Chalice Is On Her Summer Travels

[Hairy-Neil]

We managed NOT to meet hairy Neil anywhere today, (surprisingly!).

 

Not that surprising really as after we met at Wolverhampton yesterday I drove to Maidenhead for a meeting, stayed at my brother's house in Slough overnight and then drove home to Boston early this morning.....

[alan_fincher]

Give us a wave when you come through Kingswood in the morning!

We tried.

 

Cath reckoned she saw the curtains twitch, but as you are nicely sealed in behind a "moat" and a locked gate, we couln't come looking for you!

 

We worked steadily down Hatton with a single handed boater.

 

Things I learnt.....

 

Don't try breasting a heavily ballasted 70 foot boat with your lightly ballasted 50 foot one, and expect to be able to steer very much, particularly when other breasted boats are exchanging with you in the short pounds.

 

We quickly buried our pride, and let the 70 footer drag us down through the locks, a much more satisfactory arrangement. (Do I need to adjust my percentage declaration on fuel purchases to reflect less used for propulsion ? )

 

Anyway now moored up just short of Radford, awaiting the assault on the "uphill" locks back to Braunston.

 

Got past Kate Boats without them torpedoing me.

[creamcheese]

We tried.

 

Cath reckoned she saw the curtains twitch, but as you are nicely sealed in behind a "moat" and a locked gate, we couln't come looking for you!

 

We worked steadily down Hatton with a single handed boater.

 

Things I learnt.....

 

Don't try breasting a heavily ballasted 70 foot boat with your lightly ballasted 50 foot one, and expect to be able to steer very much, particularly when other breasted boats are exchanging with you in the short pounds.

 

We quickly buried our pride, and let the 70 footer drag us down through the locks, a much more satisfactory arrangement. (Do I need to adjust my percentage declaration on fuel purchases to reflect less used for propulsion ? )

 

Anyway now moored up just short of Radford, awaiting the assault on the "uphill" locks back to Braunston.

 

Got past Kate Boats without them torpedoing me.

 

Ah, yes. I may have been guilty of curtain twitching, but with a very good reason... I'd just got back from walking the hound and was in the process of getting changed out of muddy jeans. I didn't think half-clothed was a good time to pop out to say hello!

[paulcatchpole]

Ah, yes. I may have been guilty of curtain twitching, but with a very good reason... I'd just got back from walking the hound and was in the process of getting changed out of muddy jeans. I didn't think half-clothed was a good time to pop out to say hello!

 

Surely, Ms CreamCheese, like the best credit cards, that dress code would have been accepted anywhere?

 

PC

[RLWP]

Got past Kate Boats without them torpedoing me.

 

Still got to get through Stockton and the diesel point yet.

 

Richard

[alan_fincher]

Still got to get through Stockton and the diesel point yet.

 

Richard

Made it.........

 

Through to Braunston today in good time, despite stopping for a long and entertaining chat with David Schweizer at his home mooring near Wigram's.

 

Sadly the "traditional boater's" bowler hat he donated us doesn't fit my oversize head, but OH did make an exhibit of herself by wearing it to tonight's pub meal.

 

We failed to meet any other forum members, but as we passed hotel boats Snipe & Taurus, I guess a forum member was on them. We also passed BSP's Mabel Stark yet again, but there never seems to be anybody on it when we pass, (or she is convincing at hiding!).

 

We encountered our first real idiot of the trip today. A woman boater attempted to bring a young at totally petrified dog across the top gates of an empty broad lock on the Birmingham GU main line.

 

It totally froze, shaking violently whilst Cath and said lady tried to coax it across one stopping each end from going in. It dug in violently, and only stayed on the balance beam because Cath trapped it's hind quarters between each of her legs.

 

"Mr Boater" decided to over-rule this - also the suggestion that the lock be first safely filled, so that if it fell, it would be 2 feet into water, rather than 8 feet onto a cill. Instead he dragged the dog, which then lost it's footing, and Cath had to rescue it's hind legs that became wedged between gate and handrail.

 

If you read this forum, sir, you are in my view a total plonker who should not be let near animals.

 

Strange that worst boater behaviour so far did not involve a boat.

