September, 2013 | Living On A Narrowboat

2013 09 29 Newsletter – The Folly Of Using Unseasoned Logs For Your Stove

Living on a Narrowboat News 29th September 2013

Have I ever mentioned that I love my job? Yesterday, Saturday, was – for me – a perfect day.

I spent an hour in the morning cutting back the low hanging ash branches on the wharf lawn and the elder branches above the grassy bank where we park our recently acquired telehandler (fork lift truck), roped off a section of footpath between our online moorings and Napton reservoir where the footpath has been undermined by a leak from the canal into the reservoir, then spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon felling and removing infected oak. I don’t enjoy destroying twenty year old oak, but I love working in the peace and quiet of the woodland with the autumn sunshine filtering through the trees and the crackle of fallen leaves underfoot.

I’ve now removed about sixty of the one hundred and twenty infected oak. I may only have 50% of the trees left to cut, but I have at least 75% of the work ahead of me. The wood isn’t very large as woods go but the remaining oak are at least 200m from the nearest point where I can park the truck. Every trunk, branch and leaf has to be dragged out of the woods and loaded onto the truck for transportation.

The time of the year influences how much work I have to do too. The last few months have been pretty dry so the ground next to the woods is firm enough to drive the truck over without damaging the grass. All that is about to change though. October normally heralds the start of the autumn rains. We only need two or three days of rain to soften the ground enough to prevent vehicles from driving onto the grass without making a mess which will mean that shortly I will have to carry or drag the cut timber even further.

Yesterday was dry, sunny and a real pleasure to be alone in the woods talking to the trees. Alone that is until my radio interrupted my daydreaming with a request to go on a rescue mission.

One of the narrowboats we look after for the Royal Navy had broken down at Braunston between the lock flight and the entrance to Braunston marina. One of our engineers had been out to it and determined that the boat couldn’t be repaired out on the canal. It would have to be brought back to Calcutt to be fixed. Bringing it back to Calcutt would necessitate taking one of our hire boats to Braunston to use to tow the navy boat back to Calcutt.

I left Calcutt yesterday at 4.30pm for a quick cruise to Braunston. It would have been quicker if I hadn’t been stuck behind a boat intent on cruising at a maximum 2mph. I thought for the first couple of hundred metres that he was looking for somewhere to moor up because of his speed and the way he was zig-zagging from one side of the canal to the other. He wasn’t. He was just in his own little world, enjoying the scenery at his own very leisurely pace. I decided to do the same.

Eventually he pulled over to let me pass, I increased speed, and so did he. He stayed on my tail all the way to Braunston. I couldn’t work it out but it didn’t matter. I was out on the cut enjoying a pleasant autumnal cruise… and being pad for it.

I arrived at Braunston at 6pm, moored just before the junction then walked along the towpath towards the Braunston flight to find the navy boat and to make sure that I could turn my rescue boat near where it was moored. I found the navy boat next to the entrance to Braunston marina. An entrance I can use to turn my hire boat when I go back there later today.

I waited in the Boathouse in Braunston for Steve Cox from the office to pick me up and bring me back to the marina. Of course, we had to have a pint when he arrived. The purchase of two pints in a canal side pub reminds me why I don’t drink in pubs much any more. Seven pounds for two pints! I can buy one and a half bottles of very good Australian red for that much in a supermarket. At £3.50 a pint it’s fourteen times more expensive than the first pint I ever bought in a pub. Mind you, that first pint was thirty six years ago in a spit and sawdust pub in a particularly unpleasant part of Birkenhead.

I was back at the boat by 8pm for a quick bite to eat, X Factor (I love it), bed and an early start to finish the newsletter before returning to Braunston at 11am. I’m just about to leave now. To be honest, I’m a little nervous. There’s a stiff easterly breeze blowing which isn’t going to make the journey back with a total boat length of 110′ any easier on a day when I can expect there to be plenty of traffic.

Whatever happens, it will be an adventure. I’ll tell you how much of an adventure next week.

Seasoned V Unseasoned Wood As Fuel

Earlier this week I was given a very clear demonstration of the difficulty in burning felled wood which hasn’t been seasoned. Last week I told you about the problem we have with our oak trees. There are about 120 diseased trees in total which need to be removed from the woodland and, because the timber is infected, burned immediately.

So far I have removed forty twenty year old trees, cut them into manageable sections and moved them to our tip area where they are in an enormous 5^th November sized pile waiting to be incinerated. I haven’t burned them before now because we have strict instructions on how and when to light fires.

The tip area is to the west of the original Locks marina and to the south west of the newer Meadows marina. The prevailing wind is south westerly so most of the time, if a fire is lit, the smoke and ash blows across either one or the other marina and understandably upsets boaters, especially if they have just spent hours polishing a boat to find it covered in a fine layer of ash.

We have to wait until there’s an east wind blowing. It doesn’t happen very often. Normally it’s not a problem as there isn’t much to burn. There has been recently with the continuous felling of infected oak.

There was a light breeze from the east on Tuesday so oak burning was the order of the day. I don’t normally have a problem lighting a fire. After all, I did spend a year as a boy scout… before being asked to leave as I was considered a bad influence on other scouts.

Normally I use a newspaper, sheets separated and screwed up, under a pile of cardboard boxes and then any cut timber – usually willow – over the top of the cardboard mixed with offcuts from our woodshed. Recently cut timber is usually a fairly small part of the overall mix.

On Tuesday 95% of the bonfire was recently cut oak and it didn’t want to burn. I tried my usual method with no success at all. I threw a gallon of petrol onto the fire and lit that. The petrol burned wonderfully, but not the oak. I added twenty five litres of diesel to the already burning paper and cardboard. Again, the diesel burned wonderfully, but not the oak.

I’ve now run out of options. I simply can’t light the oak.

Most recently cut timber is hard to light because of the high water content, water content which can be as high as 45%. The timber needs to be left, usually for a year or more to “season”, before it’s any use as a fuel. If logs are burned before they are properly seasoned, if you can get them lit at all, more energy is used evaporating the log’s liquid content than is used to produce heat.

Unseasoned logs don’t burn very hot, are usually smoky, and cause thick and damaging layers of creosote

I see, and hear of, no end of boaters who carry a chainsaw around with them so that they can cut up felled logs into manageable lumps for the fire. I suspect some, a very small minority, do the tree felling themselves. The cut timber is then piled onto the roof ready for burning later. But how much later do they burn it?

Oak is one of the most common trees in the UK and can often be seen along the side of the canals and rivers as you travel. There’s often windfall branches or felled branches or trees within sight of the waterways but, firstly, it isn’t there for every passerby to help themselves to and, secondly, it’s no good as fuel until it’s seasoned. Oak takes up to two years to season properly. If done properly, it’s left outside during the warmer months where the wind and the sun can help dry it out and then taken under cover for the winter.

Narrowboat owners simply don’t have the space to season enough timber to keep them going. I don’t use wood, but I know how much coal I get through. Between October 2012 and June 2013 I burned over 80 bags. That’s more than two tons of the stuff. If the wood produces the same amount of heat pound for pound – I don’t know if it does – a narrowboat owner would need to carry four tons at any one time (two tons to season and two tons for immediate use)… and, ideally, the seasoned two tons would need to be kept under cover.

I often see liveaboard boats with piles of logs stored on the boat roof. Those boats often have very smoky fires. Smoky fires are an indication of unseasoned wood. Unseasoned wood burns poorly, produces little heat compared with seasoned wood or coal and causes an accumulation of flu creasote and the risk of chimney fire.

The exceptions are the many boats you see on the offside with a mooring with either a garden or some space for storage next to the boat. You will often see a store of logs which have probably been well seasoned.

I think that the rule of thumb should be to use coal unless you have a mooring with sufficient space to store two or three season’s worth of logs.

Create Lasting Memories Of Your Travels

How good is your memory? Mine is awful. I can’t clearly remember what happened yesterday so I’ve no chance when it comes to cruises months or years earlier. The good news for me is that I don’t need a fantastic memory to be able to relive every interesting or exciting moment of my travels. I take photographs. I take lots of photographs.

My photographs are my memory and what wonderful memories they are. I’ve just had a quick browse through my online albums. Actually, the intention was to have a quick browse. I strolled down memory lane for over an hour. I have hundreds of albums with a total of just over 30,000 photo’s. I purchased my first digital camera in 2001. It had a massive 2.1 million pixels and cost £1,000. These days, the most basic mobile phones have higher resolution cameras.

I bought that first camera when my three boys, Blake, Brad and Brook were 7, 5 & 3 respectively. It was at a time when I got on reasonably well with my then wife and at a time when the boys were growing rapidly and changing almost daily. I can’t remember much about events from that period, or any other significant period of my life… until I look at the photo’s. Then the memories come flooding back.

My ex wife was immovable when choosing holidays. The holiday had to be two weeks, had to be somewhere where there was guaranteed sun where she could lay for fourteen hours a day in the sun. She wasn’t lazy. Far from it. She managed to combine looking after three very active boys with her job as a very busy property lawyer. Holidays allowed her to collapse, rest and recuperate. I understood the need for her to take these types of breaks but they weren’t for me.

I’ve always enjoyed the great outdoors and like to keep active. By 2007 we weren’t getting on very well at all and had been going to the same camp site on the coast about 100 miles north of Barcelona for five years in a row. I started to take breaks on my own and recharge my batteries in a way which suited me far more than a beach holiday. I went hill walking in Scotland.

The photographs I took allow me to relive those adventures in detail. One of my favourite trips was to Ullapool on the north west coast of Scotland in August 2007. I drove there from my Warwickshire home. I stopped off in the Lake District on the way there for an exhilarating long day’s walk on High Street and an overnight stay before continuing to Ullapool.

I stayed the night in an Ullapool B & B before being taken by taxi to Oykel Bridge, 30 miles north east of Ullapool. From there I walked back to Ullapool through the mountains. It’s a remote and stunning landscape completely devoid of human habitation. My first day’s walk was thirteen miles along a rough track in pouring rain wearing my new Paramo waterproofs. The rain didn’t get through but neither did the rivers of sweat I generated carrying a heavy pack while wearing thick waterproofs on a hot (for the Highlands) summer’s day.

