Author: Mary

Good Friday – an early start to get to Tamworth by 8am, delayed by a Tesco petrol station offering petrol at £1.55/litre. Too good to miss!

Yesterday had been a leisurely day; a late start followed by a 7 mile round trip to the local Waitrose, predominantly to sample a few blue soft cheeses in preparation for the cake of cheese I am putting together for son G’s wedding to M. However when we arrived at this substantial Waitrose we were disappointed to find no cheese counter. Still the walk had been good for us and the adjacent John Lewis helped make the trip worthwhile. The recent realisation that we can still get a free newspaper by logging into the Waitrose app also lessened the disappointment of the cheese scenario. R had suggested I check in advance and to his credit, he didn’t say ‘I told you so!’. It was good to do a substantial walk and we arrived back at the boat pleasantly tired and ready to enjoy a quick drink at the pub before heading for bed. I tried to find a Maundy Thursday service on You tube. There were a few Catholic masses but no Anglican offering so I settled instead for reading the different gospel versions of the last supper. Reminded me of how we can witness the same event as someone else and yet have a surprisingly differing recollection of what happened!

Back to today and our early start to get to our friends V and R in time for a hot cross buns breakfast. We then joined them at the Tamworth Good Friday Walk of Witness. A silent procession around Tamworth followed by an outside service of readings, prayer and worship, open to all denominations and none. It was inspiring, thought provoking and accompanied by sunny weather, which was an added blessing. It made up for the lack of a service yesterday and put me in the right frame of mind to appreciate that this is afterall the season of Easter. Easy to forget when living a remote life aboard.

V and R drove us back to the boat and then we all travelled together along the cut in warm sunny weather for about six miles, stopping to fill up at a water tap. V and R decided to leave us then as they had to walk back to their car. Another boat filling their tank before us was taking rather a long time, R caustically remarking to me that as an all women crew they had probably emptied the tank making full use of the shower! It can take over an hour to fill so we decided to abandon the idea and just as we were setting off a man appeared on the towpath. ‘Would you like a lift’ I asked? His eyes lit up and he readily jumped aboard. N, whose parents had emigrated from Pakistan had lived in Birmingham all his life. He often walked along the towpath and had always wanted to travel on a narrowboat so couldn’t believe it when I offered him a lift. Both of us being very chatty, I gleaned much about his life: he was a courier (but really wanted to open a narrowboat cafe), had 6 children, grandchildren and an ex wife. All this by 42! He looked about 30! Sweetly, he couldn’t believe I was 60, so he’s a friend for life! He asked me if I minded him smoking, little realising it was going to be hash. He did offer me a joint but I thought if I haven’t needed one in 60 years I didn’t think now was a good time to start and anyway I think I got some via him because after his departure, I have felt markedly chilled all evening! We shared some amazing conversation, some X rated, so not suitable for a family blog! As I said to R later, was there something in my face which made him feel able to talk so freely? He willingly accepted by offer to pray with him and though of differing faith, he found immense relief through my prayers and I felt the hand of God over the whole encounter. It reinforced the conviction that God wants to use Naomhòg not only as a retreat boat but also as a prayer boat. It always seems to me that our worthwhile encounters happen on the boat just when my doubts are setting in as to whether we have heard God correctly. It gives us conviction to continue. Offering a lift to someone seems such a small gesture (indeed in a car you might not even consider it in this day and age) and I realise I need to be discerning but I also want to trust that God will put in our paths the people he wants us to help. N left us with his mobile number and the assurance that if we need anything whilst in the vicinity of Birmingham, we are to ring him and he will bring it to us. Actually he could be a godsend next week when we are hoping to isolate as much as possible in preparation for the family wedding. A takeaway curry may be just what’s needed!

Mooring outside Bournville station, we could be in for a noisy night. We left the boat to explore the area and found a rather run down high street, yet it was filled with an amazing community spirit. First we went into an art cooperative cafe greeted by a friendly chap who encouraged us to view the exhibition in the rear of the building. It was photographs of Ukrainian students, presently studying at Birmingham university, with the backstory of what is going on for each of them in their home towns and where they were when war broke out. It was very sobering.

We were offered free cardamon buns which had come from the local bakery, also a cooperative – a thoughtful gesture because as we had asked for recommendations of where to eat, the cafe manager had thought we were hungry. Infact we appreciated something to soak up the glasses of wine and R was a bit peckish following his recent hash close encounter! N was keen to give him a joint but this was vetoed by me! Leaving the cafe we continued exploring the high street with its many varied cuisines, although surprisingly few onestop shops. We then found ourselves ushered into a welcoming, slightly bohemian restaurant, where we feasted on a couple of delicious starters and homemade pickles, before returning to the boat, pleasantly relaxed having had a great deal more inspiring day than anticipated.

