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About this blog

Starting out again

Entries in this blog

Flob a lob, little weed

Sunday morning saw me up at half 8 to get ready to poodle up the arm to the winding hole and let Herbie go off for her 2 week cruise to the River Wey.   I met Neil at the stern as he was just prepering Herbies weed hatch, we both fired up the engines and I set off for the Windly windly hole. Within 30 seconds it was obvious i had some serious weed on the prop as there was a fair amount either side of the apparantly clear channel. Within 100 yards from the mooring I had come to a standstill
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Last entry

Im not sure if this will work but Im gonna try and do a Blog on another site, Not that I have anything at all against this site, far from it, I just feel it might make it a little more personal to Laura and myself.   The Canal World Blog is very simple and easy to use and has been a great start for me but now, Im gonna spend hours struggling with links and fings and then give up and come back to this blog!!!!!! see given up already.     If you enjoy what you have read here maybe you
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things finally,almost,nearly sorted

So it looks like its finally safe to commence my inane ramblings concerning the move from old tub to ditch crawler.   Got the nod from Barclays that the finace we required is ready for release tomorrow they are just waiting for the final docs we had to send em. We sent em last thursday tut!!!!! so it all gets held up again coz of fings lost in the post. Nevermind, at least we kept copies. Also had a message from Virginia Currer Marine requesting personal details for the bill of sale so t
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still waiting

So its been over a week since everything was in place and were still waiting. Last minute forgotten bits of paper to sign and this that an the other. We had been hoping to get in with the early discount for the licence which is up in october but that aint gonna happen now. Never mind, were expecting completion by monday at the latest famous last words.   In the meantime, Things have finally been going forward with Emblem. I am currently sitting in drydock at Otterham Quay waiting for the
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Roy Orbison

Day 21   ITS OVER.   Our original plan for this day was to cruise down to Denham Country Park and find a little spot for 1 last barbie before doing the last 3 and a bit hours back to base camp. The day dawned overcast and very breezey and a few showers accompanied our meanderings through the locks. At Batchworth we were aided by orange lifejacketed children who were visiting the canal centre and getting instruction on locks and boats....Geoff, one of the staff was telling Nora that wh
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Peter Sellars and Sophia Loren

Day 20   The morning broke dry and lovely. Following a couple of brews we fired up and cast off, Nora working the swing bridge and 1st lock while we kept looking behind us in the hope of seeing a boat coming down behind us who we might share with.   Its wasnt to be so we slowly dropped down the heavily locked Hemel Hempstead section and arrived at the santary station at Apsley to take on and drop off fluids. A bot had decided to chain themselves up to a large protion of the services mo
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Endurance

Ernest Shackleton wouldve been proud of us.   We decided to try again and get up to the winding hole to turn Lady Elgar round. With Laura on the bow with the pole swishing as much weed away from us a poss, we managed to get half way along the moorings before we came to a dead stop with the prop choked with weed. This time we both plonked ourselves on the bow and pulled over alongside the moored boats. While I poled us punt style Laura kept us from touching the boats. We made slow but stea
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Bucks Fizz

Day 17   Late start today as we only planned to go as far as the Globe. Hadn't topped up the fuel tank since Reading and knowing hard we had been forced to punch the flow of the Thames I was keen to top up again and see what we had used.   Milton Keynes marina was the first services so we turned in and approached the fuel landing. It all seemed very quiet. I had managed to get far enough into the marina to make getting out awkward when a chap called out from a boat that they were shut
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Hangover

I think we eventually got to bed about 2am. So this morning when the church bells of Abingdon rang out it was a bit of a shock. They wont continue for long thought I, just calling the faithful to worship, but no, It was obviously a campanology convention calling the faithful who had quaffed a skinfull the night before to clamber out of bed and put the kettle on.   Maffi and Bones where already up and about and after the frist brew we were ready for the last haul to oxford. So we waved farew
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Electric Light Orchestra

SUMMER AND LIGHTNING, all around us.   I think it mustve been about midnight that the electric show began in the sky followed by loud rumblings of thunder across the valley. The rain was so heavy that the plants on the roof took quite a battering so when we woke this morning to blue skies and sunshine evrything seemed so much better, except that is for the howling gale blowing from the sou'west.   The plant pots didnt stand a chance and after the 2nd time of putting them back in plac
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Adam Ant

Day 19   According to the Log we started up the Perkins at 11.30am after I had cleaned away the BBQ from the night before and taken down the Sky dish. The weather didnt look at all promising and there were spots of rain in the air.   Sure enough within 10 mins of setting off a couple of very heavy squalls washed everything down and blew everything about. Then out came the sun for a bit and all was calm again. Just after passing the flour mill a heavy squall hit us again at the same poi
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ABBA

Day 18   We departed the Globe in lovely sunshine and in anticipation of the 18 locks ahead of us. A planned short stop at Tesco in Leighton Buzzard refilled some cupboards and fluid cabinet however the waterpoint proved to be defective. It doesn't take long to leave the town behind and after Grove lock the rolling hills and fields open up again giving excellent veiws over towards Woburn. We filled the water tank at the top of slapton lock and noticed a boat just entering the lock behind us
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Supertramp

