Eight years and two days later

 ... We are back where we started at Shebdon. 

It was the 23rd October 2018 when I arrived somewhat frazzled after bringing Percy From Fradley Junction to Shebdon single handed as Rachel was down south working. It was my heaven and hell cruise as the cruising and the scenery was sublime but the engine kept overheating  - it was the impeller. 

The cruise

Sadly next visit we found the boat had been broken into ... not a great start to life at Shebdon. Emma the farmer who's mooring these are has always been excellent and got us onto another mooring further down by the turning circle. We stayed I think a good four years until in 2021 the engine broke down on the way back from Stone after blacking and having our 30 year insurance survey - all good for a 30 year old boat. 

We ended up in Great Haywood marina and had to give up our mooring which I have always regretted. We stayed in Great Haywood for 21 months where I eventually fixed the engine  - it was a non issue really just bit of a knock on the big end so I replaced the shells.... good learning.

Penned in ?

Read about it here 

We left eventually as marina moorings was not for us cost and compression of boats not to mention the wind in marinas usually blowing when you want to go in or out. Good cruising routes and mice staff and we moved and got a good mooring where we could watch the boats on the cut but no replacement for actually mooring on the cut. 

We ended up on a mooring back at Shebdon but on Bob's moorings south of Bridge 44. They are nice but not Emma's moorings nice. The car parking and storage are a bit remote on some moorings and the canal is less attractive that side of the bridge.

Here was the blog about the mooring 

We were a bit messed about re the moorings as the one we were due on the boater did not leave as arranged so we ended up on someone else's who were out for the season. We were on the waiting list back at Ellas and we were soon offered one noce compact but...... sadly the mooring had been kept by a boater who was having a boat build but sadly IIRC had become unwell before they could take their boat onto the mooring. But the mooring had been unoccupied for a few years so was soooo badly silted up. 

Our arrival was a circus of rope pulling engine revving back tweaking ..... every tie we left or retured it was the same circus. Again the mooring was lovely but despite being in the cut in my waders trying to move tons of silt it never improved.

Before ....

Best we could achieve 

Read of our arrival here 

We enjoyed it but were not going out as much as we used to, like the marina but with a better view and a lot cheaper.

Our long term friend Many of NB Don't Panic ended up on the original mooring we took near the brdge and lived there happy  - very happy for quite some years... well sine we moved off and didnt come back in 2021 so five years plus. She has recently gone back to the land - we helped her move up to Northumberland for another great adventure and in return were given first refusal of her/our old mooring.

We dithered as its a bit more exposed and has a lot more grass to mow but its the end mooring ans they are prized as only one neighbour. In the end we decided to take it and moves bac today... 8 years and two days since I arrived in 2018 !! 

I don't update this blog as I used to  - I should but I just got out of the bhabit, much was not boat related more a diary of events .... they not reside on my phone as 60,000 + photos and videos. I will try and do better on getting a bit more on here. But for mow we are back where we started at Shebdon. A fair bit to do on the mooring and the boat but we have the space and hopefully the option to make a bot of noise fitting flooring etc. 

It does afford us the option to live on the bat f we decide to move from this beautiful cottage, something we will have to do at some point but still in the options approasal stage....

So here are a few pictures from today and one from 8 years and 2 days ago....

Lovely safe compact but a pig to get into and out of 

Not the best day to move being battered by storm Boelo for much of the day but we got there 

Pictures from my arrival 8 years and 2 days ago... same sunset and the moon was the same full moon. Does remind me Percy is due a polish ! 

Crossing the rubicon

We brought Percy in 2012... she was 20 years old then and had been lovingly looked after by the builder and owners Tony and Gill Redshaw.  The paint was looking a bit tired into our early years of ownership so we took the plunge and booked in for a full repaint with John Sanderson at Dadford's wharf on the Stourbridge canal and I purchased new windows.

Percy on her way to be repainted piloted by my good friend John. 

