Author: travurple

Monday we walked from the canal to King’s Bromley, the Open Canal App shows local footpaths, the one to King’s Bromley was not very well used and at one point we were worrying about not being on the correct path, fighting brambles (Rog has the scars on his legs to prove the tussle), straight across a field with no signs of a path, but once we got to the other side there was a very old weather worn footpath sign, so thankfully we were in the right place.

Tuesday we motored on to Rugeley for some shopping, found another Aldi a short walk from the canal, which felt like a long walk back after stocking up in Aldi, including small 250ml stubby beers for 34p each !! 

Finished the day at Great Heywood Junction (the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal joins the Trent & Mersey Canal), we stayed on the Trent & Mersey.

Wednesday walked around the grounds of Shugborough Hall, a National Trust property, which was the Earl of Lichfield’s (as in Patrick Lichfield the Photographer). Nice Gardens. 

Thursday we did all of 3 miles to Weston on Trent, so we could go to the Saracen’s Head pub, as it was 26 years since we first met.  It was their burger night, first time we have eaten off the boat, outside in a large marque, socially distanced tables, and good burgers. 

Friday moved the Boat another 2 miles and moored up for coffee, but decided to stay the night, had a 4 mile walk to Aston, across land owned by Severn Trent Water, well maintained footpaths and more wildlife, including lapwings.

Saturday moved again, up to Stone, a reasonably quiet day, caught up with family and friends via various types of technology, Skype, WhatsApp, Facetime.

Sunday, met the fuel boat again, this time for diesel, we have had the engine running for 71hrs (Marine engines measure time not distance) since we last filled up, and it took 80 litres, so not bad going!

Then our longest cruising day to date, 9 miles and 13 locks (including our 1^st Staircase of two locks – straight out of one lock into the next) turned on the Caldon Canal and finished the day in Hanley Park in Stoke on Trent.

We can’t believe that tomorrow we will have been aboard 6 weeks, where is the time going!

	This Week	Total
Locks	23	43
Miles Cruised (approx.)	27	130.5

It’s not all sitting around drinking coffee, tea, G&T/Beer (depending on the time of day) there are always domestic chores to be do, for example this week:

Monday 

There are weekly checks on the engine to be done, which we do on a Monday, two dip sticks to check, which sounds very quick and easy, which it is really, but we do have to take up the floor and step in the engine compartment, just to get to the engine, then check the dip sticks, one is easy to get to, the other one is slightly more challenging. 

Also need to check the coolant reservoirs and top up as required, again relatively easy to do. 

Make sure the bilges are ok, not collecting more water/oil/grot

Emptied one of the two loo cassettes.

A shopping trip to the local Aldi, about 1 mile from the canal along Watling Street, the A5 a rucksack each to carry back all the shopping, deserved a beer in the Lime Kilns pub beer garden, being the first day of lockdown lifting.

Tuesday

As we have been onboard a month, and the Ashby Canal had quite a lot of floating debris on it, thought it best to check the weed hatch to make sure the propeller is running free and not collected stuff. To reach, the floor hatch is lifted, a large safety bracket removed (basically the weed hatch is a big hole in the bottom of the boat, and if the propeller is used whilst the weed hatch is not secure the boat sinks!! ). 

Two options to check the propeller, climb in to the engine compartment, or a good contorted stretch, Rog managed the latter, and hand down to feel the propeller, not to bad, no weeds … hang on there is something, wrapped around the propeller …… hand turn the propeller and a good yank …. A pair of black frilly knickers (we kid you not !) – the glamorous life of boaters

After 10 mins of cruising had a paranoid check the weed hatch, to make sure we’d put it back in place properly, thankfully all ok. 

Wednesday

Emptied a loo cassette, as we were passing a sanitary station.

Filled up with water at the old British Waterways Board (Now Canal & River Trust)  Hartshill Yard.

Did 11 locks today in Atherstone, using our new ratchet windlass, thanks to Ant and Camilla for this useful gift!…  which worked well. Had help from Canal & River Trust volunteer lock keepers, a great help most of the locks were set in our favour. 