I couldn’t have remembered the details without referring to my photographs. The photo – click on it to show it’s full size – shows my accommodation on that first night in the mountains. I had all my camping gear with me and enough food for a week away from civilization but I had read that there was a decent bothy by the side of the loch at the base of 3,000 feet high Seana Braigh.

With plentiful photo’s to jog my ailing memory, I can now recall the whole trip in vivid detail. I can remember how delighted I was when, wet and tired with aching and sore feet, I opened the door to the bothy to find that, not only was it in a very good state of repair, but it had also been stocked with luxuries by persons unknown with hearts of gold.

The bothy had an open stone fireplace but a fireplace is no good without something to burn in it. There was a pile of seasoned logs next to the fireplace and kindling and matches to light it with. On the mantlepiece over the fire where half a dozen substantial candles for nighttime lighting, a couple of packs of cards and, joy of joys, three different and completely full single malt whiskey miniatures.

I lit the fire, changed into dry clothing, hung my sodden clothes on the drying rack over the now roaring fire. I heated a Wayfarer ready meal then relaxed in an old armchair next to the fire, reading my book with the aid of a head torch and slowly and reverently sipped one of the little bottles of single malt. There wasn’t a sound to be heard apart from the crackling fire. No road noise (the nearest road was thirteen miles away), no air traffic noise (this area of Scotland is a long way away from any commercial flight paths) and neither sight nor sound of another human being. I felt a profound sense of peace and, thanks to my digital memories, I can recapture that feeling whenever I browse through the album.

The following day I left the bothy after a very late start, walked eight miles to another remote loch and camped almost within hearing of the waves lapping gently on the shore. I woke the following morning to the sound of grass being pulled from the ground very close to my tent. There were no sheep or cows anywhere near me so I didn’t have a clue what could be making the noise.

The culprit was a magnificently antlered stag, peacefully grazing less than ten feet from my tent. I didn’t dare move to get my camera in case I disturbed it but I remember the encounter clearly thanks to the photo’s I took either side of the chance meeting.

Why am I spending so much time telling you about one of my walking holidays when this blog is supposed to be about narrowboats, canals and rivers? Because cruising the network is an adventure, and adventure you’ll want to cherish if you’re ever forced to hang up your windlass for the last time.

I haven’t started to cruise the network in earnest yet but the little cruising I have done has been recorded in detail. I’ve recorded my cruises by taking plenty of photo’s and by taking plenty of notes in the form of this written blog.

I’ve been taking photographs ever since I’ve had children. The first eight years I used a film camera but I didn’t use it very much. I didn’t really know what to do with the camera so the results were poor and very expensive to have printed. My results weren’t much better when I switched to digital cameras, but at least there was no heavy printing costs to put me off taking the photo’s in the first place.

Over the years I’ve bought dozens of books and enrolled on web based courses but the very best tuition I’ve ever received has been a fantastic downloadable package called 123DI (The 123 of Digital Imaging). It contains over 4,000 pages of step by step instructions and tutorials. Since I started using it, not only have I seen a huge improvement in the quality of the photo’s I’ve taken (and therefore the memories I’ve captured for the future), but I’ve also understood why the improvements have happened and what to do in most situations to ensure that I nearly all of my photo’s will stand the test of time. I love taking photo’s of my beloved springer spaniel Charlie. I’ve just taken one now and, using the the knowledge learned from 123DI, I’ve focused on his stunning eyes to make them stand out more. You can click on the image to see the full size photo.

If you want to take high quality photo’s with just about any camera and regardless of whether you are at the beginner, intermediate or advanced level of digital photography, 123DI is an essential guide. You can download an evaluation version of 23DI here.

There are some great tools available for managing and storing your digital images. I use Picasa from Google for organising my digital images and Google Drive for storing them. I used to have 30,000+ digital images stored on an external hard drive. After less than 12 months the hard drive failed. I had a quote of £400 to try to recover the lost images. I decided not let them try because (A) I couldn’t afford it and (B) all of my images are backed up to Google Drive the second they are added to my laptop’s hard drive. All of my photo’s were safely backed up, even if they weren’t backed up at quite as high a resolution as the originals. My 20GB of storage with Google costs me a ridiculously low $5 a year!.

Finally, I use and recommend online publisher Blurb. You can publish your own books, complete with photo’s and text, at a very low cost. I’ve been using them for about five years now. I’ve created several photo journals documenting regular events as my boys developed. One of them, a 400 page coffee table sized book, cost just £50 to have printed and shipped from the USA (Blurb have since opened a branch in the UK). The books were loved and admired by all family and friends who browsed through them and are treasured by me.

Here’s a screen capture of one of the books (Click it to see the full size capture). Just looking at the two photo’s here bring memories flooding back. I can tell from the caption on the photo that the event was a football match on Sunday 1st February 2009 in Balsall Common. Seeing the driving snow in the photo reminds me of how bitterly cold the day was and how cold my son Blake was (on the left in the red striped top).

The photo on the right was taken just four days later on Wednesday 5th February. Heavy snow brought the country to a standstill. There must have been at least an inch on the road. The schools of course were closed so I had to stay off work to look after the boys. We went to a nearby nature reserve and built this snowman. The little fella sitting in front of the snowman is my youngest son Brook. I made him sit there because he had added a very impressive but totally unacceptable additional appendage to the snowman.

These photographic memories are invaluable to me. If you don’t already have a camera, and you don’t have the gift of total recall, I urge you to go out and get one as soon as you can.

I am in the process of adding my cruising photo’s and notes to another book. I know that this book and others like it will be among my most treasure possessions in the dim and distant future when I’ll be forced to sit with a rug on my knees next to a fire and remind myself what a wonderful life I’ve had.

Our Nige And His Cruising Blog

Nige bought himself a narrowboat this year. He wrote some very entertaining blog entries about his journey back to his new mooring when he first purchased his boat. He’s been out and about again, this time he’s gone solo. Nige is very good at translating his experience into the written word. Grab yourself a coffee, settle down and read about his latest adventure. There are plenty of photo’s to keep you entertained too. There’s a full list of all of the posts he’s written below. The last eight are his latest solo trip.

Suggestions Please!

I’ve been writing regular newsletters for a couple of years now. During the first year they were every two weeks or so. To be honest, the frequency was a bit hit and miss. My New Year’s resolution, and one that I’m delighted to say that I’ve kept, was to send out a newsletter every Sunday, rain or shine. The hardest part of the process isn’t the writing itself, it’s constantly thinking of new content. The trouble is, I don’t know what you want to read. I think I keep the newsletters reasonably interesting but I don’t know for sure. That’s where I need your help.

Can you let me know what you would like to read in the future? Are there any areas of narrowboat life you don’t think I’ve covered enough or areas which I’ve missed completely? Please let me know what you want to read about. Thanks for your help.

New Kindle Narrowboat Guide

In the last few newsletters I’ve mentioned my new guide Living On A Narrowboat: 101 Essential Narrowboat Articles. It’s a free download as a PDF here. It’s also no available on Amazon as a Kindle download. I’ve tried to make it available free of charge but I can’t work out how to do it so it’s been published at the lowest price setting of £1.99. The Kindle edition is here.

Newsletter Index

I created the site just over three years ago to provide a source of information for anyone interested in narrowboats and the possibility of living on one full time. The site has grown to encompass a comprehensive listing of inland marinas in England and Wales, dozens of articles, a forum and regular newsletters. I’ve already created (below) indexes of the site articles and the more popular forum posts. I thought it was about time I created an easy to use index of the newsletter content. Here’s the index so far. I’ve managed to reach the end of 2012. I’ll add the rest next week.

11th January 2011 – 1st Newsletter

Dealing with the coldest winter on record
Digital reading – A detailed review of the Kindle, the perfect solution for book loving boat owners

2nd February 2011

Article – Living on a narrowboat in winter

8th January 2012

The first four narrowboat case studies published

I’ll start with myself; Paul Smith, living on my own, moored in a marina and working full time. Narrowboat James case study

Meet Peggy. She has a husband and two small children, works full time and cruises the network during the summer months. Narrowboat Violet Mae case study

Fancy spending your retirement cruising the waterways of England and Wales? Meet Barry and Sue Horne. They’re living the dream! Narrowboat Adagio Case Study

Here are another working couple. Lina and Warren cruise the cut with their two cats.Narrowboat Olive Rose case study.

22nd January 2012

Two more case studies. One of them waxed lyrical about life on the waterways and enjoyed every minute of her life afloat. Now she’s selling up to follow another dream in Spain.

4th March 2012

Reviewed: The Liveaboard Guide by Tony Jones. A great guide to living afloat

eBay Narrowboat scam (and a little bit of flack for me from another forum)

Case Study: Author Toby Jones on his own liveaboard narrowboat

A review of Debdale Wharf marina

18th March 2012

The downside of living on a narrowboat – This was a very controversial post. Liveaboard Pauline Roberts wrote about the less pleasant aspects of life afloat… and attracted a storm of comments

Case study: The Woodsman – Pauline Roberts again giving an insight into the life that you may think she doesn’t like.

1st April 2012

As a result of the article about the downside of living on a narrowboat published in the 18th March newsletter, I asked liveaboard narrowboat owners to complete a survey to give a balanced view of the issues raised by Pauline. Here are the survey results and a much more positive article by liveaboard narrowboat owner and frequent forum contributer Peter Early.

15th April 2012

Life on the river Cam – A guest article on the pleasures of river life by wide beam liveaboard Luther Phillips

Case Study – Freelance writer Anne and her South African farmer partner John reveal all

Case Study – Toni cruises constantly with ex husband Allan. They cruise together but they live apart… on separate boats

29th April 2012

DIY narrowboat painting – I spent three weeks in April painting my boat. Here’s the first of my progress reports

13th May 2012

DIY narrowboat painting – I’ve broken down the complete cost of painting your own boat and

Dealing with wind on the river – A guest article from liveaboard narrowboat owner Alan Cazaly

27th May 2012

How to clean your stove glass – One of the real pleasures of a living fire is watching the flames on a cold winter’s eve. Here’s what you need to do to ensure you can actually see the fire.

Smoking on board – An alternative to smelly smoke

10th June 2012

Survey – Do you want a forum on the site? (You already know the answer to that!)

