Shiralee Cruise 2012 # 16

Burland to Middlewich Branch


Thursday 5th July

This morning, at the request of our local engineer, Eric, we attempted to reverse ‘Shiralee’ into the winding hole. Up to a point this operation was successful, in that we did indeed get said boat into the winding hole. However, once in there I was unable to move the darn thing to where I wanted it to go, namely to the side so that we could moor up. What is more, I had trouble getting it out again. (Have you ever had a day when you know things just ain’t going to go right?)

At a very sloooow rate of knots, I finally managed to move the boat back to the towpath and, after much blue air, removed the chuff that was fouling the prop.

Having done all that and wasted an hour or so, I sent a text to Eric explaining the situation and, about an hour after that, our esteemed engineer phoned to say that he was unable to order the size of belt that we asked for and had been obliged to get the next size up, which is 13mm longer. Hopefully, when he calls tomorrow to fit it and carry out the oil change, the belt will not be too long.

It seems that his supplier is unable to order the smaller belt; we’ve had this problem with a couple of chandleries about this, so he had to settle for the longer one, which is why we are having to wait until tomorrow. No matter, we have plenty of food to last, but we really must be on our way as soon as Eric finishes here.

Friday 6th July

At last, a good bit of sunshine yesterday, this meant that Sheila could finish painting the top of the bow. She also washed the starboard side down and painted over a small section of red below the hatch. We now have to wait until we get to Nantwich where, if we have some sunshine again, or at least if it’s dry, we can paint over the patches on the port side and restore the rest of the red.

We really would like to get to Nantwich this morning and take the bus into town, but this all depends upon what time Eric gets here and, of course, the weather. If yesterday evening and during the night is anything to go by, when we had torrential rain, thunder and lightning, I have my doubts. But, the last time we topped up with water was before we left Grindley brook on Saturday, so we’re getting a little low and Wifey has done two lots of washing since then. The next water point is at the top of Hurleston Locks, two miles away and, once we reach that water point we will have to go down the locks, regardless of the weather.

We can only await Eric’s arrival.

Saturday 7th July

Eric arrived at about half nine, by which time it was coming down in stair-rods and I had to hold our big brolly over him whilst he worked. Luckily we had the oil and filter, so that saved some cash, but he did replace the fuel filter which, if memory serves, would have cost about £40 back at Mercia. Eric charged us £14! I think we’ll be asking Andy to carry out any servicing in future.

For the rest of the day the weather was quite bad and so, instead of sitting here reading, we watched Federer beat Djokovic, followed by Murrey beating Tsonga. If you watched both games, what do you think was different about the end of each one? Well, I’ll tell you. Federer had the usual smile on his face and applauded the crowd for their support, whereas Murrey looked like he was about to burst into tears. Is he always like that when he wins a match?

I’ve just noticed something about MS Word. Federer, Djokocic and Murrey, all have a red line under them which, I presume, means that Word does not recognise those words. How come Tsonga has not been given the same treatment? Most odd!

Ten minutes ago we had blazing sunshine, well, not blazing really, it’s too early in the day for that, but now we are looking at heavy cloud again. I spoke to a fisherman when I took Rusty out and he reckons we should be on our way as early as possible, ‘cos we’re in for a soaking later. So, what’s new? We’ve got to go anyway because, if we don’t, then we’ll surely run out of water. We’ve left it longer than normal as it is.

Next stop, Barbridge on the Shroppie and then, on Monday, the Middlewich Branch.

Sunday 8th July

We left Burland at 7.47 yesterday morning, intending to beat everybody else to the locks. There’s nothing worse than finding yourself in a queue of holiday boats!

Anyway, disposed of rubbish and topped up with water and, lucky old us, went through the first lock ahead of our nearest rival. There are four locks at Hurleston, which take you from the Llangollen to the Shroppie, or vice versa and they are all separated by a short pound, so Wifey is able to walk between them and, whilst the one I am in is emptying, she can wander off to fill the next one.

So, I get to the third lock down and, whilst the water is flowing out, she trots off to fill the next one. When she comes back, she empties the lock and opens the gates and I move forward and head for the last lock.

Great, one lock to go and we’ll be in Barbridge nice and early, catch the bus into town and settle down for the weekend. Huh! No such luck.

Hurleston locks are a little narrower than most single locks and, as you approach them at the bottom, there’s a sign warning you to make sure all side fenders are raised, so as to avoid them getting stuck or broken off.

Now, this would be our 8th time of passing through these locks in Shiralee and this will be the first time we have become jammed fast in one of them, but that’s exactly what happened. Sheila tried letting more water into the lock, in hopes of raising the water level, but that was a no go. She then tried pulling on the centre rope, but no joy there either.

Eventually she took my mobile and wandered off to the top of the locks, to where she could get a signal, planning to phone BW. Meanwhile, the boater behind us came along and offered no help, although he did suggest to Sheila that she might call out the nearby engineer!!???