We've tried to follow the after care advice of a polish spring and autumn but inevitable scrapes have taken their toll. The most annoying was a scar from trying to get Percy into the silted up moorings here at Shebdon when the plank used to get on and off while mooring up was pushed into the front bulkhead....

So we did something not really done before on any of out boats we started to paint....

Earlier this year I rubbed the scabs back Fertan'd it and primed it and left it.... we came to the boat this time with a nice new orbital sander and mesh disks ( great kit) and dark green Craftmaster undercoat and top coat. I rubbed the scabs back re did the Fertan etc then two coats of undercoat and two top coats with sanding between ever lighter. It looks well not John Sanderson well but passes my satisfaction test... my fail was not properly filling the scabs expecting the paint to do that.... lesson learnt and that's what we do these jobs we learn as we go. 

On the roof over the engine room there has always been a area that was well filled due to at some point a dent being put in there.... it is in one of the top plate welds and has been a persistent problem with cracking of the filler which cracks the paint water gets in and it looks bad. Job 2 was to remove the old filler treat the steel and critically this time as said before I used two pack liquid metal that I hope will be a stronger more permanent surface. It took a lot but again sanding between coats of this stuff with some filled to get the last few lows filled and we are getting there. It needs more work a bit more rubbing back and some final filler then a couple of coats of paint.... it's all overkill as we have a 200w flexible panel that is going to be bonded over this area which will give it total protection in the future and will not be seen until the panel is replaced.... more than likely by future owners. But I wanted to at least give it the right finish and protection even if its the wrong colour - I'll use up the small bit of dark green undercoat and top coat  - not be seen but apologies to the next owners as and when they find it ... hopefully it'll be understood what and why it was done  - especially if they read this !!

Pleasing work, painting is not the bogey man job I always thought and I have more areas I will go at next year... the rear around the tiller needs some paint as does the well deck. 

Top tip a tarp and some rubber magnets with m6 threads and bolts that go thru the eyelets on the tarp to protect the new paint from wind and insects... worked well for us and I'll use it again for those two areas....

Eventually the roof will get done but that will be a dry dock job coinciding with blacking the hull.

We did a bit of walking and relaxing and ate well .... I do like the Shroppie and our mooring 

Community which I like

Ok so the last post was a bit negative, just how I was feeling but the C&RT sentiment is baked in. In contrast we have been on the moorings here for a while now and its nice to feel part of a micro community of people with all different stories to tell as to why they have a boat and are moored here. Not my stories to tell but nice that I get to chat boats and  life.

The painting is progressing, due to us facing due East we have to wait until the afternoon for the work to start.... but there are other bits and bobs I have been doing. 

We've always struggled with a cracking of the paint  in the roof where the steel joints over the engine room. There is some filler that does not help. many years ago I was talking to a boaty neighbour  - Kev at Fradley, again stories to tell but not mine but the bottom line was he ended up painting his own boat on the mooring, then got a job in the paint dock at Streethay then eventually took the painting dry dock on at Fradley junction. Impressive approach, anyhow he advised using metal epoxy rather than normal external filler.... so that has been my other job this week, removing the old cracked filler, a good sanding back and then Fertan. Today it got its first coat of said liquid metal ( I've just used the same on my bike for  a small repair and was impressed. ) I need some more that Amazon are delivering to the garage in Newport I'll add that let it sety and sand and paint on Monday.

It does not have to be too pretty as I have invested in a flexible solar panel to replace the old 145w one that was on Waterlilty then Percy. It fits nicely looks much nicer and will cover the repair and protect it in the future as I intent using sealant to stick it to the roof. Not as efficient as the panels get hotter but in my thinking unless it's a decent air gap water is going to get trapped and that will never be good for the paint or the roof. 

No photos must get some of the painting and the roof repair and solar panel. 

