Returned to Naomhòg today in beautiful weather. Everything feels so different and it amazes me that with all our boating experience to date, we have never been on the canals between early May and mid September! When we were truly novice boaters I was delighted to travel along the cut in the winter because it was so quiet and there was very little risk of me bumping into other boats! There are lots of pros to winter boating and I always said I wasn’t bothered about the summer. Now I’m not so sure! It’s just so lovely to be naturally warm and be able to shed a few layers of clothing. I also feel more confident about passing other boats along the cut especially as our boat is much shorter than anything we have previously handled. However with the sun comes a plethora of jobs to do and as I relax here this evening I am conscious of the many maintenance tasks I am going to have to accomplish if I want Naomhòg to continue to look well loved and cared for.
I have arrived with sandpaper and varnish to treat the window frames; blacking paint to tart up the stove (although R says that has to wait until we no longer need a nightly fire – there’s still a chill when the sun goes down); blue paint to restore the paintwork on the hull to prevent rust; material and fabric stiffiner to make new blinds for the door and kitchen windows. These are a few of the tasks that lie ahead. R is keen to change the shower from a rose to a handheld spray as he can’t fit under the rose! I even bought a grouting pen to freshen up the shower tiles. Something I have never done at home! Somehow 43ft by 7ft of living space isn’t as daunting to tackle as a family home which is over a hundred years old. The shining sun also showed up the grime on the windows and the paintwork that could do with a good hose down. I think I even have to polish Naomhog like a car and I’ve never done that in all my years of driving!
Talking of driving when we were home the car went back to the garage for more body work but there was a further problem with the door so it has to go back again in April! It was rather nice to be carless. It meant we stayed close to home and caught up with friends within walking distance. Or people visited us and I had to remember how to cook for at least 6! Once upon a time I used to cook for 16 regularly, without batting an eyelid but due to covid I am very much out of practice or could it be that age is making me lazy! The upside of entertaining was all the beautiful spring flowers that came my way – there is something so uplifting about the glorious spring colours and the promise of new life as the buds open. Even more appreciated when so much of the world news is grim and depressing.
The other sign of spring was the emergence of Sheldon, the tortoise. Owned by son G but looked after by whoever happens to be in residence at home. The lucky winner this time was me, ten minutes before we were due out to super with lovely Vietnamese friends who are the most punctual people I know when it comes to mealtimes. Such is the precision of the food it is cooked to perfection for the moment one is asked to arrive. G’s timing as he rang and asked me to look in the shed to see if Sheldon had arisen from his hibernation was just too close for comfort and of course he had. He was also rather cold so I had to get him inside, put him in a tepid bath to help warm him up, find some food in case he was hungry. A big responsibility with my limited knowledge about tortoises. Thankfully he survived the night but was still a bit cold the next day so I made a nest for him on the Aga but obviously not directly on the hot plates! I had to fence him in with the Aga oven shelves so he didn’t fall and hurt himself. Before too long he was happily eating, peeing and then produced a very dark poo. I only mention this because a few days later I found a pile of something white near to him which G told me was also a tortoise poo – extraordinary that they can produce two such different colours! He is very sweet to observe and whoever said tortoises were slow has not met Sheldon. He can run with the best of them and when the house door is left open a mad panic ensues as we check for his whereabouts.
Another excitement last week was the purchase of a new washing machine! Arriving home from the boat and realising the bearings were nearly shot through (it sounded like a hailstone on a corrugated iron roof), it was also lacking a door handle. Son P had pulled it off in a frenzy over finding his passport tumbling around inside the wash! To begin with this was not much of an issue – we just improvised opening and shutting with a screw driver. However after a few washes the door catch worked loose so in addition to the screwdriver you then had to insert a biro to hold the catch in place. At which point enough was enough and now I am delighted with my new purchase. The great thing about a new gadget that is replacing something six or seven years old is the advancement in technology. A seven year old machine doesn’t sound ancient but it gave me sterling service whilst it worked so I can’t complain and now I have a machine that seems to be much more efficient without breaking the bank! I can even operate it by WiFi although this is of limited use when away from home as a robot would be needed to gather up the laundry.
Our house was a bit like Piccadilly Circus so it is very strange to return to the peace of the marina with very few residents around. We were excited by the arrival of the Jectec company, J and V, who came to measure up our new canvas covers at either end of the boat. I had begun to wonder if they were a figment of my imagination as I had hoped to see them in January. The cynic in me had begun to think they had run off with my money since I had found them on the internet and started to worry that I had been too trusting parting with a hefty deposit. The delay was all down to the weather – you can’t patten a boat cover successfully in wet windy conditions. Not only did they get on and do a very professional job but they came armed with offcuts for me to sew some bunting for the boat. I had asked them in advance if they had any spare material and they did not forget my request. Infact I have so much I am wondering what cottage industry I can start up.
The boat has had its bottom blacked! Not that you can see much as most of the painting is under the water line but it’s good to know that it’s fit for purpose for the next two to three years as this treatment inhibits rust growth on the hull. I’m really glad I didn’t tackle that job myself although there’s plenty who do. Visions of the water tank scenario come to mind, not that it would be done in an enclosed space, more the difficulty in applying the bitumen which I hear is very sticky and messy.
All that’s left now is for Dave the boat electrician to come and sort a couple of things and then we will be ready to leave the marina. We thought he was coming early March but boat time, as I have mentioned before, is different to landlubbers time so we just have to wait. At least I have plenty to do in the waiting!!
NarrowboatTLC 