 

We have also seen some of the less appealing behaviours of an all male party on a big hire boat, beer cans in hand. I think I endorse hire companies that decline such bookings, but it seems that Napton Narrowboats are happy to have their boats rammed at great speed into coping stones. (I slipped through on the inside whilst they worked out how to recover from their pile up).

 

Very sadly we are now probably only about 3 days from home, and already on very familiar territory, (although still four different lock flights and two major tunnels on the itinerary). I shall return to being my usual grumpy git, once there is an enforced end to this boating lark.

[Sue1946]

Hi Alan, Cathy,

If you offer tea n cake then I could probably be in the area?? to lend a weak hand!

Do PM if MK and LB are on your route?

Sue

[alan_fincher]

The run for home continues, (sadly.... ).

 

Largely a good day

 

Got the Walsh alloy windlass that broke in Cath's hand replaced FOC.

Smooth passage up Braunston with a great couple who made it very easy.

Surprisingly quiet, and didn't expect to work Whilton on our own, but never caught anyone, or got caught.

They have surely done work to improve the paddles there ? Most now wind easily, (although some gates are still pigs).

Also very quiet, but fast run down to Gayton for "services".

 

Then it all went wrong. Seeing two Alvechurch boats leaving Gayton for the tunnel, I decided to wait a long while, as I hate trying to crawl through the long tunnels.

 

I'm sure we left at least 30 minutes before we started following. We still caught them up just one third of the way through Blisworth.

I really struggle if expected to do the whole tunnel at near tick-over speeds, and was a far less relaxed bunny when I came out than when I went in.

 

Still , a nice meal and Hobgoblin at the Boat has restored my frayed self.

 

Probably on to somewhere like Stoke Hammond or Three Locks tomorrow, I guess, for what may well be our last night aboard.

[Tiny]

Last time through Braunston we had a private who entered at least a full lock working in front of us. We rapidly caught them to find they wanted to cruise through the tunnel in neutral with odd burst of tickover! The wife went and asked if they could speed up. (It was two very matronly women of the Hyacinth Bucket type.) No - this was the correct way to go through tunnels as it did no damage. Well then can we pass ... No we are in front and if you pass you will be going to fast.

 

It took an hour for us to get through. (Them 10 minutes more!) Then we asked to pass - No. So I did anyway. They then went and moored to recover while we got as far away from them as possible.

[alan_fincher]

Another cracking day - the likely penultimate of this trip.

 

We are now back between Stoke Hammond and Three Locks, moored right by the restored Grand Junction Canal's Director's Launch "Kingfisher", a marvellous mixture of white and varnished timbers, and masses and masses of brass - Magnificent ! (I remember this craft from the 1970s, languishing outside Bulbourne works, and not I believe really used for anything at the time.

 

 

I wonder if we'll get to see how easy it is (or isn't!) to work through locks.

 

We had a very pleasant visit this evening from CWDF's Sue1946 - sorry we made you wear the bowler hat, Sue!

 

Barring disasters, I guess we will be back on out home moorings by tomorrow night, (boo! hiss!....)

 

p.s. Allan Jones - the grass at your home mooring cedrtainly isn't getting any shorter !

 

Finally: The blog has foundered, connectivity having much to do with it. I'm sure Cath will bring it up to date once we are home.

[Sue1946]

Hi Alan/Cath/David,

Many thanks for making me so welcome this evening. I had a lovely time with you - was expecting to do locks'n'stuff BEFORE the tea and coffee cake came out!!

I'm glad to know your trip has been such fun, and was honoured to wear the bowler!!

[Hairy-Neil]

BEFORE the tea and coffee cake came out!!

 

I got no coffee or cake......

[David Schweizer]

I got no coffee or cake......

I got Coffe And Cake!!!

[alan_fincher]

Sorry Neil

 

Hard to serve coffee and cake when somebody shoots past the other way on a boat, and we didn't have a brew on up the Wolverhampton 21.

 

 

Actually I picture you as the seasoned "been there, done it all" working boatman type, (despite the lack of the "traditional" bowler), and am not sure "coffee and cake" wouldn't destroy that image.

 

Next time, definitely, though - but you'll have to stop!

