... 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.
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 ?
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.
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
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
