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.