BOATS AND CANALS

once again some great pics,have saved the time lapses to watch later,thank you graham,

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.... my memory,s not what it used to be.
also my memory,s not what it used to be.

............................mike.

Jo and I have been up on the boat just relaxing. Well mostly relaxing. We went out for coffee in Daventry then curio hunting in Weedon, we accidentally bought a garden seat. Miraculously it fitted in Jo's Mini when we took it apart. Then lunch in the cafe at Buckby locks.

Back at the boat we admired the new paint job on our neighbour's boat. This has been a bit of a saga as she had a major falling out with the painters and has finally employed a new painter to finish the job. Setting aside the rights and wrongs of the fall out it did worry us slightly as the original painter had painted ours.

Well we have microblisters in the paint - the only answer is to take the paint off and do it again.

Moving on - we have a new neighbour Dave and Janet. They are continuous cruisers but stop to earn money. Calcutt have employed them and given them a mooring. We had a very nice chat and it is reassuring to have a boat with residents on board next to ours.

The next day we went to Warwick - more antiques but we resisted. Just coffee, lunch and back. Between all this I changed the stern gland packing and proudly attached my new plaques.

Home again now - the bench is in the garden under the plum tree.

Another little hobby of mine is writing - this has only started since retiring and was originally to support Jo when she was depressed. I am now writing up the BCN challenge as an article rather than blog. I'll let you know.

Cheers Graham

Very informative and interesting, a good read.

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Maurice

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Jo and I have been using the boat as a hotel again to visit Grandkids and Sister.

Something which I think I forgot to mention is Dale's hose. When he left his mooring he gave me his hose which stretches from near Calcutt's water point to his boat. I rearranged its routing so it stops next to my bow when we are facing away from the lock. I take my hose to the water point and connect Dale's hose to the tap. We flush it for half an hour or so to clean it out and then fill the tank. It is very slow but we are not in a hurry and the only people that use this point are my neighbours.

Our new neighbour, Dave, came up with an improvement and put a beer keg plug in both ends. This keeps the creepy crawlers out. Now why didn't I think of that?

I have been polishing, the boat has too much brass so I'm doing one cabin when I visit moving on to the next at the next visit.

Cheers Graham

With regards the hose, it is better to flush it through properly before putting any water in your tank, it will hopefully then keep out of your water system more than creepy crawlies.

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Maurice

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We still flush it before use. I saw some research on boat hoses and it measured bacterial levels in the hose. Quite scary, they recommended 2 mins flushing at full pressure for a boat hose before use. With the length and pressure issues I reckon 10 mins at least. On the plus side we filter all our drinking and cooking water through a ceramic and carbon based filter. Cheers Graham

We are on the boat again, just staying for a couple of nights before taking Grandkids to Wales for just under a week.

I've fitted the fender I bought going down Hatton locks.



It's a pleasant evening here.



Cheers Graham

Some lovely scenery there, Enjoy.

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Maurice

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Foxshaw Gardens Online & Boats and Canals

On the boat again. We went for an evening wander around the marina and came across this.



Apparently it took two large cranes to get it out.

Today we went to a Western event at Stratford. Kitty (Jo in her wild west alter ego) bought a chromium plated 6 gun.

She is happy.

Tomorrow we are going to visit Calke Abbey.

I might get around to a bit of day in a minute but who knows.

Cheers Graham

Good on her, did she get any silver bullets.

Oh! and a nice boat.

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Maurice

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Foxshaw Gardens Online & Boats and Canals

No werewolves round here just dirty varmints that need shootin'.



Cheers Graham

PS popping home tomorrow but back on Wednesday to take Grandkids out for a few days

Dotterel has left her mooring!



We have the Grandkids on board. Currently moored about half an hour from Braunston. The weather sounds a bit grim tomorrow so we might just visit the cafe for coffee and the pub for dinner and not cruise much.

Cheers Graham

So Jo steered yesterday in the lovely Sun and I get to steer to Braunston in the rain! Last night was fun though , we had a story telling session on the roof as darkness fell. Way past bedtime but that is a Grandparent's prerogative. Cheers Graham

That's why grand parents are loved so much, they don't half bend the rules for their grand children.

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Maurice

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It has rained all day, we've been to the cafe in Braunston High Street and are now in the the Boat House for dinner. The weather is improving so we are heading up the locks and through the tunnel this evening. Forecast for tomorrow is wind! Cheers Graham