The missing March posts plus Rachel tries to sink the boat from the inside !

Some picture catching up to do.

Living on the boat from mid January onwards stops being a trial (with some winter beauty but too much winter mud) and starts being a pleasure.

The sun's angle woke up the solar panel and I started to come home to full or nearly full batteries, now that is a pleasure on its own. I do not need to run the engine for hot water only to keep the batteries toped up so I can sit on my mooring now for days without the need to run my engine.

The mornings were bright and the evenings longer  - not too much warmth but the warmth from my soul was all I needed.

Storm Doris came and went, scarily the day before we completed the sale of our house. I was praying the place would look after itself one more time, which is did. Not so lucky was the caravan park owner who is seemingly taking all the Fradley assets, the boat yard, the moorings between Junction and Middle locks as well as the shop and gallery. His new gates for the back route into his park  (and we suspect for  future touring pitches)  got hit by a falling tree

I started to get some sunsets... as the year progresses to hi summer the sun sets further across from my mooring

 The sun rises were equally as impressive and welcome.

Just a skin wound (from watering up !) but living alone does carry its risks, so everything is done with a little more care

The nice thing about late winter is getting home to the boat and still having the light for a walk. 

 Plus a pint after the walk of course 

I actually got my motorcycle sorted, well the little 650 (electrical problem) so one Sunday I rode out in the South Downs with my good Friend Mark and found my next(ish) bike  - a 1200 Triumph Bobber  - beautiful 

Below is a little video Mark took of the 650 hustling along the slippy South Downs roads 

We needed a good walk and the coast is a good place to do it so we did a favourite Bosham walk  - quite deserted we had the coast line much to ourselves.

Back at the boat and it was just nice enough to site out for a glass of wine before last light

Rachel decided she wanted to sprint clean the boat, so while I went for gas and did the cassette run as well as split some oak logs for the outside burner she left the tap on and put some much not needed water in the bilge.

Now on the survey I was advised to cut an inspection  hatch in the bathroom to check the bilge which I had not done so I told rachel she had done me a favour of sorts !!

 My bilge water absorption tool - a sponge on the end of a fishing rod, it worked !

 I was pleased to see how well Tony had built the boat and protected the steel with felt so no water if it gets in there can wick up the timber bearers plus rust the base plate. Nice touch but symptomatic of the detail in the boat build - the engineers eye and building it for himself !

.... and just to prove it can be crap living on the boat sometimes, rain = mud 

...... drumroll - been cruising !!!

Due to some daft delays on the house sale and without any certainty of sale, for our anniversary week off, instead of cruising from Dubai (£650 pp )  we ended up on the Trent & Mersey (£0 pp). Please bear in mind this post was written in mid February and I am only now late March getting back in the blogging driving seat.

Due to the stoppages we could only go one way so we had a night out at Wychnor as we were due back south then in London the following weekend.

There were not too many boats moving as this part of the canal really is a dead end due to the stoppage at Junction lock.

The advice was 'proceed with caution' but the river was quite gentle.

This was our mooring, a bit noisier that I was expecting  - we have passed these mooring many times and they are popular in summer being the first after the noisy A38 stretch.

Those who have cruised this stretch will know this bridge and the tight clearances and precise approach needed - not helped by half a dozen maggot danglers fishing !

Rachel holding Percy while I set the lock off the river section 

Yes this is Alrewas, only one boat on the whole village stretch  - you wont see that in a few weeks time.

Leia and Lillie approve of the sofa.... but have not got the sharing issue sorted (with each other or us !)

Then it was off back south the the cottage for a couple of days  - some nice walking in the longer days 

The only downside to moving about is this..... a very slow tailback as someone had broken down in the Blackwall tunnel.

But we had had a good day looking at flats for my youngest and his girlfriend in and around Crystal Palace.

I'd quite like this little bobber.... but it did not come with the flat, surprising based on the price of a one bed flat !!!

Standing at the start of time 

Not the week we were planning but a very busy week and far too much driving, but we did get the boat moved and not many were doing that in February !

Nature keeps giving this time of the year

Ok, so it gives high winds and lots of rain but it also gives extra daylight, warmer days, more sunshine and with the sun some lovely sunrises.

The solar panel on the boat 'woke up' mid February as the sun must have hit an angle to the panel that allowed a charge. These last few days I have come back to the boat to find all the electricity magically put back into my batteries I used the evening before.

Nature is giving me the light to walk Leia morning and night in the light. I actually hung up my two head torches this morning  - they have been ever present in my jacket pocket since October.