7th July 2012

Repeat prescriptions, diesel heating systems and solar panels

20th July 2012

Dealing with pests on a narrowboat – spiders and swans

Posh boats – My personal favourite: S.M. Hudson

18th September 2012

I published my guide Living on a Narrowboat: The REAL Cost of a Life Afloat. When this newsletter was published it was only available as a Kindle edition. Now it’s available in both Kindle and PDF format and is bundled with Narrowbudget, the site’s bespoke narrowboat budgeting application.

VAT on narrowboat sales

30th September 2012

The best tip for a wannabe narrowboat owner – Advice from existing boat owners

14th October 2012

Practical flooring for narrowboat dogs

Case study – Mike and Mags use a double redundancy payment to pay for their new floating home

17th October 2012

I started to develop the narrowboat budgeting software. This newsletter detailed the concept and the progress to date

28th October 2012

An unscheduled dip in the marina prompted me to write about safety on the waterways

Living on a narrowboat – Through the eyes of a young lady who would clearly prefer to be somewhere else

6th November 2012

The first release of the new spreadsheet based narrowboat budgeting application

21st November 2012

First tests and reviews of the budgeting application

The best aerial for a narrowboat television

2nd December 2012

Low cost narrowboat ownership – A low cost solution to the problem of funding your first narrowboat

Solar power – All you need to know about installing solar panels on your boat. Written by the inland waterways most popular solar system installer

Case Study – Mr. Solar Panel Tim Davis writes about life on board his own narrowboat

18th December 2012

Understanding narrowboat electrics – Another excellent article from Tim Davis

Satellite television for narrowboats – Information from a system installer

24th December

Narrowboat electrics part 2 – The concluding article from Tim Davis

I asked newsletter subscribers to send me detailed breakdowns of their bricks and mortar expenses so I could compare them with the cost of running a narrowboat. Quite a few subscribers obliged. I added the breakdowns to my narrowboat costs guide and the budgeting application.

8th January 2013

Case Studies – I put together 21 of the best case studies and analysed and summarised the data in this low cost guide. If you want ton save yourself hundreds of hours of research and costly mistakes, you need to read this guide.

Case Study – Mike’s circumstances are similar to my own. He moved onto his boat after a failed marriage. He’s upgraded from a 27′ GRP cruiser to a 50′ narrowboat

20th February 2013

The real cost of going cheap. An in depth look at the cost of my 36 year old boat, and how much I spent (and still need to spend) before it will be a comfortable full time cruising boat.

3rd March 2013

Stove fuel test – What works best; coal, wood, briquettes or something else entirely – Here’s my own take on a Waterways World test

Essential stove maintenance – Here’s what you need to do to make sure that your stove always performs well.

Internet connectivity – I use the internet four or more hours every day. This is the setup I have on my boat to make sure that I’m always connected.

Detailed running costs for my own boat for January 2013

11th March 2013

James’ upgrade – Adding solar panels and replacing carpets with oak effect laminate flooring

17th March 2013

Where can you find residential moorings? Here’s a great place to start

Getting rid of unwelcome visitors – Geese used to regularly disturb a peaceful night’s sleep where I moor. Not any more. Here’s my solution

Know your narrowboat costs – Detailed costs for my own boat for February 2013

Half a dozen boaters now have access to their own blog section on the site. You can too. Here’s how.

24th March 2013

Here’s an example of what happens when you really don’t understand how your narrowboat works.

Essential boating equipment – Here’s a low cost item which has paid for itself over and over again.

Whilton marina boat sales – Sometimes things aren’t what they appear to be. This alleged fact about the boat sales at Whilton has come to me from several different sources.

31st March 2013

Case study – Sarah lives on wide beam Antioch on the Leeds Liverpool canal. She can do man things with her hands. Here’s her story.

Be inspired – There are always reasons why you don’t make the move from bricks and mortar to steel and water. Here’s an anecdote which demonstrates once and for all that there really aren’t any worthwhile excuses.

7th April 2013

Narrowboat security – A spate of burglaries from boats and a break in at my former family home encouraged me to write this article

Case study – You need to committed to sell your home to fund the purchase of your narrowboat. That’s what Mick and Marlene have done.

14th April 2013

The perils of exceeding your monthly broadband data allowance. Learn from my mistakes.

21st April 2013

The Trust target illegal moorers but just what does the Trust consider to an illegal mooring?

Identity theft – The ongoing saga of my hacked laptop

RCR engine servicing – River Canal Rescue (RCR) are well known as the waterways equivelent of the AA but did you know that they will also come to your mooring to service your boat?

28th April 2013

Narrowboat blogs – My own first cruise, Our Nige takes his new home on its maiden voyage and a chance for you to have your very own blog section on this site.

5th May 2013

Narrowboat fuel tanks – How much do they hold

Meet one of your legless canal side companions

The canal network’s largest floating hotel

12th May 2013

An encounter with a wide beam boat and why they aren’t suitable for much of the canal network

An interview with the Trust’s head of boating. Sally Ash talks about the Trust’s approach to the thorny issue of residential moorings

19th May 2013

My comments about an encounter on the Oxford/GU section between Napton and Braunston sparked a debate about the pros and cons of wide beams on the cut.

Keeping dry – You don’t really need to limit your cruising to sunny summer days. There’s something very special about standing on the back deck in the pouring ran protected by a set of bomb proof waterproofs.

Do you really need a car? Living on a narrowboat is all about enjoying a simple and stress free life. Sally and I had a car each. Mine cost £2,000 to run in the previous 12 months so I decided to get rid of mine to see if I could manage without one.

26th May 2013

Laptop hacking – An update on the problems I encountered after buying a brand new laptop which I suspect was tampered with before I bought it.

Diary of a new narrowboat owner – Frequent forum poster “Our Nige” finally moved on to his new floating home. Here’s his story

2nd June 2013

An encounter with two poorly prepared holiday boaters and my own impending two week cruise encouraged me to put together a pre cruise check list

9th June 2013

I was on holiday for the first two weeks of June. Sally and I cruised from Calcutt to Braunston, north along the north Oxford where we joined the Coventry canal briefly before taking a very sharp right turn onto the Ashby canal. Here’s a daily report of the first week of our holiday.

16th June 2013

The Ashby canal cruise part two – We spent a bit more time on the Ashby before heading south again, joining the Coventry canal, this time following it into Coventry’s rather depressing and disappointing city centre, then retracing our steps back to Calcutt

Most popular narrowboat names – Here’s the definitive list of the top 200 most popular narrowboat names and a resource you can use to find out if any other boat has the same name as yours

Considerate boating – An article prompted after a near head on collision with another boat trying to avoid a fallen oak.

23rd June 2013 – The cost of a two week cruise. If you live on your own boat, what’s the real cost of taking it away for a two week break?

Case Study – Mary Anne swapped dry land home rental for floating home ownership. Now she loves life afloat and works from home.

Life as a continuous cruiser – The Holy Grail of narrowboat ownership. The ability to travel where and when you like. Peter Early tells all.

30th June 2013

Keeping your stove glass clean – Maybe you think it’s an odd subject for the summer but you can’t trust the English weather. Late June and the stove was still on now and again. At least now I have a crystal clear view of the fire I shouldn’t need to light.

Traffic chaos caused by Braunston’s historic boat rally – On a day with high winds and a canal full of working boats returning home after the rally, I had the pleasure of taking some very nervous hirers out on the cut.

7th July 2013

Anticipating winter weather – You may well be enjoying unusually warm winter weather but the winter will be with us all too soon. Now is the time that you need to plan for the cold weather ahead.

14th July 2013

Fenland river cruising – Another boater’s maiden voyage to whet your appetite.

21st July 2013

Hire boat expectations – Fully understanding what facilities will be available to you is essential if you’re going to enjoy a narrowboat holiday. Here’s what not to do.

28th July 2013

The cost of living on a narrowboat – An article in the Daily Mail… and why most boaters disagree with what they said.

4th August 2013

The perfect narrowboat washing machine? – It’s low cost and doesn’t need plumbing in, but does it actually clean clothes?

The cost of a continuous cruising lifestyle – How much does living the life of a water gypsy really cost?

11th August 2013

A free download – Living On A Narrowboat: 101 Essential Narrowboat Articles

Narrowboat tips – Handy hints from experienced narrowboat owners

The cost of a continuous cruising lifestyle – How one liveaboard boater manages on a shoestring

18th August 2013

CART Guide Approval – The waterways’ governing body is now promoting the information packages available from this site. Yippee!

Narrowboat Insurance – A summary of insurance quotes from the major narrowboat insurers

Liveaboard Case Study – Keith and Nicky downsized their property in Jersey, used the released capital to buy their 57? “go anywhere” narrowboat and now live on their boat full time while they continuously cruise the canal network. They’re ridiculously young to retire, and I’m very, very jealous

Downsizing from a 3 bed semi to a narrowboat – What do you do with a lifetime’s accumulated possessions?

25th August 2013

Effective fly killers for boats

The downside to living on a narrowboat

Liveaboard Case Study – American Richard Varnes has taken a year out from work to cruise the canal network and write about his adventure. Here’s his case study and a few stories from his journey so far.

1st September 2013

Solving engine room leaks – A simple solution to a dripping stern tube

All about the weed hatch – Removing debris from your propeller

Comprehensive Site Article Listing

There are dozens of helpful and interesting articles on the site, but have you found them all? I thought you might appreciate a list of the more popular articles that you can glance through and click on the ones that take your fancy. Here it is.

Useful Links

Living on a Narrowboat: The REAL Cost of a Life Afloat – Narrowboat costs explained in detail. My own maintenance and living cost on narrowboat James for a full year. Use this information to work out your own costs.
Find out what parts of the canal are closed and for how long. Essential cruising information for you.
Do you need to find a home for your boat? Here’s a comprehensive list of the narrowboat friendly marinas in the UK
Do you want to see where these marinas are on a map? Here it is.
Here’s a map of all the canals on the system to help you plan your route.
Newsletter Archive – Browse through a wealth of useful content in the newsletters over the last year.

Steppin’out; Solo Jolly day 7 Branston to Mercia marina.

