BOATS AND CANALS

Dotterel is a stupid bird that lays its eggs on the ground and wonders why they get eaten. The name seems to suit us somehow. I did right a blog on another forum entitled Travels with a Stupid Bird. Jo seemed quite laid back about some assumptions people have made. So this is the personal bit - I call Jo many things - some even printable. Amongst them is Do! Odnarg's is Do backwards - then an n for an and then Gra (one of the polite names Jo uses for me) backwards - Arg with a possessive s on the end. So the boat belongs to a pair of stupid backward types called Jo and Gra.

We have just had a trip to Rugby which I'll describe a little later.

Cheers Graham

Thanks Graham, nothing to with dragons then just a coincidence. I will be able to sleep tonight now.

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Maurice

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We took the Grandkids to Rugby. We picked them up from their parents and stopped at a cafe on the way to the boat. This is a recurring theme with the kids. We turned and set off mooring just around the corner for the night.

The next day we arrived at Bruanston and moored on the Puddle Banks - it is a pretty awful mooring but at least you can get one. We went to the Boat House pub for a meal as our favourite coffee shop in Braunston has closed. The we headed for Hillmorton for the night time mooring.



We went down the locks the next day and Darcy helped me - she is now big enough to open the bottom gates which saves me jumping the gap. We followed the ultimate slow boat after the locks but they finally allowed us to overtake. However, being a bit inexperienced didn't slow enough or do enough to keep their front end away from me. This resulted in a neat s bend to avoid them but we got past and no one hit anyone so fine.

We visited Costa after taking the bus from bridge 59.



A few shops later we were back to the boat.

I dread the approach to Bridge 58. It is on a sharp blind bend with boats moored on both sides. There is just enough room between the moored boats to fit two boats past each other - provided the one on the inside doesn't cut the corner! Jo drove round a a crawl and the guy on the inside cut it. She just nudged a boat with the backend. She apologised to the owner who subjected her to verbal abuse which I can't write here. I was up the front at the time so missed it. I feel if you can't cope with the odd bump do not moor on the outside of a difficult bend. It upset Jo considerably and she was already struggling with her ongoing depression - not good.

We turned around at the entrance to the Rugby arm and I drove back through the moored boats. The owner in question was absent.

Moored again at Hillmorton our spirits lifted a little.



The next day it was back to Braunston mooring on the visitor's mooring this time and stopping at the The Old Plough for cheesy chips. After lunch it was back to the mooring with a final night before taking the kids home.

Cheers Graham

"I feel if you can't cope with the odd bump do not moor on the outside of a difficult bend. It upset Jo considerably and she was already struggling with her ongoing depression - not good".

They are the ones that should be subject to a good telling off, mooring where they shouldn't. Hopefully Jo is OK now, and it didn't spoil your trip.

Thanks for the photographs Graham, keep 'em comin'

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Maurice

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Foxshaw Gardens Online & Boats and Canals

Excellent report and pictures.

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Laurie Booth
http://www.pamelasalem.net

I've just had another day on the boat. I took my niece and Mum this time.

Down Calcutt top lock to the wharf for a pump out.



Then back up for a pleasant trip to Braunston and back.

Back at Calcutt the steam boat President came up the lock towing a butty. The crew where a dressed appropriately but everyone of them was eating a Magnum ice cream!

Not the best resolution photo I'm afraid.



Cheers Graham

Don't worry about the quality of the photographs Graham, just keep 'em coming.

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Maurice

Please click to go to our associate sites

Foxshaw Gardens Online & Boats and Canals

great photos graham,
and making the most of the recent good weather,with ones family makes it even more enjoyable

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

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

We've been up at the boat again, not taking it anywhere this time.

We went to Stourport for a Country and Western Festival - a little too much country and not enough Western for us but the doughnuts were good.



As we were next to the river we took a walk to look at the canal basins. A hire boat had entered the staircase and managed to drain the top lock completely with the intermediate gates open and pondering how to get up the step. Another boater helped them opening the top paddles until the level in the bottom lock reached the overflow over the bottom gates. There are clear instruction what to do next to the lock.

We also went to Charlcote house and admired the River Avon - we are looking forward to boating there when they build the link!




On our third day we bought some stripy ropes for centre lines as our current ones are a bit short. These ones are better 'cos we can hold them and step off the back but they aren't long enough to reach the prop.

Finally we took the grandkids to the zoo.

I did some painting on the gas locker and fitted a new light in a dark spot near the wardrobe.



Cheers Graham

Great to see you getting around, keep them pictures comin'

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Maurice

Please click to go to our associate sites

Foxshaw Gardens Online & Boats and Canals

As we were next to the river we took a walk to look at the canal basins. A hire boat had entered the staircase and managed to drain the top lock completely with the intermediate gates open and pondering how to get up the step. Another boater helped them opening the top paddles until the level in the bottom lock reached the overflow over the bottom gates. There are clear instruction what to do next to the lock.


That other boater was me

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Laurie Booth
http://www.pamelasalem.net

Well done Laurie

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Maurice

Please click to go to our associate sites

Foxshaw Gardens Online & Boats and Canals

Well isn't it a small world. Well done Laurie. Cheers Graham

Easy to get it wrong with so many people watching. Glad I could help,

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Laurie Booth
http://www.pamelasalem.net

We've just spent a few days on the boat doing some DIY and generally enjoying ourselves. We had 3 working boats go past.

The first two were a pair which came up the locks breasted and singled out . They were towing on a long line which I haven't seen before.

They have just got going here and are loaded - note the blue boat to the right.



The motor went past at a reasonable pace.



Then the butty. You can see that the blue boat is moving away from the side. Their pins had been pulled. The boats weren't going fast just drawing a lot of water. I went along to help tie them up again but they thanked me and said they be alright.





It is interesting to compare them with this photo we took in 2010 - unloaded and on a short line.



Then we saw this one.



Cheers Graham