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Our trail to Freedom

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South to Stowe Hill

Time for bottom blacking. We made an arrangement for Stowe Hill to do our bottom and they have just finished it. So we left dry dock this morning to float for the first time since Monday. Felt really strange living on the boat in dry dock. Rock solid and no rolling as you move about. I felt I was drunk all the time. We went to the local pub next to Rugby Boats called The Narrow Boat. As we went in, there were no warning sign about needing to have taken out a second mortgage before ordering any
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Now at Sawley

We arrived at our marina berth at the end of August. This was going to be our winter mooring. A little early for winter you may say? True. But the plan was to go Kent to look after my mother for a couple of weeks whilst my brother and family had a holiday. As it happened, other arrangements were made and we were not required. Being half Yorkshire, I did not want to pay for something and not use it, so we moored up early. I have to say what a nice lot of people live around the Nottingham area.
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Moving on

More progress has been made since my last missive. We arrived at Stowe Hill on 8th for the replacement of our aft side door hinges. They were brass / bronze and one had fractured with age. Since these were no longer available in brass good old Rob at Stowe Hill tried several places for some steel ones. He drove to Reeves only to fibd they has ckosed down. In the end I asked Baxters at Yardley Gobion if they would let me have 4 of theirs and so the job could be started. My originals were screwed
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Progress

We left Kingfisher Marina at Yardley Gobion for good on Sat 25th June. We went south to Cosgrove for a couple of days to have a "Goodbye" meal at the Barley Mow, the last for many months I expect. Good pub, reasonable food, good beer and friendly owners. The shop in the adjacent caravan park is a great little place with most of the essentials and more. SO of the caravanny stuff is good for boats too. Only open from April to November, but worth a visit if you are passing and need some stores. Th
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Now liveaboards!!

Well, it has finally happened - we have left our house in Sussex and now live on our boat. We have had a few problems moving a 4 bed house onto a 60ft narrow boat, but after 1 month we have almost managed to decide what to keep and what to throw. The local dump and charity shop have greatly benefited from our visits. We have been out for a couple of cruises whilst still mainly in the marina whilst we use the car to ferry stuff to the charity shops / tips. But the mooring is only paid up until th
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Banter in the Deeeep South

Well it happened at last. Chertsey organised a "Southern Banter" at Newhaven in East Sussex at a pub overlooking the Harbour. Great spot for a pub to watch ships and boats coming in and out. As Judi and I arrived, we were greeted by Chertsey who had brought along a reel of sticky labels and she dutifully wrote our CWDF names on the labels. In all there were about 14 (?) of us there including, in no particular order, Ange, Mr Ange, and I think Ange's parents, Chertsey & Paddington, Alan Finch
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Is it that long ago?

The news is that I have stopped work, Judi has now stopped work - everything is moving towards boat living. I am madly putting everything on eBay that we cannot take to the boat, prospective renters are visiting the house, current target is mid April. However , unless we scrap / giveaway all our valuables, it will take longer to sell it all, but do not tell Judi please. I have had a few sucesses on eBay. My best was a book I bought at a charity shop or a boot fair for £2 called the Economical
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Lily Maud alterations

At our visit to the boat in early December, we had arranged for a carpenter to come and quote for some alterations. We wanted a glass sided cabinet fitted on top of a cupboard in the galley to increase storage areas for glasses and bottles, some cupboards fitted around the porthole in the main bedroom, a cabinet fitted above the wash basin in the bathroom and one of the beds raised in the rear cabin so that we can store a keyboard underneath it. Also an arrangement to allow the fore and aft bed
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What have I gone and done?

Today was a very important day for me. Apart from the snow here in East Sussex I made a giant step towards going native - sorry liveaboard. I sent in my resignation letter at work. So in 2 weeks time I will be officially out of work and into early retirement. The extra time at home was supposed to allow me to get all the crap cleared out of our house and then rent it out. Once a tenant is installed we are off to the boat.   I have been feeling really nervous about this big step for a few day
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Early November Holiday - Time to Fall in!

Our last week of holiday this year was planned so we both got to the boat, together, on Sat 30th, in the morning. Then the NHS staffing shortages took hold, and my wife had to work night shifts on Saturday and Sunday nights! So, not wanting to waste good maintenance time, I went up on my own on Saturday morning. Instead of getting straight down to work on the Sunday, I decided to have some "my time" and spent Sunday relaxing, cooking and having a few beers. Judi finished work at 0800 Monday morn
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October cruise

Another 8 days on Lily Maud. Since my last entry I have changed the enfine oil and filter, tightened the alternator belts again(!), touched up some of the rust spots on the paintwork, but with more to do. The oven still needs a good clean, but that can wait until November. The shower pump has not been at it's best, so time for a clean out. It appears the previous owner had black hair since a lot was in the pump valves stopping them seating well. Now it takes much less time to empty the shower.
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Nearly Time

Well, today is Saturday. I have just started my early shift part of my work rota. Early shifts mean I get up at 0315 hrs to get to work for 0430 hrs. I hate early shifts. however, I also hate middle and late shifts. in fact I hate working for somebody else TOTALLY. The only good part of early shifts is that on Thursday I finish at 1220 hrs, and start work again at 1515 on the following Wednesday. This means I get 5 days on the boat. Yippee.   I must sell the house so we can get away from this
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August Visit

