Jump to content
  • entries
    41
  • comments
    3
  • views
    22,713

About this blog

One man and His Boats

Entries in this blog

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
bargeeboy

bargeeboy

0

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
bargeeboy

bargeeboy

0

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
bargeeboy

bargeeboy

0

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
bargeeboy

bargeeboy

0

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
bargeeboy

bargeeboy

0

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
bargeeboy

bargeeboy

0

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
bargeeboy

bargeeboy

0

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
bargeeboy

bargeeboy

0

Atherstone Locks

left at 7 with sun shining and no need for a top as it was so still and warm. After a short stop at Charity got to top Atherstone at 11 am. Well 4 waiting in front and 3 boats waiting in the first pound DON'T THEY KNOW ANTHING !! What a waste of time water effort. I walked home and will go back to night or early in the morning ! Time now 1 pm and havinmg luch at home. I but will complete later. Hare came past the house at 2.30 which was 3 hrs 30 mins helped by the fact that the boats in front st
bargeeboy

bargeeboy

0

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
bargeeboy

bargeeboy

0

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
bargeeboy

bargeeboy

0

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
bargeeboy

bargeeboy

0

Blisworth to Pitstone

What a relief to awaken just before light and no rain. That meant we were clear of Stoke by 9 and batting round the pound when I notice the auto bilge pump working overtime. Thought is was the rain water draining through and thought no more of it. Around Castlethorpe thought I should take a further look and discovered that the bottom engine water pipe from the pump to the cylingder was leaking badly and squirting in a direction that I was unable to see when normally oiling up. I took the steelso
bargeeboy

bargeeboy

0
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.