Flagged down the Fuel Boat (another first for us) and bought coal for the fire. 

Walked into Polesworth to buy some milk

Rog had a haircut and beard trim sat on the tow path, thankfully with nobody walking past.

Thursday

Rog swept and washed the gullies on the roof and one side of the boat (the side on the tow path) the other side can wait until we moor on that side. 

Nic made a batch of granola. 

Friday

A laundrette in Tamworth!

Cruised on to the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal (our fourth canal).

Despite lockdown lifting, it has still been relatively quiet on the canals, not that many boats moving.

Saturday

On to a bit of the Coventry canal, which is separated from the other bit of the Coventry Canal by the Birmingham & Fazeley canal, something to do with Coventry Canal company running out of money whilst building it.  Just to add confusion there are two junctions, the Fazeley Junction and the Fradley Junction. 

Our 1^st swing bridge at the top of the Coventry then a left turn on to the Trent & Mersey Canal (5^th Canal) 

Water and Sanitary stop again 

A good walk to the local village to buy more milk (not quite sure what Nic is going to do with the 4 litres of milk we now have).

Sunday 

Cycled to Lichfield, lovely Medieval city, saw the cathedral, had an ice cream, a picnic in Beacon Park, the cycled back, some of the way on the canal tow path. 

	This Week	Total
Locks	16	20
Miles Cruised (approx.)	45.5 – no covid restrictions on cruising !	103.5

We have spent all this week on the Ashby Canal, a rural 22 mile canal that runs off the Coventry Canal, but was never finished, it was supposed to run for 30 miles and join with the Trent and Mersey Canal,  therefore it is a “there & back” trip, with no locks. 

The last six miles of the canal are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (“SSSI”) and the highlights of this week have been the wildlife. Robins get the prize for being the most abundant, closely followed by Ducks, including three broods of ducklings and Wood Pigeons, but we have also seen  a Jay, Geese (Canada & Graylag), Kestrel, Buzzards, Partridge, Pheasant, and lots more.

Whilst walking the tow path,  we even managed a prolonged viewing of a Water Vole, it climbed out of the water, approached us along a piece of wood, then appeared to sit and watch us, before returning to the canal and swimming to the other side (at a surprising speed, for a little guy). 

We have also started the silly place name competition, with the first entry being “Barton in the Beans” (see Instagram for a photo!).  A village just outside Market Bosworth, as in the Battle of Bosworth Field. Where Richard III (yes, the one found buried in a carpark in Leicester) lost to Henry VII (Henry VIII’s father).  We also stumbled across Crown Hill in Stoke Golding, where Henry VII was crowned (according to the Blue Plaque put up by The Charity of Thomas Barton, which was established in 1400, the year…. not mid-yesterday afternoon, and is still going for the benefit of the people of Stoke Golding!!)

Tomorrow the canals can welcome back boaters who are not full time living on board and who are hiring from boatyards, this will be an interesting week for sure. We might also be able to get a socially distanced pint in a pub garden too! Watch this space.

	This Week	Total
Locks	0	4
Miles Cruised (approx.)	32	58

So as promised last week, we’ll give a tour of the outside of “Life in Slow Motion”, starting with the front ….. pointy end ….. bow. 

The headlight and gas locker are right at the front. 

Then a cratch cover, inside is a couple of lockers, a good place to keep beer cold, oh and fruit & veg.

Above the lounge is the chimney, the smokeless fuel store for the burner and a roof box

Followed by the solar panel

The bikes, after taking off a pedal and the front wheel.

The rear, stern, with a couple of stools, just at the wrong height for Nic, the rudder and access to the inside. 

The view from the stern

The Saga of the van continues…..

We booked it in to Allen Ford in Coventry on Thursday 1 April, after it developed a similar fault to the one we had before we left the island, so we moved the boat to Coventry Basin, so Rog could get the train back to Rugby, where the van has been stored, and bring it back to the garage. Mission accomplished on Wednesday, dropped the van off. 

