The Approach to Blisworth Canal Festival 2012

Stoke Bruerne on Friday Evening

OMG we have just had the most fantastic weekend at Blisworth Canal Festival. Loads of stalls, food and craft demonstrations there is just so much to tell you I really don't know where to start!!
We moored up in Blisworth a few days before the festival started, it wasn't clear where we were allowed to more in the town so we ended up going through to Stoke Bruerne and overnighting there.  We headed back the next day after phoning the organisers and finding out visitor moorings were between bridges 49 & 50 just outside the town. 

Blisworth 

It was only about a 10 minute walk to the centre, up a very steep hill. Luckily for us there is a well placed pub right at the top The Royal Oak Its a lovely oldie worldie c1600 pub that serves a rather spiffing All Day Breakfast.  The ceilings covered in beams some so low even I had to duck!!. So we just had to sample that didn't we, and we did, more than once ;)   We also visited the only shop/post office there to get some essentials.  We did have a bit of a nightmare in there, as none of their card machines were working and we had no cash. So they ended up having to open the post office specially to enable me to get some cash out. Not sure if it was for my benefit or theirs to be honest, as I did get the feeling I wouldn't be leaving the shop empty handed and shopkeeper was going to make sure he got hold of some of my cash.
After eating, we headed back down the hill to the canal. 

Blisworth Village

The village is really pretty, very small and very well kept i wouldn't be surprised if it hadn't won a best kept village award in the past and if it hadn't, it should have. There is a definite sense of history here and you can feel the pride the locals have for their village. You can see it everywhere, in the stunning cottage gardens, or the quaint little church with well kept greens, the tidy hedges that enclose peoples gardens whilst lining the lanes through the village and the complete lack of litter anywhere. 

Each time we returned to Rae we chatted to different boaters who were also moored up waiting for the festival to start. Everyone was really friendly and chatty and we felt quite at home. For each day that passed, more and more boats arrived. All shapes and sizes, ages and conditions. Thursday things started to feel more festive. There was still the lovely friendly atmosphere but now something new was being added, it was colour. All were outside tinkering with their boats, including Yog. There was polishing, essential maintenance and decorating starting to happen. Bunting was starting to appear. All shapes sizes and shades. Made me really wish We had some too. 
Gazebo's, umbrellas and comfy chairs were popping up apx every 50 feet and by the evening, most of the boats were wearing their festival finery, lining towpath all the way down into the village. Their solar lights leading the way. Next time I'm going to be part of it. Part of the boat decorating day!!
We did manage to find our Jolly Rodger though which is now flying defiantly above us.  As well as Yogs severed arm, which is hanging on for dear life to the back button fender.  So what with that, and Rae having Captain Nasty at the bow, we deffo have a theme going on already!

Me making fenders in the sun

Speaking of themes, One chap had arranged a mammoth collection of rubber ducks on the roof of his boat. They looked as if they were swimming down the centre of his roof!!  I really wish I had a picture to show you, it had to be seen to be believed.
Another chap, who, had told me was a Santa at Christmas time and I'm not at all surprised, even without the red suit and reindeer he obviously was Santa. Anyway, he was doing demonstrations with rope. Showing people how to make different knots and weaves and offering advice and help on all things ropey. He and his wife had a wonderful working pair that was bright and obviously most loved as well as covered with rope accessories. His padlocks were even decorated with Turks Heads!! He very kindly showed me how to tie West Country Whipping so I can finish the fenders I am making for Rae off nicely.

Midland Chandlers are Like Grey Sludge on your dipstick

The Leicester Arm of the GU

As we have got a few days off while waiting for the festival at Blisworth this weekend, here's some other stuff that has happened this week including Yogs exploits with the engine.   
Before we went to collect our freezer on the Leicester Arm we had to stop at Braunston for a couple of reasons.  First and foremost, to get a new loo.  'Bucket and Chuck It' is not for me and definitely not when you need a poo!! 
The reason for this is the dismal service we got from Midland Chandlers the day we picked up Rae. 

