bargeeboy

Still dragging the helm I crept slowly through London again watching the commuters commute. Same as Birmingham with Café in one hand and Metro paper in the other. I ties up below St Pancras at 8.40 to do a car shuffle. How things change I got on a bus to Liverpool St and was told to pay at the machine by the bus stop. This I did and the bus sped off! I got a train to Ponders End then took car to Uxbridge and back on tube to Kings Cross. Back on boat just before 12 and within the 4 hours moorings limit. At middle lock Camden the Aussies were skate boarding over the wier. They had a cable across the cut with a donkey engine which pulls the line that the skater is holding. I then had the pleasure of meeting the star of the YouTube video who did 3 weirs down Farmers Bridge. Strong fellow lifted the helm in himself. Thank you. I stopped on the zoo and put a few jubilee clips on the rudder shaft to stop it falling so far if it drops out again. What an overgrown mess the landing stage is. Very Sad. I went to the first cavalcade in 1984 and I was beaten in the boat handling by Mickey Cull (for the perfect hull call Mickey Cull) . I think I won a tankard and he a bottle of Whisky. I’ve still got the Tankard and we all had the Whisky so I guess I did really win. Tied up at end of Paddington Arm for the weekend. Hope the sun shines where you are. I am planning a swim to check the helm if nobody falls in before. I can see it in the clear water and all in line but I suspect that i have something in the cup even a small pebble can cause such grief.

In the words of Ronnie Barker “Its good to be on the move again” Left Enfield on Stafford around 3 .30 on Thursday. It was strange to have a full conversion ahead of me again. On the way to Enfield a few weeks ago I vent close to rivers edge around Tottenham to pass the dredging works when I went over something solid and rested on it. A tug pulled me off or over as the case maybe and the helm came out. It is quite amazing that that the deepest BW navigation in the South is being dredged but guess that’s politics as I am sure the Olympic Committee is paying. So I put helm back in but on the way round the tight turn by the Youngs pub it dropped out ! I am now getting a bad feeling about it as I was sure it was in the cup but it did take all the weight of the boat as I was pulled off. Up the Hertford Union I strapped the helm across the gates to assist the lift and again got it in. Until at the end where we meet the Regent and out it came again. This time no bottoming. I remember coming back from Waltham Abbey in 1994 with Jaguar and Australia loaded with timber. It took 3 hours to get from Hertford Union top to Old Ford Lock even with Waterways running half a paddle to top up as they had no spare water. Thanks then to Plover and Apple who assisted 15 years ago. Keep fit London I now know what the railings are for, it is so the joggers can perform gymnastics on them. 15 years ago I would only tie up on the Pub side by Victoria Park but now full of joggers with ear pieces and tight shorts. Great improvement. I pushed onto Battlebridge for the night and tied up at 9 with the helm dragging only to be approached by a jobs worth who said I could not tie there. Said going to the pub and if you don’t like it call the Police and the Waterways. Pub oh the pub has gone. I am sure there was a pub in the corner of the basin last time I was here. No wonder jobsworth looked at me in amazement! True to my word I was gone by 8 the next morning and never trespassed on his charge.

Its nice a peaceful up the end of the Paddington Arm

I will give you a guaranteed buy back on any boat purchased from us!

OH YES THEY CAN !!!!!!! Okay for acceptable size NB's but not of course Phil's pair !!

Keep an open mind and pop down to see us. You might be very surprised. www.narrowcraft.co.uk

Oh how I lust after some Croxley rag Anybody got any I've now run out after 20 years and using old courdrey trousers.

Copper Mill Be brave head across the canal towards the rushes at 45 decrees. You will be amazed as fore end is pushed across then straighten up as the wash catches your stern end. just in time for the second one!

Because its there !

Occupational Hazard with a deep draughted boat. Its unlikely that you have bent the shaft as Hudson are substatial and you would need the whole weight of the boat as stuck on the cill to bend it. It does however seem that it is not in the cup correctly or a foreign body has got in the cup. See my blog for a picture of a bent rudder shaft. In Pit stop for Helm

Normal for the Southern G U which is River Fed Proves the point that below Berko no need to close gates. And this time of year still real crunchy (crunchie ?? ) watercress in the stream alongside the cut !

