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One man and His Boats

Entries in this blog

Wendover to Stoke

Went to Wendover from Ricky and tied at the end of the arm. Went back to recover Stafford on Tuesday evening and apologise for running engine for 30 mins. I was going to go on Monday Night by my Good friend Michael said his Son was moving Hare from Ricky on tuesday morning and was heading for Cowroast on Tuesday night. Left the end of the arm at 5.30 in time to meet Hare at Maffers. Good day wall to wall tea and sandwiches made me think I must get my domestic life sorted. We tied top of Stoke
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We shall try again !

Fired up at 6 and make rapid progress up the rest of Audlem and had a very un eventful Adderley thank goodness.   Only one boat ahead at Tyrley and two coming down so again flew up here.   What a glorious day to be on the Shropshire Mooring Canal all was well until the bilge pump slowed and slowed until it stopped. The stern tube leaks when under way I regard it as good lubrication for the shaft. The water pump plunger was squirting back since I rebuilt it so the pump was needed to keep the
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Waiting for Orders

Well what to do now! Up at 7 with nowhere to go! Invited to the Friday Club at the Crown which was a day easrly this week. I could be at Kings Cross of Brentford by 1 o'clock. Or even turn round and be at Hunton Bridge.   Decided to go to home for the weekend so reversed through the Brisdge and tied up alongside Colonel. Stafford and Colonel might have been tied alongside each other 100 years ago which is an interesting thought. The Port is calling but too soon to go that way so might che
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This is Work

Picked up range for Jaguar today. Still plenty of time for the Port but have Kew on dock at the moment to finish before starting on the Jag. Done round trip of Manchester today. Dropped off Boat Movers at Barbridge. Had coffee with Roger Murray at Nantwich who is very pleased with boat I sold him 2 weeks ago. Went to Preston Brook to collect the Range from Midland Chandlers then to Furness Vale to collect Aquadrives. I like my 'job' .
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Stop to Blisworth in a Storm !

5.30 Monday morning saw in the dark shadows Michael bow hauling Emu round the turn and by 6 we were on the move.     Came out of top of 'morton around 11 and crawled through Braunston around 1. We then we flew up and over in 3 hours. Stoke was clearly on the agenda until the heavens opened.     Emu' bolinder was settling in and going round a treat. Rain, Real Rain, More Rain. Michael suffered more than me as I had the benefit of a roaring range. Settled for Blisworth as it got dark b
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Stoke to Ansty

Late start 5.15 should have been 5 !!! but a good run and had a clear run up and over the hill which meant that we cleared Braunston by 1 pm. Cracking run top Morton at 3 and out bottom at 3.20. Thats the way to do it!! But then we joined a convoy and tied up at Ansty as it was painfully slow with the right amount of boats coming the other way which mean no chanch of overtaking and well as wall to wall tied up boats. Lie in in the morning as now cracked it and will be back home tomorrow ! I t
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Stoke Bruerne

Set of chasing the light and when the light came it was bright. Sunglasses needed from 7 am heading into the sun of the Northern Oxford.   Took chimney pipe down to try to carry engine noise across the motorway so the Boatman in the cemetery near might here me pass. Not as noisy as the Bolinder but the motorway was quiet.   Arrived at Braunston , the traditional home of Boatmens' WAG's , and their children. around 1 o'clock but no time to stop and visit so waved from bottom of garden.  
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Simpson to Braunston

A very sore captain kicked off in the morning. And of course with rain I suspect waterways had opened a few drain off paddles as it took me 45 minutes in the rain to get off the mooring ! After that though progress was swift and were through Stoke by midday.     Plain sailing now and on way down braunston I sent Luce in the Nelson for some beer. She came back and said She had booked a table as they stop servig at 8.30pm I had to send her back and cancel as how can we tie up in the light !
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Shakerstone for starters !

The trip really started two weeks ago after Kangaroo and Australia headed to Beale Park. five 2 ton bags of railway line was delivered to the yard for transhipment to Watford. It being sods law the JCB had a puncture so we had to position it and use the back hoe as a static crane to unload the lorry. Pete Gilbert then came to the rescue with his hi-ab and we managed to load into the boat although it was very precarious as his hi-ab only handles 1500 kgs 3 ft out !!!   The plan was that we s
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Ricky over the years

A lot has happened since the first Ricky festival in 1993. It was set up to commemorate 200 years of the Grand Union. It is still going strong and well run by the Rickmansworth waterways Trust.   Ricky really started me off in the canalworld in the early sixties I would cycle to Batchworth and buy my 10 Consulate Menthol cigs from Jon’s stores by the lock. I spent my first night aboard a boat above the lock on Trojan listening to the water weiring over on the opposite bank.   In 1993 I too
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Pitstone to Watford

This one needed an early start as we had to make Watford in time to unload. With a crew of four it was easy riding and we got to Cassio Wharf where we said goodbye to young Michael.   We were quickly unloaded with the usual super efficiency of Derek and John. It was here when we saw the 'friends' of Roger that we thought is was strange we were contracted when they could have bought Roger up to Alvecote and loaded the ballast there.   We made it back up to Apsley for the night where we w
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Pitstone

The early start meant that by the bottom of Stoke it was shirt sleeve time. What a glorious day. Well what about Wolverton ? Its changed a bit especially by the station. The tree I tied Greyhound to on the offside at the MK Rally in 1985 is now very large. It was only a sapling then and I thought I had damaged it beyond repair. Three Locks is being refurbished again and for a change the pounds were all full. Was at Leighton around 4 so saw Maffers as a target.   It is my intention to meet
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Pit Stop for Helm