Bucket of Poo AKA Midland Chandlers

It was 5.10pm and we had just realised we had left our Thetford on Viking and were loo-less!! No problem I thought, Midland Chandlers is just round the corner. So I phoned them, explained the situation to them and asked if they could wait for us to get there, which would be apx 15 mins. They said that was fine and they would be there waiting so we sped down there as quick as we could. We arrived at 5.35pm 5 minutes past closing time. To be told we could only pay cash as they had already cashed up for the night. As I didn't have £95 cash on me I asked if there was a cash machine nearby. 'Yes',they said, in the pub next door. 'Cool' I said, 'I'll just nip over there and grab the cash for you then'. 'No' they said 'the manager doesn't want to wait that long'.  (Manager was standing by the door letting assistant talk to me). 'But I rang you to let you know I was on my way and didn't have a toilet!' I pleaded 'It will take me 5 minutes to get the cash'. Assistant walks to manager to see if that would be ok for me to do this, who basically just shrugged his shoulders at him, shook his head and walked towards his car leaving the poor assistant to explain that unfortunately, that was too long for the manager  to wait!! I was fuming, he had stood there and watched us moor up etc and didn't have the guts to do his own dirty work. In  fact he had no intention of offering any kind of decent service to a boater in distress at all!!!!  So, because of that I had to poo in a bucket for the first time in my life!! I am still cross about it now!!  

After Midland Chandlers let us down so badly we decided to go to Wharf House  Narrowboats at Braunston instead.  Midland Chandlers are a bunch of idiots and I will never spend another penny with them for as long as I live.  And I spend a LOT during the course of a year, the amount of boats I get through in a year lol.   

Braunston Pump House

Second reason and just as important if not more. Try and find anyone to help with the issues we have been having with the engine.  It smokes more than Yog does and it is BAD, what with Yog having emphysema as well it needs to be sorted yesterday.  While we were at the chandlers that is NOT Midland spending loads of money.  (Over £150  and saved £20 on the cost of the loo too!!),  we picked the really helpful ladies brains on who may be able to help us with the engine. She recommended a chap she called Jonno.  
He runs a hire fleet and is a Lister man and the man to ask apparently, we had heard his name mentioned to us before and he seemed the best place to start.  His website is here and he is quite a character and apparently not a very busy man which he made a point of advising Yog when he interrupted him whilst he was refurbishing an injector pump in his workshop which is a converted pump house.  Even though he obviously was up to his neck in work, he still managed to find the time to have a look at our antique lump of metal.  He was a sarcastic smart alecy man but pleasant with it and Yog warmed to him pretty much straight away lol.  He spent nearly an hour tinkering, tightening and sniffing the chimney for some unknown reason till he announced that it could be anything, from clogged injectors to full engine rebuild.  Great. 
His phone rang for the umpteenth time and he went back into his workshop to his injectors and left Yog in the engine bay prodding and pulling things with that concentrating face on that men get when they get near engines.  

Currently Known as That Poxy Engine

Then there was blue outburst of swearing and Yog appeared at the hatch with a dipstick in his hand.  'Look at this!!' he snarled showing me the dipstick.  It was what I can only describe as grey sludge covering it, Yog used the much more wonderful description of 'monkey spunk'. I don't know much, but I do know engine oil should NOT look like that!! 
We bought 3 gallons for an immediate oil change.  Yog drained out 4.5 gallons from an engine that should have held only 3!. Which immediately told us the Head Gasget has gone.  Double Great.  Lucky for us, after scouring the net with no luck, emailing countless people and getting close to giving up and throwing toys about instead Yog phoned Jonno for help and he managed to find a replacement and has agreed to do the work required!! What a releif,  Yog will soon be able to breath when he is driving the boat.  

Other stuff he has found whilst grunting in the engine room are that its got dripping injectors, a leaking water pump which he tried to fill up with grease but it still insists on leaking out of the seal.  We had an issue with diesel  being sprayed around the engine room by the fly wheel, this was found to be the fuel filter which had a tiny hole in the bottom of it.   Yog attempted a fix with chemical metal, which has improved it a lot but it does still seep a bit but isn't any where as bad as it was so diesel consumption should be greatly improved.

New Month New Boat

Poor Puppy

Well, nearly a week has passed since the emotion of parting with Viking. We are gradually getting settled in and used to our new surroundings, unlike Buster, who was at home as soon as he realised his bed, bones and treats we're already here when he arrived. Poor little chap, he has been suffering over the last few months.  He just will NOT stop barking when we are moving the boat.  It has got so bad now that he sounds like a Yorkshire Terrier when he barks and is causing onlookers to point and laugh at him when he is trying to be 'ard!!  Which makes him worse, poor squeaky boy.  I have even resorted to giving him the odd TCP sore throat sweet to try and make him feel better.  If I cant stop him barking what else can I do?  Luckily, as Rae only has portholes and he cant tell when we are moving or not, the barking has subsided a great deal so it won't be long before his bark is back to normal.

Now comes the arduous task of working out what 'lives' where. Yogi's 'man' stuff is easy, he has a whole room with shelves and everything so all man paraphernalia ends up there. kitchen stuff the same, cupboards provided but clothes and nick knacks are another story for the moment.   They are currently living behind the sofa, under the bed and in the boatman's cabin.  When we moved on, everything was stacked in there. From floor to ceiling was boxes and bags. It's looking a lot better now and almost empty of homeless belongings. 

