haggis
Patron
-
Posts
4,321 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
2
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Blogs
Store
Posts posted by haggis
-
-
I have a mud daddy at home ( seldom used) but we just accept muddy feet when boating in this weather. The floor will wash and the mats will hoover or we can take them home and wash them.
Got coak and kindling at High Onns, thanks for the suggestion, Glen.
-
1
-
-
1 hour ago, Naughty Cal said:
It rained very heavy here at Clumber Park last night. Not helped that we are parked under trees which made it sound worse!
Think it will be a muddy dog walk this morning 😀
I think we have had several muddy fog walks every day so far 😀 . Four muddy feed and four muddy paws do not make a clean boat!
-
Just back from our meal and it was very good. Good atmosphere in the pub and not just the usual pub menu. We'll stop here again. It started to rain as we went out and it must have been really heavy as the towpath which was just muddy before is now covered in big muddy puddles. Still the wind has dropped.
-
36 minutes ago, agg221 said:
Is Turner's open tomorrow? Do they have coal and kindling (I believe they have gas and a shop so it's possible)? If so it might be the easier option while you are there.
Alec
Nope. Turners are shut on a Sunday another couple of boaters were caught today too. They tied up, walked up the steps and found the gate padlocked. I noticed that the sign giving the price had bit in small print at the bottom saying add 4.9p for propulsion. Dont remember that bit.
-
8 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:
didn’t realise there’s a navigation in Wheaton Aston so thought you’d meant you were moving up to Gnosall for the evening,
sure you don’t mean the Hartley Arms?
Yes, that's the name. Does it not show Navigation somewhere? Might stop in Gnosall tomorrow night or might go on to Norbury . We could do with more coal and kindling but not urgent yet. A case of finding somewhere open 😀
-
20 minutes ago, agg221 said:
Did you get another look at the boats at Industry on the way by?
AlecI didn't look closely but didn't see Song of the Waterways. I think it was behind another boat and more visible wen going towards Brewood.
I'll certainly report back on the Navigation - to avoid confusion it is the one in Wheaton Aston not the one in Gnosall. The one across the road fro Turners. We used to eat in the Navigation in Gnosall if we stopped there but haven't done that for a while.
On the subject of the grooved metal plates on bridges. I have noticed that the ones in populated areas are shiny black but the ones out in the country look more scruffy .
-
Day 9.
A change of plan. Neither of us are feeling 100% ( just colds we can't shift ) so we decided to turn and retrace our steps. Checked opening time for Turners and arrived an hour before they shut and they were closed. Still it is the holiday period.
Moved across the canal and moored to have a lazy afternoon. Don't think we have ever moored here before but we'll give the Navigation our custom for a meal tonight. Ate in the Bridge Inn in Brewood last night and it was very good.
-
19 minutes ago, agg221 said:
That would have been quite good to see. Song of the Waterways is a Les Allen that was acquired through a Section 8 order and nobody seems to know its earlier history, but it has been a well loved boat from Jeff to Anton to the current owner, who occasionally frequents this site.
Sorry Haggis - will stop derailing your thread now!
Alec
No problem, Alec, it is all much more interesting than Kelpies travels 😀. We have very fond memories of Jeff and the evenings we spent in the club with him
Never mind short tillers. There is another crisis! The day before we left I lost the wallet containing all my credit and bank cards and I cancelled them all before the wallet was handed in by a kind person. This means that all holiday shopping is on Iain's cards which is not a problem but I read from my Kindle and I have exhausted my supply of books. Changed to Iain's card but Kindle is being it's usual awkward self and won't connect to the internet. We are going to the Bridge Inn for a meal tonight ( only the 3rd one of this trip) and I will take my Kindle withe me.
The alternative is got out the jigsaw 😀
I need all the sympathy I can get 😀
-
2
-
-
20 minutes ago, agg221 said:
Was it definitely Coronation you saw, rather than Song of the Waterways (both formerly belonged to the late Jeff Dennison)? The latter is definitely currently at Stretton just north of Brewood so if Coronation is also in the vicinity that would be quite a coincidence.