[alan_fincher]

Ho hum,

 

A less than auspicious final day to this year's big trip for Chalice.

 

Ascended Soulbury Three Locks OK, but not a quarter of a mile later, the engine room was filled with smoke and steam, and the fire alarms we going off

 

There was enough "fug" in there tgo be scary, and to make it impossible to know what was happening, but with electrics isolated, it soon became apparent it wasn't a fire, electrical or otherwise.

 

For some reason the cooling water seemed to have stopped circulating, although the header tank had been checked, as usual, before we set off.

 

Once cool enough, (long delay!), we could find nothing wrong, so refilled it, and carried on with some trepidation.

 

We need not have worried - it didn't miss a beat after that, and we arrived back without further problems, albeit very late.

 

No apparent damage has been done.

 

I don't understand the cause, but now intend to seriously investigate blanking off the cap of the rather inadequate "Polar" header tank on the engine, and p;providing a further proper plastic expansion bottle instead. I had convinced myself previously not to bother, but think I'll revisit that decision - it would be good to be able to see a coolant level when the engine is hot, and the cooling system under pressure.

 

Final stats for the tip (Cow Roast to Four Counties Ring, Anderton and River Weaver) are 21 days, 389 miles and 383 locks. (The Moomins, it seems, just beat us on locks, but not on miles!.....)

 

A shame we only met a handful of Forum members - perhaps we need to slow down ?

[RLWP]

Ho hum,

 

A less than auspicious final day to this year's big trip for Chalice.

 

Ascended Soulbury Three Locks OK, but not a quarter of a mile later, the engine room was filled with smoke and steam, and the fire alarms we going off

 

There was enough "fug" in there tgo be scary, and to make it impossible to know what was happening, but with electrics isolated, it soon became apparent it wasn't a fire, electrical or otherwise.

 

For some reason the cooling water seemed to have stopped circulating, although the header tank had been checked, as usual, before we set off.

 

Once cool enough, (long delay!), we could find nothing wrong, so refilled it, and carried on with some trepidation.

 

We need not have worried - it didn't miss a beat after that, and we arrived back without further problems, albeit very late.

 

No apparent damage has been done.

 

I don't understand the cause, but now intend to seriously investigate blanking off the cap of the rather inadequate "Polar" header tank on the engine, and p;providing a further proper plastic expansion bottle instead. I had convinced myself previously not to bother, but think I'll revisit that decision - it would be good to be able to see a coolant level when the engine is hot, and the cooling system under pressure.

 

Final stats for the tip (Cow Roast to Four Counties Ring, Anderton and River Weaver) are 21 days, 389 miles and 383 locks. (The Moomins, it seems, just beat us on locks, but not on miles!.....)

 

A shame we only met a handful of Forum members - perhaps we need to slow down ?

 

Tawny Owl boiled over once because I hadn't put one of the hoses back on correctly (forgot to tighten a jubilee clip). First sign was "smoke" coming out the air vents. We lifted the floorboards and the stern was full of "black smoke", which slowly cleared as the steam condensed. In reality there was only ever water vapour there, but as light couldn't pass through it the whole engine bay appeared to be filled with black smoke. Very scary.

 

Richard

[alan_fincher]

Tawny Owl boiled over once because I hadn't put one of the hoses back on correctly (forgot to tighten a jubilee clip). First sign was "smoke" coming out the air vents. We lifted the floorboards and the stern was full of "black smoke", which slowly cleared as the steam condensed. In reality there was only ever water vapour there, but as light couldn't pass through it the whole engine bay appeared to be filled with black smoke. Very scary.

Interesting, and very much what we experienced.....

 

I don't think there was real "smoke" per-se, although there was a strong smell of distinctly hot rubber and probably oil.

 

The difference between your experience and ours is that at least you know what caused it - at the moment we don't.

 

As we have not been back to the boat since leaving it with engine still too hot to remove a pressure cap, it will be interesting to see what the coolant level now looks like, maybe to give some idea if it's leaking away, or not.

 

Thanks for the info...............

[alan_fincher]

It's been a while since we got back, but Cath did finally update our blog to the point that got us home, (including messy breakdown!).

 

If anyone is still vaguely interested, a link to the blog is below.

 

Alan