Returned to the boat relieved to see it still moored in the same place with no obvious calamities – you hear so many stories of sunken boats when pounds are inadvertently emptied that it’s always a slight concern! H and H had left it all in good order and enjoyed their time aboard, even though the boat remained stationary.

We’d passed through quite a lot of rain on our car journey and judging by the wood on the roof there had been some rain here but the skies cleared up and so we decided to move further along the cut, mooring up outside a pub for the night, where R could also park the car. He left me to take the boat along the canal and the only tricky part was the drawbridge I had to operate alone, using my windlass to wind it up and down. What a doddle, or so I thought as I confidentially moored the boat at the preceding bollards on the right hand side. I crossed the bridge and started to raise it and then suddenly wondered how I was going to get back to the boat myself!! Obviously the bridge was by now up and there was no other means of crossing the water. What followed was slightly precarious. I returned to the boat and manoeuvred it to the left bank, walked along the outside of the boat, secured the bow rope on the one available bollard and then realised my windlass was at the stern end. Back along the outside, retrieved windlass and then on return to the bow I had to scramble off the boat onto the bank. The bridge opened easily enough so I then returned to the stern, moved the boat under the bridge and then tied the stern rope to the bollard just on the other side of the bridge. Once again jumped onto the bank, lowered the bridge, by which time a dog walker was waiting patiently to get across and was amazed I was doing this single handedly! Back on the boat and off I went feeling rather pleased with myself that I hadn’t fallen in the water, nor had my mobile phone. I wanted to record the event but it is really too risky to accomplish that manoeuvre with a phone at hand!

R met me further along as did a beautiful heron but I wasn’t quick enough to relinquish the steering and take a picture close up. Hopeful he would stay in the vicinity I wasn’t disappointed and this time I thrust the tiller towards R and got a reasonable picture although failed to capture him in flight.

We’ve moored almost opposite another boat which isn’t terribly helpful for other boaters but the towpath was so wet with puddles further back that I couldn’t face all the mud in the boat. I reasoned not many boats would be passing after 7pm and we can always move first thing tomorrow. Funnily enough not ten minutes later a boat arrived and moored in the space we had rejected. Apparently they were rendezvouing with friends at the pub and were already late so were happy to moor anywhere. It reminded me how foolhardy it is to give anyone a set meeting time on the canal network. You just never know what is going to hold you up.

R has gone off to the local for a beer but I declined having had a full-on couple of days at home. Saturday we went to an amazing firework display with the unusual happening of each firework containing some ashes of a friend who decided that was how he wanted his cremated body to be dispersed. Monday we flew to Northern Ireland for the Thanksgiving service of R’s aunt which meant a 4am start. We returned supposedly on the 0615 flight on Tuesday, so another 4am start. The problem was so many staff were off sick, they had to fly a crew into Belfast before the plane could take off. We could have had another couple of hours in bed! Instead of which we found ourselves on some very uncomfortable seating! It was definitely worth the effort of going, not only to catch up with so many family members but to hear of the many activities this aunt has been involved in over a life span of 90 years plus. I reflected that if I live to 90 I’ve still got a third of my life to come so, health permitting, think how much mischief I can get up to. Our children can now be the grown ups!

R has a runny nose so the first thing I made him do this morning was a LFT. We are meant to be going to his aunt’s funeral in Northern Ireland next week and I need to know if I need to start cancelling parking, flights, taxis, hotels. Gone are the days when a bit of a cold didn’t mean much. Most of the aunt’s family caught covid recently at a family wedding yet somehow she herself managed to avoid it. We don’t want to reintroduce more covid into the family!

Also my step brother was coming to the boat for the day to learn the ropes for when he is taking on the boat without us. The day started wet and windy so it was certainly a baptism of fire controlling the boat, which was leaning a lot to the left due, I suspect, to the full waste tank. Our destination was the nearest marina with a pumpout and it necessitated rising up through four locks. So good practice for Ro who not only had to guide the boat along the canal, he also had to squeeze it through the lock gates. Once he had mastered the helm I took over so that he could work the lock gates and paddles of the remaining two locks. We all then learnt how a pumpout operated, filled up with water and it was recommended we top the boat up with diesel because there is talk of a supply chain problem. It’s good practice to keep the tank full to prevent condensation forming, that can then lead to a condition called diesel bug. That in turn clogs up the engine’s fuel injectors causing yet more problems. So to be avoided if possible. We also took the opportunity to run a check on the state of our three leisure batteries, essential for the smooth running of the boat pumps, fridge, lights and sockets. We were led to believe that the batteries we had on board were of a very good quality, had been replaced in 2020 and should last at least three years. However the battery charge seemed low even after running the engine for a few hours and R was suspicious that all was not well. I think you could say they were another covid casualty. These batteries do not like to sit around in the cold unused for extended periods. Nor do they take kindly to only being partially recharged. The lockdowns have meant the boat received minimal use for many months and the batteries are the casualty. The engineer recommended we fit a new inverter/charger along with the new batteries as this should extend the battery life to the expected three years. I see another big bill coming my way but it’s not really sustainable to have dud batteries. Not only do you have to run the engine when not cruising just to get some charge into them but also your fridge fails to work enough to freeze the ice for the gin! And the boat pumps cease to work so you can’t flush the lou, wash your hands with running water or empty the shower tray.