Day 15   Opening the blinds this morning revealed drizzle and then some more drizzle. It was morning as well, about 6am. We knew we might get a bit of noise from the mainline railway nearby but hadn't bargained for the sheep with megaphones. Actually we did manage to drop off again and evenually arose about 10am....still drizzling...so a couple of cups of coffee and watched Takeshi's Castle.....Love the High Rollers.   We cast off around about 11am with yours truly fully decked out
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exiting Otterham creek

Well to say the exit was interesting is probably the understatement of the month.   Me old mukka steve took her into the dry dock on wednesday. That trip alone was enough to get the pulse racing. I had to work early turn and couldnt do it so enlisted steve to skipper the old tub to otterham and in turn he enlisted alex and neil to crew(hold the fenders) Apparantly all went rather well for the first half hour despite the force 5 gusting 6 northerlies. Just as they approached Hoo island, The
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Paddington Cruise

Set off Monday afternoon from Iver intending to stop overnight at bulls bridge Tesco. We had been up and about all day after getting home from work at 8 that morning but somehow we seem to have got past the tired stage and were in our second or third wind. Rather a tad more ice on the Slough Arm than i had expected but it eventualy cleared as we approached packet boat marina and the junction. We turned right onto the main line and chugged the three or so miles to bulls bridge where we stopp
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Slug speed

What is the differece between slug speed and snail speed? Are slugs faster because they dont carry a shell on their backs?     Today saw us awake at just before midday thanks to our evening with Kath and Neil in Goring......mmmmmmm sleeeeep. So when Nora got up amnd asked the time and she said quarter to 12. I said...."no its not" she said " yes it is" I said "no its not" and so we continued for a couple of mins but yes it was indeed nearly midday and we had 8 hours cruising ahead of us
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safely home

And so we arrived back at Iver yesterday afternoon after 9 days cruising up to the Wendover Arm and back.   Came across a couple of Forum members on the trip, Magnetman at Lady Capels lock and Chris JW up on the tring summit. Pity we didnt have time to stop proper to say hello but was very nice putting faces and boats to members names.   Nora soon got into working the locks with gusto and with very few errors, except one or two that i should really mention. I always have a little smile
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Emblem

Did indeed meet up with Ludwig and Tamara for sunday lunch and a discussion over the old tub.   As mentioned previously the survey was carried out some weeks ago so has been quite a while before they finally go back to me.   Anyway, Lunch was at the Black Horse Iver Heath and went down rather well and didnt have to pay a thing as Ludwig insisted on it being his treat. Mind you, i have to admit that all through the meal i was wishing we could get down to the nitty gritty. Not very graciou
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Thats Theft that is

Ive been sitting here contemplating as one does and my eyes were drawn to the shelf infront of me.   At Easter Swmbo's mum bought us both a chocolate thingy each from M&S   Swmbo's was a choci Sheep and mine was a Choci Tractor.   Not being a great sweet eater its been on the shelf waiting for me to attack it one night whie suffering the munchies.   However, I see someone has got there before me.......please note the wrapping and the total lack of the chocolate chimney that on
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Snail Speed

No photo's tonight as we only have snail speed connection which kinda matches our snail speed while under way.   We had probably the quietest ever night at Henley, you know, its so quiet that you cant hear anything at all except the noise from your ears.   We woke to spanking sunshine and clear blue sky, By 8am the Henley rowers where out and about practising for next week's ladies Regatta and the Cox's were being rather vociferous....Typical small person syndrome lol.   We Cast off and
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Weather

Its currently 4.30am and its been lashing it down since i retired to my berth at 1am   Not looking good for the Thames circle if this rain continues. We have the option of turning left at The junction and heading north on the Grand Onion and then making a descision to do the circle when we get to braunston, The down side to that is, if we do head down to oxford and the rain returns we will be hard pushed to get back to base using the long route.   There are other circles such as the
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Ignoramuses

Day one of our Grand June Cruise.   Cast off from Iver just before midday having spent the last couple of days revising and reviewing routes due to the Thames being on Red Boards for the last week, But after a drive down to Chertsy last night to view the river conditions I decided we would have a slow run to Brentford and hit the Thames sunday eve rather than today to give the river further opotunity to calm itself.   Glourious sunshine was the order of the day and a Big thanks to Kath
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Make and Model

Day 10   I was up and about by 8am and following the first brew of the day, left Nora sleeping and I set off down the Botley Road to find Halfords armed with my electrical componant complete with box and Lucas part number. I passed a cycle shop on the way and looked longingly at a smashing little folding pushbike in the window but payday is still to far away for toys like that plus the car needs MOT'ing when we get home.   Found Halfords and presented me at the parts desk. I showed t
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Finally onboard

Finally picked up the keys thursday afternoon and plonked ourselves on board although didnt unpack anything as the cleaning needs to be attacked first. Not knowing the condition the batteries would be in i switched on the Heart interface charger and left em to it for a few hours. As suspected they were shot at. The charger was so busy trying to charge them that they started to boil. so it was switches off and a trip around Berkshire on saturday trying to find 4 110 lesuire batts. Much harder
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The Beatles

Day 13+14   YESTERDAY saw us moored at Braunston and no phone signal and no Web an Walk signal for the first time this trip so no post was possible.   We cast off from Fenny Compton and negotiated the lovely summit level of the Oxford winding around the hills and farms. Saw loads of young lambs and hundreds of tiny Moorhen chicks all along the level. Finally Napton windmill came into view in the distance and we started the descent at Marston Doles. Ive always enjoyed doing the Napto
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