I read and hear of recession. However the I think the canny are scaling back to increase the demand, or certainly not expanding and chasing business.
I have asked for contact by personal visit and email for boat painting quotes and internal reconfiguration quotes...... all quiet. At home I have chased three arboriculturists for quotes to remove three big conifers from my garden, chase being the operative word.
It is hard work trying to get work done, especially when you have a day job.
Anyhow, work (slow) in progress on that one. I should have booked Norbury for painting when I had Percy blacked but they were quoting September at the beginning of the year.... and today's date !!
Anyhow what can I say, part time boater me. I can't even blame the bike, its just lots of life things penning me back. I was on a treadmill at the Royal Derby covered in electrodes last week, thankfully the problem is not a problem, well that one was not. Other scans and visits make me feel old age (51!) has little to commend it.
Anyhow I'll stop being a moaning old bugger and look forward to the day the trees come down and the wood I'll have to burn on my patient lonely stove. It is one of the blessings of boating a wood burning stove and the autumnal colours on the cut (before the leaves drop and stop your progress).
Two final thoughts. Read Les & Jaqs blog, challenging times but no better fighting force than deep love and affection, you are in my thought every day you pair.
Another blogger seems to be onto other things (edited now as I have read they are having a widebeam built so staying on the cut) resulting in the sale of their boat. Link here to the blog with the details and link here to the Apolloduck ad. It is a fantastic liveaboard boat. My loyalty to Percy was tested for a short while, but the green tint has gone and the old lump still hold my affection and fascination.
Just need to get aboard, but off now to talk to a man who hopefully will turn up to discuss replacing some misting up double glazing and the house.
O and some plans are forming.... watch this space !
Monday, 9 September 2013
Saturday, 31 August 2013
When not to go boating
Is there such a time? Well if you want a busy cut then try August bank holiday Monday !
So to catch up..... the week before saw us overnighting and staying put but we had a great walk to Streethay. We wanted a price on boat painting, I could not talk to anyone there so left a number, I was phoned back but am waiting now on an email enquiry, recession what recession ?
In the evening after late food we were hailed by NB Cepheus who asked if they could have temp moorings on the pilings next to us. Not really our call but it was 9.30pm dark and Mandy our neighbour was away and they said they would be gone first thing.
The following weekend we were only able to get aboard for the day, and fancied moving Percy, only problem was it was August bank holiday Monday. We were hailed twice by blog readers, sorry I did not get your names, but it was nice to know someone other than me reads my musings.
There were boats moving at very regular intervals and despite volunteers on the locks it still took us over an hour to get past Junction lock.
Zoom in, and check the centre line mooring, to his credit it was well above head height.
What a great sight, we have met Chertsey a few times on the cut and always seem to get the approach shot, a quick hello then the stern shot ....
We had a nice lunch, winded at the Hatherton junction then a slow cruise back, still many boats on the move after 6pm.
Then back to work !
So to catch up..... the week before saw us overnighting and staying put but we had a great walk to Streethay. We wanted a price on boat painting, I could not talk to anyone there so left a number, I was phoned back but am waiting now on an email enquiry, recession what recession ?
The towpaths are as full as they will be all year
Darley looking good
The following weekend we were only able to get aboard for the day, and fancied moving Percy, only problem was it was August bank holiday Monday. We were hailed twice by blog readers, sorry I did not get your names, but it was nice to know someone other than me reads my musings.
There were boats moving at very regular intervals and despite volunteers on the locks it still took us over an hour to get past Junction lock.
Zoom in, and check the centre line mooring, to his credit it was well above head height.
What a great sight, we have met Chertsey a few times on the cut and always seem to get the approach shot, a quick hello then the stern shot ....
Not heard much from this fella recently.
We had a nice lunch, winded at the Hatherton junction then a slow cruise back, still many boats on the move after 6pm.
Then back to work !
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Time to winterise .....
....the mooring that is. It will be a few more weeks before we have to worry about the gas heater and frosts.
Yesterday (19th August ) was my last day on holiday and we had returned to Percy Sunday evening after going home for a birthday meal with my sons and one girlfriend on Saturday night.
So Monday AM I drove Rachel to work then returned to the boat via Shobnall chandlers where I brought a new gas cylinder and some raddle red top coat, plus a full english for the workers!! I then popped into B&Q and brought a small 900 watt lawnmower so as to not have to keep lugging my heavy petrol mower from home. The little Flymo did the mooring running off the inverter and used about 20% of the batteries.
It was a trade off between weight and power and lightness and time. We can keep the little mower on the mooring now so always available for a quick short back and sides.
Re the winterisation, our mooring is sloped to a flat strip adjacent to the pilings and there were three steps of a kind, far from ideal and all with small landings on them.