I realise how much knowledge we have actually obtained when imparting all the details of running the boat to a newby. There really is a lot to learn especially about the idiosyncrasies of boating life. An example is ones attitude to water. Ironic when you think we are surrounded by do much of it! Yet it is such a precious commodity as water taps are sometimes spread quite thinly on the canals. You learn how not to overfill a washing up bowl; to turn off the tap whilst soaping your hands and never to leave it running whilst brushing your teeth. You can do these things but you might live to regret it!

Ro was keen to do more steering once we had finished our trip to the marina so we looked at the map to see if we could turn around further along the cut. We wanted to eventually leave the boat where we were so that daughter C who will be on the boat for the next few days, can be in a pleasant and safe spot. She and a friend are using it like a stationary floating bnb. As it is her first visit I am shy of letting her loose on the cut without some prior guidance. Even without them moving anywhere I have had to leave a long list of comprehensive boat instructions!

One of the worst jobs on the boat is checking the weed hatch. Once the hatch is removed it is vital to replace securely or your risk of sinking the boat is heightened. The weed hatch gives you access to the propeller and enables you to release anything that has got tangled around it. You can usually tell this has happened by the sluggish response of the tiller so R suggested to Ro that he check it out. Sure enough, Ro untangled an agricultural seed bag wrapped around the shaft and Ro did mention that he had noticed a slight lack of power and pull on the engine. R was apologetic to Ro for this unpleasant task (even wearing a pond glove the water is bitingly cold at this time of year) but Ro was grateful to be able to increase his skill set before taking the boat out without us.

We travelled along until we found a suitable place to turn the boat. It also gave us the opportunity to walk further along the towpath to assess our mooring next week. A great spot with parking and a pub is now earmarked! As we journeyed along the cut back to where we came from I took the opportunity to prepare the boat for our departure. Ro very kindly told us he would drive us all the way home so we decided to leave today rather than tomorrow as originally planned. That way Ro could sleep in a bed (he thought he was sleeping in his van) and I would be more guaranteed to get to my hair appointment. I don’t go often so when I do it is usually long overdue and I don’t want to let the side down as mother of the bridegroom by arriving with hair that hasn’t had a trim in six months!

The final manoeuvre for Ro was turning the boat once again, in a conveniently placed turning circle, so that we will be facing in the right direction for our onward journey next week. This meant the boat had to be pulled back bodily to the planned mooring spot.

It was nearly 7pm by the time we were ready to leave, so Ro suggested calling in at the first service station en route home. The supper choices were limited and we found ourselves for the first time in over a decade sharing a large bucket of KFC, with our fingers. Took years off us and I have to admit the chicken was delicious (the chips less so!).

What I learnt yesterday is that you are never to old to narrowboat! We had a visit from our friends S and G who are borrowing our boat in May for a week or so and they were accompanied by S’s mum who at 93 recovering from covid, was extremely sprightly. She and her husband had owned their own narrowboat and had explored a great deal of the network. Il was extremely knowledgeable and it was lovely to hear her stories and memories of their travels.

We had a lot of locks ahead of us but each was quick to fill as we are now on the Stratford canal with narrow locks which only accommodate one narrowboat. However many of the paddles are quite stiff and the gates are old and heavy to move. Some required more than one bottom to push open. We were a crew of four with one senior companion along for the ride, or so I thought. Imagine my surprise when Il asked for a windlass and set off along the towpath to do her bit. Of course she had far more experience than the rest of us put together and it was a joy to see her in her element, still active and strong enough to work a lock! It gives me something to aim for! Her most useful tip was suggesting I use our pole with a hook on the end to offer up the central rope to R when in a lock chamber and needing to secure the boat to a bollard, to stop it flailing around when the water swooshes in, as the paddles are opened. Many a time I have failed the simple task of rope throwing just because I am useless at it, however much I try. It’s a case of practice makes perfect eventually.

Having stopped for a picnic lunch on the boat halfway through the flight we were still moored up for the evening in no time at all. S and G suggested we eat at The Navigation pub (which provided us all with delicious food. G had eaten there quite a few times before so he was keen to see if it was still as good as he remembered!) so with a few hours to kill, I thought it an ideal opportunity for G and R to properly seal the lid of the watertank. It was one of those jobs I knew R was not looking forward to doing as it was fiddly and time consuming. If we had done it together I think the air may have turned blue but with G as his accomplice all went smoothly and we now have a watertight tank! We shall have to open it in a few months time to see if the rust spots have increased but for now I am happy to know no more bits of fauna are able to enter and float about inside!