So Thursday got the call from the garage, they couldn’t find anything wrong but reconfigured the software and all should be good. So return journey, drive the van back to Rugby… etc. However, about 8 miles from the garage, same problem if not a worse loss of power, so ring the garage … ended up with the AA, who reset the fuel injector twice on the drive back to the garage whilst following me to make sure it got there.  Final reset failed and he decided to tow me the last three miles. Bear in mind our van is a long wheel base, high top ford transit and the AA van was a short wheeled based, standard top, VW transported, so we looked a little strange J. But we got there! (April fool anyone!)

The garage can’t do anything for at least three weeks, so have agreed with them that we are not in a rush for the van and they have agreed to keep it until they can do the work. Result – free parking for the Van J

Actual Canal update

We moved for water and sanitation to Hawksbury Junction (aka Sutton Stop), where the Oxford Canal meets the Coventry Canal, and no surprises (see van saga!) that we then went in to Coventry, moored for 3 nights and returned back up the Coventry Canal to just north of Sutton Stop. 

Enjoyed a couple of good walks around the city of Coventry, including the cathedral and the medieval buildings of Spon street. Found a couple of great food shops right next to our mooring, one Portuguese and one Baltic. Excellent Chorizo sandwiches with Portuguese Beers went down well after the van delivery.

In Coventry, we also had the adventure of going to a launderette for the first time in about 30 years (Nic) first time ever (Rog)! Lovely chat with the owner who says his business is 2/3 down post Covid…..where are the people of Coventry getting their clothes cleaned ?!

Stopping at Sutton stop for lunch /sanitation we witnessed the unfolding drama of a police chase with helicopter of a couple of scooters, including one down the canal towpath, narrowly avoiding walkers. What happened to life in slow motion !

If you would like to see our daily photos check out Instagram/travurple.

Happy Easter 🐣

	This Week	Total
Locks	1 – hardly worth it,  it drops about 6 inchs	4
Miles Cruised (approx.)	17	26

A tour of the inside of our home for the next 6 months, So starting at the front we have a solid fuel burner, which also runs the radiators

Then moving down the boat, a sitting area, including a TV which we have no intention of using (there is no aerial!)

Next the kitchen/galley, a new fridge freezer, good cooker – Nic is very happy. Still haven’t had to change the gas bottle.

Followed by dining area, which converts to a spare bed. 

Bathroom, yes that is New York Subway, Taxis and the Statue of Liberty on the wall paper ??

The Bedroom.

Finally the Engine Bay.

This week we have had to move, within the Covid rules, every few days for diesel, solid fuel, water and sanitation, only once caught out by the rain! We have covered all of 8.5 miles of distance, which did involve turning over the page in the Nicholson’s Guide (Canal map). 

We cycled further than that yesterday, after re-assembling the bikes. In order that the bikes lay as flat as possible on the top of the boat, we have taken a pedal off each bike and twisted the handle bars, you’ll see them on next week’s blog, as we should probably include a tour of the outside of the boat.

Nic has learnt that the water pump on the bath/shower only works when you take the plug out !

We have had super walks every day this week, We are currently moored close, but not too close to where a railway line crosses the M6 motorway, just east of junction 2.

	This Week	Total
Locks	0	3
Miles Cruised (approx.)	8.5	9

So we have now unpacked including putting the bikes on the roof and are settling in,  

This is when, hopefully, things slow down or should I say we move into “Slow Motion” and we have less exciting news for the blog. 

However this week we have negotiated the same lock three times  – once in reverse !! either the water point or the boat is on the wrong side!

So far we have also:

• Run out of water (it should have had a full tank when we can aboard – it didn’t),
• Flattened the engine battery – jump start required by James (engineer from the boat company, luckily moored very close),
• Learned far more than we wanted to know about emptying a casket toilet.

And on the plus side

• Watched Swans building their nest right opposite the boat,
• Listened to the amazing dawn and dusk chorus’,
• Rediscovered different supermarkets – Nic likes Aldi !,
• Met a friendly bunch of other live-aboard boaters moored near Hillmorton Locks,
• Had stunning sunsets!

	This Week	Total
Locks	3 (same lock three times)	3
Miles Cruised (approx.)	0.5	0.5

We spent a week in the Isle of Man lockdown packing up the house so we could leave the island on the Sunday evening Steam Packet ferry. 