Can you see the smoke rings?

Yogi has been a busy bunny also, he has connected the Sterling so we have a charging system and inverter. Wired in the fridge and freezer and he's also started sorting the heating, we think the radiator may have a blockage but can't sort it just yet as Yogi broke the radiator key when he was checking it out lol.
My days have been full of emptying bags, filling cupboards, swapping said cupboards contents due to weight distribution issues then onto emptying more bags and boxes.    Each one unpacked to a rendition of 'Another one bites the dust' by Queen. With the word box or bag inserted when required.  We have also managed to travel over 50 miles this week.  Yogi spotted a Shoreline Freezer in Towpath Talk for £100!! it was up the Leicester Arm apx 20 miles from Braunston.  

So, our maiden voyage in Rae would be along the Leicester Arm, through the beautifully groomed Watford Lock Flight and via the very narrow and badly silted canal to bridge 37, our freezers location.  We had to go past it, to the Welford Branch Junction so we could turn around. The winding holes are only big enough for 60' boats and seeing as we are 68'.  They were not an option.  It was worth getting stuck on nearly every corner on the way there and back because I am now the proud owner of a Shoreline Freezer and I cannot wait to get it full of ice cream and blackberries!!

Mon 30th july

Rae

This time last month we were nearly at Braunston to have a look at 'Rae' the prospective swap for Viking our barge.
Today we are 10 mins away from arriving again and to move house one last time. This time it's for keeps. Rae is the first boat out of the flotilla we have gone through in the last 5 years that is truly for us. Picked by us and wanted by us. All our previous boats have been 'his or 'hers' for some reason or another. Malle Babbe our first barge, was purchased specifically so my mum could come live out her final days with us. Slave (originally Yogis daughters) was swapped with her so Yogis grandson would have his own room and his family wouldn't have been so cramped. Viking was purchased for Yogi because, to be honest I thought he was going to die. He had been very ill just after my mum died and had been hospitalised for ages.  It was all he had ever wanted and I wanted him to be happy. Lucky for me he didn't pop his cloggs and now, for the first time 'we' have Rae, our tug front narrowboat.

Viking on her way to her new home

As I sit here surrounded by bags and boxes containing the sum of our existence. I can feel the rumble of Vikings P6 Perkins gently vibrating the chair I'm sitting on.  I watch the trees and bushes pass by the windows like a film reel and have to admit to a small lump in my throat. This move has been different to all the rest. It has brought up many memories. Strangely, not of Viking, but all that came before her.
The engine revs have just changed to tick over and the rythmic thrupp thrupp thrupp reminds me of a giant impatiently drumming his fingers, as if waiting for his dinner. It means we are slowing down to moor, which means we are here and that means its time to move on.

The Ups and Downs of Fridays

Got past WB Jenlyn unscathed :0)

We are used to people taking pictures of Captain Nasty but we had the best one yesterday while we were on our Ice Cream break.  A budding paparazzi rolled  down the bank all SAS stylie while snapping covert pictures of Nasty and our boat. lol  Have seen it all now!
This morning i am on the look out for Steve Jay on Jenlyn. We had a minor set too on Facebook last night it may just be poo tanks at dawn!!  We caught up with them at Linslade but managed to reconcile our differences without poo much trouble. ;0)
There's a festival in Linslade this weekend and it looks as If it will be very well attended. There are boats of all shapes and sizes lining the towpath.  It is a real shame that we don't have time to stop but we have an 8am appointment to keep with Blisworth Tunnel. Maybe next year, fingers crossed.  

Slowest Person on the Canal this morning!!

We were stuck behind this hire boat for ages, he's was on his way back to the yard for the end of his holiday and  going so slowly, we were on tick over and still having to put her in reverse every 3 minutes to prevent us from rear ending him!! I dont think he wants his holiday to end :0( poor chap.  We did well yesterday and made it as far as Ivinghoe Locks.  28 locks negotiated and 13 miles covered.  I was getting a bit concerned about the amount of diesel we were using so decided to have a little work out on what she was costing per mile.

LOL So wish I hadnt now!  
Canalplan says distance between Brick Lock to Ivinghoe Bottom Lock is: 75 miles and 84 locks and so far we have used 80L of diesel!! That's what you get for travelling with a 6 cylinder Perkins I suppose :0(  Glad we don't do it all the time, wouldn't be able to afford to eat as well lol!!  
We passed the most stunning tug called Sidney today. I wish I had taken a picture now and I cant find one on-line to show you.  She was beautiful, brass gleaming, perfect paint and obviously loved to the extreme. To hear the owner refer to Viking as 'Class' felt like the highest form of praise we could have had. For a minute there I was sad that we were taking her to her new home for someone else to love her as much as he obviously loved Sidney.

