Shiralee Cruise 2011 #4

Thursday 5th May and, just because we are leaving Swanley Bridge Marina, the weather has taken a turn for the worst; it is heavily overcast with a wind building up and looks like rain. So, by the time we leave here we will probably be faced with a howling gale. Unfortunately we have to get to Wrenbury because I need to top up my medication and that is where we will find the nearest doctor.

Friday 6th May and after last nights rain, in which we were caught walking back from the village, it is still raining at 05.30 today. To us this is a very welcoming sight because, after all the recent dry weather, the Llangollen really needs it. The bottom end of the canal is fine but, as you approach the other end it can become rather shallow. When we cruised this canal a couple of years ago we found one or two shallow spots where we could feel the bottom scraping against rocks and shingle. So, come on the rain, well, only until we leave tomorrow morning, at which time it had better stop. Pronto!!

Yesterday morning we walked into Wrenbury in order to pay a visit to the local Medical Centre and top up my meds. For me such a walk is a fair stretch of the legs, but not a big problem now. However, having asked to see the doctor, I was told I would have to come back at 4 pm.

In the meantime my dear Wifey found a shorter route whilst walking our pooch. This route contained about four stiles, but I couldn’t see that as a problem either, until I met them, that is. I don’t think the landowner, through which the public footpath passes, is too enamoured with people wishing to pass through because, not only are these stiles placed in tight corners, they are also rather high and for me, pretty difficult to climb. However, being rough, tough, live-aboard boaters, we soldiered on and made it to the centre. Needless to say, after all that exertion, we returned via the village shop cum post office and treated ourselves to the second ice cream of the day.

After all that and having the very nice Dr. Roe prescribe the necessary, we found that there were not enough injection needles, which means a return visit today. No worries though, we can probably enjoy another ice cream! As for the rest of the day, with this rain I don’t suppose we’ll do much at all.

Saturday 7th May and, at last we’ve had some proper rain. It started last nigh, just before Sheila took Rusty out before bed, and it has continued for most of the night. Whether or not it’s enough to ensure a smooth ride to the end of the canal is a different gether altomatter.

Today, having used up our allotted 48 hours mooring allowance, we’ll be moving on. Hanged if I know exactly where to though, although Wifey did tell me yesterday, but you know my memory! I do know we’re stopping near some lock or other for the weekend because, as usual, it has a pub nearby. Anyway, you’ll know where it is because you’ will have received my text before you get this blog.

20.30 on Saturday evening.

As you all know, we have just purchased a new TV. We are currently moored at Willymoor Lock and to say that the TV reception is poor would be a gross understatement, it is absolutely non-existent.

So, having had my fill of reading for the day and being in possession of a number of DVDs that we have yet to watch, we thought we’d try one on for size.

Having first found it impossible to slide a DVD into the relevant slot, we decided to consult the manual, which of course is on a DVD. So, out comes the Laptop and in goes the DVD.

Having found the associated manual for our model of TV, a manual that runs to 65 pages, we then discovered that the operation of the DVD Player, which is an integral part of the TV, the pages dealing with the set up of same, come well after all the set up pages for remote units. You know it makes sense!!

Eventually, after scrolling down for about 30 of those pages – I wasn’t actually counting – we finally fount the DVD set up pages. Finally, having followed the set up procedure to the letter, we inserted a DVD and settled down to watch it.

And………………..nothing happened!! The DVD ran for a few seconds and stopped. We tried the Play button and achieved nothing. We tried a second DVD………..and achieved nothing. We tried a third DVD and, having once again achieved nothing, we took the hint and recognised, albeit belatedly, that we would not be watching a video tonight.

Bearing in mind the fact that arranging collection of said item was a wee bit difficult and also bearing in mind the fact that we disposed of the packaging after testing that the thing actually worked, we are now wondering what arrangements we will need to make for its return and, of course, the collection of a replacement.

As our kin across the pond would say, Go Figure!!
We have of course sent a message to the seller through eBay. The company we bought the item from do have a huge and high percentage of good feedback, so I am not too worried about getting satisfaction, and they do seem to have a good returns policy.

Strange to say, I have just received a message in my Inbox at eBay, and from eBay, asking me to answer some questions about my recent purchase. Hmmmm!

