Almyne 2011
Sun, 6 Feb 2011
3½ miles 9 locks
The Marsworth flight opened yesterday but we thought that we would let the rush die down before we carried on towards Braunston . Made it through the flight of seven and moored up at the facilities to top up with water and get rid of the rubbish. That done we set off again and completed another two locks to find somewhere that the dogs could wander about freely.
Mostly dry, with the odd drizzly shower.
Tue, 8 Feb 2011
Travelling
7½ miles 9 locks
A comparatively early start today, moving by ten o'clock. The day started with a heavy frost everywhere, but the sun soon burnt that off and by mid day I was stripped to my trousers and making a start on this years tan, might not get another chance!
Got to Leighton Buzzard, where we had intended to do a little shopping and then move on into the countryside but Rob has found a boat yard where he can have his boat out for blacking for not very much. He also wants to get his stern gland re-packed as it is leaking quite badly. (A leaky stern gland is one of the most common causes for a boat to sink, so important.)
We moored up in Leighton Buzzard overnight
Wed, 9 Feb 2011
5 miles 5 locks
As Rob
is expecting to be here for as much as five weeks, I decided that I would press on by myself. Mostly overcast but the sun eventually poked it's face out of the clouds for a while making the journey pleasurable. Rob gave me a good send off by operating the first lock for me. Had to keep D'fer
on a lead to prevent him racing back to find Rob
and his dogs.
Topped up with diesel and coal on the way, I was getting worried about diesel as I had already used both spare 20litres cans.
Thu, 10 Feb 2011
5 miles 1 lock 1 swing bridge
Overcast and raining all morning so didn't set off till nearly two o'clock.
I could see that the gates at Fenny Stratford lock were open so I blithely motored into it, only realising as I was almost in that there is a swing bridge over the middle of the lock. Panic stations as I threw Almyne into reverse, jumped onto the bank and hauled on my ropes. Only a slight bump as I hit the bridge!
Sorted that out and was thankful of the onlooker who offered to close the gates after me when I left.
Didn't want to go too much further today as the canal is fairly well built up right the way through Milton Keynes for a good six or seven miles.
Moored up near Willen Park for the night.
Fri, 11 Feb 2011
17 miles 2 locks
It's amazing what a little bit of sunshine can do. I woke to the sun streaming in through the window and was up, washed, breakfasted and on the move before half nine.
Although it was forecast for rain most of the day the early morning sun had done the trick for me. It was overcast and drizzly all morning but the sun came out again during the afternoon and I made good progress with a short break for lunch just before midday.
Made good progress and stopped just short of the Stoke Bruern flight for a well earned rest.
Sat, 12 Feb 2011
Sunset
Motored the last few hundred yards up to the first lock, only to realise that is was being worked on so I could go no further.
Checked on my stoppages list and found that this flight is closed till 18th February, so I have at nearly a week to kill before going any further.
Made the decision to return to Cosgrove for the weekend and visit mum, so, after getting rid of my rubbish, that's what I did.
Mon, 21 Feb 2011
Back from my travels I rang Rob to see what he was up to. He is about a mile behind me at the moment, so I decided to wait for him and we would continue on again together. When he arrived we took advantage of having a car for the rest of the day and went bulk shopping in Milton Keynes.
He had decided not to have his boat out of the water but had got his stern gland sorted out, which is good news.
Tue, 22 Feb 2011
3 miles
Cosgrove is a bit built up for the dogs to go wandering around, so we set off into the countryside and found a nice desolate spot to spend a few days, muddy, but desolate.
While here I played with the LED flexible strip light that I had delivered to mums. Absolutely stunning. I thought that I would need four one meter strips in the salon to give me adequate lighting but two are enough. I have actually fitted three, so a bit of overkill, but why not.
Well pleased with the result.
Sat, 26 Feb 2011
4 miles 2 locks 1 tunnel
Set off just after ten this morning. I had been up for a couple of hours but Rob was having a lie in. Perhaps I should explain a little about Rob
and his lifestyle.
Having worked his butt off for a number of years, saving everything he earned with the one aim of retiring as early as he could, he has now retired to the canals. He starts the day with a beer, and continues in this vein for the rest of the day. He tells me that in the last year he has fallen in five or six times, each time as a result of a miscalculation brought about by the beer. ('Beer' by the way should be pronounced in exactly the same way as the little guy in the film 'Willow' pronounces it when he falls in to a barrel and surfaces, and then realises what he has fallen into.)