Mark up to his earholes

Not sure whether to describe today's cruise as a roller coaster with all it's ups and downs or waltzer ride with all the spinning and swinging. Either way, this part of the canal has been so shallow in places that we have felt every log, rock, slope and road hump it has had to offer, bit of a waltzer coaster. There has been so much crap round the prop today it is just getting boring now. Mark ended up up to his neck in the canal with a handsaw removing a 3" thick tube of crud, plastic and god knows what from the shaft behind the prop.  I am more thankful though that there wasn't any human hair, body parts or fishing hooks to get his fingers tangled up in! 

Unscathed but more than slightly damp and drippy, leaving the prop and shaft clear of all obstruction, ship shape and Bristol fashion, Mark retired to the boat for a hot shower whilst I made him a much deserved cup of tea.  Thank you Mark you are a total Star!! '300 Ronni Points' for a job  well done!! 
All we3 have to do now is get to the top of Stoke Bruerne Flight before 8am tomorrow.

Two Days in the Sun

Little Union Canal

Yesterday we travelled 13 miles and 25 locks. Canal planner said it would take 10 hours, 10 minutes we took 11.5 hours. We were in Rickmansworth by 10am and Yogi noticed the Little Union Canal .  'A miniature working model canal next to Batchworth Lock shows how a lock and canal works – should visitors be unlucky not to see the real thing! A handy substitute as it takes about 40,000 gallons of water for a canal boat to pass through a lock the size of Batchworth!The Miniature Canal is open to the public at selected weekends throughout the summer.'

On the way to the High Street

We stopped briefly here so I could nip to the chemist to try and get Yogis prescription, I had been having trouble as one of the items always needed to be ordered.  I thought I would try Boots as they are normally pretty good but as it turns out, they would have needed to order it as well.  So i decided to find the number for Boots in Berkhamsted and called them to order it in ready for me to collect tomorrow.  They were happy to do this for me so 'Ronni Points' to Boots the Chemist.   

Three Horseshoes Canal Side Pub

Mark has been doing all the locks and I have been taking it easy. In the afternoon I wasn't feeling all that good at all and by the concerned looks on the men's faces I must have looked pretty bad too! I did try and help at one point but ended up with pains in my chest which were pretty nasty. So I was ordered into the boat to lay down and rest with my legs in the air. Puppy kept an eye on me whilst the men ploughed on. We ended up at the Three Horseshoes for a couple of pints and a plate of rather delicious pub grub each. This was most welcome as I didn't really feel up to cooking and we all needed a beer after such a hot day.

Floppy Hat Sun Shade

So today I am on sit down and do nothing duties. It feels really odd just sitting in the sun, but every time I go to get up and help Yogi gives me a stern look that gets me sat back down in an instant lol. Not allowed today. Better safe than sorry I suppose. I feel loads better today, very tired but better. I have no idea what was up with me yesterday but it's definitely took the wind out of my sails. Sunbathing it is then, Yogis orders.


It is UBER hot today, as was yesterday. We had to start the genny and put the electric fan on for puppy as he was proper suffering poor little lamb.  Today is better inside the boat though, have left all the blinds down and windows and hatches open and no fan is needed inside which is good.  It feels hotter today though which is odd.  

Men in Mission Mode - -Serious Stuff!!

I found the number for booking Blisworth Tunnel, we are going to try for a Saturday 8am passage which means we have a hell of a lot of distance to cover between now and then.  But hey, its sunny, we have tea and biscuits so 'why not go that little bit further than we are able to'.  lol I love Yog's way of thinking.  The passage is booked, all we have to do is get there..........

Yum Yum!!

4.30pm and we are nearly through Tring and heading towards Bluebells Cafe for a much deserved hugely fattening and probably overpriced Ice Cream.
But WOW, was it worth it!!! :0)  

Some Much Needed Shade

Phew!! What a scorcher!!!