Sunday 8th May.

You’ve heard the expression ‘much ado about nothing’, Shakespeare and all that? Well, after a good nights rest and repose and at my good lady wife’s instigation, we decided to go through the DVD setup procedure again this morning. Fortunately I was most polite when I emailed the seller yesterday evening, despite my anger that such a thing could happen to me.

Anyway, we followed the instructions in the manual again, only this time, when we came to the section about ‘factory reset’, we did just that and lo and behold, the wretched thing now works perfectly. Naturally I contacted the seller again with profuse apologies. We are now set to watch a DVD this evening because television reception up here in La La Land, is pretty useless. Everything about the Llangollen is very special, with lots of great scenery and peace and quiet. Lovely.

Monday 9th May and, with the wind still howling, I don’t suppose we’ll venture very far today, probably just as far as Grindley Brook Locks, wher we’ll catch a bus to Whitchurch for shopping. Hopefully Tuesday will be calmer and we can go on to Whitchurch itself, where we can moor up for at least one night and go into town again to have a proper look around.

Tuesday 10th May has dawned bright, sunny and calm. Sitting here yesterday afternoon and evening, we both thought the rain would never stop. Mind you, at 06.20 the sky is becoming overcast and the forecasters have told us to expect showers in this neck of the woods. Hopefully we will at least get through the next six locks without a soaking.

We’re off to Whitchurch this morning, mainly for shopping, but I’m also hoping to find a lead for the 12 volt side of the TV. Talking about which, no reception at all last night and taking our lead from the houses by the locks, we should have a clear line to any transmitters, but we could raise nothing at all. At Willymoor we did at least receive the ITV channels, but nothing at all here.

Once again I checked the aerial lead, but that seems OK, I’m now wondering just how sensitive the tuner is in this new box and if, as I suspect, the aerial needs to be very precise in the direction in which it is pointing.

There is a small canalside shop that we have stopped at before, which is a short distance further on to Whitchurch, where we actually watched some of Wimbledon last time we were on this canal, so we can check it out from there. If we don’t find the channels there I shall start having some serious misgivings.

Wednesday 11th May.

The two mile trip to Whitchurch was almost without incident yesterday morning. We only had six locks to go through at Grindley Brook, so the trip should have gone smoothly, but……………….

The first three locks are spaced apart and are not a problem, whereas the second three are linked in a staircase and, from previous experience, I know that if the water level between them is not high enough, there is a possibility of grounding between locks.

So, fully expecting a small problem, as I drove the boat from No1 to 2, she seemed to be a bit slow, but we got through OK. Similarly between No’s two and three. But, when I attempted to exit No three, the same thing happened and that simply can’t be the case at the top of the flight. Obviously we had some rubbish wrapped around the prop slowing us down.

Well, we had to stop anyway to top up with water and dispose of our rubbish, so I pulled in at the nearest water-point.

Prior to having my knees done I would simply have lifted the small panel that covers the hatch, knelt down and did the business. But, I am not allowed to kneel on these new knees, instead I have to remove both sections of the engine bay cover and climb down inside, which is what I did.

Fate is strange, is it not? Had I not been obliged to climb into the engine bay, I would not have known that the oil filler cover had fallen off. Nor would I have seen the pool of oil in the well and the covering of the stuff over the top of the engine. Fortunately we had only lost a very small amount of oil, which is something I am going to have to deal with today, a mopping up operation is in hand.

After all that fun we finally arrived at Whitchurch at about 09.45 and settled in for the day. But first we had to go shopping, which meant a bus ride into town. This is something we had planned from Grindley Brook but, as our wee pooch seemed a bit under the weather, we decided to wait another day.

Strange to say, I gave no more thought to the oil spill, after all it’s not going to go anywhere. Today will be fine for that job.

About four miles or so from here is a canal-side shop, with moorings for a few boats alongside and it is something we have taken advantage of in the past. And in any case, we can’t pass it by because they do ice creams and, if it’s a bright day, which it doesn’t look like being at the moment, we can sit outside on our canvas chairs and enjoy a quiet moment. Lovely!

And that, as they say, is that, let’s get this one posted.

All abreast

Dave and the cast of HMS Shiralee.