A bit chilly this morning and put the central heating on to warm things up. Quite a few boaters up and about early and not all of them very curteous as they were passind a good line of moored boats. Some of the boats and some of the people looked like they should know better. Can’t go by looks though can we? This boating is not exactly hardship avenue while out cruising is it? I sat with a coffee studying the form for todays losers at Market Rasen and Newmarket then had a long conversation with my brother on the phone. It comes under “best of both worlds” I think and I’m not knocking it.

Off we go then heading down to Branston lock. It’s certainly just a tad up from breezy I think so paying more attention. I had a good line coming in to lock mooring area behind a boat already there and just as the bow got to the bank and I started to bring the stern in the bow shot off with a mind of its own. With the bow on the other bank now I could revers and try to give myself enough room to turn and point back to where I want to go. This time with a little more force and the chap from the moored boat came and took my middle rope and we got moored up. Another came in behind as I pulled down once the first boat went in and we all came to lift and drop paddles and things. While there a cruiser came and he had a hell of a job mooring up too. Looks like being an interesting sort of day.

Down and then on towards Burton with fields spreading out towards the hills and then you turn a corner and a great big square wharehouse built of sheet steel, as they do nowadays, is staring back at you. Another one on the other side of canal and the A38 to pass under and we are back in Burton. As I approached Shobnall marina at a sedate pace as there were boats moored someone was coming out so I had to sound the horn as I was about 10 yards from the entrance. They did stop and so no accident.

Meandering through Burton by canal isn’t too bad as it keeps to the outskirts and goes by Shobnall fields where there were at least 3 youth football matches in progress. Now we come to Dallow lock which will be my last of the journey. The lock was full so only had to open the gate and enter. There was a Stenson day hire boat moored right up to the lock on the downside lock landing area with three couples in and one of them fishing. I decided to just say nothing as explaining they shouldn’t moor there might get heated and I didn’t fancy the hassle. I’m a coward really. As I came back to close the gates another boat approached so I waved to see if they were going through and no response. I stood waving with both arms above my and shouting hello loudly. I figured they were going through so opened the gate I’d shut and walked back down still waving and shouting and being ignored and I was virtually back to them before they acknowledged by existence. ” oh we were looking to see if they were going through” indicating the hire boat, which is fair, but I just wish people would respond when you’re waving and shouting. It’s my age, where are my pills.

To say how windy it is today there are lots of boats out and about which makes it a bit tight in places and I slowed down and a couple of times stopped and hovered to make life easier for all of us. Would a thanks mate or a thank you be too much to ask? This makes up for yesterday I guess when all seemed to go right. However I passed one boat where it was narrowed by a tree and there is a very narrow bit of canal, looks like it might have been a bridge at some time, with a boat the other side of the narrow who did stop for me even though it blew him onto the wrong side of the canal and I thanked him profusely.

There is a narrow bridge just before you enter Willington and met two boats coming through so a bit more hovering then through and on to Willington. I had had a boat behind me for a while and he was still there as I got to the marina entrance which is tight on a good day in this direction. I had the one behind and one coming up infront and thankfully the man coming out of Mercia was stopped in pound just after the entrance so I could turn in and only bumped once. Home or very nearly now and as I entered the marina proper you could feel the wind coming at you. I negotiated a couple of turns and ran down the farside of my bay and turned in and was doing alright till the last minute and hadn’t quite got it right so bumped my mooring partner not too bad but not as gently as I would have liked. Good job he’s a nice man.

Strange really but it does feel like I’ve come home and it does feel like I’ve been on holiday and thankfully it feels like I’ve had a good time and for a weeks holiday I’ve spent nothing really. If you ignore the boat running costs which you pay anyway a holiday like this is dirt cheap. I may have spent less than normal as I moored out in the wilds four nights and after all the fresh air each day I was a sleep quite early. I should be out night clubbing till all hours when on holiday, I’m only 56 I’m still young. Ok well maybe not and maybe I’ll do the boring stuff next time too.

The last picture is a cheat I will admit as I took it one night about 2 or 3 weeks ago so it’s not actually this outing but it is taken off the back of my boat where I’m moored and so it is home.

I look forward to my next outing and must post a bit more regularly than I have been doing.

Thanks for following and your comments.

God bless

OurNige

Steppin’out; Solo Jolly Day 6 Fradley to Branston

What a beautiful morning to wake up to. Came as a bit of a surprise as I was expectin the same as yesterday. Took my rubbish to the bins and used their toilets then cup of coffee and mop out the engine and bay and decided to fill my grease gun and tighten the stern gland while I was down there and it was about 11 gone when I set off. Had to wait for the first lock but then help on the second lock and we are off.

Down to Common Lock where a lady who had walked it to the butchers in Alrewas was coming up with her dog and we got chatting, she was one of those really nice people who brighten you’re day up and make you feel better just for bumping into them. She volunteered to shut the gates for me so another job saved. She looks a bit blured on the photo but she wasn’t quite as blurred as that in person.

Then Bagnall lock as you get to Alrewas and I was also going to call on the butcher there as they are supposed to be veeery goooood. Someone coming out of the lock as I got there so straight in and then moored up a few yards after coming out to wander down the high st and try to find the butcher. I found the PO first which was good as I had a couple of items to mail that I’d sold on ebay and she told me the butchers was just a few yards after the pub and not to get side tracked.

A very good butchers it appears to be. I picked up a lettuce and some toms on the veg and some smoked bacon and a home made pork pie but checked out what else they’d got. Good assortment of home made pies, scotch eggs, cooked meats and a few dishes with like stir fries in them where the meat and spices and bits were already in. Their meat really did look the business. I can’t stock up as I don’t have a freezer but it’s close enough for me to go by car from Mercia.

I thought I’d better stop by the George and Dragon in the interest of information for my blog so I had just a half of Burton bitter. The pub is old and lots of wood with a friendly feel to it. They serve meals there and the smell was very tempting. It was about 1 o’clock when I was there and it was quite busy. A good selection of hand pull beers and the Burton bitter I had was very nice. I shall be calling again when looking for a place to eat and will overnight at Alrewas next time I’m out and about. Moor at bridge 48 and just walk into the centre of town. The road is very quiet and this was Friday but the post office is there then the pub and the butcher and there could be a coop a little further down the street too. Oh and there is a chemist as well.

Off we set again and it’s a nice little village, you get the sense that you need a bit in the bank to live here, and down to the lock before the river section and a boat coming up. A nice couple with their grandkids I think and he stayed behind and did the gates for me as I was on my own. All the friendly people seem to be out today.

The river section is were the canal joins the river Trent for about a hundred yards and then turns of at the weir down into Wychnor. You can get stranded when the Trent is in flood as it can be closed to navigation. There is a notice board at Fradley junction saying whether the river section is open or not. The water is much clearer through Wychnor as it’s river water not canal water and after the first lock it is still nice and clear. It’s lovely being able to look and see the weeds under the water bending with the flow, the slide as the shallow bottom at the sides slides down as it comes out to the middle. Plenty of tall reedy grass at the sides aroung Wychnor. I like it up there and more so as it moves furhter away from the A38.

Wychnor Bridges lock and someone coming through again. My timing is good today or someones looking after me. This time they were a couple who had bought the boat yesterday. I passed some tips on as not to rush and not necessarily to tie up in a single lock and not to worry if they hit something so long as they hit it slowly. I’m not sure how much they took in. After I was in the lock and ready to open the paddle to empty it I had another lovely lady come to help me as she and her husband were coming up so a lot of work saved again.

Here is were the canal meets the A38 and runs side by side for a couple of miles. It’s still lovely and picturesque but very noisy as the traffic speeds past about 15yds away. Not much further to go when you get to Barton Turns lock and a cruiser coming out as I get there so just hovered and went in. As I was leaving the lock another nice man asked if I wanted the gates shutting. I replied yes please and asked if he was coming down and he was just walking past and offered. If only the world was like this all the time. I shall wake up soon and it will all have been a dream.

Tatenhill lock and no one was coming through, no one to help me. What is the world coming to? I shall have to complain to C&RT or someone. It is a lovely looking lock and yet over the hedge is a huge factory yard so it’s on the edge of an industrial estate yet feels, apart from the distant road noise, as though you’re in the middle of nowher.

Now I want to find a mooring and there a few boats moored alongside Branston water park nature reserve and I find a piece of empty armco just about the right size to fit Forty Winks in so I reverse her in and tie her up and settled for the night. My last night of freedom. There is a pub just down the towpath which does pizza and pasta but I’ve already got my faggots in the fridge so faggots, chopped toms with cinamon and bisto, mushrooms and onions for tea it is.

I have now eaten and returned to work on the blog. It was just what the doctor ordered well probably not the faggots as they probably have a lot of fat and preservatives in but they were nice. I’ve just looked out the side hatch and it feels like a summers eveing. Lights down by the pub, just the faintest feel of a breeze, the water flat calm. The night is dark and a few clouds but no moon yet. After a week out and a day like this I could almost think about living on a narrowboat. I shall have to give it some thought.

This is tonight’s mooring with the sound of the A38 droning noticeably but not too disturbingly. The Trent and Mersey canal from Shardlow upto Willington follows the A50 then the A38 takes over till you get to Wychnor Bridges where they part company, thankfully. But canals were built to carry freight and they follow roads and train lines so we have to grin and bear the times when they are side by side or closer than we would like.

Oh a passing comment on the tradition of partaking of a glass after mooring up once the travelling day has been completed. No it doesn’t matter what time it is. Today I had a glass of Talisker whisky which is distilled on the Isle of Skye and is the finest tasting whisky that I have pertaken of, well so far but there may be better, it danced on my tongue while my taste buds sang halleluiah.

There may be people with more money than me, infact there are lots of people, but on a day like today there aren’t many that are richer than me. Thanks to all of you who shared it with me in person, a few minutes here and a few minutes there and thanks to all of you reading about it. Hope it entertains you, relaxes you or brightens your day just a little.

God bless you.

Last day tomorrow.

OurNige

Steppin’out; Solo Jolly day 5, Great Haywood to Fradley.