Blanket. Tshirt. Coal sack. Various carrier bags. Scarf, rope, fishing line and a Jumper. Sounds like a shopping list I know, but it's not. It's the crap that we have pulled from the prop today!
We ended up just past Black Jacks Lock today, 9.5 hours cruising and 20 odd miles covered.
Yesterday evening we had moored outside Sainsburys at Kensal Green, topped up our supplies and tried for an early night. At midnight it was still really hot and we were still awake whilst Mark was snoring on the sofa and Buster soundo in his usual place at the bottom of the bed. I had been watching the silhouette's of the people walking by in the blinds at the windows as it was the only real activity going on outside and Yogi was just restless and overtired busy being a pest.
All of a sudden we heard this 'clang' of someone or something landing on the roof entrance hatch. Yog shot up and out of bed with me following close behind. Yog opened the hatch and peered out into the darkness wearing nothing but his pants. A short pause followed then he started shouting "Oi! Get out of it!!". "What is it?" I nervously asked from the bottom of the stairs. "It's a bloody Fox on the roof!" he replied shooing it away as he spoke. Relieved, we headed back to bed to try and get some sleep. Noticing on the way, that in all the commotion, banging and shouting. Neither Mark or Buster had stirred an inch and were blissfully unaware of the nights excitement passing them by as they slept.
The reason I had been a tad nervous was we had already had an incident in Mile End on the way down. It was also around midnight, we were also in bed. And we had also heard a loud thud on the roof accompanied by the swinging of the boat from side to side. On this occasion Yog had found a youth on the roof after running down the boat whilst dragging his strides on. The reply he'd got to "Oi! Get of my roof!" was "Why?". He then replied, whilst making his way up onto the roof in quite an angry tone "Cos I bloody said so, That's Why!! Needless to say, the youth thought now would be a good time to get off our roof and skulked off with his mates.
Yog told me later that his mates had said to him they'd thought he was a prick anyway. Didn't help with getting a restful nights sleep when you need to get up at 6am the next day though.
Thankfully, this time it was just an opportunist fox but you never know who or what it could be creeping about on your roof at midnight do you?
Anyway, I have today been completely lazy apart from girl work like washing, cleaning and cooking. I helped Mark with a couple of the locks but that was it! Am glad I spent most of the day inside now as both Yogi and Mark are very red and have caught the sun big time. I think if I had been out there all day with my fair skin I would have been in trouble.

Here we go again!

That is never getting under the bridge to open the barrier!

6.30am and we are holding station outside the restricted zone. True to form, the barriers are still blocking the river so passage is being delayed yet again.
Add to that the fact that after being refused permission to moor the other side of the bridge just 50 yards away and watching 3 other boats being allowed through to do just that our frustration levels are starting to rise.
7.45am  We see a boat in the horizon coming towards us, is it the Security boat? No its a river hoover, cleaning the river that is going to be used the least this summer leaving all the weed and rubbish in the busy parts of the river for the rest of us to deal with.  8am and we are still stuck here!! I have spoken to 4 different people who all assure me that there is someone on their way since 7am!! Obviously they are running on river time as a 10 minute job is taking FOREVER!!

8.33am After 20 minutes of faffing about, giving our details to the G4s guy, speaking to 1 IWA Volunteer and 2 BW bods they finally open the barrier.  Better late than never, at least we are on our way now.
8.57am We finally arrive at Old Ford Lock after the nightmare of G4S incompetence apparently it was his first day?  I feel for the poor bugger as it wasn't his fault and for a change it wasn't BW's fault either.  

I thought the saying was if you pay peanuts you get monkeys.  I think it should be if you pay huge wages and bonuses you get monkeys!! 

9.47am we finally arrive at Lime House Basin!!  All the stress and anger is somehow calmed at the sight of a rather beautiful Sailing Barge by the Name of Cabby.   She was one of the Vessels to be selected to take part in the Avenue of Sail at the Queens Diamond Jubilee Pageant this year.
Cabby was the last wooden barge to be built in Rochester and was started in 1925.  If you are interested I have placed a link with more information about her HERE

Swans trying to sneak through the control zone

9.52am we are sharing Commercial Road Lock with a family of swans who were turned back for not booking passage with BW to Lea Bridge Road.  Where they would have displayed their passes I have no idea?  We all managed to get through the lock safely though and the volunteer lock keepers decided to let them through back into Mile End without any cavity searches or getting the police involved :0)

Mark, You are going the wrong way!!

10.54am we arrive at Mile End Park and have time for a quick social with John on Word on the Water and Sam on the Waterways Woodturning Boat.  A lot more trading barges have arrived for the Olympic Floating Market.  You can buy all types of food, glass jewellery, hats, vintage clothing and all manner of sweets treats and gifts there.  I highly recommend you take the time to give it a visit during the next 10 weeks.

13.38pm We are off on our way again and heading through Old Ford Lock on the Regents Canal.  Mark and Yogi had had a quick pint in the pub while I was having a look around the floating market so we were running even more behind now!  Hey Ho, the sun is shining and its a lovely day.  The Olympic moorings are starting to fill up and I recognised a couple of the boats from up North already there and in place for their 10 week stay in the Capital.