We visited a house today called Packwood House literally a stone’s throw from the boat. The house had been lovingly restored by a man who was passionate about tudor architecture and had used reclaimed materials from local houses that were being demolished. When he gifted the house to the National Trust in the 1940’s it was with the proviso that they did not alter the placement of the furniture as he left it; that they always tried to have fresh flowers in the house, as much and that the clocks were kept in good working order, telling the correct time! He moved on to refurbish a tudor castle in Norfolk for the remaining 30 years of his life. He sounded quite eccentric!

How we managed to get to and from Packwood without being soaked is a mystery as it is raining now and has been for the majority of the day. R did his usual trick of finding logs to carry back to the boat along the way although it has to be said this hasn’t been quite as prevalent as in our previous journey on Windrose! Old habits die hard and he just can’t resist the challenge of a solid log no matter how heavy.

Taxing my brain currently is working out the logistics of returning to the boat next week with our car and finding somewhere to park it whilst we then manoeuvre the boat to where it is, collect it and drive to Scotland. An old family friend has offered to look after the car but was concerned that as it would be parked at the end of their cul de sac they might not be able to prevent it getting stolen. I said that wasn’t a problem as long as my mother of the bridegroom outfit was safely stowed in their house. You can find alternative modes of transport but finding another outfit at short notice is a totally different proposition!

Life might be slow on a narrowboat but there’s plenty to do! Saturday was D day for our first major flight of locks. Awaking reasonably early I saw two boats pass me by, obviously going up the flight in tandem. So all I had to do was await another boat and could then do the same. R told me his and BBT’s arrival time was scheduled after 11am so I said if a boat arrived before then I would start the flight. Great excitement as a boat appeared but disappointment as it turned into the wharf situated behind me. I decided to move to just before the first lock in order to be ready to move off at a moment’s notice should a boat come along, but just twiddled my thumbs waiting. A phone call from R saying they’d parked and were en route, just as a lady appeared around the corner armed with a windlass. What joy! It was the boat I had seen earlier who had gone into the wharf in the hopes of a pumpout for their boat but were told there was a wait of over an hour. They wanted to get on with the flight so abandoned that idea and here they were, companions for Naomhòg – many hands make light work! Suffice to say when R and BBT appeared around the corner I was already entering the first lock chamber and they had no time for even a cup of tea. It was straight to work! 22 locks in two and a half hours was not bad going. The other boat had four crew and there were also some CRT volunteers helping with the paddles so I was able to briefly abandon my post at the helm and become the tea lady in order to make up for R and BBT’s rushed arrival and lack of victuals. It’s quite a skill entering a double lock with a parallel boat and as the time wore on we became more adept and it was much more fun than I had anticipated. Weatherwise, very occasional flurries of snow mixed with outbursts of sunshine. The excellent cafe at the top of Hatton was reward in itself although I did cause confusion by ordering a cream tea at 1330 – it looked excellent value – sandwiches, scones, cake and tea all for £10. I hadn’t realised you needed to pre-book, nor that the teas were normally for two and came on decorative plates. The cafe lady kept telling me it was too much food for one person and I said not to worry I didn’t need to eat it all at once. Then she gave me two cups of tea and charged me £20. At which point I said I only wanted a tea for one person! Eventually, with the queue growing ever longer it was sorted but I think she was glad to see the back of me!

DH rejoined us in the late afternoon near Lapworth, further along the cut than we had planned to go but BBT was up for a bit of a cruise before returning home and as R rested on the bed, BBT took to the helm and navigated a short tunnel that required a headlight. As ours is at present disconnected, due to the cratch being removed, I had to stand at the bow holding a torch. As canal tunnels tend to leak rather, my efforts at representing the Statue of Liberty resulted in a rather sodden Mary.

DH stayed the night on the boat – as I said before the dinette is good for one but until the cratch cover is in place there really is very limited storage for any excess belongings so it’s quite a challenge with three. It is also surprising how much this boat rocks when we walk around! It was fun though to have a friend to stay and the mooring space we found is excellent. As well as being picturesque we are right next door to CRT facilities which means we have access to toilets and a shower. In addition our toilet needs emptying so the pumpout facility is particularly welcome but without a pumpout card we can’t use this. I purchased cards online for R to bring with him from home but they hadn’t arrived by the time he left. Seeing a boat moored in front of the pumpout I went to ask the occupants if they had any spare cards we could buy but the boat was just mooring there for the night. The lovely Irish accents led me to asking where they were from. It transpired they are two brothers cruising the English and Welsh waterways for a month or so. P lives on a boat in Ireland and writes for a canal magazine so is very knowledgeable. His brother C has come along for the ride and both of them were full of fun and chat. So much so that I suggested we all meet in the pub later because I thought R and DH would enjoy their company. P was too tired but C joined us and we had a great evening. C became a grandfather a couple of years ago but still gets confused. He was out shopping and saw a toblerone which said on the packaging ‘for my God daughter’ which he thought his granddaughter would just love. His daughter had to point out she wasn’t actually his godchild! Part of the joy of travelling around as we are, is spending unexpected time with strangers who, because we are all boaters, are happy to share stories and thoughts in a way that tends not to occur in our everyday lives at home. Striking up conversations is somehow much easier to do when you are all in the same boat, haha, not literally!

