A love of the canals

I have identified a current trend with the liveaboards on the Ashby Canal (if a sample of two can be a trend in a population of 'howmany' liveaboards). Young people seem to be buying boats and living on them in this part of the world. I've even seen them with their hoods up.

By young, I mean in their twenties (I always considered that the canals were the preserve of the over fifties (only a year to go in my case)). I'm not sure where they are getting the money from (probably theft) but it is a buyers market. A cheap form of housing or a love of the canals? Who can tell. But it is very possible for the former to become the latter, with time.

I met a guy the other day whom I first met when we first moved aboard Pickles No 2 and at that time he had just been divorced, was on his uppers and living in an old Dawncraft as he could not afford any other form of housing. But in the last two years, he has got his life together, bought a 'proper' steel narrowboat' got himself a decent job and a love of the canals (not just a cheap form of housing) along with many friends amonst the boating community and would never live in a house again. You see, it's not just the middle class marina dwellers who have a 'love of the canals' (as they spend several weekends a year on them).

I don't wish to influence anyone (god forbid) in the forthcoming election, but the Torys intend to  sell the BW property portfolio, if reading between the lines of the latest Towpath Telegraph is anything to go by (which it's probably not). It obviously depends which lines you wish to read between. I don't choose my lines lightly but as a fundamentalist liberal (no, not a 'Liberal') I'm good at choosing between 'my' lines (or sitting on the fence).

Hell, vote BMP. You know it makes sense.

Coal

Pickles in the sun

There's coal on the Ashby again (not counting Gosty Hill of course), except that it's not on the boats, it's on the bank. When BW dredged the canal late last year and the first part of this, they placed the puddle clay on the towpath side between the path and the bank. The clay has now completely dried out and amongst the clay can be found black gold. But how did it get there?

 Is it a meteor?

I can only presume that, since the Ashby was used as a coal canal for a couple of centuries, that this coal had fallen off the boats traveling it's length. There are places were there is quite a lot scattered around. For example where here is modern piling there is little to be had but where there has been little modernization, there is lumps of it. But you have got to wonder how it fell off the boats. Were they not as careful as we would probably be with the same load? I have read that boatmen would be fined if found to be underweight.

 And to prove the weight

When I say there are lumps to be found lumps, I mean very large lumps. I have had reports from another boater of finds that are 20 kg in weight but I have personally found a lump that weighs 43.2kg. To any walker they resemble rocks but they break easily and each half is unmistakable for what it is.

Look at the size of that

It was another boater who put me on to this, nbPlum and Plummy, it's owner. He claims to have heated his boat through the winter on this coal and I find that quite easy to believe.

And just to prove that it's not some random rock I picked up.

Is it worth collecting? That depends on how much you appreciate a free thing and how much you value your time. I reckon I could collect a 25kg bag in an hour of the small stuff if you find a good patch. But several large lumps would easily improve that. Seven quid an hour. I admit that I cannot stand missing out on a free thing. I also like to think that I've got a sense of history, several million years in the making, several centuries at the bottom of the Ashby and two days on my boat before being burnt. And I have no pride and am quite happy scrabbling around on the towpath on my hands and knees, getting filthy much to Lisa's despair.

Just out enjoying the sun

This is my 200th post. Happy birthday.

Back again.

I've been having as bit of a blog break lately. No reason, just have.

Since we had the bottom blacked we've been off the Ashby and down at Ansty on the Oxford, then down to Hilmorton, then, during the Easter break, we decided to move to Fradley Junction for a pint at the Swan. All very pleasant and the usual mix of weathers, experiences and thoughts (well, no thoughts actually). The blacking is looking decidedly used, even the newly painted red and white bands at the back need tarting up again. The problem is that we use the damn thing.
The Ashby has had a very light hand as far as the mooring wardens are concerned this year. As a paradox, there are actually less livaboards here this year as well. I've always said that these thing sort themselves out without outside influences. We were down at Ansty a couple of weeks ago and Iain off Gosty Hill coal boat said that he had seen loads from the Ashby that trip. Strangely the next day the people doing the twice yearly boat check raced past on their bikes clutching their computers tapping furiously. The next day a stream of Ashby liveaboards sped past presumably returning to their liveaboard roots. It would appear that they had left the Ashby in order to avoid being pinged there by the check. But once they've been pinged elsewhere...