14.58pm we clear the prop of rubbish at Sturts Lock for the second time. We had already got a Tent Bag off the prop at Johnsons Lock. This time we had a lovely range of wire coat hangers, carrier bags, bailing twine and heavy duty plastic bags.  I feel terribly lazy, I have hardly done a thing all day apart from sit on my arse on the roof of the boat having a lovely time.  Mark, on the other hand has been doing all the locks and prop clearing and apparently is also having a lovely time!  Works for me. :0)
The weed and all the rubbish is a real bind, (if you will pardon the pun).  It seems that no sooner have we come out of a lock that we have completely lost power and steering due to the amount of it floating around in the canal in huge dense clumps.  Its making the whole journey a long slow, laborious one.

17.25pm we drop Tom off at the Cumberland Basin after he noticed us at Camden Locks.  The place was crammed with tourists all asking the same old questions.  'How much does it cost? Is it cold in Winter? Are you a tourist boat? Can we come for a ride? What, you live on it? etc. etc.  I have learnt not to make eye contact with them as once you have they've got you for ages.  As I was keeping my head down looking everywhere but the crowds that surrounded me I'm sure I heard a little voice call 'Ronni!!'  I looked up and saw Young Tom from the Island!! 'My god Tom, you're the last person I expected to see' I exclaimed.  'We haven't seen you for ages!' We had a quick chat and he chucked his bike on the roof of the boat and started to help with the crewing in exchange for a lift on the boat.  This gave me some time to run off and grab some cans of drink, we were all parched and it was even too hot for Tea!!

Saturday 21st July

Oops!! Forgot the Bounty Bars Again!!

Second day with Mark in tow, tried to start with a cooked breakfast at the cafe at Hazelmere Marina but they didn't seem to want to open this morning.  Despite there being many hungry mouths to feed!  So we ended up having bacon sandwiches made by yours truly instead.  
When our bellies were suitably full we set of for London and Checkpoint Charlie, we had plenty of time to get there and with two of us doing the locks it would be an easy day for Mark and myself.

Yogi on the other hand was having a bit of a hard time of it.  With him being 6'4" and the steering wheel only coming up to his knackers, he compared himself to one those garden ornaments your nan used to have.  The ones with the old man furiously bending up and down  spinning a wheel praying for the wind to stop!!
The engine had been running beautifully since we left and the gearbox is gradually quietening down, it had been a bit noisy but taking into account she hasn't been moved for nearly a year, once the oil had been changed, topped up and moved around the various places it needed to be she was going like a veritable rocket!!
Loads of people have been commenting on how lovely she looks, taking the time to come out of their boats to watch her come past.

Updating Facebook with our location

We arrived at Lea Bridge in plenty of time and settled in for the evening.  Yogi had bought a new TV aerial from Maplins before we left and it worked straight away, no tinkering or fiddling needed!! This Yog found most impressive and, for the moment, it is his most favourite thing in the world :0) The only problem with being here is there is pretty much no Internet so the early evening was spent sitting on the roof checking Facebook and emails as it was the only place we could get a signal.

Checkpoint Charlie at the entrance to the Restricted Zone

We were greeted at the checkpoint by a rather nice IWA volunteer who helped us moor up on hte wall and checked if we were on his list. We were of course, as I had organised it and already printed off our transit passes which were clearly taped in the window already.  (Organised thing that I am). We had quite a lengthy discussion about the Huddersfield Shallow Canal and Standedge Tunnel as the chap hailed from Huddersfield and knew it well lol.  
Sunday 22nd July

Park for a garden

Had a lovely lay in this morning, the last one I will get for a while as we are off to continue phase 3 of our mission tomorrow at 6am.  Apparently they are a lot more organised this time and we shouldn't have the stress we had last time!! Ha Ha Fingers Crossed along with everything else that is cross able. Its a lovely day and we are moored right between the Filter Beds and a huge public park.  Whilst I was out wandering yesterday I saw a sign for a Sunday market which we had a look at.  

