with. Bottom line I've been on and off with viruses since Christmas eve - Did a blood bike shift on Christmas eve feeling less than perfect then went down with Noro virus on Christmas day for about 5 days. Missed first Christmas at youngest sons house and his lads first Christmas, then same on Boxing day at my other sons house. Since then its been three upper respiratory tract viruses not a great start to 2025.

We have been out and about in between and visited the boat I think once or twice,  I need to check my photos. Even this weekend visit was supposed to have been last week, then earlier this week and we eventually got here Friday afternoon as Rachel was poorly  - I think I passed on the virus.

So this is a little update to record me fitting another inverter after the eco flow killed the last two.... ! We also wanted to get here early to light the fire as on one of the visits I cleaned the chimney and blacked the stove. 

We've been for a walk to the Anchor that was closed, it's open 7-11 Friday, 7-11 Saturday and 12-4 Sunday. Then watched the Rugby  - both still recovering so we are not overdoing it. Now I'm back on the horse I need to catch up on a few memories for my blog 

Should say Percy waited patiently and  the nervous first fill and pump prime went ok. We've had some really cold frosty days since Christmas and the canal has been frozen over for a few days earlier in the year.

So a lazyish visit, we've plans but we've also got work to do at home and on the boat so we shall see. 

We heard an older boat approach and I hailed Halsall for gas. They could not get close after reversing back so the deal was done by floating the cylinders between boats and the payment machine was in a bucket slid between us on my boat pole!

A bit of 3 in 1 on the rear cabin hinges as they were a bit stiff. I might do the other hinges tomorrow as we worked on them last year. 

Lovely day, the ecoflow was at 100% by 12.30 after us running t down to 5% yesterday on the fridge at full bore and the vacuum cleaner having a good run. The boat batteries were full by 11.30 thanks to the new bigger solar panel fitted last year. 

Hopefully a few catch up posts in the coming weeks. 

My 12 monthly reflections of 2024 - November Sky diving of course

The Sky diving  - that's the end of the month, the beginning of November was a bit of IT.... on the bike and in the house. My Home Assistant instance was getting fed ever more info, its an engaging but time consuming cerebral exercise. 

One of many screens to display and allow control of devices around the cottage 

On the 2nd November I was off down south again this time on my Honda NC750 - staying at services on the M4/A34 for a ride out in memory of our friend who'd died the weekend before. We had it planned in but were due to meet Tezza, cheer him up with a gaggle of bikes, but he didn't have the health to hang on for us. 

The 5th November I was on a double blood bike shift 1pm to 11pm. Before that I'd gone shopping on my. Himmy.... at this point we were still a one car family and I think Rachel had the care that morning.

I brought erh Moto Guzzi V85TT home for some food between shifts, I did a stoke run at 8pm then got send back to Birmingham - I'd already been in the afternoon, to drop an urgent blood sample from Royal Stoke to the National Blood transfusion service. I got out of Birmingham at 10am but they'd shut the M6 so it was slow time home with a Mocha at the services to keep me war and alert, got to bed at 1.30am 

I was up again at 6am on the 6th as I needed to have the bike back for 8am... this is my 7am roll out in the mist of an autumn morning 

7th November back visiting mum who wasn't so well. Then on to look at another bargain bike.... did I buy it ?

Maybe my favourite lane 

Yep another Himalayan 411 - 1600 miles and the next model on a 21 plate 

The 8th we were invited to join Emma and George at Peak Wildlife Park where he likes to go and its only 10 mins from us a lovely few hours being part of his growing up 

On the 9th November our EV arrived, saw it on the 6th and test drove it and had it, we'd had the charging point put in in May 2023. We'd been waiting for the right ( wrongly priced but to our advantage car to come on the market... we've been very pleased so far with it. 

The very next day on the 10th the Green Himmy was fetched from Loughborough. A tidy stable, not had three bikes for some while. 

Missed more northern lights but still a nice  photo midnight on the 10th November 

14th back on a PM blood bike shift, I'd be bringing heart tapes back from Birmingham children's hospital if I was parked here  - main entrance Royal Stoke University Hospital 

A couple of days later and on the 17th Percy was getting a post storm visit I think.

Two  days later the snow came !

The next day I met my friend Graham for a walk from Cromford to Bonsall - lovely village 

23rd My Home Assistant had progressed to a Kiosk tablet for constant data display - well it uses the camera to detect you and switch on as you approach 

26th I was back in Heanor building towers from Duplo with my mate Benjamin 

Then on the 29th the house was being put back together post painting  - picture hanging with lasers in the loo! 

On the 30th we were in Milton Keynes at Iflys using up the birthdays skydiving family treat we'd given Teddy for his birthday in April, patient lad. It bloody hurt my back and was sooo loud. We stayed over at a nice but dated hotel that had overtones of the Shining !!

So November flashed by ... December will be in January as this is being uploaded New Years Eve....