Sunday morning a knock on the door heralded the arrival of P, the man who bought my wooden cratch board a couple of days ago. He came armed with a big bag of wood for us and the promised £30. He was off to the launderette but happy to be delayed by the offer of a cup of tea.

DH retreated home after lunch and we got ready for our next guests, JM and MM. They were staying in Warwick and had a brief spell of free time that meant they could pop to see us on the boat. JM loves WhatthreeWords but was not impressed by ending up in a field nearby. My inability to master this app is getting alot of people in a pickle so I really must try harder to understand how it works. JM gave me a very comprehensive lesson and no doubt, used properly, it is an amazing app with some great features. However, left to my own devices, trying to use it this afternoon when R and I went walking, shows I still have a long way to go! Once JM and MM did manage to find the carpark it was so good to see them and catch up with each others news by talking at double speed with no time to pause!

We finished watching the latest series of ‘The Crown’ which portrayed the separation of the Prince of Wales and Lady Di and the rise and fall of the Thatcher years. I couldn’t help but reflect what it must be like for the royal family to see their story dramatised and wondered how much is truth and how much is heresay.

Today started with R having to wait 40 minutes on hold, to speak to someone at the bank! I think they should change the music as you get nearer to the top of the queue! In search of a CRT pumpout card we walked to the marina at the top of the Lapworth flight of locks, which is on the Oxford canal (and all the locks are single not double) which was about an hour and a half. The marina had no cards but a boater in the shop said he had a couple which he purchased a couple of years ago. We were welcome to use them and pay him if they worked. We returned to our boat via the Grand Union canal which gave us a triangular walk of about 3 – 4 hrs so we were in need of a cup of tea before we embarked on the pumpout exercise. First we had to move the boat around the corner and then, having attached the pumpout hose, we had to insert the pumpout card, which basically gives you enough electricity to use the pump. Once the card is activated the electricity meter ticks and cannot be stopped, hence why we had to get the boat in position and were unable to try the card in advance to see if it worked. It didn’t! Rather than see it as a wasted exercise we decided instead to fill the water tank and initially check how clean it was. Disappointingly, there are a few pinpricks of rust spots showing through so I am contacting the epoxy specialists to see what I should do. I am not particularly surprised but I would like to try and prevent the rust getting worse. In addition, the water had some bits in it owing to the fact we have not yet sealed the lid properly as we wanted to monitor how quickly the tank empties. My solution was to get a clean bucket and empty out all the water and then sponge clean and dry the tank. With longer arms, this became R’s job! Once clean we refilled the tank but it took a long time so I decided to do some clothes washing. A bucket of hot soapy water soon saw me hand scrubbing my smalls, like an old fashioned washerwoman. Then I rinsed using the water from the outside tap and even through rubber gloves I could feel the cold. Then back on the boat I tried out the spin drier that is sitting in the shower cubicle. It all worked a treat and I was able to dry the washing over the stove.

All this took rather a long time and dusk was falling as we decided what to do with the boat. Either take it through two locks and moor up in a short pound, or turn it round by the water tap and moor up alongside, slightly illegally. A bit like being on a yellow line. Our excuse if we get told off by the CRT is that they should have been more prompt at posting us the CRT pumpout cards. Our waste tank is so full we can now only use it in emergencies and thus are reliant on using the CRT facilities, adjacent to where our boat is currently moored!

The evening saw the arrival of P, the cratch man, for a farewell drink before we leave tomorrow. He is such good company – we have really enjoyed getting to know him. He says he will come and find us once we arrive in the centre of Birmingham, our planned destination for the Easter weekend.

It’s been a very sociable 24hrs and I’m now sitting alone in a toasty warm boat with a fire that I managed to lay and light all by myself. Might not seem a big deal but let me tell you, it is! I have never managed the same at home. Probably because R is so good at them. He’s also very good at mowing the lawn – I didn’t recognise our own garden when he sent me a picture this afternoon. He’s had a busy 48hrs and tomorrow when he returns to the boat he’ll be faced with over 20 locks. Thankfully our lovely friend BBT is coming with him!

