The Wow factor.

This weekend was certainly memorable, for all the right reasons. Jody was off in Paris with the Robert Smyth Academy choir, including a really cool gig in EuroDisney. His Facebook messages told us he was having a fantastic time so we were able to relax and just miss him without worrying.

Saturday morning was window shopping for a new kitchen that will be needed in the near fuure, then in the afternoon I did a reservoir tour on my motorbike to see how the water levels are looking (well that was my excuse :o) )

Welford - up about 3 feet, still being back-pumped.

Saddington, also up about 3 feet.

The afternoon was BRILLIANT, as eldest son James ... bless 'im ... offered me the use of his Air Miles for us both to attend  Frets and Refrains  in upstate New York, a once-in-a-lifetime chance featuring our mutual guitar hero Richard Thompson !!!! I still can't quite believe it, and my mouth is often open at the thought!!

The day was rounded out by a visit to the Merry Tom Folk Festival with Bob Whale at the George in Brixworth featuring "Musical Roots". A very enjoyable evening was had, and Bob and I took several tips and song suggestions for use with  "Curate Zegg" when we next perform in May.

Sunday just HAD to be a boating day, and so it proved. "Never mind the weather" we said as we chugged out of the marina. Although we wanted to turn left, the wind and a moored boat forced me to go right then wind just past the bridge to head back for Saddington Reservoir feeder, our target for a lunchtime mooring. The weather, although windy, was very invigorating and everything looked lovely.

 








We made it to the feeder, reversed in and moored just as the first of the rain arrived ... pretty much spot-on timing. 



Liz had prepared our lunch of Beef Bourguignon, and we sat all warm and cozy, eating delicious food, watching the telly and listening to the rainfall pitter-pattering on the roof ..... perfect!

Our luck held as we picked exactly the right time to leave too ... the wind dropped and patchy sunshine returned just as we pulled the pins.

We were being followed by a big black cloud, so I put on the full wet-weather gear .... luckily as it turned-out, as we were hit with hail and very heavy rain just as we arrived back at the marina.



I don't think I've ever been outside in so much WET before, but my coat and over-trousers were up to the job and I actually really enjoyed it.  WOW !!!!!

Taking the Waters

Not enough time today for boating, but the need for excercise to strengthen my recovering knees meant a healthy walk to check out water supplies for the Top Section of the Leicester Line.

Welford lock now has two hefty pumps lifting water up to the wharf pump, which in turn lifts it into Welford reservoir. Gawd only knows how the water is getting into the Top Section .... pumped up at Watford? There certainly are no signs of pumping at Foxton Locks.

Dam/spillway Welford reservoir

Above Welford lock

       Here you can see water running down the inside of the spillway from the pump outlet. Level is up by a couple of feet and encouragingly, Sulby Reservoir is full. I was heartened to see lots of Great Crested Grebes diving for  their dinners, and newly-arrived Swallows happily skimming the water.

Naseby Reservoir is still VERY low though.

To take the picture on the left, normally I'd need waders at this time of year.
One consolation though, it may be half empty, but it is stunningly beautiful!

The upshot of this is that although we can, we certainly will think very hard before idly going up and down through Foxton Locks.

April Showers

It has been a funny old week. With Jo away in Belgium, I took some time off work in the hope that we could take Quo out and about, but the weather was too patchy for us (Liz) to finish blacking the water tank, so we contented ourselves with daily visits and short cruises.
On each trip, I fiddled and fettled with some of the little jobs that needed doing, and Liz was able to get one coat of Tank Blacking on on Thursday as Quo was moored in the shelter of some trees between Debdale & Foxton Locks. She also got some storage boxes and tidied all the tools, fixtures and fittings that are finding their way aboard.
On Friday, we needed  a few more brass curtain rail fittings etc so a trip to Braunston was called-for, although I never need an excuse to go there.

Having  spent yet more money on "the World's most expensive curtains", we had some time to kill waiting for the Boatman to open for lunch, so we had a stroll around the marina, then went up to the bottom lock to watch some boats locking down and visit the little shop. We also dropped in at the Admiral Nelson, and were pleased to see that it is re-opening soon, with much builder/decorator activity in evidence. Much as I like the Boatman, I just love the feeling around the Nelson and can't wait to eat/drink there again.