I brought 4 x cheap slabs from B&Q and now it looks and performs a lot better, plus a lot safer in the wet and frosts, remember them?
On Saturday we went for a walk to Streethay. I think about 6 miles. We have not done this before but it was quite a nice walk and puts the Plough into the equation especially if we taxi back after a meal and a couple of drinks !!
Yesterday (19th August ) was my last day on holiday and we had returned to Percy Sunday evening after going home for a birthday meal with my sons and one girlfriend on Saturday night.
So Monday AM I drove Rachel to work then returned to the boat via Shobnall chandlers where I brought a new gas cylinder and some raddle red top coat, plus a full english for the workers!! I then popped into B&Q and brought a small 900 watt lawnmower so as to not have to keep lugging my heavy petrol mower from home. The little Flymo did the mooring running off the inverter and used about 20% of the batteries.
It was a trade off between weight and power and lightness and time. We can keep the little mower on the mooring now so always available for a quick short back and sides.
Re the winterisation, our mooring is sloped to a flat strip adjacent to the pilings and there were three steps of a kind, far from ideal and all with small landings on them.
I brought 4 x cheap slabs from B&Q and now it looks and performs a lot better, plus a lot safer in the wet and frosts, remember them?
On Saturday we went for a walk to Streethay. I think about 6 miles. We have not done this before but it was quite a nice walk and puts the Plough into the equation especially if we taxi back after a meal and a couple of drinks !!
Nice sight
Full summer vegetation makes the tow path quite beautiful
Friday, 16 August 2013
It's my birthday - where else would I be !
I don't do birthdays, not in the big celebration sense, they are there just to remind me I am getting older so need to do more stuff.
We have been doing stuff, starting with a ride up to Scotland, Moffet to be precise with a great group of friends. That was last Friday and we were taken on some great bike routes. there are no chicken strips on my back tyre and it is looking well scrubbed up !
Part of the reason for the get together was to celebrate Jason's 40th, he comes over from Dublin each year for this ride out.
This is the view from the room we slept in at John and Carrie's. You can see Arran on a clear day and the north Antrim cost road from the other side of the peninsula at night.
We came back on Wednesday and yesterday I had a lazy day while Rachel had to go back to work. Today I am on the boat, I was going to move it but it is so busy here today I will stay put and mow the mooring then fish and drink some beer - not a bad life !!
We have been doing stuff, starting with a ride up to Scotland, Moffet to be precise with a great group of friends. That was last Friday and we were taken on some great bike routes. there are no chicken strips on my back tyre and it is looking well scrubbed up !
Part of the reason for the get together was to celebrate Jason's 40th, he comes over from Dublin each year for this ride out.
We stayed in Moffet until Monday then we went on to our friends farm house on the tip in the rhins of Galloway peninsula.
We enjoyed great company and much enjoyed seeing the twins again growing up every time we see them. I got a good education into radio controlled airplanes and the technology available to fly then, can you believe they have autopilots and gps in them now. John also has been putting cameras onto his airplanes and has been getting some great images…. it helps having 24 acres as to play in and no neighbours, my kind of place !
Rachel playing with Isabella
John's plane is in this shot somewhere.... bit like spot the ball?
This is Stranraer from the castle. It is a ghost port now as the ferries all go to Port Ryan so the town has lost all of its ferry related activity.
Isobella and Alba doing some dressing up
We came back on Wednesday and yesterday I had a lazy day while Rachel had to go back to work. Today I am on the boat, I was going to move it but it is so busy here today I will stay put and mow the mooring then fish and drink some beer - not a bad life !!
Leia likes it as well !
Monday, 5 August 2013
The trouble with tables....
.... whilst not heavy they are difficult to manhandle across lock gates.
Yesterday Rachel was browsing Gumtree and found a nice old butterfly table at a reasonable price right colour in the middle of Birmingham. We were half way so phoned and went to look. It was ideal, smaller than the one on board but no chairs so we will have to source them.
Only problem on getting it back to Fradley was how to do the swap with the existing and the new (old) table. We did not fancy getting it across the lock gates.
We opted to pop over to the water point on the Hunts lock landing and while watering up we took the old one to the car and brought the new one back. Much to the bemusement of the dog walkers who feared for our sanity, especially after I told them it was a picnic table and we were off to try it out !
So that is one step closer to getting Percy more to our liking. Next job is to take out the fixed seating and replace with a settee plus new flooring. Then on to the kitchen, new sink and worktop plus maybe a new fridge but I fear our 220 amp battery bank will not be suited to a 12v fridge? (Advice)
After that is it sell the house buy smaller rent out and cruise for however long we fancy... sound simple so simple we will never do it !!
Came across this when out walking Leia Sunday morning...
It was irrigation of the farmers potato field, heaven know how much he was taking out, I am sure CaRT knew and it was necessary as we all need spuds.