Hey what happended overnight? It’s about 10 degrees cooler than yesterday and it’s a good bit breezier too. This is going to be a little bit of a different day to last few but never mind. There seems to be a few folks up and about and they seem to be in a hurry too. Thanks to Pearley for the courtesy article which explains about tieing up properly. The forward rope out front so it pulls forward and the stern rope out back so it pulls you backwards really does make a difference when people go past too fast. I’m not being thrown about as much.

Today I’ve had to put on two t/shirts and a fleece and my hat now the temperature has gone down, I have still got shorts on but I wear shorts virtually all year round. Ok so some of us are a little different this allows you normal people to feel a little superiorl.

Off down to Colwich lock and having got in the lock met by a nice lady coming the other way and shared a really nice conversation. She was a lovely lady to start the day off and on leaving the lock her husband a pleasant chap too with one of those boats with the engine Paul was talking about a while back where they fire about once a minute. Makes my Kubota engine sound like a two stroke. Nice boat too, see picture.

Through Colwich again which is a picturesque type of place then back out into open country side. Now I’m going through the same places that I came through on the way up so I shall have to think of new things to say and makes sure I don’t use the same photos or you’ll rumble me. It is a bit breezy and it’s pushing the boat about a little as well making me keep the collar on my fleece turned up and my hat pulled well down but it’s dry and the sun is trying to shine. I’m not encountering many boats so I’m just plodding along at 3 mph ish. I’m only heading for Fradley which should be about 11 miles and only 3 locks so no rush. Bridge 68 is the turning point where the open country changes to a few trees and then turns towards Rugely and the aqueduct over the Trent that says you’re there.

the first part is nice houses and gardens that slowly sort of turn a little less nice then becomes the town centre where there is plenty of mooring but today most of it is taken which makes it quite narrow and would have made life interesting if I’d have met anyone coming the other way but I didn’t. Rugeley merges with Mossley and a working factory then down to the Ash Tree pub and Ash Tree boat club moorings, Hawksyard Priory golf club and moorings then the Armitage tunnel, with no roof.

Coming out the other end you fall upon the Plum Pudding pub with moorings and lots of tables outside. I must try it next time I’m up this way as it does look like a nice pub. Then the alotments. Now being of a sound mind and steeped in logic and a Physics O level I understand totaly about water finding it’s own level and Archimedes and all that jazz but from Hawksyard priory I have had the feeling that i’m going uphill and I’m enclosing a photo to back up my theory. Look at the boat and the bank is nearer the gunwhales at the back than the front indicating that is indeed on an incline. Your honour I rest my case.

Now on to Handsacre which boasts some nice properties at the side of the canal, again only a few boats compared to the number of properties. A left turn, under a bridge and back out amongs the fields and trees. A mile of lovely scenery and just before Kings Bromley Wharf I pass a couple hosing down the frontage where it looks like they’ve been concreting, they are stood next to a concrete mixer, and we pass pleasantries and they look as though they’ve earned their supper. Kings Bromley Wharf with a big sign up saying “No Winging”. Is it me but why are people so mean and mardy when there is ample room to wind. On the roads you see signs no turning. What mean people are they that don’t want to allow someone to use their space when as far as I can see it will do no harm what so ever. Is it just me?

Down past Kings Bromley Marina, a seperate enterprise, and onto what is at the moment one of my favourite stretches of canal. Lovely tree lined canal. Lots of Oaks and Silver Birch lining the banks and then a slight left turn and a long straight with Ravenshaw wood on one side and open fields on the other. This was where I overnighted on the way up, a lovely place. Woodend lock followed by a sharp left and the top lock at Fradley junction is in the distance.

A couple of locks and I’m moored up in the middle section. Nip to the loo and check out the showers. These are BW and are in very good order, no problems at all. After a shower it’s up to the Swan pub for a couple of pints and I chose to have the lasagne which came with chips, side salad, garlic bread and I had a side order of onion rings. The lasagne was very nice, probably microwaved, the onion rings were possibly the best I’ve had in a pub anywhere but the chips were frozen and I do love chips where some one has peeled a real potato the same day as they are fried, but that’s what you get in some places, they were ok. I didn’t leave any so they couldn’t have been too bad. Bar staff and a lady I took to be the Landlady were good and the customers were friendly. I felt welcomed and at home within a few minutes. I had the Thatchers Gold cider which is nice and they had a good selection of real ales on too. The menu isn’t extensive but enough choice and with vegetarian options. A few people said the Sunday dinners here are wonderful and it get’s packed apparently.

A couple of pints and a meal. Watched some good sized carp taking bits off the top of the water then back home to write my blog. They have a folk night here on Thursdays but I’m tiring so I will miss it tonight and have to call round by car another time and join them. I lit my first fire of the week tonight as it was dropping a little cooler as I came back from the Swan so I am now well warm and cosy.

Falling asleep over the computer so it’s time for bed.

Night folks and tomorrow we can do some moor.

Nige

Steppin’out; Solo jolly day 4

It’s been an enjoyable, funny, different sort of day today. With friends meeting me it was always going to be a round trip back to where we started kind of day. Rather overcast and drizzly which actually turned into heavy drizzle and while planning routes on the computer, I’d opened the side hatch as I like to do if I don’t think it’s cold, and looking at map books and raising a hand to passers by, as you do, and this youngish guy sort of stopped and said something about it being cold and raining and I said it didn’t seem cold and I hadn’t realised it was raining and he laughed and said it was cold when you’d slept out all night and he walked off. I’d assumed he was a boater as he had what I thought was a carrier of rubbish in his hand. He was polite and not threatening and normally well spoken and definitely not aggressive in manner, mid twenties or early. It was seeing a few homeless folks in Leicester about 10 years ago that got me into care work, which I’ve just come out of this year, and now felt like I should have made him a coffee and had a bit of a chat but I find it daunting and while in care always worked with adults with severe learning difficulties in registered care which is a different ball game.

Anyway the rain had about stopped my friends were getting nearer so I got ready started her up and I has I was only just down from the lock went up to open the gates as I’d seen a boat come down but when I got there the top gates leaked so it had filled up enough for me not to be able to open the gates and I hadn’t taken my windlass with me. As I was walking back a couple of boats arrived so ended up third in the queue. Next time I will move my boat up.

Once through Haywood lock it’s only a spit up to the junction with the Staffs and Worcs and stopped and picked my friends up. It was by now about 11 am but I’d sorted a little route out so we didn’t have to rush or be travelling all the time so we set off up the Trent and Mersey. I just feel that most of the canals I’ve seen are beautiful places to be unless they are running through cities or towns and some of them are pleasantly different. Lovely reeds and trees and fields which if the sun had been out would have been even nicer but still picturesque. Just one lock going up, Hoo Mill lock, and I was explaining to Brian what we needed to do and a boat caught us up so after opening the gates I went back for the boat and this other chap quite happily explained and showed Brian what happens and why. There really are some nice people about, some not so nice and grumpy but we won’t dwell on them. Through the lock and more lovely open countryside. Brian was on his third cup of tea by now. Caroline his wife and me don’t really drink that much tea and coffee so we let him drink alone after the first one. under bridges 77 and 78 then wound in the winding hole and a slow trundle back down to Great Haywood and moored up so we could nip to the shop there. Be very careful with this shop as a loaf of wholemeal bread, which was all I went in for, cost me £11 odd. OK so I added two home made faggots, a bulb of garlic, about a kilo of tomatoes, a jar of Staffordshire honey and a huge two scoop ice cream waffle cone, Cherry and Passion fruit which was delicious. So if you’re passing through or near Great Haywood this canal side farm shop on Mill Lane also does a selection of fresh veg, cheeses, cooked meats, fresh meats, fresh bread, home-made cakes large and small and all as far as I know of very good quality, not cheap but not too bad. So this is place to be avoided as you will spend more than you intended unless you’re of the iron willed brigade or devoid of any taste buds. It is a diet breaking shop.

From here we had to go about 50 yards and turn right into the Staffs and Worcs canal. At the junction the T&M is very wide, the bridge is high and wide and the S&W is quite wide compared to some junctions I’ve seen and there was no wind to speak off. Don’t you feel a plonker when you miss it by a country mile and have to use reverse to get enough room to spin it round and she’s only 50 ft. Never mind I’ll get another go sometime. Over the narrow aqueduct and onto the canal proper and there on the left is an almost submerged day cruiser which would have sunk further but it was on the bottom. Does the C&RT come round and fish these boats out or are they just left there for ever. There seemed to be quite a few sunken boats around Manchester.

Down then a short distance to the Tixall wide. As we approached there was a mooring so we took that in case there weren’t any more further down. There was a long line of boats which didn’t look to have any spaces. Popped a light under the steak and kidney in the oven and we had a walk down the wide where there were some spaces further down. It’s quite nice down there but was as stated above quite busy.

For anyone interested we only had mashed potato with our steak and kidney, whipped with butter and milk, potatoes should be just under cooked so they can be well mashed and handle the butter and milk without going gooey. Even though I say so my self it was bloody lovely and Brian and Caroline said so too. Wash the pots after a cuppa and wind round and back to Great Haywood where upon re-entering the T&M we couldn’t find anywhere to more. I hate to think what it’s like in the summer. We couldn’t find anywhere and were back at the lock near Shugborough so they walked it back to the car and I decided to go through and then find somewhere to more as there is a long stretch from the lock so shouldn’t be a problem.

As I moored up the boat to go back and close the gates I saw the same guy from this morning sitting on bench seat a bit down the canal so after I’d been thinking about it part of the day I was now faced with a dilemma. I could just have ignored him and trundled off down the canal. I could have stopped and offered him a drink and a chat, which I’m not sure I was ready for so I took the easier option of greeting him and asking if he had any money, which he hadn’t, so gave him a few pounds and though he seemed like he would welcome a bit of time and a chat as much as the money I said see ya and moved off. A chat would have been good for him I think. I need to look into doing a bit of voluntary work somewhere now I’m not in care. All this philosophical stuff is for my benefit and can be ignored by the reader if you wish to. It does show that we all come from many walks of life and the canals and surrounding areas contain life in all its diverse and many coloured facets. Sometimes you get a second chance to make a bit of difference to someone this was a very quick second chance.

The light beginning to fade as I neared Colwich lock and found a nice place to moor up among a few other boats. Might be a bit close to the train line but should be OK. Nice aspect out over the fields. A couple of glasses of Scottish flavoured water and lost internet connection so that’s why I’m finishing this off this morning. I did sleep well.

