NB Python

I would like to say that Mr Keeping-Up's mooring was a very comfortable place for me to settle into the mud at for a while. It was a huge help to my crew, all of whom are volunteers for The Chesterfield Canal Trust. With a month for me to hang about between festivals it was a long drive for my crew from the Chesterfield area to come down and shuffle me along for a bit to conform with mooring regs. They are all very happy that mooring my fat bottom on Mr Keeping-Up's mooring was helpful to him as well. I am sure someone mentioned that I resembled a hungry hippo the way I wallowed in the mud! The good thing about a fairly shallow mooring is if I decide to sink I don't go down that far! I think someone mentioned that they owe Mr Keeping-up a pint next time they see him.

The crew are at least enjoying a bit of nice weather for this leg of the trip. It is great to see a few forum members along the route too. Python moored up at Blaby Bridge last night and the plan is to reach Foxton today so hopefully a few more of you will get a chance to see her chug past. Photo's would be great if you have the camera or phone handy but if not just give the crew a wave. If the guy on the tiller looks miserable don't worry too much - he has spent years perfecting that look.

You can be pretty certain that Python's huge bottom will plough a furrow for you, Python has been spotted in Loughborough by forum member Paddy R who took this lovely photo:

Python had an uneventful (for uneventful read showery and blustery) trip up The Trent, and arrived at PJ Barber Boatbuilders on The Erewash where she has been kindly offered a safe berth for a couple of nights. Paul did a lot of work on her in the autumn and wanted to check a couple of things as she was passing. There was a lovely surprise waiting for her when she got there, Viv Scraggs had managed to locate a very pretty Chesterfield ribbon plate and presented it to Snakey as a gift What a lovely gesture! Although Python no longer has a tradtional back cabin she has a day cabin and it will be hung in there. Python had some beautiful stable mates in Paul Barbers basin. There are a number of lovely old boats gathering there in readiness for the festival up there at the end of the month. It was when the crew arrived to carry on with the journey yesterday that she decided to break down. She threw a flexible drive. What a good job that did not happen on the tidal Trent! Thankfully Paul Barber had the parts available and stopped what he was doing to get her fixed and on her way in record time. What a hero! Last night Python was at Zouch lock and today she will be heading through Loughborough and onwards - I know a lot of forum members are in Loughborough area for the festival there this weekend and so give the crew a wave as they pass and if anyone gets any photo's of her then it would be great if you can share them please

The first entry on the Python blog has been publiched on The Chesterfield Canal Trust Website for anyone who is interested. http://www.chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk/index.php/membership/reports-and-blogs/443-bon-voyage-python Next stage The Trent - the gateway to The Rest Of The World!

It is good to know we have a good mooring waiting for us at Ricky, thanks to everyone involved in the organisation. I think some of the crew might have had ideas about the tug of war but alas it seems the skipper has his sensible head on has ruled it out ..... Ah well! The crew have reported the Chesterfield Canal is excellent for boats with fat bottoms since it was dredged over the winter so what with Stret Lock being widened and the bottom now being much further away from the top along there it will be great to see a few more historic boats try it for size again. It has been another breezy day but a good time was had by all on board and now Python has reached the very picturesque Drakeholes ready for tomorrows duty as a working boat. It seems bacon sarnies are on order for the workers. Hopefuly there will be a few photo's to share tomorrow

Today was the very first day of Python's 2013 "World" Tour. Python is owned and operated by The Chesterfield Canal Trust and spends the summer season going to a number of canal festivals to publicise the work being done by The Trust on their canal. She is operated entirely by volunteer crew, all of whom are members of The Trust. Her crew have become affectionately known within The Trust as "The Pythoneers" and in recent times Python has started to be referred to as "Snakey" Hence the title of this thread. It is planned that this thread will be updated with details of where Python is on her travels so that if she is in your area you can watch out for her and give her a wave as she passes or come and say hello at a festival. The first event that Python is heading for is The Rickmansworth Festival on 18th & 19th May. Before she leaves The Chesterfield Canal she is going to wind back time and do a couple of shifts as a proper working boat once again. The crew have teamed up with the local Canal and River Trust team and Python is going to carry out some work along The Chesterfield Canal trimming back overhanging vegetation. It will be wonderful for her to be working again and Chesterfield Canal Trust are very happy about the great working relationship being forged between the two trusts along The Chesterfield Canal.

After all this discussion about my saggy fenders I am rather relieved that Canal & River Trust chose a more flattering photo of me to feature on their new page today: Canal & River Trust News This article also gives more information about what was required for the work from CRT's point of view. My crew are now hoping to be able to use me to assist CRT with some of the little bits of "housekeeping" along the canal like trimming overhanging branches and the like. Prior to the rebuild of the lock it was a logistical nighmare to move me more than an hour away from my home mooring but finally they can come and go with me as they please. Well done to Canal & River Trust for an excellent job.

I am not at all common! I don't bite either.

Today Python was supposed to be heading down The Trent back towards The Chesterfield Canal for winter. The crew were hoping to have a much better idea of just what difference that rudder modification by the end of today but there has been a stoppage at the lower end of The Erewash (due to pollution) and Python is trapped behind it. C&RT have told our crew they will allow Python to leave Trent lock when they get there but obviously the situation may change.