For My purposes a STEER THROUGH would be useful !

Unusual to WHAT !

Can you afford staff ? What am I missing ?

I've just had one Canadian Pharmacy Thought My luck was in !

I'm looking for a Galley Slave ! FEMALE !

Nokia N96

I'm at Enfield at the moment and going to Cavalcade I am sure it will open by then Surely !!

Did not appear to have moved overnight and quickly got range roaring for the tea and was at top of 13 for 7.30. A mob handed Viking Hire boat had just gone down and they said they were following a boat with only 2 crew and that they would help them out. I asked if they would pull me a pasddle then. I visited the facilities at top lock and then set down to 3 as started down at 8am. Its handy in the thick of the 13 as the boat will go on its own along the pounds if you set the tiller strings right. You can jump off and close the gate and meet the boat in the next lock. Perfect timing as they were just leaving 13 as I left 12. They then tied up as I passed by they said if I waited for them they will do the same down Aston. What loose a boat by NO chance ! I said it would be quicker if they locked up behind me. Once in a rythym its no problem on your own just a lot of walking. Walk down 2 and draw a paddle, back up and open gate, back to your now empty lock. Put in ahead, up ladder, close gate and step on. DO NOT JUMP ! Same again but better to draw 2 paddles to empty lock as the draw keeps boat against the bottom gates. I recalled the trip home with Kangaroo when purchased from the T & M canal Society. I collected it with Helen (of the breasted up pair) in December 1991 I think it was. It rained and rained and I out-bought all the rain coats from Natwich Charity shops for H who was steering and I was in the car. We stayed at a Middlewich Hotel 1st Night and Market Drayton the 2nd. As the boat had been standing for many years the spiders were a bit annoyed at the noisy smokey Lister HB2. I have a picture of them taken in the dark at the top of Audlem clambering over each other at the fore stud and lfront line trying to escape ! On Sunday evening in the dark we were at Aston 10 and the bottom gate would not open all the way. After 1 hour in the dark I called International Rescue and out came Ken Ward and He managed to move the obstruction from behind the gate which we think was a safe. We left the boat below the lock and got a lift home. When we returned on the Monday afternoon the water was 2 ft in the hold and it took us 3 hours until dark to pump it out. A few old rags and socks stopped the flow through the rotton bottoms and decided to get back early the next day for the final trip home. Small fish and chips was the order of the day at the Drome cafe at Minworth £2.90 good value. Also of note is the Selco Builders Merchant Cafe on the offside. But be wary of the Black Hand Gang ! I think they might be B37 or something gang now ! Dropped through bottom of Minworth and met the 2 handed boat. It was Phoebe and one of mine I built last year. Four thumbs up was the sign I was looking for. And I got a very enthusiastic thumbs up which means the boat is fine and they are happy people! As I was coming down the thick at Curdworth I saw a boat coming up below the cottage. I was quiet amazed when I got to cottage lock that they were now winded and going down. Anyway they dropped back to pub lock and drew a paddle for me so timing was not really affected. The bottom lock did not have the car parked over the tail as it did at 04.30 a week ago but it is obviously the regular parking place by the wheel marks. Arrived at the yard 10 minutes after they had gone home at 6.10 pm and was in pub by 6.30. I was told I looked like Peter Sellers playing the railwayman in St Trinians ! On reflection 3 days single handed fron the Port to Alvecote. Not a bad trip ! Might go off at the weekend to London for some cleaner boating on Stafford . Watch this Space !

Bet they are not putting them in the right place !!

I have now added the pictures to the blog. In "Get 'em ahead" Might see yourself there ! I had to 'walk' the boat in as the engine was not fired up as we were to remain breasted up through the short pound. Also the offside gate did not open all the way through lack of use as stated previous. I fired up at Stone lock.

I'd be happy with a 9 horse ! And a 70' boat. Any problems head for the bank and stem it up. Fore end first and you will slip off if level drops. I did get Clover on a sunken island on the tideway with an 18 h p Petter and all was well. Its not the size ITS WHAT YOU DO WITH IT ! ! !

Baron is the boat and the reasson it can be sold at this price is because it is static. It costs money to move boats. But at the prices mentioned I think I should load a few and toddle 'round the cut!