Another fun few days on the boats. SWMBO's sister came to stay and see for herself why we are mad enough to want to live on a boat. She lives just south of London so caught the train into the wicked city and National #Express coach to milton Keynes. I picker her up in the car and we set off for a short cruise, heading south past Milton Keynes. I like to show off by cooking guests at least one special meal which aboard our vessel, so Friday night was Beef Stroganof. It was an acclaimed sucess, so
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Holiday Part 2

After a couple of weeks back at work, we returned to Lily Maud for another 10 day break.   I had arranged for a mobile marine engineer, Ed Boden, to visit Friday morning, to sort out the problem with the second alternator belt adjustment clamping set screw which had been OK threaded into an aluminium casting for 18 years, but decided to strip recently. He drilled and helicoiled, then fitted a stud so it should not happen again. He also sorted out the pipework for my breather. I could have don
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Holiday Part 1

The aim was to cruise from Kingfisher Marina and go up the Aylesbury Arm to Aylesbury then return. All was planned, with overnight stops near good pubs, shopping places identified, even pump out locations noted. We set off on Friday June 25th planning to arrive at Aylesbury on Monday. What we had not planned for was the unusual British summer. I had imagined the normal weather would prevail and had factored in a certain number of lock/miles per day. But with temperatures getting into the low 30'
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Crick Show etc

I went to Crick Show on Saturday with my cousin Paul, staying on Lily Maud Friday, Sat & sunday nights.   As you may know, it is traditional for the weather not to be kind for the Show, and this year was no exception. Rain on Saturday morning. It did not deter me - I bought another shunt for my Adverc battery monitor, a breakout lead for the Adverc Alternator controller so I can measure its performance with a multimeter, a new hat since mine was leaking (OK, I have bought a leather Austral
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Power problems

Well, the fault with the Marina power supply has been identified and fixed, to a degree. It was a cable joint with water leaking into it across the other side. So we no longer get power cuts. But still the supply power is not up to running my very small microwave or my 1.2 Kw vacuum without blowing the trip. So the 6 amps supply must only be a 5 amp or less in reality. I am fed up with having to disconnect shore power, start the engine and run the inverter just for a chance to use the vacuum or
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Easter Weekend

As one would expect, we both had some time off over Easter. Since we both work shifts, actually having time off together is a rare occasion. This Easter was a bumper one - we both had 5 days off and they were the same 5 days! So, off to the boat for the period. We had decided not to go cruising but to spend the time doing some of the "little jobs" that are always there. So I cleaned the Bubble Stove, dismantled the Wind Generator, and spent hours (it seems) with the Marina "warden", Ralph, talki
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Bloody Cold

Now we are at Kingfisher, we visit Lily Maud as much as possible. This week end we both had 5 days off work so went up Thursday evening, stayed in the Marina for Friday doing odd jobs. The first odd job was to replace the water pump. It worked when we left her last; it did not when we arrived on Thursday. The last thing I wanted to do on Thursday night was a faff about under the foredeck, fitting a new water pump since I had been up at 0315hrs that morning to go to work! However, it had to be do
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Kingfisher at Last!!

Stowe Hill reported that they had not found any problem with our Eberspacher. However, the next day they said that it did leak, but only when cold. so it was removed and sent off to a local repair shop. They fitted a new water boiler bit, one that they had in stock, cause apparently ours is an old model and sparesare rarer than rocking horse droppings.   All repaired, and with a report that the sewage holding tank is already big and no space to fit a bigger one, we turn up on Saturday 6th Feb
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Time to Move

The ice and snow have gone on the roads, the canals down south have thawed, and Judi and I have 4 days off. What shall we do? I know - Let's move Lily Maud from Crick to where she should be at Kingfisher Marina!!   So Thursday was my day off and I spent it getting ready at home - washing, ironing hovering, all the usual manly things. Judi managed to get Friday off extra, so off we went to Crick. The boat was still where we had left her, no smoke or flames visible and still afloat. We unloaded
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First Sleep -over

We got up to Lily Maud on 29th December, planning a few little jobs before moving her south to her mooring. However, dear reader, you may remember that it was a tad cold around that time. ABNB had thought to be helpful and had moved her out of their wharf onto the cut. But when we got there a degree of ice was apparent. Also Kingfisher Marina had advised they were not allowing any boat movements into or out or their Marina due to thick ice. So we decided to sleep over for a few nights, do a few
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Monday was a Happy Day

Monday the 21st December was a Happy Day for two reasons. We officially became the owners of Lily Maud, our first canal boat and soon to be home. Secondly, we became grandparents. My son and his wife gave birth to a little girl called Alisia. She went to the Special Care Baby Unit because she had low blood sugars and was too cool, but mother and baby were discharged home today, 23rd December. The plans are to visit our grandaughter on Saturday and our boat on Tuesday.   Happy Christmas to you
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Signed sealed, just waiting to be delivered

Paperwork is done, boat is ours tomorrow. Plans all made to move her the week after Christmas a bit further south. What happens?   The broker, where the boat is moored, has decided to close at midday on the 23rd, and not to reopen before the New Year. Since I was planning to drive up there on 24th to collect the keys, this has rather buggered the plans. Even more so since at the moment, the GU seems frozed from where the boat is to where the boat has got to go.   So, tomorrow, a phone call i
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Hurray

After another trip to ABNB for a "test drive" on the boat we want, and a deeper examination of the bowels of the boat, we are happy bunnies. She handles nicely, no smoke from the engine, almost zero wash at normal speed, quiet in the cabin due to good sound insulation and an Aqua drive.       We want her.       Just now waiting for the "in water" survey happening tomorrow.       Later.....   Well tomorrow has come and gone. Survey is good. A few small problems like stern gland is t
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