As many of you may know Python is currently out of the water for blacking and for investigations into where the stern bilge water was coming from. Thankfully the very knowledgable Paul Barber is on the case and is being very tolerant of our volunteers getting under his feet blacking her hull while he gets on with some of the more heavy duty stuff. One thing that has long puzzled many of the crew is the fact that last time she was out of the water at another boat yard they decided to shorten the rudder. Why anyone thought that might be a good idea is not known but anyone who has ever steered Python since usually has a word to describe her steering. Some of those words that have been used (the ones that can be repeated here) are "Vague" "Interesting" "Alarming" "Heavy" & "Stubborn" Needless to say when she came out of the water and we all got to see the rudder we had been expecting to cause directional changes to a big heavy lump of iron it was a cause of much interest: Thankfully I am told some elves got busy at the boatyard and it now looks more like this: It will be very interesting to see what difference it makes but I doubt there will be any crew who do not notice a difference. We are all wondering why on earth any boatyard would recommend shortening in the first place? The new extended rudder certainly looks the business thanks to Paul and there has also been a fairy called Viv getting busy with a jet wash and blacking down there too!

Python will be heading up that way as well but earlier than everyone else it seems. We plan to get from Autherley Junction up to The Black Country Museum on 21st August then on to Cambrian Wharf the next day. Sadly this means that my crew are unlikely to be able to assist any of you who are appealing for help on your route but if there are people willing to help then I am sure my crew will happily offer a cuppa along the way Don't forget to come and introduce yourselves if you see us on our travels down the Shroppie, up through Birmigham and out to Fazeley before heading up The Coventry

Oh! So you are that novice crew that are volunteering to crew me are you? You better treat me carefully! Yes NB Python will also be there

Thanks everyone for the information so far. The provisional thinking is: Canalway Cavalcade Little Venice 4-6 May, Rickmansworth Festival 18/19 May, Stoke Bruerne 7-9 June, Braunston 21-23 June, Linslade 27 July. The boat is due it's BSS on 12 Aug so we will need to cut the tour a bit short next year to be back on home ground for the BSS Hope to see lots of you along the route!

The crew of NB Python have started making some preliminary plans for next summer's tour. For those of you who are not aware NB Python is a historic work boat owned by Chesterfield Canal Trust and operated by volunteers. This year it is currently out and about on a cicuit of some of the more northerly events but next year we would like to try and take Python back south to revisit some of the areas where she spent her working years. We are aware of certain events such as The Rickmansworth Festival & Canalway Cavalcade along with Braunston etc What other events are there that we could schedule into the route planning, what are the dates and who are the contacts we need to apply to? Are you running an event you would like Python to attend?

I think the crew are still drying out after their epic experdition to get Python there from Etruria! Blog link I have heard they will be sporting a fresh coat of rust protection and big broad smiles at the weekend though. We are all looking forward to it.

Update to trip report was written by crew member Tom: 8th June - Pressing on. Getting up, I was prepared for a two day cruise to Middlewich which I thought was going to be great with the 1 ½ mile long Harecastle Tunnel. Then I heard this from the BBC News "The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for wind in South West England, the Midlands and the South East, and for wind and rain in Wales. Flood warnings and alerts are in place for Wales and Southern England as the weather system moves North East." We were in for a right trip! After two and a bit hours of driving and getting slightly lost (Yes I can map read, but No not well!), we (Richard, Eddie and I) met up at King's Lock Pub which is next to the lock and moorings for which we were heading, to shuffle cars between there and Etruria. Driving down the M6 there was rain bouncing off cars and the road. So when we went over a bridge looking at a lock we'd meet on the Trent and Mersey Canal, our smiles turned upside down! Arriving at Etruria and meeting Python cheered us up, for me just thinking of the fun we had in the flotilla. As we got ourselves ready to get rather wet, the rain eased a bit whilst we set off. I've got to say it was quite pleasant steering on the back of Python heading up to the tunnel in which my sources (Pete) had told me that you're almost on your knees going through it and I thought it would be a welcome break from the light showers. Arriving at the tunnel, it absolutely poured! We quickly moored, locked ourselves into the hold and got the kettle and frying pan on quite briskly. When the rain lessened, we met the tunnel keeper and took the opportunity to fill up with water as we had an hour's wait. The tunnel was great and I started to think that Pete didn't know what he was on about until, after been shouted to that we were halfway through, it all of a sudden started to get lower (or were we getting bigger?). It wasn't too bad as at different intervals the tunnel got higher and then lower. (What was James Brindley up to?) Eventually we got to one bit were I was standing on the second step down in the engine room. Overall it was dark, long and had loads of stalactites coming down off the ceiling but I rather enjoyed it and was quite over-excited really but it got me out of the wet and it was good practice for when the last 400 metres of Norwood Tunnel is eventually reopened. Well after that we met locks and, since it was absolutely pouring down, we decided that we were making good enough time to change the plan. If we could get through all 30 locks and the rest of the 18 ¼ miles to Middlewich, we could be home in time for a warm drink and bed! So that's what we did. With it raining, us cheering fellow boaters and walkers up, and locking locks like never before, even with someone walking and setting the next one up, we made good time. The water eventually got through my boots (and I was steering) so I can't imagine what Richard's and Eddie's were like! We eventually got to Wheelock with a good amount of the locks behind us and only three or four left, so I swapped the helm with Richard. We got to Middlewich eventually and cut the two day cruise down to an extended soggy single day. The FAB weekend (Folk and Boat Festival) in Middlewich, weather permitting, should be a really great time and that's where we'll be over the 15th, 16th and 17th June before heading to Northwich and the Anderton Lift. So if you're going to be there, whether by boat, car or any other means of transport, we hope to see you, so come and see us!

Bumping this topic up to remind everyone who has not already to pencil this date in on their calendars We have booked some weather for the event!

We have already arrived!

Sadly NB Python won't be there (unless they get the shovels out and open up that 8½ miles in the next month! Python's crew will be in attendance though! Looking forward to meeting people!

We came. we saw. we had a great time!

There are some really lovely photo's there. What a shame the weather was not a little better. Thanks so much for sharing them