Cafe on the corner

It was mostly food stalls and a couple of antique stalls but was worth a wander around.  I managed to get a couple of bags of soap nuts for £1 which I am testing out as we speak as well as some fresh rhubarb, tomatoes and lettuce.  
On the way back I stopped in a little corner coffee shop for a posh coffee while Yogi made his way back to the boat.  When I got back, Yog had bought beer and some posh fags for me and had sorted the bits and bobs I needed doing out.  So all in all was a pretty good day :0)

Tuesday 17th

Fieldes Weir Approach

We've arrived!! We ended up having a late night last night as word got round we were back on the 'Old Manor' and visitors started arriving thick and fast. This would be a very quick pit stop and if you want to see us it needs to be before Friday.  We have booked passage back through London on Monday 23rd and we need to be off of Silver Blue and on Viking and ready to go by then!!  Yog went to get Viking early in the morning and I was awoken by his arrival at 7.30am.  I think he had woken up the whole river on his way through as she does roar as she goes along lol  Had the statutory two cups of tea and then started to pack everything we owned into boxes and bags ready to move it all into Viking again! This will be the 7th time we have moved in a lot less years and it never gets any easier.  
Wednesday 18th
Had a bit of a lay in today but was up and moving bags and boxes pretty much straight away.  Luckily we had help from Mark, Ross and Jack.  Jack and Ross ended up having the hardest day as after they had helped us move off they had to move Jack and Amy's stuff on!! They are going to be Silver Blues mummy and daddy while we are away in the Midlands exploring.  
Thursday 19th

Kitchen Unpacked and ready for action!!

Today is sort out day, sort out the water pipes, make sure there are no leaks.  Sort out the fire and the calorifier make sure all is OK there too.  Sort out the gas, make sure the Morco is working and we have hot water.  Clean the cooker and unpack the kitchen, etc.  Sort out the mass of bags and boxes that are strewn all over the floor space leaving just enough room for you to pick a path through. Go to sort out passage with BW to see that they have emailed confirmation for Monday already!!  Transfer RCR over to Viking and check insurance is valid etc.  Brilliant, everything is present and correct and in good working order.  The fire is alight and heating the water for our first bath in months and we are currently arguing over who's first in lol

The End of Phase 2

Saturday 14th

Cool Fish 

Canary Wharf approaches

Arrived at Commercial Road Lock by 5pm. We were rain hopping most of the day. Sunshine, showers, downpours we had it all. The canal is full of rubbish. The water is crystal clear which makes it much easier to see the amount of weed and historical crap that fills the cut. Most of the places that were filled with boats on the way up are now deserted and the whole feel of the canal has completely changed, not for the better I have to say. The words 'ghost town' are being used by those left behind. We passed the floating market at Mile End and spotted Fisherman John and Sam the wood turner. Sam was there for the market and John was in the basin waiting to get onto the Thames the next morning.
Sunday 15th

Litter Bear

We were hoping to have gotten through today as a boat was booked to go to Hackney Marshes. We were up at 5.30am ready to have a chat with whoever it was that is organising passage on the ground. Yogi had already had a chat with the PLO chap the day before, he'd had a printout of who was due to go through so we though we may have had a chance of going early. But he had no key for the chains on the lock which were held by security apparently and had nothing to do with BW or what they were doing. . 6am came and went and the chain stayed on. Also no boat had appeared either. 9am the situation was the same so passage wasn't on the itinerary today.
Disappointed we settled in for a day in Mile End.

Strange Juvenile Goose

It turned out to be a nice day in the end, I caught up on some sleep and Yogi pottered. At lunchtime Sam popped in for a cuppa on her way back from a Thai Chi class and we walked up to the floating market together for a look about and to see if John was on the floating book barge Word on the Water. It felt further walking there than it had coming down on the boat yesterday lol.
There is a lovely atmosphere at the market and I would reccomend you visit it while it is there for the Olympics.  We had a pint in The Globe Pub and were treated to peanuts and fresh prawns as it was a Sunday.
Monday 16th
5.30am again, yesterdays boat arrived late last night plus another boat that was booked for today. So 3 of us are up and ready to go.
6.30am. Chain is still on and no sign of anyone to speak to and find out what is going on? Yog is getting cross and it's not looking good. We only have a 2 hour window to get passed the Olympic park and we've lost 30mins of it already.

The Dreaded Olympic Park

7am. 3 boats above the lock and 2 below now, chain is still blocking our path, although luckily one of the boaters has a contact number of the chap that unlocks it. He wasn't here yet because BW hadn't told him there were boats booked to go through this morning!! He is on his way now though so that is a step in the right direction I suppose. Problem is we need to be past the Olympic Park by 9am and we are rapidly running out of time.
8am. Finally we get through the lock!!
8.45am  Arrived at Old Ford Lock after hammering down Lime House Cut to try and get through the restricted zone in time and get out of there as quick as we could!  What a nightmare today has been.  But somehow we managed it and in 9 hours we will be back in Hoddesdon ready for Phase 3!!.

No pictures just words.