May God bless you all and lead you into places where you’ve always wanted to go, really.

Have a great day and I’ll see you tonight.

OurNige

Steppin’out; Solo Jolly day 3

I jumped out of bed at the crack of 8.40 to the sound of absolutely nothing, well pretty close I could hear the sound of a few birds singing but basically nothing else. I thought about what I needed to do today and decided I would get the steak and kidney into the oven before I had my coffee. Frying pan with a touch of olive oil, she has a lovely touch, steak and kidney in followed after about ten mins by a couple of onions and good dollop of ground cinamon which really does go well with meat of anykind and is vastly underused in main courses in my opinion.

A little further up.

Tin of chopped toms into casserole type dish with a bit of original bisto a good dose of mixed herbs and bucket full of mushrooms. Once the meat and onions browned up, I left them for about a half hour, then into pot and stuff it in the oven on a very low light.

Breakfast consisted of milky coffee and a nectarine cut into pieces then covered in proper greeek yoghurt and a couple of teaspoons of honey drizzled in. I only used drizzle to make me sound posh. I put this information in so those considering a narrowboat life realise how basic and hungry a life it can be when out on the cut.

I struggled to get moving this morning after breakfast and it was 10.40 before I got my shoes on and about 11.15 when I weighed the anchor, 4st 6lb, and set out for Great Haywood. The woods looked lovely as the sun started to break through as I cast off and I counted my blessings as the trees and ferns and fields slowly drifted by. I love trees and the greenery so it really was a pleasure to just be slowly cruising through and even when reaching Handsacre and the scenery changed it was still wonderful.

Then Armitage Where the canal seems to sit in a large concrete chanel with alotments by the side, the Plumpudding pub and then the Armitage tunnel which has no roof. Once through the tunnel there is a long stretch of private moorings on the left and good moorings on the right, the canal is quite wide here and at the bottom of this stretch is a water point which I moored up at as I’d had my monthly shower this morning while I had hot water. I made a phone call to see if a couple of my friends where still joining me tomorrow and they still are so I will have crew.

Setting off again there is a bridge and a very sharp bend into it and a pub on the left as you go through which I think is called the Ash treee and looked nice and family friendly. Brereton and Rugely centre are pleasent to pass through with just a brief spell behind a factory, which seemed to be still working, and a little industrial estate with overgrown sides which hid some of it then a stretch with plenty of moorings which today were just about all taken and as I came to a bridge another boat was coming under and he pulled over and waited as it would have been tight as I was passing moored boats, many thanks.

This part of Rugeley has a Tesco’s and Asda I think it is in easy walking distance from the moorings. After this section there is a graveyard and then the canal becomes a bit more picturesque as the nice houses run down to the canal with the tended gardens and an occassional boat moored at the end of. I think it a little strange that more of these houses don’t have boats of some description when they have a mooring, if only a dinghy.

Out of Rugeley via a 90 degree turn onto an aqueduct, a real one over a real river, the Trent. A bit of a straight then a sharp left then under a bridge and after trees and woods and town the view changes dramatically into open countrside with sheep grazing on the right and Cannock Chase on the left, I believe.

The sun is still shining and I decide to stop and have a coffee. The canal here isn’t overly wide and has reeds and rushes either side with every now and then a small piece of cut grass with about 60ft or so of armco so having missed a couple as you have to look out for them I managed to tie up in the middle of nowhere again. Remembering the tips on mooring up so the boat doesn’t move I tied up properly behind and before which I’m glad I did as there werer a few boats that passed at a little more than I think they should have. I had to kick one of my armco mooring pins a few times before I could free it when I left as it had been pulled very tight. I didn’t shout or yell at anyone as I didn’t really think it would do any good and would have got me wound up if anything.

After coffee I set off again with just a couple of miles to do get to Great Haywood with the intention of mooring just before the lock. Plenty of traffic about but a lovely pleasurable journey and came into Colwich,

some lovely properties overlooking the canal and some marvelous Weeping Willows, and so to Colwich lock with a boat coming out as I got there so straight in. No ladder near me so I’d climbed onto the roof before realising I hadn’t got my windlass. Back down and a kind lady with two children asked if I need any help. I thanked her but said I was ok and after shutting the gates two chaps came up from a boat behind me they opened the paddles and the gate for me, thanks muchly gents.

I offered the lady and her children a lift which she declined as she didn’t know me, I had thought about this before offering but thought I would anyway.

It made me think about how we view the world around us these days and I certainly understand her decision as I’m not the prettiest of chaps and I think twice sometimes about offering and sometimes about who you may be talking to when you don’t know them.

Anyway through the lock round the corner or a few corners actually and Shugborough Hall in site and a mooring a couple down from the lock. I think it’s pretty close to where we moored when I fetched the boat down from Manchester. All moored up and deciding whether to try one of the pubs for tonights dinner or eat in, the steak and kidney is planned for tomorrow as it tastes better when left till the day after.

I have now returned from the Clifford Arms having had steak and mushroom pudding with side salad, chips and peas. There is something about this pub, I visited it when we were bringing Forty Winks down to Mercia and I wasn’t struck with it then.

Another lovely day in which I’ve travelled about 11 miles and only done one lock and I’m not sure but probably not much over about 4 hours cruising. Some folks are just bone idle. If I didn’t know better I’d think I was on holiday.

Now it’s getting late and I need my beauty sleep. It’s after 9.30 and thinking of time and naughtical things. As you’re not supposed to drink till the sun is over the yard arm. What time is the yard arm and does it count if I make my yard arm as low as possible?

Good night folks, sleep well.

God bless

OurNige

Steppin’out; solo day two

A rather drizzly start to the day along with the noise of the gravel pit behind me starting the monday morning shift so I’m awake quite early. A cup of milky coffee to get the system going and before I know what’s happening I’m setting off at about 8.15 and was gentle past the other boats moored, just read the courtesy post, and then down to my first lock of the day Barton Turns with the pub of the same name beside it and a couple of miles along side the A38. Might be 20 yards away so not the nicest part of the canal but that’s how it is untill it brings you to Wychnor bridges lock where the canal turns off from the A38. There seems to be quite a few boats about this morning and moving early so others are there and helping me on my merry way. Up through Wychnor and then onto the river section at Alrewas as the canal uses about 100 yards of the river Trent and can be unusable when the Trent is in flood but open as normal today so no problems. and moor up and help with a paddle as someone is coming down.

Now we move onto Alrewas a nice little place from the canal and not too bad to drive through either. I’ve had the pubs here recommended to me but haven’t sampled their wares yet myself. Another lock and I think this was the one were the ladder wasn’t at either end but in the middle. Oh dear thought I, I’m not exactly built or happy climbing, I’m going to have to get on the roof so the little step on the side and holding the hand rail and then on my knees and up we got and while it may not have been elegant it was at least done with no damage to me or boat and moored up for lunch and posted yesterdays blog. It was nice and peaceful so I had a couple of hours all together and considered stopping there for the night but it was only 1 o’clock so I thought I’d go a little further.

I was only a short distance from Fradley junction and a kind chap who was filling with water at the lock mooring waved me straight in and I didn’t have to do anything, many thanks. The next lock had the ladder in the middle again so more climbing, I’m getting better at it, and there was a volunteer lock man on this lock. It appears that they have volunteers, I assume through the C&RT at a few places from what he was saying and there were volunteers on the next two also but not on the last one. Only had to do one lock out of a flight of five seems like a fair deal to me.

From Fradley the canal is quite wooded which makes it look so beautiful even if it is a bit of a problem when branches hang over the canal. Woods and fields and then a small rise lock and round the bend was Ravenshaw wood where because of it’s solitude I’ve decided to stay the night. It will get very dark later but very little road noise and plenty of bird song. Nearest house is a farm about 1/2 a mile away. Loads of Oak trees even if they aren’t two hundred years old they still stand about 30 foot high and are dropping acorns so I must remember that if I start to hear noises in the night.

The weather started drizzly but has warmed up in the afternoon and another good day has been had with plenty of help and friendly people to talk to as I’ve passed through. I’ve learned some more things about single handing like how the water drags the boat forward too quickly if you open the ground paddle too much too soon. How to climb on my roof and to take the windscreen off when travelling singlehanded as it gets in the way a little if you have to climb. This time when I moored up I had a small glass of Fettercairn whisky to signal the end of the travelling day even though it was only 4 o’clock.

Oh and I have a question but I don’t want people to think I’m a bit of a wimp but are there any fairly large crocodiles in the Trent and Mersey? Just asking like.

Todays stats are 7 miles, 11 locks in about 5 to 6 hours actual travelling time. Photos are Top; heading for Wychnor. Right; misty just before river section. Left; and Right; Common lock between Alrewas and Fradley. Left; my mooring for the night. Centre one unidentified swimming object.

Bon voyage me hearties till tomorrow.

OurNige

Steppin’out; Solo voyage day one.

Hi it all seemed a bit scary when I got up Sunday morning and started checking over things. Bread and a few odds n sods was all I required on the food front. Fridge and cupboards would last at least a fortnight if not more. Bag of coal, stuff for the loo and a bleed key for the radiator as I can’t find the one I’m sure is on the boat. Is there such a thing as a boat fairy which goes round removing items that you know you’ve got and can’t possibly lose as there isn’t enough space to lose things.

Anyway by about 1 pm I was ready to go and my neighbour, Keith, had topped up my water when he did his. He’s a good bloke but has this obsession with Brasso and cleaning things, but otherwise sound. 1.15 and unmoor the ropes and off we go heading for Burton. The run into Burton I’ve done a good few times so know it fairly well but passed Horninglow basin is new territory and the first lock is just round a bend and catches me a bit by surprise. A boat coming out which is good timing but I had to back up a little as I was on top of the lock before I knew it was there. Straight in and a crew waiting to come down so my first single handed lock and I didn’t have to do anything at all. Nice people and much appreciated and Dallow lock negotiated.