Life on the canals is a tad easier with the advent of the good weather. Not so much ice, snow and rain but the mud on the towpath. It's the one thing I really hate. Good when frozen and when dry but not in between. But we had a BBQ the other evening which is always a good sign of things to come. Lisa even got a bit of sunburn on the way up the Atherstone flight.

The one thing I can remember on the boating front was when the owner of a certain historic nb (nameless) on his way to Coventry Basin for an event, crashed into the concrete bank on the way towards the lock at Sutton Stop. He didn't seem to be steering at all and I have no idea why he drove staight into it. It's no wonder those old boats are battered if this is the level of boatmanship (boatwomanship in the case of at least one ex-working boat) of their owners.

Believe it or not, I didn't take a single photo since the last blog. More soon. I've even written the next one.

Dirty Dancing & a black bottom

We were in London at the weekend as Terri had bought us a couple of tickets to see Dirty Dancing. Personally I thought there was a tad too much dancing involved but the clue was in the title. I also missed out as I had never seen the film unlike lisa who could hardly contain herself at times but she didn't fall asleep which is a good sign unlike several other productions that she has been to. It was actually very good. Possibly not my cup of tea.

We are finally out of the water and having our bottom blacked (oh, arr missus), at least I am doing it myself. I got it spray washed, wire brushed and the first coat on on the first day and it was quite hard work. I also had to tighten several bolts on the rudder as all of them were loose. The tiller has not been connected to the rudder properly from day one and there has always been a lot of play in it. I just thought it was normal (idiot). Well it's sorted now and hopefully we can now go in straight lines (maybe).

Look at the lines on this stern gear and compare it to that of nbChertsey. Which one was but as a utilitarian working boat and which a leisure boat. nbChertsey's is almost art deco in appearance and very elegant compared to Pickles no 2. And it looks a lot less worn. They don't built them like they used to.

The pressure was off after I got the first coat on and it didn't really matter that there was a couple of days of rain. There was very little (nothing actually) of the original blacking remaining and I fear that if I had of left it for another year it would have really suffered. I think that Pickles was just shown the initial blacking before leaving the factory. Last years moving through ice probably didn't help either. There were a couple of pits in the hull but nothing to be worried about.

I have been trying my hand at roses and castles (well roses actually). A more dismal attempt at the art would be hard to find I'm sure you'll agree. Nevertheless, since I insist on low standards in just about everything I do and usually fai to achieve them, this is more than adequate. Lisa bought me a DVD for Christmas and this is the first time I've tried it out. Well with some sample pots from B&Q and old model paintbrushes that I found in my workshop, what did I expect. Still things can only get better, can't they. Watch out Phil Speight, I'm a'comin'.

Chain saws and travellers

I've bought myself a new toy for £89.99. A chainsaw no less. It is essential livaboard equipment that we have done without for the last two years but I have no idea how. Yesterday I was cutting my first logs with a chainsaw for twenty years of to feed our perpetually hungry Rayburn. It's not very big but is a little scary as any wrong move and I'll have my leg off. Only then would I buy some protective clothing. It'll be a little cheaper if I only have one leg.

Every time I put my hand in my pocket (and that's not very often), I end up pulling out a small clear plastic bag. Unfortunately, only dog owners will understand the significance of this.

We were down in London (why are we always 'down' in London) on Saturday evening to watch a play that Terri was in as part of the second year of her degree. She was obviously the star but we may be a little unobjective as far as that is concerned. It was very good though. Nothing like a bit of Saturday night socialism with Brecht.  Chekov next apparently. That'll be a hoot a minute. Think I'll make my excuses for that one.

I gather that we are now classified as travellers as far as local authorities are concerned. This is all wonderfull stuff (although I imagine that some liveaboards may have different views on this) but some boaters have expressed a wish for new 14 day moorings and other privilages and this I see as problematic. The whole system is one big 14 day mooring as far as I'm concerned with some 7day, 48, and 24 hour exceptions, so personally I don't want more moorings, especially ones specifically for me and my ilk.