Yesterday Rachel was browsing Gumtree and found a nice old butterfly table at a reasonable price right colour in the middle of Birmingham. We were half way so phoned and went to look. It was ideal, smaller than the one on board but no chairs so we will have to source them.
Only problem on getting it back to Fradley was how to do the swap with the existing and the new (old) table. We did not fancy getting it across the lock gates.
We opted to pop over to the water point on the Hunts lock landing and while watering up we took the old one to the car and brought the new one back. Much to the bemusement of the dog walkers who feared for our sanity, especially after I told them it was a picnic table and we were off to try it out !
So that is one step closer to getting Percy more to our liking. Next job is to take out the fixed seating and replace with a settee plus new flooring. Then on to the kitchen, new sink and worktop plus maybe a new fridge but I fear our 220 amp battery bank will not be suited to a 12v fridge? (Advice)
After that is it sell the house buy smaller rent out and cruise for however long we fancy... sound simple so simple we will never do it !!
Came across this when out walking Leia Sunday morning...
It was irrigation of the farmers potato field, heaven know how much he was taking out, I am sure CaRT knew and it was necessary as we all need spuds.
Sunday, 4 August 2013
Mooring rope
Any reason for an overnighter. We arrived lateish last night for 24 hours, main reason was to replace the bow and stern mooring ropes with 2 x 15 metre 14mm ropes I sourced from eBay. The pair were a tad over £25 whereas Midland Chandlers wanted to charge £3.50 a metre so 30 metres would have cost me 4 times as much !
I took advice from the Internet forums and used the boat length x 0.8 to give a guide to the length. Having brought too short in the past it is better to nick some off the end rather than try and splice more on!
I have given up with C&RT putting the correct mooring rings on here at Hunts. They came about a year ago and spray painted the locations but then never turned up to add the rings. The variety of chains and hooks used will damage the pilings and be a larger cost in the long term. Plus what am I getting for my £1500 ?
.....and relax. Anyhow for info moorings were to be had at Fradley last night. It will be interesting to see how the place fills later today. There are boats moving now which is good but it does show how much the ropes have to do and why my error of judgement on leaving the fender rope on the bow was realised.
Some fettling with the engine today, and a run to get the oil about and remind it what its job is, not just sitting there looking pretty.
Nev
I took advice from the Internet forums and used the boat length x 0.8 to give a guide to the length. Having brought too short in the past it is better to nick some off the end rather than try and splice more on!
I have given up with C&RT putting the correct mooring rings on here at Hunts. They came about a year ago and spray painted the locations but then never turned up to add the rings. The variety of chains and hooks used will damage the pilings and be a larger cost in the long term. Plus what am I getting for my £1500 ?
.....and relax. Anyhow for info moorings were to be had at Fradley last night. It will be interesting to see how the place fills later today. There are boats moving now which is good but it does show how much the ropes have to do and why my error of judgement on leaving the fender rope on the bow was realised.
Some fettling with the engine today, and a run to get the oil about and remind it what its job is, not just sitting there looking pretty.
Nev
Sunday, 28 July 2013
Percy goes cruising this time without us
Last time I visited Percy for some evening fishing I noted the front rope was snapped. As I had the front on a spring line it had held.
I made good the mooring. Due to family caring responsibilities we have not been able to get to Percy and tonight Kev our boat neighbour very kindly phoned to tell me he had re-secured Percy after finding the boat across the cut. Thank Kev
You will see the rope is not the best, I am not sure if it is just not able to take the weight of Percy as boats come past at less than tickover or a naturally wearing . The recent drought and then rain has no doubt played havoc with the levels resulting in varying strain and slack on the ropes.
So tomorrow we will pop over and sort out some stronger more up to the job rope. Lesson learnt.
I should have read this and replaced the natural fibre rope as soon as we got Percy.
Link here
I made good the mooring. Due to family caring responsibilities we have not been able to get to Percy and tonight Kev our boat neighbour very kindly phoned to tell me he had re-secured Percy after finding the boat across the cut. Thank Kev
You will see the rope is not the best, I am not sure if it is just not able to take the weight of Percy as boats come past at less than tickover or a naturally wearing . The recent drought and then rain has no doubt played havoc with the levels resulting in varying strain and slack on the ropes.
So tomorrow we will pop over and sort out some stronger more up to the job rope. Lesson learnt.
I should have read this and replaced the natural fibre rope as soon as we got Percy.
Link here
Natural fibers
In general natural fibers are heavier, weaker, and less resistance to all forms of abrasion than synthetic fabrics. For this reason, there are few applications in which a natural fiber is preferred. Some specific applications where natural fibers are preferred include those where the roughness of the rope is beneficial (e.g. climbing rope). Natural fiber rope is also commonly used for decorative purposes. Not recommended for load bearing usage.
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