Just in time for Easter

[Dr Bob]

It's going to be nice and dry after the weekend for 4 days at least and looking hot in the south east and maybe midlands. Likely those flooded fields will be drying out nicely. Weather models are a bit mixed though for the week after so anything goes.

[mrsmelly]

43 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Are you trying to con the river?

The levels have started falling now 

It was falling here but its rained all night so still on reds and predicted to rise here over next 24 hours  red lights and boards on 

[roland elsdon]

Glad I brought back the waterproof factor 30 sunscreen, as you can't get goose grease any more.

[Rob-M]

Still watching the levels on the Severn as need to do Stourport to Gloucester but the middle section is still on reds.

[MoominPapa]

59 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

you can't get goose grease any more.

Dunno why, there's plenty of geese around.

 

MP.

 

[mrsmelly]

And still raining here...........

AND sold the car yesterday as dont need one thro the summer and will just buy again for winter,  we dont park em up  as  they only deteriorate innitt and cheap and easy to buy another innitt. But now no transport so best get off boating again soon 

Edited April 13, 2018 by mrsmelly

[Nightwatch]

Are you still planning on coming south? After a prolonged overstay, with CRT knowledge, at Kintbury due to close family bereavement, brother in law, (needed rail travel) we intend to escape this bloomin' canal, well we will once the Thames starts behaving itself, and go to Lechlade,  then back onto the Oxford. Been on the K&A far,far too long, and certainly at Kintbury far far far too long.

We'll have to have a much delayed sample of ale somewhere. You travel 'quicker' than us so I'll keep an eye on your progress.

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, Nightwatch said:

Are you still planning on coming south? After a prolonged overstay, with CRT knowledge, at Kintbury due to close family bereavement, brother in law, (needed rail travel) we intend to escape this bloomin' canal, well we will once the Thames starts behaving itself, and go to Lechlade,  then back onto the Oxford. Been on the K&A far,far too long, and certainly at Kintbury far far far too long.

We'll have to have a much delayed sample of ale somewhere. You travel 'quicker' than us so I'll keep an eye on your progress.

We will indeed meet for beer. We will  certainly meet somewhere enroute as we are heading that way if the Trent ever lets us  We will not be travelling fast at all this year as my bro in law is with us on his boat. He cant get out of bed and has a clunky old lister in his boat with a seventy four foot draught or somett so will take us ages 

7 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Are you still planning on coming south? After a prolonged overstay, with CRT knowledge, at Kintbury due to close family bereavement, brother in law, (needed rail travel) we intend to escape this bloomin' canal, well we will once the Thames starts behaving itself, and go to Lechlade,  then back onto the Oxford. Been on the K&A far,far too long, and certainly at Kintbury far far far too long.

We'll have to have a much delayed sample of ale somewhere. You travel 'quicker' than us so I'll keep an eye on your progress.

Lechlade run is fab............especialy on longer boats as tis a tad bendy wendy.....

[Naughty Cal]

Don't tell everyone the run up to Lechlade is fun. We do want to find a mooring down there

 

[mrsmelly]

3 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Don't tell everyone the run up to Lechlade is fun. We do want to find a mooring down there

 

You will love it. some SERIOUS bendy bits for longer skips though  I hope u dont think its a proper river like the Trent? its more like a duck pond about ten feet wide at the top end   well a bit more than ten but u get what I mean.

[Naughty Cal]

8 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

You will love it. some SERIOUS bendy bits for longer skips though  I hope u dont think its a proper river like the Trent? its more like a duck pond about ten feet wide at the top end   well a bit more than ten but u get what I mean.

Fingers crossed for some dry weather between now and then as we have to have the hoods down to get under a couple of bridges and need to squeeze under Osney Bridge which wont have a lot to spare at normal levels! 

 

[BruceinSanity]

OK, so we made it to Alrewas this morning. River is just above the green into the yellow but that's quite misleading. Lots of flow on, had to punch it quite hard to make 3mph over the ground. With hindsight, should have had the anchor out and rigged, wouldn't have been funny if the engine had failed or we picked up a bladefull. We don't usually bother for the Alrewas section, though we do on proper rivers, of course.