Back to yesterday when I had a very leisurely start to the day followed by chores, wanting to get the boat looking nice for my brother L and sister in law, D. Every time I thought I would take a break and walk into Radford Semele, just outside Leamington Spa, the weather turned from sunny and inviting to flurries of snow. It did that on and off until late afternoon. By the time L and D arrived it was a beautiful evening. D armed with a delicious homemade ginger cake which apparently improves with keeping. We’ve already devoured half of it! We decided to find a pub for supper and didn’t much go for the Harvester within walking distance. Good old trip advisor recommended The Stag at Offchurch, a mere five minutes in the car and we had a really good meal. Worth a visit if you are in the vicinity. I tried out the dinette bed which gave me a perfectly good night’s sleep although it would be a bit cosy for two, unless you are on the shorter, slimmer side! L and D’s alarm clock was the engine starting up at 8am in order for the radiators to warm the boat slightly before they got up. After a leisurely breakfast D took their car to Warwick Parkway station, parked and caught the train back to Leamington Spa. Meanwhile L skilfully steered the boat to Leamington, under my beady eye and we moored up outside Lidl. I took advantage of being so close to provisions and stocked up well, including a tasty picnic for four. Not only did D meet up with us but so also did DH, a very long standing friend who, having read yesterday’s blog, realised he was coming to Leamington for the weekend and by arriving earlier in the day, he could join us on the boat. So the four of us ambled along the cut, me leaving L in sole control at the stern, ably assisted by DH, whilst I enjoyed sitting in the bow with D, watching the world go by. There were only two locks to operate so as I explained what I was doing D honed her photographic skills!

The sun shone as we filled the boat with water opposite The Cape of Good Hope pub so we made use of a wooden bench and our picnic table and chairs and had a proper English picnic. I mention this because just as everything was laid out and ready so the sun disappeared behind a cloud! However no rain came and we just put on more layers for warmth!

We continued on towards the Hatton flight and nearly overshot the mooring spaces as they appeared far sooner than I anticipated. Job done and securely tied up, we walked to L and D’s car, parked just five minutes away, and the heaven’s opened. We felt blessed to have had a dry run thus far and realised it was just an April shower, to be expected!

DH hitched a lift with L and D to his car in Leamington (car manoeuvres take up a lot of thinking space!) whilst I walked into Warwick to see what it had to offer. A pleasant town centre although I was amazed at how promptly the shop keepers closed at 5pm, even with customers still inside the shop. There was no hanging around! It took a while for me to retrace my steps to the boat. I have such a poor sense of direction, by the time I asked for guidance I had walked quite a distance the wrong route!! Suffice to say, with the biting cold, by the time I found my way back to Naomhòg I was determined to lay and light a fire or else I was in for a chilly evening ahead!

What I have learnt so far this morning:

1) never walk out of boat in your slippers onto a towpath frequented by dog walkers! If you do watch where you put your feet!

2) Don’t assume flurries of white falling from the sky are snow. I made that assumption yesterday when white flecks fell on my bow garden and so I brought all the garden into the boat so as not to be caught by frost. Awaking today I found the whole boat speckled with blossom from the tree I have moored under.

3) Try not to moor under a tree covered in blossom. Terrible for the paintwork!

4) I am much warmer in bed with R around and having an evening fire to warm the boat. Last night, on my own for the first time, I didn’t worry about the stove and kept warm under jumpers. Without R to discipline me about bedtime I went to bed far too late by which time I was too cold to take any clothes off and didn’t warm up until the early hours when I wrapped myself in a fleecy blanket between me and the duvet. Worked a treat! But lesson learned.

We travelled yesterday to just outside Leamington Spa which involved half a dozen or so locks. R went ahead with the car and walked back along towpath to meet me, by which time I had negotiated a wide lock all on my ownsome, which gave me a great sense of achievement. It does take ages and you have to be patient but working a double lock single handedly is possible if you just take it steady and concentrate on what you are doing! The only difficulty would be if the paddles were extremely stiff to wind or the lock gates too heavy to move. In which case you just have to wait for the next boat. Having seen a fair few moving up and down the cut I felt sure I would have company sooner or later, but no, just when you need a fellow boater, they are nowhere to be seen! By the penultimate lock we met another boat coming up but that was the only lock in our favour.

Safely moored, we set off to the Midland Chandlers, now half an hour away by car, so we won’t be returning there for a while, although it did feel like my local corner shop, full of all my boating needs and very helpful assistants. We collected paint so I can titivate the boat and bought all the helpful suggestions (from the rescue maintenance man) of spares that we should carry aboard for emergencies. We added a super duper new windlass as unfortunately one ended up in the canal yesterday (that’s another lesson learned!) and a porta potti!

Why the need for two lous on a 43ft boat you may well ask? And where will we have space for the second one? Good question! It’s for emergency use only so at the moment, brand new and unused it can sit under the dinette. Once our outside area is covered it can lodge there. I have taken fright at the thought of the pumpout filling up and us being nowhere near a pumpout facility or worse, arriving and finding it already full and out of action. All stories we are being told by other boaters. I am even contemplating putting a table over the present lou and putting the porta potti on top. Fine for R but I might need a stool to reach the seat. Quite a canny solution though!

