Well, the forecasters were correct and we woke up to the sound of rain on the roof. Not just light showers, but the heavy, in for the day, rain that comes in heavy bursts. We made the most of the opportunity and had a lie in and a leisurely breakfast. I even had to light….
Mindful of the amount of boats moored in Stone, with a lot of them facing our direction, we felt that we needed and early-ish start or we’d be queuing at locks. Despite our best intentions, a boat did come past us but when we caught up with them at the next lock, not only were….
Caldon Canal & Trent & Mersey Canal – 19 Locks Not doing things by halves has become something of a fact of boating. We were heading back home, via the Birmingham & Fazeley and the Wolverhampton 21. We wanted to be off the Caldon before the junction got clogged up with boats for the festival,….
Waking up in Froghall Basin was a laid back and peaceful experience. The toilet block was nearby, so I was quite happy to pad off in my slippers & pyjamas! We knew we really needed to leave today, but were in no massive hurry, so completed all the “boatkeeping” chores; rubbish, toilet, clearing up….
It didn’t take us long to get back to Hazelhurst junction his morning. We stopped just short for the bridge and had some bacon sarnies, then it was time to make the slow progress through the 3 locks.
The morning dawned and with it big fat raindrops. As a result, none of us were that keen to get out of bed, so a leisurely Sunday morning was had by all. As we were right below the staircase, we did not have far to go until the first lock!! A drizzly passage through the….
As the Pain au Chocolate had been eaten yesterday, there was little point in staying in bed too long….coffee was drunk, bed put away a nd the boys were on the move by 8.30. A short time later and one graceful sweep of the tiller saw us onto the Trent and  Mersey at Great Heywood…..
I love mornings in the marina. The whole trip is ahead of us and the possibilities are endless. If we are lucky, the sun is shining too. This morning we were lucky. We set off at about 10am after a Marcus cooked breakfast of bacon, vegetable burgers (don’t ask!!) and baked beans. An uneventful trip….
For the first time in over 10 years of boating, I wished I was somewhere else today- or for at least the first part of it!! I woke up at 9.30 and was immediately on the listen out for the wind- Had it died down? Was the cratch cover still in place and were we….
A gorgeous morning through the locks at Audlem this morning. Well maintained and a beautiful flight- they really are a pleasure to work ….although the boatmen of long ago may not agree with me; those on their way up would have just swapped horses at the bottom and would be pushing on, working hard. We….
Sunshine and showers seem to be setting the tone here on the Shroppie. Last nights spot at Knighton was perfect and we keen & refreshed towards Tyrley Locks, ready for some “action” after yesterdays long stretch. we were behind the hire boat that was chasing our tail yesterday…..naturally, every lock was going to be against….
Water tank topped up?- Check!. Batteries charging ok?- Check!! Store cupboard topped up?-Check! Beer cupboard topped up? Check! All those chores were completed by 2pm on Saturday- we were feeling snug & cosy on the boat, so we decided to “up the game” a little and take a chilly trip down towards the Fox &….
Our first mooring for our new boat was in the same marina as Aqua Roma – It made perfect sense, really. Today, the morning dawned cold & frosty but fantastically sunny. As has been the case quite a lot over the last few sunny days, my mind turned to boating; I miss my boat- I’m keen….
A cold January Friday and we find ourselves on the way to check on the boats. With all the wind, rain & cold, we need to check on them. Plus, Harebell needs draining down and we didn’t want to wait until the freezing weather came, because then we’d be driving in the freezing weather. Needless….
I met my future husband in August 2004. The first thing he ever gave me – apart from his phone number – was a picture of Aqua Roma, the family narrowboat, built by Charlie Fox in 1976. Little did I realise the extent of the effect that the 38 feet 6 inches of steel would….
A lazy morning after the last 2 full days. Still a lot of distance needed to be travelled and the days were skipping by. A tense moment when the engine took some starting, but the batteries held out and all was well. A slow and tedious trip along the shallow Stratford, we got stuck on….
When we moored last night, there was a boat, facing our direction that looked “Tardebigge ready”. However this morning we didn’t want to start the day all out of sorts, so we had breakfast and coffee. It was the earliest we had all been up this trip, but still the other boat just got away….
We took full advantage of the extra hour this morning; I lit the fire then went back to bed. After sorting out more wood and doing a few housekeeping chores, we set off for the locks. As we were the only boat on the move,we were guiding Harebell on to the Severn, for the first….