From time to time he continues his diet well into the night, which leaves him a little worse for wear in the morning. This was one of those mornings.
However, we set off just after ten, negotiated the two locks at Stoke Bruern and then proceeded to Blissworth tunnel. I have a tendency to get through tunnels fairly quickly, not because I have a phobia or fear of them, it is just that they are cold and wet, as well as being dark. Passengers can look around and enjoy the deposits on the walls, the stalactites hanging from the roof and the limescale on the walls, whilst avoiding the drips and sometimes veritable water falls from the walls. I however, have to keep Almyne on track and pointed at the little glimmer of light at the far end of the tunnel.
Rob on the other hand enjoys the acoustics of the tunnels and proceeds slowly through every one singing at the top of his voice. I know this. I have preceded him through Blissworth tunnel, all three thousand yards of it. I could hear him, even over the noise of my own engine.
Rob entered the tunnel about fifty yards behind me. I exited the tunnel, moored up, made a cup of coffee, drank it, made another and took a phone call from the guy who was going to do my BSS for Almyne. (BSS Boat Safety Scheme certificate).
He was waiting for us about a mile further on.
Having checked that Rob was still on course by listening to his dulcet tones emanating from the mouth of the tunnel, I set off to meet the examiner.
I moored up and the examiner came on board, had a cup of tea and started the examination when Rob pulled up behind me.
Wonder of wonders, Almyne passed first time, a great relief as I now have a BSS good for four years and an 'out of water survey' good for eight years.
Rob also needed a BSS so the examiner checked his boat over and after a couple of little modification, his boat passed as well.
We paid the examiner and continued our journey to Gayton Junction where I topped up with water, got rid of the rubbish and arranged with the guy who did my welding last October that he could accept a couple of deliveries for me.
Continued about another mile or so till we were 'out in the sticks' and settled down for a well deserved rest.
Mon, 28 Feb 2011
Weather miserable today but that's OK I'm inside in the warm.
Cleaned the carpet in the bedroom and started washing the headlining (ceiling). It has about three years coating of nicotine on it. Will probably take several goes to get it properly clean.
Rob gave me a piece of pine tongue and groove which is good for pinning my model to, so I'm continuing that as well. I've pinned the base of the model to the pine and then pinned some strips of wood around the edge while nice and wet to form them to shape. These will make the gunwales eventually.
I got up yesterday morning and I thought that I must have offended Rob in some way, his boat was gone.
Now Rob NEVER gets up before half ten unless there is something extraordinary going on, so for him to have got up before eight and set off was significant. I could not imagine him travelling after ten at night (which was the last time I saw him the previous evening) because by that time he knows that he is incapable of navigating his boat. Anyway, I was not going to worry about it so went back to bed till about ten. Got up again and carried on with my morning routine of getting the fire going, having a couple of cups of tea and a couple of cigarettes. About an hour later I looked out the back and Rob was back where he had been the previous evening. I was beginning to think that I had made a mistake. I bit later on I wandered along to chat to him and he explained that he had woken up about seven to someone banging on his boat. He had broken free of his mooring and was drifting down the canal and had bumped into another boat.
The owner of this other boat was banging on his roof as he bumped past them.
So, woken up suddenly from a deep sleep he staggered to his stern, started the engine and came back. It's a good job we were not moored near a weir or similar danger.
I was cooking liver and onions for tea and Rob was meant to come along to join me about eight. At half past I went along to his boat and knocked on the doors, no answer and no lights on anywhere, so I left him to it. He eventually joined me at ten ish explaining that the rude awakening and early start had taken it's toll and he had just fallen asleep. No problem.
Wandered down to Gayton during the afternoon, not a lot going on, but enjoyed the walk.
Thought I might try to find the bus into Northampton tomorrow, there's a bus stop just a bit further along at Anchor Farm, and it stops at the big Tesco at Far Cotton, so might be able to get a fresh loaf of bread.
I've completely finished my Sudoku book, so I have gone back the the first page and started rubbing them out so I can do them again, is that tight or is that tight? or is it just that I am nowhere near where I can get another.