Alec
It was Song of the Waterways! I momentarily forgot the name and when I asked Iain what the name of Jeff's boat had been he said Coronation. When we used to see Jeff when we stopped in Ansty, it was Coronation he had.
24 minutes ago, PCSB said:Can you perhaps cut a broom handle and lash/strap/gaffer tape it to the remnants?
I had suggested using bits of kindling as splints but was assured it wouldn't work 😀. I find it ok for short spells at the tiller but my shoulders get a bit sore if I steer for a while. Character building, I expect 😀
-
Day 8
Much less wind and dry apart from the last two miles
Saw the late Jeff Dennison s boat (Coronation) .and Phyllis May ( Narrow Boat to C?) Moored at a boatyard just north of Brewood
this short tiller is hard work !
-
Day 7
An interesting day ! A bit damp first thing but it cleared up about 11 and we set off. About 100 yards later the heavens opened but we pressed on till the foot of Tyrley locks and moored up again. When the rain stopped, we set off again and even saw a blink of sun. It didn't last. Finally moored just before the Anchor and it was a struggle fighting the wind to get moored - we are behind a small hedge too.
We saw the first surly C&RT guy today at the top of Tyrley locks. We both spoke to him and we both got blanked. Most unusual and we can't think we did anything to upset him apart from using his canal.😀
-
16 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:
Just out of accordion range?
Just about 😀
15 hours ago, Tony1 said:My dear Mrs H, to paraphrase the Bible- if thy tiller offends thee, then cut it off.
I shortened my tiller by about 10 inches when I got the boat, because it always seemed to poke out further than I felt it should, and it severely inhibited my freedom of expression on the stern.
I would encourage you to think of it as a character and muscle-building exercise.
You will end up either a supreme physical specimen, or dead from sheer exhaustion.
And above all- never forget that we boaters are a community. If you need some extra muscle to move that tiller, here on the Macc I will be no help whatsoever.
But I believe in you Mrs H.
PS- of course this is not a blame game, but it was clearly Mr H's fault, and I hope he was beaten to within an inch of his life with the rolling pin, and denied a week's whisky ration.
Remember those wise old words- spare the rolling pin, and you spoil the husband.
Oh Tony, that made me laugh! I can steer with the shortened tiller ( well I have to !) But I don't like standing on the counter when I am steering. I am getting used to it though as we did quite a few locks this morning.
We wondered where you were and if we would see you this trip. Sadly not !
15 hours ago, agg221 said:If you are heading up towards Market Drayton then do wave to our boat as you pass - we won't be on it but I am sure it will appreciate it. It's in the linear moorings just after Betton Wood (the wooded slight cutting) - the anonymous, very low, short grey boat with an odd-looking bow and a short tug deck. Would be good to know if it still looks OK (always wonder about that) but we will be finding out for ourselves next week. It should be, but there was a bit of water in the bilge for some reason last time I was there which is never a good sign!
Alec
Hi Alec, I didn't read your message till after we moored. Too busy making the turkey soup!
Day 6.
17 locks in 6 miles not bad for a wet and windy day. A boat came past just as we were thinking of setting off and we have him 10 minutes and set off. The only moving boat we saw all day but he back set a lot of locks in Audlem and Adderley which meant we made good time. We were sheltered from the wind most of the time but it was a bit breezy after the locks. Rather than moor under trees or in an exposed place we carried on to Market Drayton
Good timing as the heavens opened as soon as we were moored .
A good day's boating.
-
Day 5.
Lovely sunny morning but a chill in the air. Met a boat at Hack Green locks which was good. Got to the Shroppie Fly and there were canopies outside, lots of people and Morris dancers in full flow. Moored up to take on water and dump the rubbish then moved along a bit to moor.
-
1
-
-
Raining here too 😀
-
1 minute ago, Tracy D'arth said:
Stick a mooring pin in it?