Sorry folks, no pictures today, just words.
Thursday 12th
Up and out by 7 again!! 21 locks to do today and most of the day rain free, with luck!! Bloody hope so, my jeans were still damp from yesterday and my bum is wet from the dew on the lock gates!! Come on sun, I need to dry my bum!!
We've picked up a newbie boater called Mick whose on his way to London too so we can share the lock load which is cool. Also makes the time go loads quicker.
Even though I spoke to Bw yesterday I still havnt had my confirmation email yet, which is a worry but if they can't get their act together it's not my fault is it.
Had a rather disapointing burger and chips at lock 81 and a well deserved posh coffee :0) while working the lock after lunch i was accosted by a chap on his bicycle apparently he was the local waterways chaplain and he wanted to give me a leaflet, in case I ever needed him. I politely explained that I had my own faith and didn't need the leaflet and he would be better off giving the planets rescourses to someone who was interested or looked like they needed it. This did not deter the chaplain who insisted I have it suggesting I could use it to light my fire!! He then proceeded to ask me if I wanted anything from god today as he had a direct line to him. I replied 'no rain today would be good, ask him for that.' The Weather is holding out so far, so we will see.
Getting into the groove with the lock sharing now, only 8 more to go then I get a couple of days off. Yog loves it too as he doesn't have to keep stopping for those pesky locks!!

Friday 13th
OMG just realised its Friday 13th!! Hopefully it means nothing but it does make you feel uneasy doesn't it!
We got as far as uxbridge lock yesterday before hunger forced us to stop. It started raining when we still had 6 locks to go so yesterdays chaplain must have had no signal or something. We did have a god send in another way in the shape of Kev Chinese Med who passed us while we were working the lock. He was on his way to sainsbury's. We had spotted him on the towpath just above Denham Deep Lock where he was moored with a few boaters including jackie on Ambler It was funny watching the recognition appear on their faces as we passed them pointing and shouting 'Kev' 'Jackie'in their direction. Lol. Sadly though, We only had time for a brief chat as we wanted to get past the last 3 locks before we collapsed in opposing heaps on the sofa. Dinner had been discussed at great lengths during the day and we both had a hankering for sainsbury's macaroni cheese so had been looking out for a sainsburys for the past few hours but hadnt seen one :0( So to find out Kev was on his way there was unnaturally exciting to both of us!! When he uttered those magic words 'do you need anything?' we looked at each other both thinking the same thing and without hesitation replied in unison 'macaroni cheese!!'lol. That's why we stopped a lock early, the call of macaroni cheese!!
So, today we are left with 1 lock to do and then apx 23 miles of lock free water. Brilliant for me as I can now potter happily for the next day or so. Not so good for yog as the slog carries on regardless for him. Am still waiting for my confirmation email from cart. Had no chance of getting anything out of them yesterday as most of the staff were out at one launch party or another to celebrate the first official day as a charity.
I can't help thinking they have their priorities out of order. The exclusion zone is in a mess, facilities within it are non existent and they are off partying. Someone needs to get a handle on this and quick !! Finally got the email at 3.30pm, what a relief all that hard work hasn't been for nothing.
We got as far as Camden tonight, moored on the visitor moorings with 2 other boats ready for the locks to open at 8am.

Hard Days Slog

Tues 10th
8am start today. Had disgustingly early night last night and was actually up, awake and ready to go this morning. Heavy day today. Need to get through 20 locks and 11 miles to stay on track to arrive at little Venice for Friday.
Felt fine till something went ping between my shoulder blades half way through the first lock. Not the best day for it to happen but these things never save themselves for a convenient time do they.
2 Ibuprofen and a strong coffee later I was soldiering on looking as stiff as windy miller opening the paddles lol.
Plus more pressure from the Olympics. Just received an email stating the lee is closed between Ramney Marsh and Waltham Town between 23/27th due to the Olympics. That's when we were planning to come back through with Viking So we now have to get turned around in less than 4 days, 2 if they're not working weekends!!  Short Blog today, too busy doing locks!!



Weds 11th

Up at 6.30, off by 7am. Another 20 locks today to stay on track for London.  Am starting to feel like Yogi's Lock slave, and not in a good way either!!  The rain was supposed to start at 10am but we were lucky and managed to avoid it till 1pm when it hailed down like there was no tomorrow.  We both got soaked through to the skin as we were in a lock at the time and totally unprepared for it lol 
I still had no word from BW/Cart  which was causing me stress and starting to make me feel sick.  I had been reading various forums and I wasn't the only one waiting for a call.  Finally, after lunch the call came and I immediately felt better.  Passage is now booked for Sunday/Monday.  We have been working so hard to get to  London if we had had to wait till after the Olympics I would have been devastated. One good thing I noticed today was that the blackberries are nearly here and it will be crumble time very soon :0).