Onwards past Shobnall basin and my first single handed lock set in lovely fields with nothing and no one around. Branston lock is only about 5ft deep and letting the water in slowly and no problems. Once you pass under the A38 the countrside and the views open up lovely and I was most impressed when reaching Tatenhill lock which a really picturesque place. I feel anywhere from Branston lock to Tatenhill lock would be nice to moor even though you can probably here the A38 still it is very nice. Branston water park is at the side of the canal and the Bridge inn at Branston which serves pizza and pasta. There is as you progress an industrial estate on your left hand side but most of it is cut off from view by the bushes and trees.

I checked the time when leaving Tatenhill lock and it was 5pm and I was undecided whether to try and get to Wychnor or Alrewas or moor up for the night. I decided after a few hundred yards to moor up and enjoy the beauty of the fading evening rather than rush about. I ended up going a bit further than I should have to moor up as I was only about 4 or 5 hundred yards from the A38 but other than that noise it was a lovely tranquil spot with a couple of other boats moored about 100yds up the canal.

About 5 hours, 3 locks and 9 miles of slaving away under a hot blazing sun I opened a bottle of Marstons English Pale Ale, which I’d put in the fridge as it was hot but I prefer my beer normally at room temp as there is more flavour, so a cool beer went down very well with a chicken and tuna fish salad and wholemeal bread cut in a couple of doorsteps. It was lovely just to sit out on the deck in my sunlounger and watch the sky fade into black star speckled night. A glass of scotlands finest Talisker whisky and I realised I should have done this before. It will certainly be done more often next year. I talk to myself sometimes and repeated “unwind, let go, relax, enjoy” as even in a quiet place the mind still comes up with some rubbish.

A good days work all round and one happy boater.

Photos; Top leaving Willington village. Left; Branston lock. Right; Tatenhill lock. Left; my mooring for the night. Right; One happy camper.

God bless

Our Nige

2013 09 22 Newsletter – A Tragedy At Calcutt

Living on a Narrowboat News 22nd September 2013

I moor my boat on Calcutt Boats’ Meadows marina. I also work full time for Calcutt Boats as a groundsman.

When I first created this site I mistakenly assumed that most liveaboard narrowboat owners moored on marinas. I was wrong but by the time I realised that there was much more to living on a narrowboat than mooring full time in a basin surrounded by other boats, I had added nearly all of the inland waterways marinas to the site. In doing so I became familiar with their location on the canal and river network, their proximity to major roads and railways, the facilities they offered and the extent of their grounds. I thought then, and still think, that Calcutt Boats offered a location and facilities that were hard to beat. Where they really excelled though was the extent of their grounds.

The two Calcutt Boats marinas are set in 110 acres of stunning Warwickshire countryside. Their are three S.S.S.I. (Site of Special Scientific Interest) meadows offering a stunning display of wild flowers in the spring and early summer and over 3km of footpaths through meadows and woodland.

There were thousands of trees already growing on the site but between 1994 and 2001 two new woodland areas were created with the addition of 5,500 more trees and shrubs. There are now about forty species on the site including horse chestnut, beech, elm, alder, elder, poplar, hawthorn, blackthorn and cockspur thorn, a profusion of wild cherry including two bearing edible and absolutely delicious fruit every July, crack, white, goat and weeping willow and the most numerous of all, oak and ash.

Three thousand five hundred oak and ash were planted. Many of those trees are now nearly twenty years old. The trunks of some are over twelve inches in diameter. They stand over thirty feet tall. They provide an unbroken canopy over acres of woodland with carefully cultivated footpaths and open open glades. Over the last four years I’ve spent more and more time caring for the woodland.

I find working among the trees has a calming influence on me. I’ve spent much of my life in conflict with people. I don’t suffer fools gladly. Sometimes I’m right, sometimes I’m wrong, but always I’m vocal. I feel more at peace in woods than I do anywhere else. I love woodland areas generally but, because of the work I’ve done in them, I love the woodland areas at Calcutt more than most.

You can imagine how upset I am at the moment having to cut many of the trees down.

Earlier this year we heard about a disease sweeping through one of England’s most numerous trees; ash dieback. With over 10,000,000 ash in the UK and with a projected mortality rate in excess of 70%, ash dieback was subject to much media coverage a few months ago. The advice to landowners was to identify any trees suspected of infection, report the trees to the authorities… and wait. Some of the infected trees may survive but no one is really sure so the advice was not to remove the infected trees but to wait and see what happens to them.

We identified half a dozen at the time which may be infected and reported them. Since then we haven’t seen any more. We thought we were out of the woods so to speak.

Then, about a month ago, one of our long term residents, ex teacher and naturalist Blaine Harris identified half a dozen oak showing signs of acute distress. He was standing on the bridge between our two marinas looking at our largest woodland area when he noticed four or five trees with brown rather than green crowns. It was too early for the autumnal colour change. After examining the affected trees more closely he discovered that the bark about two thirds of the way up the trunk had fallen off the trees.

After extensive research he discovered that they were suffering from chronic oak dieback. It’s another disease sweeping through UK woodlands. The Midlands has been especially hard hit. The advice is clear. Once an oak is displaying the symptoms evident in our oak, the top third will die leaving exposed “stag horn” upper branches but living lower branches.

The advice is to remove the affected trees if they are in close proximity to other oak. All of our oak are very close together and we have 2,500 of them.

I’ve removed about thirty oak so far. It’s a slow and painful process. The woodland area desperately needs thinning out. Our oak and ash are planted 6-8 feet apart which means that I can’t get a vehicle into the woods to carry the cut timber away so each branch and section of trunk has to be dragged or carried along the footpath to the nearest access point, loaded onto a truck, driven to our tip area where it’s unloaded and stacked ready for burning.

The added insult to injury is that all of the felled oak have to be burned. I could keep my stove going for years with the felled timber but it can’t be stored and seasoned because of the risk of spreading the disease through wind blown spores.

The silver lining to this dark and unpleasant cloud is that the trees needed thinning anyway. Oak can reach a staggering 130 feet tall with a spread of over 80 feet. Ash can grow nearly as tall. Given the eventual size of these two species and the fact that all of the rapidly growing trees are competing for sunlight and the same water supply, periodic thinning is needed.

I’ve removed about thirty oak so far. If I work flat out I can remove ten in a day. There are another ninety oak marked for removal at the moment but I don’t know whether we’ve found them all yet, or how many more are going to be infected. And then there are the ash. If and when the advice changes from “wait and see” to “get rid of them as quickly as you can” I’ll have to thin the woods out even more.

While all of this is going on, there are dozens of willows in the woods which need coppicing. The reeds are next to the reed beds which purify the water running off our waste tanks. The willow soak up any seepage from the tanks and help purify the water. Coppicing (cutting the trees down to about knee level) encourages each tree to send up dozens and dozens of new shoots and draw more water out of the boggy ground surrounding the reed beds.

I’ve been looking for a project over the coming winter. The ash, oak and willow will keep me fully occupied over the coming months.

More Tales From The American Among Us

A few weeks ago I published the case study of narrowboat Stardust. Owner Richard Varnes kindly sent me a few of the articles he’s written on his travels. I’ve added eight of his stories so far, a further three since last week’s newsletter. Richard doesn’t just write about the canals he cruises on. He also writes about the people he meets on his travels. I think his articles are fascinating. I hope you do too. You’ll find links to his stories at the bottom of his case study here.

Forum Private Messaging

I tweaked the forum software slightly last week. I’ve added private messaging. You can now send emails directly to other forum members from within the site. At the top of each forum post you will now see a grey PM button. If you click on the PM button of a post of a forum member you want to communicate privately with, a new window will open similar to the window you see when you write a new post. The difference is that your post will be sent only to the forum member(s) you’ve addressed it to and will not be displayed publicly.

There’s an option in your profile settings to receive email notifications when someone has sent you a private message. To turn it on, log in to the forum, click on the Profile button and then select the Options tab. There are two PM options here. You can decide whether to receive email notifications of private messages sent to you or to opt out of the private messaging system completely. If you opt out, other forum members won’t be able to either address or send messages to you.

Please only use this new facility for communication with other members which is not in the interest of other forum members. For example, if you want to find out more about solar power, ask the question publicly rather than send a PM to another member who you know is an expert on the subject. The answer to your question will be of interest to other forum members and site visitors. However, if you want to arrange to meet the solar expert to view or discuss a particular system, us the PM facility.

I know it’s all common sense but I don’t want the addition of the PM facility to be instrumental in reducing the growing number of very useful threads on the forum.

Suggestions Please!

Liveaboard Case Study – Clay Hammer

What a wonderful and unusual name for a boat. Owner David thinks so too. David’s answers to the standard liveaboard questionnaire are both comprehensive and fascinating. If you want to know what pushes “normal” people over the edge and into the world of floating homes, this case study’s well well worth a read.

New Kindle Narrowboat Guide

Newsletter Index

11th January 2011 – 1st Newsletter

Dealing with the coldest winter on record
Digital reading – A detailed review of the Kindle, the perfect solution for book loving boat owners

2nd February 2011

Article – Living on a narrowboat in winter

8th January 2012

The first four narrowboat case studies published

I’ll start with myself; Paul Smith, living on my own, moored in a marina and working full time. Narrowboat James case study

Meet Peggy. She has a husband and two small children, works full time and cruises the network during the summer months. Narrowboat Violet Mae case study

Fancy spending your retirement cruising the waterways of England and Wales? Meet Barry and Sue Horne. They’re living the dream! Narrowboat Adagio Case Study

Here are another working couple. Lina and Warren cruise the cut with their two cats.Narrowboat Olive Rose case study.

22nd January 2012

Two more case studies. One of them waxed lyrical about life on the waterways and enjoyed every minute of her life afloat. Now she’s selling up to follow another dream in Spain.

4th March 2012

Reviewed: The Liveaboard Guide by Tony Jones. A great guide to living afloat

eBay Narrowboat scam (and a little bit of flack for me from another forum)

Case Study: Author Toby Jones on his own liveaboard narrowboat

A review of Debdale Wharf marina

18th March 2012

The downside of living on a narrowboat – This was a very controversial post. Liveaboard Pauline Roberts wrote about the less pleasant aspects of life afloat… and attracted a storm of comments

Case study: The Woodsman – Pauline Roberts again giving an insight into the life that you may think she doesn’t like.