He has tried drilling out the wood but not budging. He has jammed a chisel in which give a little more length.
10 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:Bloody learner drivers, they should have L plates on.😇 Merry Christmas Ann and Iain, its dead calm here this morning so different from yesterday.
Happy Christmas , Di and Brian. Much nicer today. No wind and it is dry.
-
Days 3&4.
No internet last night.
Happy Christmas everyone!
Yesterday was windy when we set off and it got worse. When I stopped in the lock mouth to pick up Iain at Chelmondeston lock the bows were blown right over to the non towpath side and we were just behind the first of the moored boats. Took some welly to get the bows out and Iain was so busy watching the bows that he didn't notice that the tiller was heading for the gate into the moorings. Result, one shorter tiller by about 15 inches. That's going to be challenging for the rest of the trip.
Left Barbridge this morning and will probably moor just past the Nantwich aqueduct.
Have a good day, everyone,
-
Oh, did you have a change of plan? I thought you were going to Bramble Cuttings today. Did you encounter a VERY slow single hander on the Middlewich flight? I think he must have been a new boater and was correctly taking his time.
We thought of mooring on the aqueduct but it was very exposed and windy.
Are you going to the Badger at Church Minshull? If so enjoy your meal. One of our favourite pubs but a bit far for me to walk now.
-
Day 2. Set off this morning and the first boat we met was at Crofton aqueduct. It got a bit more challenging for the apprentice steerer when we encountered a few boats moored on lock landings but I assume they thought with the canals being quiet that no one would want to use them 😀, all the Middlewich locks were against us and we waited for boats coming down at Wardle and Stanthorne. We have a meal booked in Barbridge tomorrow night so to split the journey we have moored just after bridge 26 and we are sitting here enjoying the sunshine. Noticed that a new ladder has been installed tow path side in Wardle lock.
Bought some coffee logs and they stink and put out a lot of smoke. They will be used in emergencies only 😀
-
Another boat moving by trailer is Ray Bower. Like Tuckeys he has been moving boats for years
-
8 minutes ago, Ange said:
I'm envious. Have a lovely Christmas. Are you on the boat for the New Year as well or are you going home for Hogmanay?
Tha plan is a couple of weeks which includes New Year .
-
1
-
-
I thought Wardle opened a while ago ! It doesn't come up on stoppages or didn't the last time I looked
Just checked and it says it is due to open today 22nd but I am sure I read that because they finished Wardle early they could bring forward stoppages on the Shroppie.
-
Good drive down today despite a bit of dampness. We were going the right way as the north bound lanes were much busier - all those folk going to Scotland for the festive season. Car unpacked, fire lit, water filled, dog walked and Iain is doing boaty things 😀. Walked up past Orchard marina and it is full of water but no boats and stop planks are still across the entrance .
We'll stay here tonight - might even put up some decorations - then head off in the morning. Down the Shroppie as Iain wants to visit a museum near Autherley.
-
4
-
-
We don't have fixed solar panels on kelpie and we have never felt the need for them. Nor to we have lithium batteries. We can moor up for a day or so without running our engine and if we are moored for longer (at a canal event) Iain puts a solar panel on the roof. I realise we are "old hat" but we don't see the need to install something we don't need.
-
2
-
-
I think folk are just trying to make the OP aware of some of the things which will be different when living on a boat compared with dry land. To me this is being helpful as it might help to make up minds and I see it as being realistic rather than critical.
Ok, when the OP is a bit more aware of the differences then more detailed questions can be answered.
I don't think it is anything to do with not wanting new people on the canals as after all, the more new boaters the more money C&RT will have and that benefits us all.
.
-
2
-
KELPIE and Christmas
in General Boating
Posted
Another damp day! After getting coal and kindling we didn't need to stop in Newbury so we pressed on to the Anchor- and as it was open we moored up and went in for a pint. Lovely to sit at the fire and chat. It is open later tonight so we might just find our way back .