R left for home and I got to tidying all the boat cubbyholes. Amazing what we’ve collected after only four months. 6 bathtowels and four sets of duvet covers for starters. To landlubbers this probably sounds perfectly reasonable but when you have limited storage, two sets of bed linen is plenty and two spare towels. I also found a lot of fire making paraphernalia in all sorts of spaces – torn up cardboard, twigs, kindling wood and then excess sheets of plastic, which could come in useful, but how much do we really need! I managed to find a great space for R’s concertina once I had had a good clear out. As my mother used to tell me, everything needs a home where it can be put away, out of sight if necessary!

Our first overnight visitors arrive this afternoon. With R at home there’s space for my brother and his wife. I shall move to the dinette to try it out – only big enough for one I think. Be good to have their company. It is incredibly quiet which is lovely in small doses!

ps 1320hrs I may have been a bit preempt about the weather and the blossom!

What a day. Can’t believe what a ditz I am (have I made that up to suit the occasion or is there really such a word!) but can only take comfort that out of stupidity silver linings can arise!

The day started well even if it was a bit drizzly. We awoke later than planned but by 1000 we were saying goodbye to Calcutt marina and I was cruising the cut alone. All checks completed, such as oil and water coolant levels, I felt pretty confident. Meanwhile R was moving the car so that when we met up at the flight of locks at Stockton the car would be close by. The locks, being a flight, have very short pounds separating them so we decided to save fuel and turn off the engine. That meant we walked the boat through the locks and didn’t have to keep hopping on and off the boat. It was surprisingly relaxing, the lack of hurry combined with the quietness of the canal. Also, no other boats around. If there were we couldn’t have completed the flight in such a leisurely fashion. It was also helpful to remind ourselves how to most efficiently work a lock, especially if we ever need to do them single handedly. An added bonus was the chats we had time for with walkers on the towpath. One young couple in particular were very open with us and shared that she was in and out of hospital, especially hard with three children to care for. They welcomed the offer of prayer and it was a timely reminder of why we are here in the first place! It gives a purpose and focus to our travels that is more than just navigating the cut and appreciating its beauty, including all the spring flowers that are out at the moment. It’s the people we meet who will bring our journey to life.

With a great sense of satisfaction we completed the flight and turned on the engine to reach the Blue Lias pub, the very same one we started off our adventure in October 2021 on Day Dream. If you remember P, our son, left us in the pub garden surrounded by all our belongings and so began the boat trip that never was! The upside was the subsequent purchase of Naomhog so we probably have a lot to thank Day Dream for! I could not believe that just as we moored up the engine coughed and spluttered and died!! We fortified ourselves with some pub grub and decided there and then to join the canal boat rescue service, before trying to restart the engine which started without mishap, so we set off to the next lock. Again the engine failed as we entered the lock but easily restarted so R, thinking we had somehow just flooded the engine, left me in order to move the car to our next short flight of locks, whilst I went along the cut alone. I didn’t get far! Another cough and splutter and this time the engine really did die. Luckily I was close to the bank so jumped off, holding the midrope and my mobile phone. I rang the canal rescue service who immediately offered to send someone to my aid for an additional £100 as I had only just joined them! Where was I? Could I remember the bridge number or anything else remotely helpful? I did offer ‘what three words’ but she said her engineer wouldn’t recognise that. There was nothing else for it but for me to find a stake and mallet, in order to tie up the boat and walk to the nearest bridge as a point of reference. That meant letting go of the midrope and hopping aboard before the boat drifted into the middle of the canal. Then I needed to find the strength to knock the stake into the ground, which believe me is very difficult when the soil is compacted. Boat secured, I decided to ring R who was walking back to the boat having found somewhere to leave the car. A cup of tea once he met up with me, gave us both time to think what might be the problem, the obvious cause being an empty fuel tank – unlikely since we had filled up to capacity a month previously and had not used more than 10L of the 300L tank! Suddenly it dawned on both of us – the diesel pipe has a switch that we turn off when not cruising and we hadn’t switched it on this morning. Just as this thought dawned the canal rescue team arrived at the boat and were met by a very sheepish couple! Our only consolation was that we were commended for working out the problem – many don’t! The silver lining was that the delightful young man and his kind trainee went through the whole workings of the diesel engine with us. They changed filters, tightened fan belts and told us what needs replacing when and what regular checks we should carry out. They told us the spare parts we need to carry and all sorts of other really useful information. I had been planning on going on a diesel maintenance course (which would have cost the same as this call out fee!) but I really don’t think that is now necessary as the engineer today was just so helpful and I feel he has greatly increased my knowledge. I don’t think I would go as far as servicing the engine myself but at least I know when I should be changing oil filters or what to look for if a fuse blows. Even the terminology is making more sense!!