Thankfully we have some very good friends who are arranging to remove the piles of stuff we have been unable to take to the charity shops and tip, due to the lockdown – thanks again you know who you are!

Given that the ferry doesn’t get in to Heysham until 23:45, we planned to stay in a Premier Inn in Lancaster, which we are able to do under the current UK Covid restrictions as we are moving home. 

The plan was then driving to Rugby to the Narrowboat!

Plans Change! (recently it appears all plans change!)  Our Ferry crossing was cancelled as the Steam Packet had an issue with staff self-isolating and they were running a reduced service,  so we then booked onto the 8:45am Ferry on Sunday, 

On the Friday, after loading 75% of our stuff in our van, we drove it to Port Erin and it lost power a couple of times ?? thinking it might be us not using the gears correctly, we took it out again just after 5pm and it lost all power, only managing about 15/20 mph. We rang the garage where we bought it (Phil Shaw) who told us he used Bailey’s garage for all his mechanical work, so we rang Bailey’s, after a couple of calls , we were told someone would be in the workshop Saturday morning at 10am if we could get the van there. As we were heading to Douglas anyway, we took the van straight there.  Garage all in darkness and locked up L, however one of the team appeared asking if we were looking for them, he opened up again, connected the diagnostics to the van there and then !! …. sadly not able to fix it,  but provided a courtesy car and said they would look again at the the van first thing in the morning, as it is only 2 years old this may involve a trip to Ocean Ford (it still has a Ford warranty) ! 6pm on a Friday in the middle of a pandemic lock down – stunning service !!

Rolling on to Saturday morning, the garage rang back  to say a fuel injector was not working, and given the van is still under a ford warranty, it needed to go to Ocean Ford to be fixed! got to Ocean Ford at 10am, who managed to fix it by 11: 45am, So we were still good to go!

After an early start on the Sunday, a bit of a shock to the system after a video dinner party with friends on the Saturday evening, we had a smooth crossing to Heysham and an uneventful drive to Rugby.

Premier Inn at Rugby North Newbold – friendly staff and comfy bed!

Monday 15^th March – Picked up “Life in Slow Motion” at 2pm after the engineer replaced the fridge!

Spend two days unpacking – what fun! 

Up to Tuesday 16 March 2021 ….. to be continued.

We were not planning on doing a blog, but after so many people have asked us how we were going to keep in touch and how could they follow our travels, we have succumbed to the peer pressure, so here goes for our first blog entry. 

The original plan was to leave the island on 1 March 2020 and spend a month in an AirBnB in Pocklington (near York) close to our family, after not seeing them for so long due to Covid restrictions. Unfortunately the Covid restrictions relating to the mixing of households in England have not yet been lifted, so there seems no point in going to Pocklington. 

Then on the 1^st April, we were to pick up a narrowboat called “Peter Pan” on the Grand Union canal, somewhere near Watford.  But plans change! We are now picking up a narrowboat called “Life in Slow Motion” near Rugby on the Oxford canal on the 15^th March; our new home until 30 September.  (photos of “Life in Slow Motion” to follow)

In these strange times, we will be “live-aboard” boaters, however currently due to Covid restrictions only essential boat movements are allowed,  essential being shopping, fuel, health care etc. Therefore like everyone else we will be glued to the Government updates to ensure we comply with the changing rules. We will cruise the canals when permitted.

When we talked about leaving the safety of the Island, which had been Covid free from late May 2020, until early January 2021, we received a few raised eyebrows questioning our sanity, but it was a considered decision based on the fact that we will be on a narrowboat, in the countryside on our own, effectively self-isolating. Unfortunately the Isle of Man currently has a significant outbreak, with higher numbers than parts of England, so it currently feels like an easier decision, but that is just caused by timing and hopefully the Island will get on top of this outbreak soon.

In the last few days, and weeks, we have been organising, downscaling and packing all our belongings, a daunting task but we are getting there.  The plan is, for everything we choose to keep, to be in our newly purchased van when we leave the Island, and whilst on the canals the van will be stored at a boat yard.

Wish us luck !