StoneHenge

Not a blog entry I ever wanted to make and I've no doubt been long forgotten since I've not been on here for a long time. I apologise for that. I've been so busy and I miss boating and to be honest keeping away from it has helped me not yearn for it more so I have not ignored this place on purpose, more for my own reasons. Anyway, I am sorry to report my father died last week. I'm so deeply sad and upset. He suffered for long enough but even so the shock of losing him was so sudden. We didn't expect it when it happened. It was so quick in the end but he's not in pain anymore. No way for a man to die and he was only 60 as well. The funeral is Friday and we are trying to build up for that. We will miss him more than even we know right now. I just wanted to say anyway, I hope you will forgive my absence lately. Angela

Had this a few times with excited boaters eager to get to their next mooring. A crew of very excited young people were trying to be helpful with the locks at the hatton flight year before last, but they were a bit enthusiatic for some. However hiring out boats to people who may have language issues understanding safety rules is not the most clever thing to do really. I would have at least ensured they understood the rules and could read or at least speak well enough to be given instruction. It could have been a lot worse. No-one wants to deny anyone trying boating, so there needs to be better measures in place to protect people.

Hi all, Well, an update from me. Our old boat has been spotted around, so looks like she is being well used and loved. I miss her every day. Still not quite got my head around not having a boat, but have adjusted to land life in a 'have to do this so get on with it' kind of way because otherwise I would get depressed with not being on a boat. Definitely go back to it though. I can only imagine how hot it is aboard the boats at the moment. I would love it. I did drive down the canal the other day to just see who was about, really do miss having her, and miss the cruises and early morning sun rises, watching the ducks and swans and their babies, the coots, the pagans waltzing down the towpath to their meetings, the other boaters the sun sets the nights sat out in the bow with wine. Just don't feel like that in the house. All these fences and people overlooking you, feeling like you can't really talk or enjoy it with all these people so close to you. You never felt like that ont he water, even nose to tail, you still felt like you had the freedom and space because it was so open. I mean, not in a marina or maybe a closed in mooring, but when you are out and about at least you feel like there is nothing but you and fields or nature, I miss that more than anything, the views and peacefulness. I even miss the feeling of isolation, so I know it's in me not to be static for too long. We shall see what comes of life. News on my father. He is due to start radiotherapy next week. Had a special mould made to help him stay still during treatment. It won't cure the cancer but hopefully it will help shrink the tumour enough to be able to not choke all the time as he is now. It's so draining for him. He was 60 last week. He made it. I was so happy he made it. I am hoping he will surprise us for a lot longer too. Work is manic. There have been a lot of redundancies and they haven't finished yet. It's sad seeing people who have worked at our place for so long, some for over 40 years start leaving and it's kind of all for nothing. Bad time to be out of work, but there is no choice. They seem to insist this is the only way to save costs. Not sure who will be left at this rate! I can only hope it picks up soon to give everyone a boost. We need that. Anyway, just to keep everyone updated. I miss it every day but I am definitely going to be back one day!

Thanks. I can see all your points. I just see some items that need a bit of maintenance (find me a boat that doesn't), but it certainly wouldn't stop me moving into it, but then we have loved and cared for the boat and spent a fortune on her, and we have every scrap of paper work to prove it. We can connect the fridge no problem, watt meter we would need a solar panel, ours got stoned by hoodies o0n our warwickshire ring trip last year, but it was added rather than standard equipment.

Hi all, We were made an offer on Sploosh subject to survey. This was carried out about a week ago, and the surveyor reported the results to the buyers which seemed to be a full all over survey not just a hull one. They have responded saying they need a number of items completing before they will proceed with the sale, but to be honest I am at a loss as why these would stop a sale since they are maintenance items rather than intergral problems which would cause issues. Can I get an opinion on whether the issues below in your view should stop a sale of a boat. They are getting her for a very good price, and I am a little shocked that the things they want fixing seem to be the go or no go for the sale. 1) Sealing surfaces on the weed hatch truncking 2) ring of weld or short section of steel tube should be welded to the top of thw weed hatch to help correctly locate the quick release clamp screw 3) Height of rudder plate should be lifted to within 25mm of the underside of the uxter plate 4) two mdf panels on aft doors need to be replaced. 5) DC watt meter does not appear to work (solar panel is not attached to it now) 6) Chain on gas bottle needs removing 7) header tank for central heating system needs to be moved to be more accessible. 8) Fridge should be connected and tested. Well, fridge was disconnected because it was going to be static for a while, so obviously turned off. The watt meter does not have a solar panel so it's not reading anything. The header tank is accessible as it wwas designed that way, and four screws and you are in. These are all classed as maintenance level one work, i.e. maintenance. Nothing at all to report about. It had it's BSC less than six months ago which passed it with flying colours and fully qualified marine engineer who gives it the once over every time we have a service (he is also corgi registered and does electrics). So would this stop you from buying a boat? They said there was more, but they want this fixing before proceeding, and they want to move in in less than two weeks. Feeling a bit deflated ....