1st April 2012

15th April 2012

Life on the river Cam – A guest article on the pleasures of river life by wide beam liveaboard Luther Phillips

Case Study – Freelance writer Anne and her South African farmer partner John reveal all

Case Study – Toni cruises constantly with ex husband Allan. They cruise together but they live apart… on separate boats

29th April 2012

DIY narrowboat painting – I spent three weeks in April painting my boat. Here’s the first of my progress reports

13th May 2012

DIY narrowboat painting – I’ve broken down the complete cost of painting your own boat and

Dealing with wind on the river – A guest article from liveaboard narrowboat owner Alan Cazaly

27th May 2012

How to clean your stove glass – One of the real pleasures of a living fire is watching the flames on a cold winter’s eve. Here’s what you need to do to ensure you can actually see the fire.

Smoking on board – An alternative to smelly smoke

10th June 2012

Survey – Do you want a forum on the site? (You already know the answer to that!)

7th July 2012

Repeat prescriptions, diesel heating systems and solar panels

20th July 2012

Dealing with pests on a narrowboat – spiders and swans

Posh boats – My personal favourite: S.M. Hudson

18th September 2012

VAT on narrowboat sales

30th September 2012

The best tip for a wannabe narrowboat owner – Advice from existing boat owners

14th October 2012

Practical flooring for narrowboat dogs

Case study – Mike and Mags use a double redundancy payment to pay for their new floating home

17th October 2012

I started to develop the narrowboat budgeting software. This newsletter detailed the concept and the progress to date

28th October 2012

An unscheduled dip in the marina prompted me to write about safety on the waterways

Living on a narrowboat – Through the eyes of a young lady who would clearly prefer to be somewhere else

6th November 2012

The first release of the new spreadsheet based narrowboat budgeting application

21st November 2012

First tests and reviews of the budgeting application

The best aerial for a narrowboat television

2nd December 2012

Low cost narrowboat ownership – A low cost solution to the problem of funding your first narrowboat

Solar power – All you need to know about installing solar panels on your boat. Written by the inland waterways most popular solar system installer

Case Study – Mr. Solar Panel Tim Davis writes about life on board his own narrowboat

18th December 2012

Understanding narrowboat electrics – Another excellent article from Tim Davis

Satellite television for narrowboats – Information from a system installer

24th December

Narrowboat electrics part 2 – The concluding article from Tim Davis

8th January 2013

Case Study – Mike’s circumstances are similar to my own. He moved onto his boat after a failed marriage. He’s upgraded from a 27′ GRP cruiser to a 50′ narrowboat

20th February 2013

The real cost of going cheap. An in depth look at the cost of my 36 year old boat, and how much I spent (and still need to spend) before it will be a comfortable full time cruising boat.

3rd March 2013

Stove fuel test – What works best; coal, wood, briquettes or something else entirely – Here’s my own take on a Waterways World test

Essential stove maintenance – Here’s what you need to do to make sure that your stove always performs well.

Internet connectivity – I use the internet four or more hours every day. This is the setup I have on my boat to make sure that I’m always connected.

Detailed running costs for my own boat for January 2013

11th March 2013

James’ upgrade – Adding solar panels and replacing carpets with oak effect laminate flooring

17th March 2013

Where can you find residential moorings? Here’s a great place to start

Getting rid of unwelcome visitors – Geese used to regularly disturb a peaceful night’s sleep where I moor. Not any more. Here’s my solution

Know your narrowboat costs – Detailed costs for my own boat for February 2013

Half a dozen boaters now have access to their own blog section on the site. You can too. Here’s how.

24th March 2013

Here’s an example of what happens when you really don’t understand how your narrowboat works.

Essential boating equipment – Here’s a low cost item which has paid for itself over and over again.

Whilton marina boat sales – Sometimes things aren’t what they appear to be. This alleged fact about the boat sales at Whilton has come to me from several different sources.

31st March 2013

Case study – Sarah lives on wide beam Antioch on the Leeds Liverpool canal. She can do man things with her hands. Here’s her story.

7th April 2013

Narrowboat security – A spate of burglaries from boats and a break in at my former family home encouraged me to write this article

Case study – You need to committed to sell your home to fund the purchase of your narrowboat. That’s what Mick and Marlene have done.

14th April 2013

The perils of exceeding your monthly broadband data allowance. Learn from my mistakes.

21st April 2013

The Trust target illegal moorers but just what does the Trust consider to an illegal mooring?

Identity theft – The ongoing saga of my hacked laptop

RCR engine servicing – River Canal Rescue (RCR) are well known as the waterways equivelent of the AA but did you know that they will also come to your mooring to service your boat?

28th April 2013

Narrowboat blogs – My own first cruise, Our Nige takes his new home on its maiden voyage and a chance for you to have your very own blog section on this site.

5th May 2013

Narrowboat fuel tanks – How much do they hold

Meet one of your legless canal side companions

The canal network’s largest floating hotel

12th May 2013

An encounter with a wide beam boat and why they aren’t suitable for much of the canal network

An interview with the Trust’s head of boating. Sally Ash talks about the Trust’s approach to the thorny issue of residential moorings

19th May 2013

My comments about an encounter on the Oxford/GU section between Napton and Braunston sparked a debate about the pros and cons of wide beams on the cut.

26th May 2013

Laptop hacking – An update on the problems I encountered after buying a brand new laptop which I suspect was tampered with before I bought it.

Diary of a new narrowboat owner – Frequent forum poster “Our Nige” finally moved on to his new floating home. Here’s his story

2nd June 2013

An encounter with two poorly prepared holiday boaters and my own impending two week cruise encouraged me to put together a pre cruise check list

9th June 2013

16th June 2013

Most popular narrowboat names – Here’s the definitive list of the top 200 most popular narrowboat names and a resource you can use to find out if any other boat has the same name as yours

Considerate boating – An article prompted after a near head on collision with another boat trying to avoid a fallen oak.

23rd June 2013 – The cost of a two week cruise. If you live on your own boat, what’s the real cost of taking it away for a two week break?

Case Study – Mary Anne swapped dry land home rental for floating home ownership. Now she loves life afloat and works from home.

Life as a continuous cruiser – The Holy Grail of narrowboat ownership. The ability to travel where and when you like. Peter Early tells all.

30th June 2013

7th July 2013

Anticipating winter weather – You may well be enjoying unusually warm winter weather but the winter will be with us all too soon. Now is the time that you need to plan for the cold weather ahead.

14th July 2013

Fenland river cruising – Another boater’s maiden voyage to whet your appetite.

21st July 2013

Hire boat expectations – Fully understanding what facilities will be available to you is essential if you’re going to enjoy a narrowboat holiday. Here’s what not to do.

28th July 2013

The cost of living on a narrowboat – An article in the Daily Mail… and why most boaters disagree with what they said.

4th August 2013

The perfect narrowboat washing machine? – It’s low cost and doesn’t need plumbing in, but does it actually clean clothes?

The cost of a continuous cruising lifestyle – How much does living the life of a water gypsy really cost?

11th August 2013

A free download – Living On A Narrowboat: 101 Essential Narrowboat Articles

Narrowboat tips – Handy hints from experienced narrowboat owners

The cost of a continuous cruising lifestyle – How one liveaboard boater manages on a shoestring

18th August 2013

CART Guide Approval – The waterways’ governing body is now promoting the information packages available from this site. Yippee!

Narrowboat Insurance – A summary of insurance quotes from the major narrowboat insurers

Downsizing from a 3 bed semi to a narrowboat – What do you do with a lifetime’s accumulated possessions?

25th August 2013

Effective fly killers for boats

The downside to living on a narrowboat

1st September 2013

Solving engine room leaks – A simple solution to a dripping stern tube

All about the weed hatch – Removing debris from your propeller

Comprehensive Site Article Listing

Useful Links

Steppin’out: My first solo venture.

Bridge 22 Trent and Mersey looking towards Willington

Entrance to Mercia Marina

Just a couple of nice pics I took yesterday when some friends came round and made me walk it into Willington village. It must be the best part of a mile, then they forced me to have a couple of pints and walk it back again in the lovely warm sunshine. Friends hey?

Today all being well I shall set out on my first solo voyage where I shall be away for a few days. A bit of shopping first and a bag of coal, just in case then set off at a leisurely pace through Burton and see where we get to. I would have gone sooner as I’ve been off since Wednesday but my car died, ended up running on two cylinders instead of three so a trip to London, Ealing to fetch another. I wanted the same again a Daihatsu Cuore, so so reliable and cheap to run and cheap to buy, £650 for an 03 with 52,000 miles. If you want something small and very reliable they are great cars and much more room in them than they look. End of advert.

Nice to have transport back as it is needed for work. One of the nice things about living at Mercia and probably applies anywhere is coming home, turning into the entrance and thinking “I live here”. Makes me feel very grateful and happy. I think I’m settling in more now but the winter will be the real decider.

More photo’s and a blog later when I’ve done a couple of miles and sitting with a nice beer or something similar.

Hope it’s sunny where you are too.

God bless

Nige

1 2 Next »

Archive

2013 09 29 Newsletter – The Folly Of Using Unseasoned Logs For Your Stove

Living on a Narrowboat News 29th September 2013

Seasoned V Unseasoned Wood As Fuel

Create Lasting Memories Of Your Travels

Our Nige And His Cruising Blog

Suggestions Please!

New Kindle Narrowboat Guide

Newsletter Index

Comprehensive Site Article Listing

Popular Forum Posts

Useful Links

Steppin’out; Solo Jolly day 7 Branston to Mercia marina.

Steppin’out; Solo Jolly Day 6 Fradley to Branston

Steppin’out; Solo Jolly day 5, Great Haywood to Fradley.

Steppin’out; Solo jolly day 4

Steppin’out; Solo Jolly day 3

Steppin’out; solo day two

Steppin’out; Solo voyage day one.

2013 09 22 Newsletter – A Tragedy At Calcutt

Living on a Narrowboat News 22nd September 2013

More Tales From The American Among Us

Forum Private Messaging

Suggestions Please!

Liveaboard Case Study – Clay Hammer

New Kindle Narrowboat Guide

Newsletter Index

Comprehensive Site Article Listing

Popular Forum Posts

Useful Links

Steppin’out: My first solo venture.