Fed and watered, it was back to Quo at Debdale, and I fitted some more curtain poles and my (novel?) curtain tie-back hooks

 

The cable-tie holding the saloon bed legs in was replaced by an nice brass catch, I secured the aerial cable at last, and re-sealed the chimney to the collar using high-temp silicone, as the old sealant was breaking up and "snowing" onto the stove. All the black guk is hidden beneath a nice brass collar that I re-fitted once it was set

Saturday was a brilliant day! After a leisurely start, and armed with Gibson's superb stilton and broccoli soup and ham baguettes for lunch, we drove over to Debdale. Within minutes, we were out on the cut and heading for Foxton Locks, ending up moored to the rings on the 14 day visitors moorings in patchy, but beautiful sunshine.

Here, Liz put on her painting gear, took a deep breath and dived into the water tank to give it a second coat of blacking. She painted the tank out last year as well, but only one coat, which unfortunately didn't last, so hopefully the three coats that she intends to put on this time will stay the course .... but it takes time.

Here, Liz is finishing off the bottom of the tank with a paintbrush gaffer-taped to a broom handle, whilst I'm swanning about with a camera (after I'd touched-up all the rusty bits I could reach with Vactan rust-converter)

Another job beckons as my cavalier approach to narrowboating has resulted in Quo's button growing a goatee.

As if Liz hadn't done enough already, she volunteered to do the Foxton swing-bridges as we cruised up the Harborough arm after lunch. We winded near the Tallow factory on the old A6 ... the sight of my loosing an Aussie hat on our rhythm and Booze Cruise in December.. and were soon in the midst of a hail storm, which I really enjoyed, safely tucked into my wet-weather gear. 

For a change, we didn't stop off at Bridge 61, but cruised straight back to Debdale Marina in cold but invigorating weather, the sort that really makes you feel alive!

More days like this please.

Early start

Up at 4.30 this morning  to see Jody off

on the GBRT junior choir concert tour of

Belgium.

                                                           

The early start was rewarded by this sight from the bedroom  window, a Muntjac deer.

ps ... I was going BACK to bed at this point.

Jan - March 2012

Brrrrrrr!!

 A combination of wintry weather, my useless knees and us both being busy with the Village production of Fawlty Towers - Liz producing and me playing Manuel - meant no boating, and not even being able to visit.
Over the winter, I had Debdale Marina do an engine service, and change the alternator belts, plus we had them top off the diesel tank to prevent condensation. I had already de-watered the boat in November, so all was well with Quo.

  

This will tell us when the pump-out is full

Butterflies

On our travels, we discovered a wonderful garden centre near Cotesbach, and bought one or two nick-nacks to beautify the boat

New doormats

Towards the end of March, I finally got round to fitting the Brass socket faces I'd bought last year on Ebay. As usual this was not as simple as I'd thought, because the original sockets had been crudely fitted without back-boxes, so I modified plasterboard boxes to do the trick.

Finally in March, we got Quo out for a quick up and downer to Bridge 61 ... Oh joy!!

Whilst moored, a Lady Driver came out of the lock too fast and "T" boned us, luckily no harm done. I should have known better than to moor there, as I've seen it happen before whilst lunching in the Inn.

 The Tiller Handle has degraded over the winter, along with the varnish dropping off the back rail, so I removed them and took them to work with me to sand and re-varnish.

 At the same time, I varnished a newall post and fitted it to the back step to hopefully add a little extra character.

 I will fit a short piece of bannister at a later date if I can
 source an off-cut with a suitable profile






















Also finally put a few coats on satin varnish on
our "totem pole" and it's fittings

I

I was quite pleased with my efforts at re-vitalising the back rail and the tiller handle.
I took the opportunity to round-off the inside edge to make it easier on my bottom.

After hours of sanding, and 5 coats of Epifanes it all looked nicely shiny.
Although now deleted from the Hempel paint range, I managed to source the original boat colours of True Blue and Post Box Red and changed the back brackets from dull blue to the new red !!!

Everything screwed back on, except that the coach-bolts I'd so lovingly painted red won't fit!!
The 1/4" holes to fit them have only been drilled through in the top of the metal rail, so my "serious" Bosch drill will be needed to finish the job off.

We got out again on a cold but bright Sunday and made our way down to the Saddington Reservoir feeder. After a bit of grunting and punting we got Quo reversed in and moored.

The weather was extremely nice for March, and while Liz de-rusted the water tank and painted it out with Vactan, I gave Quo a once over on her rusty patches with the self-same Vactan.
All rounded off with a picnic lunch.

 Thursday 29th, I was owed some time off work, so we cruised out of the marina heading for Foxton, then moored up in the shelter of the trees. Here, Liz put on the first coat of blacking in the water tank, whilst I put up the first of the brass curtain rails on the side-windows.

Lizzie rust-proofing the water tank

Quo moored in the reservoir feeder

Saddington Reservoir feeeder ... a beautiful spot.