The whole thing could backfire on continuious cruisers as BW may well come up with the notion that we are more trouble than we're worth and push to have all boaters to have moorings with no such thing as constant cruisers. I don't need any special priviliages and am very happy to continue CCing and mooring in out of the way places not bothering anyone, neither the local authorities not BW. It seems that this has all stemmed from some CCers at the western end of the Kennet and Avon who seem to want to stay put and not fulfll their obligations. If only I fulfulled mine as well. Kettle, black?

Chimbleys, the RN and electrickery

I mentioned in the last blog that the person that owned the boat behined me at the time also owned one of the four RN narrowboats from the seventies. Thanks to Bill Rogers and Geoff and Mags from nbSeyella for supplying the link to the photo that I couldn't find. The owner also told me that there was a lot of ironwork when he lifted the floorboards and on looking at the photos, if the superstructure of the boats were steel, the extra metal could have been for ballast as well. Although I somehow doubt it was metal and it would have more likely been ply. Possibly a tad top heavy otherwise.

I know absolutely nothing about Royal Navy ships or boats (yes I know that ships sail on the surface and boats go below it, as in Das Boot) so I have no idea which one is the frigate although I'm fairly certain that it's probably not the black one. Maybe they are not copies of actual ships but only a representation. Any ideas? Where are the retired RN contingent when you need them, nbArmadillo?

We have moved to Shakerstone for a while but I have suddenly realised that we cannot make it through the Snarestone tunnel as, when I installed the Rayburn, I left the flue at full length and didn't cut it down for an exterior chimney (or chimbley as blooger nbMinnow calls it. Traditional I believe). So I will have to buy one and fit it before we go any further. I lost a chimney in the tunnel last year so I could just trawl for the old one. But we are now looking forward to getting off the Ashby and are planning our easter cruise.

We have been iced in for the second time this year but it has all but thawed since. We don't really want to be iced in due to the blacking later in the month. The downside of the lack of ice is the mud. Something has also happened to the electricity as it hardly lasts an hour or so from fully charged batteries. Something is eating the power but I don't seem to be able to track where the problem is. Hope it's not the inverter.

On the move again

The first boat to pass us passed several days ago. The ice has completely gone now. We are now going to move down to the end of the canal for the next month until we are due at Ashby Canal Centre for the bottom to be blacked. Then out into the main line. It's good to compare the disco boat passing at half past seven in the evening when everyone is eating and chatting with the return journey when everyone is drunk and shouting. We have also been down to the water point to fill and empty the relevant containers.

The boat behind me is one of those boats so hated by many as he is a continuous moorer. He is also the owner of another narrowboat that is currently being fitted out. I've seen photos of his other boat over the years but it's not in it's original state hence the fact that he is refitting it.

I first saw a picture of it on reading one of the canal magazines. It was one of four that was owned by the Royal Navy as recruiting props in the mid seventies. All four boats were made to look like Royal Naval ships or submarines. His was the one that was the frigate. I always wondered what happened to them as did others judging by the letters in the magazines. I've tried to find a photo of the boats in their original state but have been unable to.

We will be putting the flooring down next month as it should be easier to keep clean than the ply that is already there. I'll also put the holes in the hull for the washing machine and kitchen sink drains (no, we don't even have a kitchen sink yet) when we are out of the water at the end of next month. Lisa also wants t&g in the bedroom. Back to the seventies methinks. And I'm having t&g in the back cabin. Copycat.

Smug git. That's me.

The ice around the boat used to crack and  groan when we moved about the boat but hasn't done so now for about a week. We are well and truly fastened to the frozen canal. There used to be a unfrozen gap around the hull and the width of the gap depended on the air/water temperature. There hasn't been a gap for several days. We will be here for the foreseeable future like everybody else. At least a week. We have access to our car so water, Elsan, fuel, groceries and going to the pub are not a problem.

Very pleasant

I do a water run every day and the tank is just under full all the time. We have a months fuel and coal and the boat is perpetually warm, hot even. It's tee shirts inside at all times and the temperature would have to sink to minus thirty before we may have to think about jumpers. We don't want to sound smug but that's how we feel. Hell, it's only the coldest winter since 1963. It'll have to do a lot better than that if it wants to catch us out. By the way, 1963 was the death knell of the last of the working boats as they were frozen in for three months and the goods normally carried by them were transferred to the roads and never came back.