Well folks, our lovely bright red sploosh boat has been sold. I am a mixture of sadness and happiness really. It was the marina open day this weekend, and we were worried it would be a wash out. The weather was very wet on Saturday morning and everyone looked a bit down. The marina had asked all the boat owners to come down and basically show off their boats to encourage some boat sales as well as putting on stalls, a little fun fair, food etc. I kept thinking the whole thing would be a bit of a disaster, so after a couple of hours there in the morning, we went home for a bit and had a spot of lunch, then I took the nipper to the country park for a while. The weather perked right up then, and I decided to pop back in on the way home to see what was going on. I walked over to where our boat was and saw that there was someone on it. I didn't want to just barge on and introduce myself, so I was glad i held back and waited around. I saw one of the sales woman on there so it was a good job i didn't go on really. A few minutes later she came off, disappeared into the shop then came back out again. Two seconds later I get a call from his knibbs telling someone had just put an offer in on the boat! I couldn't believe it. It was really odd. I told him I was already here, so as they came off, we closed the deal, and it meant I got to meet the potential new owners too. They were two women and they said they thought she was gorgeous, and it was lovely to meet them. I was kind of happy and sad all at once. Sad because that means no more boat, but happy as we really did need to sell her as we are not in a position to move back on board just yet. So, that done, I left to go home and tell his lordship the news which was cool. It's having its survey done Monday so we are taking her up there Friday before, kind of a last voyage kind of thing before we say goodbye to her. Be a litlte strange, and not sure where the girls will take her, although it looks like they may have a spot in the marina so we may well see a lot more of her for a while yet! I hope so, it would be ncie to see how she is getting on. So that was a weird weekend. Not quite got my head around it yet, but I guess dropping her off to be surveyed will kind of drill that in. I will miss her massively, but it won't be the end, we will get another boat when the kids are a bit older. I will miss it too much not to. Bon voyage Sploosh.

Well folks after 3 long months, my father is dinally home. I can't believe it! He's come through some life saving surgery, several bowel perforations, CDiff, chest infections, going into shock from his own body poisoning him, you name it, he's survived it. It's amazing! The cancer is there obviously, but things are looking more positive than they have in a long time. They really are looking better for him. He is totally reliant on the tube feed into his stomach. This actually (and if you are eating right now you might not want to read on just yet), delivers food just above the upper intestines. This is because no actual food passes through his stomach. The food he gets through the tube is every you need but is how your food would look if you had already digested it. This works well, when the tube does not get blocked! So first day home, mum settles dad in for the night, gets his meal ready (i.e. turns on the tube feed) and its blocked. She can't get it unblocked no matter what she tries, all the tips the doctors gave her fail. So they call the on call doctor who comes out and tries, he fails too. So he said they have to take dad back to hospital because by this time he's missed over 1500 calories of food and he can't miss more than that within 24 hours or back in hospital he will be. So mum takes him to hospital where she then pulls into the drop off zone, gets dad in a wheelchair as he's not strong enough to walk all the way on his own yet, and puts in him the foyer while she parks the car. In the meantime, the consultant who dad is under walks passed and bascially says 'she fed up of you already mate' kind of thing/. Dad is laughing but fed up with being back kind of thing. Anyway, long story short, they are able to unblock his feed rather than take the drastic step of replacing it which would mean surgery and they really don't want o do anything to him not needed when he needs to get stronger. So off home they go, tired and not at all with it! Anyway, up shot is he's OK, mum has loads of syringes for unblocking and all the appointments dad was going to have at the start of the year for treatment can now be reinstated. We never thought we would get to this point, we honestly thought it would be too late, but even the doctors are amazed at his progress and what he has come through, and even though he will never eat again, he is at least home, in his own environment away from the hospital bugs, away from the clinical atmosphere, with his dogs, with his family who can now be with him when they want. It's ace! Boat wise, I am missing it like mad. I thought I was over the worst of it, but I had a really bad moment a couple of days ago where I just so wanted to move back tot he boat, I was missing the water, the feel of the movement, the very atmosphere, seeing the regulars everything. It was quite an emotional moment for me it has to be said. I don't normaly let things like that get to me, but I really wanted to move back. We have had a few people look around the boat who said they loved it, but no firm offers yet. Shame, but tis early yet and I am confident she will sell. There is an open day at the marina at the end of the month, and they ask all the owners to come and basically sell the boat themselves that day to kind of show it off, get it looking really nice, etc, so that could lead to something. But man, I am missing it. I just look out at my back garden and it is just not the same. I drive passed the regular spots almost every week to see who is around. I think I need a boat trip, soon! Apart from that life ticks on, work is so busy there isn't much time for anything else. tomorrow will be my first day off this year. It's madness, but it's good madness. After all it keeps me busy, active and my mind of things like moving back to boats when I know it's not going to happen!