Painting which I hate

My last entry was detailing our return from the failed Chester cruise. Things went from bad to worse with Rachel leaving the boat to get an uber from Market Drayton to Royal Stoke to get her neck checked out leaving me to ascend the not favourite Tyrley flight solo. 

The bottom lock can be a pig with a nasty bywash that likes to direct entering boats into the rock face opposite. A lot depends on whats coming down the flight, a busy flight with boaters emptying the locks sends a lot of water through that bywash. 

I managed it on my own with no drama as the flight was only just waking up  -when i did meet a boater they understood the advice about not trying to moor in the last pound. Bizarrely there was one boater who was walking his cruiser down the flight not wishing to start the engine . 

Woodseaves cutting had a couple of boats in it and they held in the passing places allowing me to plod on through 

I was soon back at the mooring and as per normal is was a pig to get into  - no way can we motor in from the north we have to pass and reverse in ... 

I had to leave Percy on loose ropes to slowly settle back into the silt that is the 'well kept canal real value for money licence experience'. I loaded the van and cleaned the boat and headed home to meet the patient who'd got a taxi home from hospital wth checks done and advice and drugs given 

Next day I was back as the grass needed a cut  - you can see the painting project.... ironically a couple of scars from when trying to get the boat into the silt when the gang plank ran into the bulkhead. 

A bit disillusioned to be honest, the canals are in a poor state and we are every more restricted as to where we can go or rather risk where we go in case there is a failure on the infrastructure or as is the recent case navigation restrictions due to poor water supply. A good example of the stupidity ( I can't think of another description) of C&RT spending policy is this ....

They call them accessible bollards ffs... I did have to check the date in case we'd dropped back to the 1st April. They are closing rubbish points all over the system, the Elsan's just never see a cleaner ... Market Drayton on our recent cruise was appalling  - yes some boaters don't respect it but its hard to use and stay 'clean' 

and showers and toilets are being locked off but we have these ....nothing more than C&RT virtue signalling.

Yes there is a sense of complete disillusionment of the once lovely and well cared for system. I have been on it for many years and have seen the rapid decline under C&RT watch and they knew it was coming but like current politics just kicked the can down the cut.

I did appear in July to once again cut the grass.

So we are back on board, not moving the boat just maintenance. Its a nice mooring once the boat is tied up. We had a walk to the Anchor the other evening for a pint and the canals made sense again or rather our continued ownership of a boat on the canals did... but like many others   - and I'm sure it's an age thing the clock it ticking .....

Did someone say slow timing it back to Shebdon

 ... What do they know. 

Sadly Rachels trapped nerve if that is what it is got worse overnight and was up 4am is trying to get comfortable and some relief from it. Over breakfast we considered option. More slow timing, a drop into Overwater and taxi/car shuffle to get back home or smash some locks out and aim for a early return to Shebdon.

After some deliberation we decided on the latter  - me wanting to get us back and happy to do the locks solo while she rested inside. 

£17 quid a night visitor mooring. its a nice marina but the draw home was stronger 

A nice view from this 'tyres' mooring  - boaters will know 

We were about half an hour away from Audlem bottom lock and as I readied the boat as steady stream of boats passed us for said lock ! We were in a small queue when we got tom the lock. I got the help of a Dutch lady on a hire boat that came in behind us. I jinxed her by complimenting her on her locking etiquette as she was asking me when and how much top paddle I wanted. Only to not be able to open the top gate at lock 14  walked back to the bottom gates and one of the paddles was 1/3 open  - she was mortified ! 

Typical the services were empty and so were all the moorings around the Shroppie Fly. I took the opportunity given by the slow filling leaky lockk to empty the cassette 

We swapped locks with other boats 15-12 then I had to turn every lock but 2 on the way up. I was on my own ( nt other boat and their crew to help) which to be honest I prefer when single handling. I got into a decent rythem of bringing percy up, holding in the lock while I emptied and set the next lock, walked back motored out enough to drape a stern line in case Percy got away from me while I closed the top gate.

