Went down to N.B.Co. today to give them the final stage payment cheque and arrange the handover date. It is to be next Monday afternoon. The cheque won't have cleared by then but at least I will hopefully be able to fill the tank with fuel and ensure that the boat will be ready for the trip and learn a little about our future home. I'll also need to buy various bits and pieces for the trip as I'm not entirely sure what is included in a sailaway. The terminology implies that you can just jump on and sail it away although I'm not sure how far I'd get.
We haven't found the mooring pins and the two mooring ropes that we took off our last boat, the original Pickles. I think they are probably in the attic as I haven't been up there yet. We'll probably need a pole, boat hook, centre line and something to act as a tunnel light for the King's Norton Tunnel, BW key for filling our plastic water container from water points and facilities en route. Anti vandal key and handcuff key. Do I need them? Haven't a clue. We also need a blanket to act as a bulkhead to keep what little heat there will be in the one place. We don't require to heat the whole thing only the part we are occupying and a little bit of privacy for the toilet. Bits of cardboard to act as shutters for the portholes at night. There is a lot of things to consider that I don't normally have to think about.
I have told them that I want to collect it on Friday the 11th due to the stoppages and openings on Tardebigge and our window of opportunity. If the cheque hasn't cleared by then I'll be furious (see rant about banks in previous entry). Well I won't be furious as I don't get furious but I will shake my head and give a quiet tut under my breath. The weather is apparently closing in over the next couple of days. Lets just hope it warms up again otherwise it will be a very cold trip in our 70' fridge/freezer. The long term forecast has it warming up the weekend of the 11th. I hope they're right on this occasion although I won't be holding my breath. I'm digging out my skiing gear just in case.
Posts
Welton Hythe
6 hours ago
3 comments:
And don't forget reels of masking or gaffer tape, boat builders leave gaps the size of Cheddar Gorge between double doors. And you'll want to shove old socks up the roof vents (not when you've got the gas burning) and take rugs to walk on, the floor will be freezing.
We find large yoghurt pots make excellent roof vent plugs for the bits of boat we're not occupying. I can hear howls of protests even now from those cold blooded boaters.
I'm not saying a thing about door vents.
If you want a hand from Tardebigge up round Brum then put out a call for Geoff (or Jeff) Anderson. He was an angel when we dashed from Pinders Yard to Warwick in one day. An amazing bundle of muscle and stamina, if you can find him. I'll try to look out his number for you or you could look on our blog of December/Jan 2005/06 when Blog.co.uk get their site working again.
Andrew Denny on Granny Buttons speaks highly of him too.
He needs cake and tea.
We know just how you must be feeling cos we picked our boat up from Hanbury Wharf and after spending our last few quid at Ed's (floating chandlery) we only had the Christmas window to get to Braunston.
Like to say we'll come over and share locks with you but it's just too cosy over here on the Harbro' Arm.
Mo
Hi Mo. The dates have all gone for a box of frogs as BW have extended the work on lock 52 for another week and blocked the window. Many thanks for the advice. Lots of the things you mentioned I hadn't even thought of.
Lisa is a locking expert, (a little complaining but an expert nonetheless) and we'll be able to get up in a day by ourselves if it is open for a full day anytime soon.
Post a Comment