All this resulted in us tackling the final four locks of the day much later than anticipated, so the lighting of the stove was delayed, supper was later than usual and R, who has walked for miles along the towpath and helped with numerous locks, is out sparko at the other end of the boat, gently snoring, which shows how deeply asleep he already is. It’s given me time to catch up on this blog – usually we’d be watching a film now! What it has done for me is reminded me how great it is to be once again out on the cut, exploring pastures new, without knowing quite what is around the corner. So like life in general. Living in the moment and trying not to be anxious about the future, rather looking to the challenges ahead without being overly fearful. Of course, this is easier said than done, especially when fortified by a nice glass of red – we hadn’t quite finished the housewarming present opened on Sunday!

It feels very strange tonight, the last night in the marina after four months. It’s been very comfortable. A car to hand, electric hookup, a watertap close to the boat. Not like proper narrowboating at all. It’s made me very soft and a little unsure of what comes next. Memories of walking miles to launderettes, no shops within easy access, cold and muddy footpaths to negotiate…..

Yet there’s an excitement that our adventure is really beginning. As from tomorrow we will have no fixed abode on the waterways system and there is a freedom in that, wondering where we will travel, who we will meet, what we will see and experience. I’m sure we will face challenges but at least we are coming into the summer months, our boat is small so easier than some to steer and should mooring be a problem we may find a tight spot that we can just squeeze into. Certainly there are so many more boats cruising the cut than we are used to but that gives us more opportunity for conversation and maybe help at some of the wide locks as we will probably go up and down the flights of locks in pairs. Not sure about overtaking though! Think we will be learning patience on most of our summer journeying and getting used to queuing before entering a lock flight. The pace of life is definitely entering a different gear.

We’ve made good use of this week though with all the facilities to hand. We’ve stocked up on essentials and nipped out to garden centres so I can cultivate a very small area of flowers in the boat bow! I can just about manage that! Last May my friend A gave me a beautiful trough filled with herbs. Imagine my joy when I found some had survived the winter and now replenished I have a wonderful herb garden on board. Hopefully not peeded upon by cats as is always an issue in our garden at home which somewhat puts me off eating them!

R is really chuffed. He managed to swop the rosehead in the shower for a snaky hand held head. At least he can wash himself albeit in a fairly tight space! The boat looks rather multicoloured, the result of me dabbing undercoat everywhere there looked to be a scratch or bit of rust showing through. We’ve had to order a tin of topcoat, supposedly arriving tomorrow, so hoping it will do so before we no longer have a car to enable us to nip to the chandlers!

My delight today has been making two new blinds for the boat. I found the material when staying up north with friends H and J so it’s been on my ‘to do list’ preferably before leaving here. We had a lovely sociable weekend with our bestman and his wife arriving with two bottles of red wine to toast the boat. It was Sunday lunch so we actually drank sherry in memory of mum and cracked open the red wine later having Mothering Sunday as the excuse to do so. Bittersweet to not have any cards but the children all contacted me in one form or another so they did what they could. Sometimes there are downsides to not having a postbox! On Saturday we entertained our first guests al fresco on the cruiser stern. I was slightly concerned about the parsnip soup. I had served some to my sister in law last week and we all had our heads blown off by the one chilli I had added for flavour!! I froze the remainder and brought it to the boat and then cooked a further big bag of parsnips in coconut milk to add to it. It did reduce the heat somewhat. Our guests had lived in Africa so I found out spicy food didn’t worry them! When I mentioned the blind project A immediately said she would come and help me make them and it made all the difference, two pairs of hands rather than one and two brains to work out what to do cobbling together new blinds from old. It felt good to be doing something creative and I think they suit the boat perfectly.

The end of our evening gave us an unexpected encounter with a lovely bloke, P, who came to buy our boat cratch board and ended up staying for a good hour or more once I offered him a cup of tea (he’d been delayed at work so didn’t arrive until nearly 2130hrs!). He’s had a fascinating life as an athlete and as a top triathlon who in addition to completing quite a few Iron Man challenges, has also run the London marathon countless time and came 89th in the British runners one year. You never know what lifestory you are going to hear in these cameo encounters of other boaters but he has told us where he’s moored and we are welcome for a cup of tea any time we are passing! I think I will take him up on that just so I can hear more tales of his life.

Delighted that he took the cratch board at a bargain price it has to be said! A triangle of wood surrounding a pane of glass that supports an upmarket tarpaulin to keep you dry in the bow area, it’s shape was not conducive to those over 6ft. We’re having a more rectangular cover fitted using stainless steel bars but it saddened me to see the beautiful wooden structure go, especially when I learnt they are in the region of £900 new. However I need to be practical and maximize space. If I have found a good home for the cratch then that is far better than taking it home and potentially seeing it end up in a skip. P only had £70 on him but he thought it was worth more than that so he assures me he is going to come and find me on the cut with a bit more dosh. It will be lovely to see him if only to share another cuppa!