After last night's rain, it will probably comeup again for a few days. I'd guess it will be a week before it's back to its usual pussy cat state.

[roland elsdon]

We towed Aldgate with dead engine downstream at lechlade once so 70 ft plus 70 ft line plus 70 ft. Couldnt breast up or cross strap because of bridge and flow. I think we passed her going the other way a few times god knows where the rope went.. 

[mrsmelly]

6 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

We towed Aldgate with dead engine downstream at lechlade once so 70 ft plus 70 ft line plus 70 ft. Couldnt breast up or cross strap because of bridge and flow. I think we passed her going the other way a few times god knows where the rope went.. 

I salute you sir............I bet that was a swift learning curve 

4 hours ago, BruceinSanity said:

OK, so we made it to Alrewas this morning. River is just above the green into the yellow but that's quite misleading. Lots of flow on, had to punch it quite hard to make 3mph over the ground. With hindsight, should have had the anchor out and rigged, wouldn't have been funny if the engine had failed or we picked up a bladefull. We don't usually bother for the Alrewas section, though we do on proper rivers, of course.

After last night's rain, it will probably comeup again for a few days. I'd guess it will be a week before it's back to its usual pussy cat state.

Rising again here and well into the top half of the red 

[roland elsdon]

It was interesting , and we had a town class town class interface that involved a broken porthole. The owner 30 odd years later still winges about it. 

[Boat&Bikes]

2 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

I salute you sir............I bet that was a swift learning curve 

Rising again here and well into the top half of the red 

It will be fine by Monday, we are leaving Barton and we always get good weather! 

[mrsmelly]

55 minutes ago, ianali said:

It will be fine by Monday, we are leaving Barton and we always get good weather! 

Im going insane stuck in these marinas how the hell do peeps do it full time for years on end?

[TheBiscuits]

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

Im going insane stuck in these marinas how the hell do peeps do it full time for years on end?

I think they start off that way before they go in

 

[Boat&Bikes]

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

Im going insane stuck in these marinas how the hell do peeps do it full time for years on end?

They are rather depressing. I told my wife of your gloom over the red boards and she suggested an image of you sat on a deck chair, starring hour after hour at the water level boards.. can’t get it outta my head now lol .

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, ianali said:

They are rather depressing. I told my wife of your gloom over the red boards and she suggested an image of you sat on a deck chair, starring hour after hour at the water level boards.. can’t get it outta my head now lol .

Add a straw hat and a fishing rod

 

[dccruiser]

I am just wondering if Mr S has booked his xmas dinner yet at the steamboat ... just in case  

Rick

[ditchcrawler]

3 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Im going insane stuck in these marinas how the hell do peeps do it full time for years on end?

Do you feel a bit of sympathy for the poor buggers now?

[Peter X]

17 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

It's going to be nice and dry after the weekend for 4 days at least and looking hot in the south east and maybe midlands. Likely those flooded fields will be drying out nicely. Weather models are a bit mixed though for the week after so anything goes.

I've just had a look at the BBC's forecast for London for the rest of April and it's looking dry and warm for the time of year, going up to 22 degrees. Good for the time of year, but I wouldn't call that hot; hot starts at about 25 degrees.

However my fear that now I've connected up my water butts there won't be any rain to fill them seems well founded. Today was overcast but dry, and I was out in my garden this afternoon, layering the grape vines to see if I can propagate them. An advantage of living in the sunny south, I can make wine. 2017 was a bumper vintage, I made 40L of it.

[mrsmelly]

8 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Do you feel a bit of sympathy for the poor buggers now?

Yes!!

[MoominPapa]

I have three bags of coal lurking around on the front deck getting in the way which won't yet fit in the coal bunker. They were bought anticipating that we'd use that much or a bit more before the end of heating season, thus leaving the coal bunker full for use on odd cold nights and as a start next autumn.   Sod's law therefore decrees that it turn hot very soon, and the coal will be getting in the way all summer.

 

MP.