3½ miles 9 locks
The Marsworth flight opened yesterday but we thought that we would let the rush die down before we carried on towards Braunston . Made it through the flight of seven and moored up at the facilities to top up with water and get rid of the rubbish. That done we set off again and completed another two locks to find somewhere that the dogs could wander about freely.
Mostly dry, with the odd drizzly shower.
Tue, 8 Feb 2011
Travelling
7½ miles 9 locks
A comparatively early start today, moving by ten o'clock. The day started with a heavy frost everywhere, but the sun soon burnt that off and by mid day I was stripped to my trousers and making a start on this years tan, might not get another chance!
Got to Leighton Buzzard, where we had intended to do a little shopping and then move on into the countryside but Rob has found a boat yard where he can have his boat out for blacking for not very much. He also wants to get his stern gland re-packed as it is leaking quite badly. (A leaky stern gland is one of the most common causes for a boat to sink, so important.)
We moored up in Leighton Buzzard overnight
Wed, 9 Feb 2011
5 miles 5 locks
As Rob
is expecting to be here for as much as five weeks, I decided that I would press on by myself. Mostly overcast but the sun eventually poked it's face out of the clouds for a while making the journey pleasurable. Rob gave me a good send off by operating the first lock for me. Had to keep D'fer on a lead to prevent him racing back to find Rob
and his dogs.
Topped up with diesel and coal on the way, I was getting worried about diesel as I had already used both spare 20litres cans.
Thu, 10 Feb 2011
5 miles 1 lock 1 swing bridge
Overcast and raining all morning so didn't set off till nearly two o'clock.
I could see that the gates at Fenny Stratford lock were open so I blithely motored into it, only realising as I was almost in that there is a swing bridge over the middle of the lock. Panic stations as I threw Almyne into reverse, jumped onto the bank and hauled on my ropes. Only a slight bump as I hit the bridge!
Sorted that out and was thankful of the onlooker who offered to close the gates after me when I left.
Didn't want to go too much further today as the canal is fairly well built up right the way through Milton Keynes for a good six or seven miles.
Moored up near Willen Park for the night.
Fri, 11 Feb 2011
17 miles 2 locks
It's amazing what a little bit of sunshine can do. I woke to the sun streaming in through the window and was up, washed, breakfasted and on the move before half nine.
Although it was forecast for rain most of the day the early morning sun had done the trick for me. It was overcast and drizzly all morning but the sun came out again during the afternoon and I made good progress with a short break for lunch just before midday.
Made good progress and stopped just short of the Stoke Bruern flight for a well earned rest.
Sat, 12 Feb 2011
Sunset
Motored the last few hundred yards up to the first lock, only to realise that is was being worked on so I could go no further.
Checked on my stoppages list and found that this flight is closed till 18th February, so I have at nearly a week to kill before going any further.
Made the decision to return to Cosgrove for the weekend and visit mum, so, after getting rid of my rubbish, that's what I did.
Mon, 21 Feb 2011
Back from my travels I rang Rob
to see what he was up to. He is about a mile behind me at the moment, so I decided to wait for him and we would continue on again together. When he arrived we took advantage of having a car for the rest of the day and went bulk shopping in Milton Keynes.
He had decided not to have his boat out of the water but had got his stern gland sorted out, which is good news.
Tue, 22 Feb 2011
3 miles
Cosgrove is a bit built up for the dogs to go wandering around, so we set off into the countryside and found a nice desolate spot to spend a few days, muddy, but desolate.
While here I played with the LED flexible strip light that I had delivered to mums. Absolutely stunning. I thought that I would need four one meter strips in the salon to give me adequate lighting but two are enough. I have actually fitted three, so a bit of overkill, but why not.
Well pleased with the result.
Sat, 26 Feb 2011
4 miles 2 locks 1 tunnel
Set off just after ten this morning. I had been up for a couple of hours but Rob
was having a lie in. Perhaps I should explain a little about Rob
and his lifestyle.
Having worked his butt off for a number of years, saving everything he earned with the one aim of retiring as early as he could, he has now retired to the canals. He starts the day with a beer, and continues in this vein for the rest of the day. He tells me that in the last year he has fallen in five or six times, each time as a result of a miscalculation brought about by the beer. ('Beer' by the way should be pronounced in exactly the same way as the little guy in the film 'Willow' pronounces it when he falls in to a barrel and surfaces, and then realises what he has fallen into.)