Note the water containers up front

We have all become constant moorers whether we wish to obay the rules or not. Not even bridge hoppers any more but fully fledged scum. This should sort the men from the boys, sheep from the goats and the wheat from the chafe. All those with the high tech facilities on-board had better hope that they keep working. Low tech will always work, high tech may not. Good luck.

We are so pleased not to be tied to the electricity grid, gas pipeline and water mains. Generating our own, or at least, responsible for emptieng and collecting our basic services. This is most certainly the life for us.

Iced in again (just like everybody else)

It's got beyond a joke now. This is the third week we have been iced in here with a short break of four days when we could move (so it's not really three weeks at all). Many of the liveaboards have migrated to the few water points in the area after the last freeze. We were not so bright. I go and get two containers of water every day and this keeps the water tank more or less filled.  nbAtlas came through the day before yesterday but I wasn't around to see it. It's a deep draughted boat but I'm not sure what difference that makes, whether it's easier to punch through or not. It's now stopped at the Sutton Cheney water point. Possibly desperate not to get caught out.

I'm busy trying to empty all out stuff from my workshop/back cabin as this was where it was all placed for the holidays and for the benefit of our visitors. I need to start generating income again. Tomorrow I have to disassemble and rebuild our double bed several inches less wide and several inches higher to allow our storage boxes to fit underneath and to allow a better clearway down the side. All my spare timber has been cut up for fuel for our stoves. This wasn't really my choice as I like to keep spare timber around for odd jobs but I will just have to buy it as I need it as I don't have the space for spare.

It was quite cold last night. Indeed, so cold we had to turn the Rayburn up a quarter of a turn. I don't hear anyone saying the Rayburn is too warm for a boat at the minute. I'm sure there are some who are really quite envious although, I'm also sure that they won't be admitting it. Open that hatch, it's far too hot in here.

Lisa is now back to work but Terri is now here for a couple of days enjoying the benefit of her own room. She has been on the same materess since she was born and it is very comfortable. The bed itself started as a bunk bed but was cut down to a single and finally cut down again to fit in the boat.

Water at last

We reached Sutton Cheney yesterday afternoon after another boat made their way passed us and we decided to follow them to Sutton Cheney. On arrival we filled with water and had a chat with Allison on Gosty Hill who said that Iain was out with another boater to deliver diesel and coal to other boaters along the Ashby in the other boaters van. The ice was surprisingly much thinner than the day before.

I'm not sure who you would trust come the apocalypse, but fellow boaters are a fair bet.  I would say that this is the best of humanity, that boaters are reacting to the potential distress of others they do not even know and that this help was the action of compassion by those larger than life characters who care about their fellow human beings. Well done Ralph on nbAnnabelle who was driving his van to deliver the fuel.

Life always feels better with and empty toilet and a full water and fuel tank and no rubbish aboard.

Stuck again

We tried to move today as it looked as if it had melted a little and two boats had left our mooring and had made their way successfully to Market Bosworth and back. But we were facing the other way and had to go to Sutton Cheney Wharf. We made it about a kilometre, followed by nbDestiny before coming to ignominious end after a very difficult passage. The ice was four inches thick at places so we abandoned the attempt and may try again tomorrow if we can. We are currently moored some distance from the bank as we cannot get closer.

I'm not surprised that Gosty Hill abandoned the attempt. I was just a  little ambitious or possibly, a little stupid.

Stuck

We've been stuck here in the ice for two weeks and going into the third. Gosty Hill (the local coal boat) just couldn't make it any further and winded at Sutton Cheney Wharf before they reached us and everyone else further on down the Ashby. We feel abandoned by humanity and have been left to our own devices by society. Diesel is ok but toilet and water have to be transported by car. The five day weather forecast is not looking like we will be moving very far for the next week. The two week weather forecast is hardly any better. We'll see.

It's not such a bad thing as there is a bit of the old Dunkirk spirit around here with boaters passing info down the line, getting coal for those without vehicles of their own and shopping for the same.

The outlaws and Terri were here for Christmas dinner and very successful it was too. All cooked on the Rayburn with not so much as a cross word. I say that but, later in the evening, after much drink having been consumed, the central heating reservoir overflowed and I shouted at Lisa not to over-react as I was over-reacting to her anticipated over-reaction. She was being uncharacteristically calm and caught me unawares. Anyway, I was in the wrong again.

