Narrowboat Vegvisir

Friday and the calm before the storm. Alison reading a book to free it up to go on the stall tomorrow, and watching all the trade boats arrive and fiddle about to get the best possible moorings. Key is getting their hatch/sales area in particular as close as possible to the canal edge, so no customers can manage to throw themselves into the water.  Also went to the services to have a shower. Friends, I have been in warmer hailstorms. And here's their idea of a mopped floor: Towards the end of the afternoon an IWA colleague arrived with our stall, so we got set up ready for the morning and then toasted our efforts in the pub. Followed by the Boaters Dinner,  also in the pub, a great chance to catch up with everyone. Saturday started sunnier then forecast and visitors were out in force. and our stall had a steady stream of callers. But increasingly wet as the day went on. Towpath pretty manky but apparently the car park an absolute...

A quiet night and a chilly morning so a blast of heating so we could have lovely hot showers. We then Considered the Saloon. Stuff had accumulated and we needed to do a proper Declutter.  All lockers and cupboards tipped out and every item required to justify its space before being returned. As a result we now have tidy cupboards and a clear top shelf instead of a chaotic dumping area. A bag of rubbish. And a pile of stuff to go home or get shut of on our stall at the festival this weekend. Including the basket. Celebrated with some shopping and lunch out. A productive couple of hours.  Next morning, up and about fairly gently as it wasn't at all warm out. But when we could put it off no longer we jumped into clothes and action, to move down to the service point for water on and rubbish off.  We then followed nb Stoney, who will be more or less shadowing us for the next couple of weeks, towards Tyrley locks.  Oh joy! Two vlockies.. volunteer l...

Engine start and under way at 08:50. A beautiful sunny morning although a cold wind.  Trouble-free passage through locks 13 to 10. Where there is a hut. DINGBAT!  (Ten-hut)  Then asked by CRT to wait in the pound before lock 9 as they were working on a paddle in lock 8. Started waiting about 09:40. Bright sunny day but quite chilly in the shade. Report from shore party (Alison) at 09:55 says that they are draining the pound between locks 7 & 8 to allow inspection of the paddle in lock 8. Something is jammed solid. Discussion taking place about what size spanner will be big enough to do the job but small enough to fit into the available space. We could be here for a while. Camping chair deployed so I can sit in the sun and warm up.  Pound being refilled at 10:25. Plenty of downhill traffic meant we got through the remainder of the flight quite quickly.  Alison took over the tiller just before Adderley locks so Andrew could ...

2023 Big Cruise 24th April  After the winter firmly lashed to our mooring, apart from a jaunt up to Audlem and back to see if everything still worked (yes) and we could remember what to do (also yes), we arrived on board on the evening of Sunday 23rd, ready for the Off. After a session in the office booking a slot for blacking in November and requesting a quote for some engineering works (smart shunt and improving waterproofing of hatch) we cast off at 10:00. Alison took Vegvisir smoothly out of the marina heading for the winding hole at Henhull where we turned and headed south - destination Norbury Junction for the festival at the weekend.  Andrew taking us up the 3rd lock of the day,  approaching Audlem. At the next lock, the boat passing us said the centre of the village was rammed so we slipped into the next available spot instead of taking a chance on stopping later.  It's so good to be out and about!