From time to time he continues his diet well into the night, which leaves him a little worse for wear in the morning. This was one of those mornings.
However, we set off just after ten, negotiated the two locks at Stoke Bruern and then proceeded to Blissworth tunnel. I have a tendency to get through tunnels fairly quickly, not because I have a phobia or fear of them, it is just that they are cold and wet, as well as being dark. Passengers can look around and enjoy the deposits on the walls, the stalactites hanging from the roof and the limescale on the walls, whilst avoiding the drips and sometimes veritable water falls from the walls. I however, have to keep Almyne on track and pointed at the little glimmer of light at the far end of the tunnel.
Rob on the other hand enjoys the acoustics of the tunnels and proceeds slowly through every one singing at the top of his voice. I know this. I have preceded him through Blissworth tunnel, all three thousand yards of it. I could hear him, even over the noise of my own engine.
Rob entered the tunnel about fifty yards behind me. I exited the tunnel, moored up, made a cup of coffee, drank it, made another and took a phone call from the guy who was going to do my BSS for Almyne. (BSS Boat Safety Scheme certificate).
He was waiting for us about a mile further on.
Having checked that Rob was still on course by listening to his dulcet tones emanating from the mouth of the tunnel, I set off to meet the examiner.
I moored up and the examiner came on board, had a cup of tea and started the examination when Rob pulled up behind me.
Wonder of wonders, Almyne passed first time, a great relief as I now have a BSS good for four years and an 'out of water survey' good for eight years.
Rob also needed a BSS so the examiner checked his boat over and after a couple of little modification, his boat passed as well.
We paid the examiner and continued our journey to Gayton Junction where I topped up with water, got rid of the rubbish and arranged with the guy who did my welding last October that he could accept a couple of deliveries for me.
Continued about another mile or so till we were 'out in the sticks' and settled down for a well deserved rest.
Mon, 28 Feb 2011
Weather miserable today but that's OK I'm inside in the warm.
Cleaned the carpet in the bedroom and started washing the headlining (ceiling). It has about three years coating of nicotine on it. Will probably take several goes to get it properly clean.
Rob
gave me a piece of pine tongue and groove which is good for pinning my model to, so I'm continuing that as well. I've pinned the base of the model to the pine and then pinned some strips of wood around the edge while nice and wet to form them to shape. These will make the gunwales eventually.
I got up yesterday morning and I thought that I must have offended Rob in some way, his boat was gone.
Now Rob NEVER gets up before half ten unless there is something extraordinary going on, so for him to have got up before eight and set off was significant. I could not imagine him travelling after ten at night (which was the last time I saw him the previous evening) because by that time he knows that he is incapable of navigating his boat. Anyway, I was not going to worry about it so went back to bed till about ten. Got up again and carried on with my morning routine of getting the fire going, having a couple of cups of tea and a couple of cigarettes. About an hour later I looked out the back and Rob was back where he had been the previous evening. I was beginning to think that I had made a mistake. I bit later on I wandered along to chat to him and he explained that he had woken up about seven to someone banging on his boat. He had broken free of his mooring and was drifting down the canal and had bumped into another boat.
The owner of this other boat was banging on his roof as he bumped past them.
So, woken up suddenly from a deep sleep he staggered to his stern, started the engine and came back. It's a good job we were not moored near a weir or similar danger.
I was cooking liver and onions for tea and Rob was meant to come along to join me about eight. At half past I went along to his boat and knocked on the doors, no answer and no lights on anywhere, so I left him to it. He eventually joined me at ten ish explaining that the rude awakening and early start had taken it's toll and he had just fallen asleep. No problem.
Wandered down to Gayton during the afternoon, not a lot going on, but enjoyed the walk.
Thought I might try to find the bus into Northampton tomorrow, there's a bus stop just a bit further along at Anchor Farm, and it stops at the big Tesco at Far Cotton, so might be able to get a fresh loaf of bread.
I've completely finished my Sudoku book, so I have gone back the the first page and started rubbing them out so I can do them again, is that tight or is that tight? or is it just that I am nowhere near where I can get another.
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