Fired up at 7 again and set off from bottom of Audlem with the rudder dragging the cut and a fibregalss tiller bar that was fragile. Not many bends here though. Went past Hankelowe Mill and thought would you let your 5 or 6 year old daughter go picnicing and swimming there with the Audlem local teens ? I did in the early eighties, gosh how the World has changed. Water still a problem so I tied up in the wide railway bridge to re-build the water pump. Not the pump but the mud box was full ! Tam
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London

Took Stafford from Cowley on Sunday afternoon to Paddington. 3 hrs 35 bottom Cowley to the Bridge. It was goosd to cruise early on Monday past all the commuters bustlng and cycling along the Regents. Blow Up Bridge was a lot quieter than that Saturday in 1983 when the Harrods bomb was heard by us clearly along this stretch. I also thought about the elephant that came down the steps of the Zoo for a 'photo shoot' on the 'Pick Me Up And Tidy Up' or something similar when I collected aluminium c
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Little Venice

Still dragging the helm I crept slowly through London again watching the commuters commute. Same as Birmingham with Café in one hand and Metro paper in the other. I ties up below St Pancras at 8.40 to do a car shuffle. How things change I got on a bus to Liverpool St and was told to pay at the machine by the bus stop. This I did and the bus sped off! I got a train to Ponders End then took car to Uxbridge and back on tube to Kings Cross. Back on boat just before 12 and within the 4 hours moorings
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Jaguar fired up

After such a good race back to the boats. Managed to fire up Otter on friday and had a silly plan to take it to the Port and demolish the cabin on the way! Thought a bit over the top so after the race today I attacked the Jag.   It has not run for nearly 2 years. But as we know if its hot and you give it some oil its got to go bang. I had it fired up 25 minutes after lighting the lamp. So I have now scrubbed then engine 'ole out and shall put the range in on Tuesday and I think it will be hea
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Jag to the Port

No boating for 3 days and missing it already Done office work Done VAT Return Stafford trapped at Cowley as Thames not open until next weekend as I was planning on Thames, Oxford to get to the Port. BUT looking out at the long grass (must do that) I see The Jag looking unloved. Inspection reveals need range and to varnish the cabin and get some decoration and furnishings. Anyone got a new Classic? Sunday morning and got a plan. Stafford to go to Enfield and then back to Cavalcade Jaguar
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Its good to be on the move again

In the words of Ronnie Barker “Its good to be on the move again” Left Enfield on Stafford around 3 .30 on Thursday. It was strange to have a full conversion ahead of me again. On the way to Enfield a few weeks ago I vent close to rivers edge around Tottenham to pass the dredging works when I went over something solid and rested on it. A tug pulled me off or over as the case maybe and the helm came out. It is quite amazing that that the deepest BW navigation in the South is being dredged but gu
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It's good to be on the move again!

Started off today with good intentions. Found hub puller and was going to remove the clutch back plate and start re-building the Jag. But as I started I realised that whilst it was aprt I should make a reverse pulley and then the motion is very tired. So I went to the Kangaroo where the hub puller way last used and decided to fire it up. Well 1st kick !! Change of plan I shall use the change boat instead. So spent another day cleaning and scrubbing and well I got further tonight than I did
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It's good to be on the move again !

I was asked on my recent trip why I have not been blogging on my way.   I admit it is bit of a trial with a loaded boat, back cabin, bolinder and summer traffic!   However if there is interest I shall write it up this week.   We took the Jag loaded at Alvecote to Watford with railway line ballast for NB Roger.   We did find the time to go to Shakerstone and actually met up with Kangaroo and Australia at Marston Lane Junction.   Lawrence, Matthew and Caz had left Beale Park with 32 tons
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I should have learnt by now !

Well I woke the sparrows and bow hauled into bottom lock at 4,30. I was considerate not like the person who parks their car overlapping the lock tail. Sorry about the rope marks but at least I did not fire up until out off lock. Many thanks toTrevor who appearsed as I fired up and wound me up chasing the light to the top. Well Minworth does not change. more things in the cut than before it was dredged. So bacon sarnie at the Drome who ripped 3 of my £20 notes as she thought they were forgeries
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Home in 3

Did not appear to have moved overnight and quickly got range roaring for the tea and was at top of 13 for 7.30. A mob handed Viking Hire boat had just gone down and they said they were following a boat with only 2 crew and that they would help them out. I asked if they would pull me a pasddle then. I visited the facilities at top lock and then set down to 3 as started down at 8am. Its handy in the thick of the 13 as the boat will go on its own along the pounds if you set the tiller strings right
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Helm sorted

Took advantage of some muscle on Sunday to try and put it back in again. Ist prize a few pints. Nobody won as it would not drop in. Decided to drop the rudder out whilst in the deep water to check it was not damaged. Dropped it out and it was okay and managed to get arm down to the cup and it was clean. Then put it in the cup without the collar and it dropped in place. Repalced the cup and perfect. It was a case over my lads had overengineered it and not allowed enough tolerance with the new r
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Got to Fazeley

Well spent all day changing the clutch on the Jag as the shaft was loose in the cone. A temp repair has already been done. Probably 30 years ago. So put in another clutch and thought lets go boating. Habving spent al week making it comfortable with lights and heating I thought time to go. Never set off with an unknown boat in the dark. Yes the rear bearing tightened up and I ended up bow hauling to Fazeley. Will take a rain check and watch the race instead tomorrow morning! Watch this space l
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Get 'em ahead

Fired up at 6.45 after floating towards the bridge so as to not wake up the now sleeping party goers. Went ahead of Lamprey who were waiting for young James Booth to come with us to top of Chester. We came out of the top of Chester at 10.30 so under 4 hours from the Port. Looking good until Shady Oak when 2 lockfuls of boat were waiting. One hour 'til we got in the lock. At least they were only going to Beeston for the Monday Market. As I approached Beeston there were a dozen boats lined up wait
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