There has been a spate of liveaboards having their cars broken into around these parts, tyres let down and even in several occasions, cars set on fire. It seems that liveaboards are being picked on at the moment. Probably just kids and us feeling a little victimised but slightly worrying all the same. Even more so since none of us can go anywhere at present.

We met another set of narrowboat boggers in the Red Cow in Market Bosworth this afternoon. They were Graham and Jill from nbArmadillo who, on hearing our tales of woe discussed with another couple who walk the towpaths, introduced themselves as fellow abandonees moored at the Market Bosworth moorings. At least they've got a water point available to them but no car. Proper Constant Cruisers I believe. i have added them to my boatroll.

Parenthood, ice and moving

We have now moved lock, stock and smoking barrels into our 'new' bedroom on the boat. That means that all the rooms now have the purpose they were designed for on my original plan. The final job before Christmas is to build the Belfast sink unit and tile the kitchen with the slate. Lisa is away for several days next week in London so I can get on with this without having to bother having to clean up for her return every evening. She usually arrives back and has no idea what an uproar the boat has been in during the day.

There may be a little bit of carpentry to do yet but you get the idea

The only thing we now have to do for the arrival of the outlaws is to buy the food and remind ourselves that the shops are only closed for one day. We are, as usual, refusing to acknowledge the near existence of the day by not putting any decorations up until absolutely necessary. Although Lisa, having a penchant for twinkly things, has placed some newly bought red lights around the inside of the door. I'm slightly worried that there will be men of dubious character hanging around outside.

I got fed up with the time this one was taking to upload but it was just the inevitable 'Look at me, I'm iced in' shot. (Ohh! It's done it now)

Our plan is to set off for Shakerstone at the (almost) end of the Ashby to enable the outlaws and Terri to have a drink in the luxury of a pub before all descending onto the boat for food and more drink, although we may have to rethink all of that if this cold snap continues and we are unable to move. -6 outside and +25 inside thanks to Dusty Rea (Rayburn's new name apparently). If we're iced in, that's the way it will be. We're having Christmas here. Well, frozen ground means no mud so it must be a good thing.

Terri was up around these parts visiting her friends the other day. Not us. Oh no. Not the ones who put up with her and looked after her for twenty years. I got a phone call in the morning and she told me to meet her at Halfords so as I can replace an indicator bulb for her before she returns to London. "Have you done it yet. I've got to be at work at twelve". Ho hum. The perks of parenthood.

More building

I have now built the final bulkhead so as to make our own bedroom at last and so Terri can have her own room on her very rare visits (and our day room at other times). It has to be done before Christmas day as the outlaws are coming for their annual free scoff. Sponging bar stewards. Terri will also be here so there will be a full house (boat). I have run out of large pieces of ash faced ply and have used t&g. I think it will be better as I can scrumple it in my workshop. Today I made the door in a typically rustic cottage style. At least rustic is what Lisa calls it. I'm not sure if that's an insult or not. I have yet to complete the rest of the decorative woodwork so it may look a little better sometime down the line.

New bulkhead. You are standing in my bedroom. 

Do you mind?

My space in the workshop has been cut in two and cutting eight foot lengths of timber are a real problem. I have to turn my band saw so as the back end of the timber is through the bedroom and start the sawing process. Half way through I stop the saw, hop it around and startthe other half with the timber facing a different direction. It's all a bit of a faff really. I've convinced myself that it will be a lot easier when I have got rid of all the ply lieing around but I'm not entirely sure that it will be.

 My workshop's looking a little smaller than it was

I think that I will work out a method of having the band saw at the same height as the side hatches so I can have the timber out through one hatch, put it through the saw and it will emerge through the other hatch. Hopefully there will be no ranblers walking past as it emerges otherwise it may become a health and safety hazard.

I just need to find a home for all this lot. Shouldn't be a problem really. There's loads of room on the boat.

The boiler in the Rayburn has a small leak and I have to refill the expansion tank on a regular basis. Still it should be ok until March or April when I can turn it all off and fit a new boiler. I wonder it Alistair Darling will give me some money off a new one. Fat chance.

I'll try to be a little more frequent with the blogs in future.