Thursday, June 23, 2011

Still here……

I said last time that we’d stay where we were for the weekend. Well, we did, and then stayed on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…. till today.

The weather was partly to blame, with blustery showers regularly blowing over. But I’m still waiting for my panels and framing timber to arrive at Orchard Marina, until I get those we’re kicking our heels a bit.

I have made a start on the bedroom refit, using wood recovered from the original cabinetry.

Basic structure for bed-head cupboards.

We met up with Bob and Joan on NB Caroline again, we’d shared locks upstream a week or so ago. Had a couple of pleasant walks with Joan and the dog Sally before they headed back up onto the canal last Sunday.

Bob had a “Senior Moment” as he came out of the lift….

“But he said to turn right…..” Yes, but after you get under the bridge!

They sorted themselves out and moored for the night above the lift.

NB Caroline coming in to moor.

Today we thought we’d better move before we take root, so I walked up to the booking office and arranged passage back up to the canal for 12:50. That gave us time to have a trip to Northwich for the services and shops beforehand.

Sorting out cupboards and drawers for the refit has thrown up lots of stuff that we’d packed away when we moved aboard and not seen since. The charity shops on the High Street have done well out of it.

Early rain had cleared by the time we got away, but the fresh breeze blew the cobwebs away and put a bit of chop on the water.

Choppy Weaver.

We arrived at the lift and were told by the operator that we weren’t on his list, and we might have to go to the back of the queue. I tried to ring the office to sort it out but couldn’t get through, and by this time they’d found our booking so we were back on.

Waiting for the lift.

The trip boat, MV Edwin Clarke, leaving the lift.

Our turn to go up next.

We pulled over above the lift, and will stop until tomorrow. We’ve moved less than half a mile as the crow flies, but we’ve a different view from the window!

A year or so ago we were travelling with our friend Carol on NB Corbiere, and had a look up the Erewash Canal from Trent Lock. On the way back down there was a chap interested in Carol’s boat, and he took a couple of pictures. If you look on page 100 of July’s Waterways World you’ll see her there, in all her glory. (Corbiere, not Carol!). The article is about “new” historic narrowboats with an interesting pedigree. Corbiere was built as an apprentice project at Babcock and Wilcox in Glasgow in the 60’s. Built like the proverbial outhouse, she’s a tough old boat.

Carol prepping for the repaint at Shireoaks on the Chesterfield Canal, way back in April 2008.

Locks 0, miles 3

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