Narrowboat Adagio

Yes, Adagio was lifted gently and taken out of the water. Expertly guided by Gary and the tractor was magnificently driven by Neil (here’s hoping for that discount??). A whole week here for repairs & painting.

I have to drive the boat carefully onto the trailer, which was semi-submerged. Once aligned Neil can hoist the base, lifting the boat clear. Neat.

Neil powers up the hydraulics and the trailer lefts the boat away. At this stage Gary can pressure wash the bottom of the boat – removing all the crud from 2+ years of boating.

Our resting place for the week. Gary will be back to paint the hull in bitumen black whilst we get on with the line of grey just above as well as all the various rust spots.

Every couple of years or so the boat should come out of the water to be re-blacked and generally re-painted – at least in the areas of most, umm, damage!

It comes out tomorrow morning for a week – on our own slipway here in Yelvertoft Marina (The Place to be!). I’ll supply before and after pix.

Yes, 60 years ago they tied the knot . .

And today, lots of cards, cake, champers and a special card from the Queen:

A meal is planned at the Marine Hotel in Tankerton, this Saturday.

Well, it’s bank holiday weekend and rain forecast. What are we gonna do? Let’s head off to Atherstone and the Church End brewery’s Tap, only 45 mins away and an easy drive up the A5. Plus, we can walk Toby on the canal and down past all those locks wot we did!

The Tap was not easy to find (CV10 0RD) but was quit a pleasant surprise, a modern place with two bars and a green.

Through the windows sit the mash tuns for the beer. And what beer! We’ve never had one that we didn’t like? Here’s their list for this weekend:

Stout Coffin was delicious!

We strolled down the five locks and came across our old friends Leah & Norman on their narrowboat Brindley. We were with them in Liverpool and spent a happy week getting to know them, and they thought they’d got shot of us eh? We hope to see them again soon. And then the forecast proved all too true with 2 hours of torrential rain with thunder and lightning. 

Yes, every day here is a Saturday to us, except Sundays.

Rain today. Which makes a change. But then the sun came out later . . . nice.  Saw this hawk flying high over the recently cut wheat and then he settled on the corner of the haystack . . .

This is the view above our mooring –

 

 

 

 

Phew, ever since we’ve back it’s been Scorchio! 32 degrees in the boat right now.

Time to do lots of boat chores, wash the car (3 months of crust), de rust bits of boat, buy stuff – yes, Steve always wanted a sound bar for the TV as he no longer has his hifi on board. So he’s bought this Azatom thing (see Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B014O6OHPY) through which we can play the TV as well as stream radio and music via Bluetooth wifi etc. Viv’s got a bread maker coming as we do miss making our own breads. Another arrival was a strange box from Penny & Jenny – Plymouth gin and tonic! What a nice home coming present!

They are currently unwell at the moment – so get well soon! Cheers

Yes, it’s Sunday 14th August and we’ve done 417 miles and 2.25 furlongs (at least) plus 206 locks – know back at “home” in the marina. An early start at 0805, chugged up to the Watford flight of locks and there was just one boat waiting. So fairly soon we were on our way through the last of the locks.  Touch n go as one of the big wooden beams on the first staircase lock had been broken! Wasn’t reported but the CRT guy said they just found it like that on Wednesday morning . . hmm, could’ve been “how many people can we get standing on this beam?”

Back before midday! The wonderful marina manager, Neil, was there to greet us. Well, to take £133 of us for fuel, pump out and cards for the electric! Everyone was keen to ask how we’d got on. Which was nice. Absolutely shattered now so time to do a very small amount of essential boat stuff then . . . take it easy.

The end of the odyssey for 2016?

 

Bimbling through Braunston. Bracing up in the 6 big locks. Terrifying through the tunnel. Muppet hirers going soooo slow we kept losing way. Then into Norton Junction, past the network’s smallest welcome sign . .  that’s it. Six miles, six locks and one long (2042 yds) tunnel – enough, let’s moor here. Just a 40 minute chug to the Watford flight (mind the gap!) and then home . . .

If you don’t turn left here, you’ll be on the way to London! Here’s Adagio . . 3rd along. Some nice boaters on Alpenlode and Serafina.

Same shot, zoomed out . .

Another Aqualine boat – must get one of those signs!

 

We only wanted a short trip today so only 6 miles and 3 locks at Hillmorton, which went very smoothly, now that the duplicate locks are all in good working order. Unfortunately Steve’s hat got lost – did it blow off, drop in to a lock or was it nicked? Dunno. This is the second cap to go missing . . .

Hillmorton top lock – in tandem with Lady Godiva (!)

A big board advertising yet another marina, just a few miles away from Braunston. Dunchurch Pools.

It’s a lovely stretch and the complete opposite to the buzz of Braunston.

Our final mooring spot, after bridge 87 (52’18’8.8, 1’13’21.11 to be precise!)

Table up and green chair deployed in the cratch – nice spot to read

That’s it for today!

A lazy start, 10 o’clock , off to Hillmorton. We skirt around Coventry and then skirt around Rugby. We said Hi to David Johns, now ensconced in Clifton Wharf, doing his video work. Finally moored up at the lovely Hillmorton visitor moorings. We popped into the cafe, a quaint piece of canal history that serves Church End beers! Only a few days left. The whole trip will work out at 417 miles and 206 locks, all at 3 mph, or less!

I think Toby wanted a duvet day – no chance . .

But he is getting more bold – actually sleeping on the stern!

And who should we espy at Clifton Marine  – one vlogger himself, David Johns.

Not too busy – the delightful Hillmorton visitor moorings.

The rather quaint cafe – quite an amazing little place.