There was a hire boat with 6 crew on behind me but they didn't catch me until  got to the top lock. In fairness only three of their crew were doing anything and I was complimented on how efficient I must have been to keep ahead.... I'll take that. 

They did get their boat in some interesting positions as they caught me up 

They did catch me part way up the Adderley flight  - again I was turning all the locks. Nice fella from Canada, originally from Nottingham. I cleared the flight and stopped just short of 66 on some wonky armco... 20 locks today most I've done solo for a while.

All being well I will have us back to Shebdon tomorrow. Hard work but rewarding day. 

Slow timing it back to Shebdon

We had a lovely time in Chester  - the train was an interesting and varied addition to our travels. It got us there and back via Crewe for about £20. 

We got to the Lockeeper pub which was by the winding hole I'd have used if we'd gone to Chester by boat just as a massive thunder storm hit with lots of hail. 

The winding hole I'd planned to use 

We walked into Chester via the canal which was nice if not still a bit wet. 

Some fun at the staircase locks... a hire boat had gone into the top lock but the fella in the boat below was adamant they could not come down as he was waiting to go up .... A passing lady gave advice, we tried to but he was loosing it a little and insisted the hire boat open the gates and reverse out so he could empty the lock and come up. He was using an adjustable spanner as a windlass !  It must have taken him ages to empty the lock as the hire boat crew withdrew to their boat sensibly ! 

Lots of nice things to see 

By the time we got back to the boat we were both quite tired and rachel had cricked her neck at some point. 

The next day, Thursday was as forecast very wet so we stayed put in the boat most of the day. A few boats went by all togged up. At 5pm we decided to service and wind the boat as the rain had stopped and we knew the next day would be busy boat wise. it turned out a lot had the same thoughts and there were still a few boats moving 

Everything is so expensive even boating ! 

A hire boat pulled out literally as I was approaching the aqueduct and clipped our front .... he didn't seem bothered just a happy American. We moored where we'd set off from two and a half hours earlier so technically overstaying i guess as we'd been there 48 hours already.  

Another quiet night. This morning we were away at 10 and moored up short of overwater by 1.30 having done the two lovely Hack Green locks. We were even slower than normal as the hire boat in front was stopping at bridge holes to let boats come through but was getting pinned onto the tow path by the increasing fierce wind. Percy is heavy and low so was hovering mid channel, been there done that. They did the same at the locks.... all part of the memories. 

A fierce westerly was ever present 

Not sure of plans  - depends on how Rachel is tomorrow. Could be into Overwater and an Uber back to the mooring for the van. Could be me doing a single hander impression or could be normal service.... we will see.

All change please....

As it will be for us and the train metaphor is accurate. We took a slow cruise up to Nantwich today, being hit by some impressive heavy downpours and then some impressive hot sun.

The two rural and lovely Hack Green locks were soon upon us and we again turned them  - can't recall a cruise where we have had to turn so many locks. 

That's the last of the narrow locks for a few days. Not sure how many broad ones we will do if any as we are getting close to the apex day of our cruise... especially if we factor in Thursdays heavy rain forecast.

Having said that the forecasts to date have been on the pessimistic side, but Thursdays has remained stoutly wet.

We had a reflective chat last night about cruising and our need to explore more and maybe cruise a little less. Maybe thats just this trips flavour and direction, who knows. The more I think forward planning is a good thing the more lessons I get taught about letting the plans evolve and be swayed by external factors and our impulse.

We moored up on the visitor moorings before the Aqueduct had some food then after a rest took a walk into Nantwich for some shopping and a meal. All in all a relaxing nice day. 

In the main the place has retained its character and architecture  - but some planning decisions leave me with questions 

A day stationary tomorrow and we have booked train tickets to Chester - see the title was a bit linked. We'll not make Chester this trip by boat but will see it by other means... a bit of a rest and another approach.... might be the way we do it in the future who knows..