In another few weeks it will be light enough and hopefully warm enough to get some outside jobs done after work.... and fishing  - hurray !!

Some pictures rather than words ....

Homeless at last....

Well, a plan has to have a start a middle and an end. Last Friday the 24th February  was the turning point - the middle.

We completed on the sale of our home of the last 21 years, 6 months and 26 days. It has not been a home really for the last couple of years as we have let our son and daughter in law live there and moved back in and then I have spent the last 16 months DIY'ing to get it something like to attract the right buyer.

For my record it went on the market in June, we accepted an offer in early October and despite being asked to have it ready by the end of November to move into it took about 5 months to complete from the offer.

There is no doubt in my mind there are still a few areas of business that need a real kick up the backside and the buying and selling of houses is one of them. There is a shocking lack of appropriate timing and associated customer services. The antiquated practices and lack of engagement with modern communications methods and data accessibility do not fit with what is now expected. They deserve to be overridden by technology. We see it in the estate agents side - no %'s anymore, fixed prices and all competing. The 'conveyancing' needs to be shaken up.

Rant over and house gone, it is a big relief not to have the liability of an empty house as well as the costs each month on services hardly used. Plus come the growing season one less large lawn to mow.

So several weeks now until the next but not final part of something discussed many times and planned in some detail over many decades.... more on that later.

The other good news is we have had an offer accepted on a property and exchanged contracts on it. It ticked all but one box and that box can be retrospectively ticked if needed.

For now though a picture of our home of the last 21 years. Lets hope the house looks after its new owners as it did our family and if they are half as happy as we were while there they will  be rich indeed.

The atmospheric Caldon canal

Last Sunday saw us meet up with our youngest who had flown in to Birmingham airport after a weeks skiing in the alps - nice.  His partner Emma came up and she and Rachel had a girly day shopping while I was Cindafella cleaning the boat, emptying cassettes and fettling the engine.

We all stopped in the Boars head hotel on Saturday and on Sunday went for a walk from Froghall wharf down the (more muddy than we expected) Caldon canal. As we got to our terminus close to the footpath up to the Falcon centre a large American steam loco came past which was a sight to behold. At that point we decided to walk on the Consall forge and get the train back.

It was muddy but still beautiful. 

I have reported the tree down....

When the train passed us going to Cheddleton we could hear its urgent whistle all down the valley - a simple but engaging pleasure for me !

 We timed our arrival at the station well with a five minute wait 

 This is the train arriving with the loco going backwards 

 Leia got a nights stay in a hotel, a train ride as well as a great walk - she does live an interesting life !

 
Sadly my phone ran out of battery at the station but while watching the engine run around and then couple up the boiler made too much steam and I know where the term  - 'let off steam' comes from, my goodness the noise was literally deafening.

These machines are real living beasts and beautiful to be exposed to, so close as well.

The Caldon canal and the Churnet Valley have some real treasures.

Electric shock and the poo fairy

Ok, don't worry it was not me who had the shock but I am the poo fairy.

Poor Leia was playing with a bottle she had found and backed onto the electric fence that has been installed on part of one of our favourite walks. Not just any electric shock but one up her backside make her yelp quite loud - she backed onto it and shot forward much quicker !

I clocked someone had left their collected dog turds by the gate to get to the path.... two lots so a regular walker. I did my good deed for the day and became the poo fairy and removed it for them. I only hope they do not really start to believe in the poo fairy as they will never put their dog mess in a bin ever again !

It's like living in a cloud

A comment from one of my boaty neighbours this morning( last week now !).

The mist and drizzle that has seemingly been ever present this year is not welcome. I am actually looking forward to some strong winds to blow this weather away..... when not moving a boat the wind is quite nice to sit and listen to. Certainly a nice accompaniment to going to sleep.

With the mist and warmer temps comes mud. Despite best efforts I have to go to work in scruffs as the mud just gets flicked everywhere.

So I don't want snow just some nice crisp clean mornings and the sight of the sun might be useful. I literally cannot remember when I last saw  a clear sunny blue sky at the moorings.

Ok - I wrote this a week ago  and since then we have had some nice crispy mornings, but this morning it was back to mud and mist.

In fact Saturday was a beautiful day am.... what a contrast to Tuesday am.... but if the weather is to be crap, better be crap while I am at work.

Monday was so nice Leia and I went to Common lock for a pre work walk... the pictures say it all

Every day it gets lighter and when the sun is free to roam free from the clouds the mornings frosts and evening sunsets are as much as anyone could want.