Umm, this exact date isa tough one but it would have been around end of February, last weekend of February I think as we took our boat out for a cruise. As we only navigated from the marina (bridge 17 Ashby) to the winding hole at bridge 22 (near Stoke Golding), it would have been at one of these points. Lots of boats use bridge 22 as a nice stop off as it is really pretty and near a place to park, and also 19, as there is loads of pilings to moor to. It was defnitely blue and the name displayed as in the photograph. Sorry dear, i only just saw this thread, wish I had known sooner. I never forget a boat name you see, so I know the regulars on the canal.

Just to confirm, I did see this boat on the Ashby, but it was a while ago, a few weeks, but by now it could have got quite far, the Coventry goes quite a distance doesn't it. I never forget a name. hope you find it..

Wow, can't believe it has come to this. I was talkng to hubs about the boat going up for sale. We have put so much into making her our home, and now we are going to have to say good bye. Mick said he has come to terms with it so the emotional attachement is not there as it is with me. I feel very numb at the moment, the thought of having to give her up to someone. I feel a deep attachement at the moment, so it willbe something I have to come to terms with and start detaching myself a little. We finished restaning the wood surround ont he cratch cover at the weekend, and most of the touch up aintwork (the splat around the sploosh name) is also now done, so it is just a tiny bit aorund the gas locker now. The interior is sound, and we have a book an inch thick with everything that has ever happened to her. I really hope someone loves her as much as we did. We went out in her for an afternoon last weekend it was gorgeous, I so miss those trips we made to our next stop off, water hole, pump out, they all meant a trip out and peace and enjoying the water. Still, life waits for no-one and moving back to dry land has helped the kids and Mick to settle down and be less hassled and doing less. The kids get to walk to school now and Mick gets 2,000 less things to do in between picking me o rthe kids up, and we have halved the petrol costs, so some things have impoved. Not having the water view is sad though. One of the boat oners said to us, 'gutted mate, wo will be our neighbours this summer now?', as we used to bump into the same folks regularly and it was lovely spending those gorgeous summer evenings in the bow with a bottle of wine. I really will miss those nightss. But I will get through that. I can always go back to it once the kids are older et. Dad is OK ish. He is still fighting to get home. Off all his tubes and stuff now, on a normal ward, but having trouble tolerating a full stomach tube feed at the moment, which is really bad as this is the one thing that will get him home. The cancer is in his blood and quite agressive but he's not in pain yet. He is in total denial about the cancer. He has an infected lymph node according to what he says nothing else, and once it is better he will be fine. Well, quite frankly if he says it, that's what it is as I don't think handling your own demise is the top of anyone's list, and I can't imagine his thoghts right now espeically since he has all day to contemplate the world. I just wish he didn't have to go through it. I don't even want to think about life without my father in the world. It's too much to take in, so it is easier not to. I just hope he gets home so at least he can be with his family when he needs it, all day, until such times comes. Other than that, work is completely mad, there are no hours left over, and people are going left right and centre with all this economic down turn. I had organised a red nose day fancy dress day at work to cheer us all up, but not we have an annoucement of more redundancies no-one feels like celebrating anymore. Not the most cheerful of blog entries I'm afraid ,sorry about that.

Ba happy........