After giving the engine as much welly as I could, along with fishtailing the rudder, in hopes that I could persuade the wretched boat to move, along came another boater. He, at first, tried pulling on the centre rope, to no avail. I then suggested throwing the bow line to him, which I did and, with a good old British heave-ho, out she popped.

We eventually arrived at Barbridge a good ¾ of an hour later than expected, settled in for a cuppa and then took the bus to Nantwich, arriving back at the boat at about half past one with a trolley and two bags full.

The rest of Saturday remained dry and bright, but with the odd flutter of rain. Today has also started out fine, except that our heater refused to come on, which is a bit odd because there should have been plenty of power in the batteries, as we didn’t watch telly last night. So, will run engine after 8 am and see if it will start then If not we’ll have to call Eric out and, I have no doubt, spend even more money on this recalcitrant beast.

Monday 9th
July

We spent a very pleasant hour in The Old Barbridge Inn yesterday lunchtime, followed by a few hours of torment watching Murray get beaten by that Swiss chappie. Some of that time was spent listening to the pouring rain – again, and the rest of it reading until bedtime.

Today is looking heavily overcast and, hopefully, by the time we get back from Nantwich, it will be OK to set sail, weigh anchor and head for Middlewich. We’re only moving a couple of miles and will pull in at a boatyard to see if they have the paint we will need for finishing off the boat. I’m assuming that the rest of the summer is not going to be as wet.

Chaos at Barbridge Junction

Tuesday 10th July

Yesterday afternoon, having returned from Nantwich at midday, I turned the engine on to allow Sheila to use the washing machine, prior to departing for pastures new.

Even in her small machine the process takes about 1½ hours and so, since there are no other water points after the one at the junction with the Middlewich branch, we decided to let the washing finish before leaving.

After Wifey had sorted the washing out and we’d had a cuppa, still with the engine running, I climbed out front, rolled up the cratch sides and lowered the TV aerial, when I heard a shout from across the canal.

At the bottom of the garden opposite our moorings were a middle aged couple sitting at a table having lunch. The lady of the house, asked me, quite politely at first, if I wouldn’t mind turning the engine off. I was about to explain that we were about to move off, when she then started ranting about us being there for a week and running the engine all day.

Well, ‘red rag to a bull’ springs to mind. As you all know, we didn’t arrive there until Saturday afternoon due to the delay in extricating ourselves from the lock at Hurleston and, with domestic fuel costing almost £1 per litre, we’re hardly likely to run the engine all day.

The strange thing is, this lady has a very polite notice pinned to her garden fence, requesting that boaters respect their privacy and refrain from mooring across their garden, and she even started her request to us in a very polite manner, but then started spitting nails.

After waiting for several boats to pass us, we then moved off to the water point and we are now moored just before the lock and Venetian Marina. How long for is anybody’s guess, depending, as it does, upon the weather.

Wednesday 11th July

Well, I’m sorry to say, nothing to report for yesterday due to pretty poor weather, apart from a walk down to the Venetian Marina where the chandlery is no longer open. Another one bites the dust. Oh, and we enjoyed a lovely roast dinner, just for a change.

Today? Probably off to Church Minshull where, according to a boater we spoke to at Wrenbury, a pub called The Badger is, or should be open again.

Thursday 12th July

Just as we were about to leave our mooring this morning, along came two boats, heading for the lock. Whoopee, we thought, a nice, long wait before we can descend the first of the two locks to Church Minshull. On the first boat was an old acquaintance of ours from Pillings Lock, whom everybody knows as Ridsy. I’m not sure of his full surname, but Ridsy is a diminutive of it and even his Jack Russell has the same name.

Anyway, as soon as he and his friend passed, we untied Shiralee, with the intention of slipping in behind them at the lock and waiting for them to both go through. Fortunately for us; although not so fortunate for Ridsey’s travelling companion, who had a rope trapped around his prop; John waved us through and we were on our way much earlier than expected.

The trip to Church Minshull was wet, so wet in fact that Wifey had to dig out the big brolly. It didn’t stay that way for long though and we arrived at bridge 14 at about 10 am, with the clouds slowly clearing away to leave a bright and sunny day. We had thought to have a go at restoring the red on the port side but, as that was now wet, we’ve decided to attack it at our next moorings, which will be at bridge 22, which is just short of Wimboldesly Wood and has a terrific view down to the River Weaver and Top Flash Lake.

Church Minshull is accessed via a narrow lane from bridge 14 and contains a pub, called The Badger and not much of anything else, except a bus stop. The Badger has now re-opened and looks to be quite an impressive building. We took our lives in our hands in walking up there, because the traffic is quite heavy for such a narrow lane. Sadly we were too early for a snifter but as we’re returning this way later, we might just give it a try.

Our plans for this year have been somewhat revised, mainly due to the damaged prop that I mentioned in an earlier blog. Even at the maximum speed of 4 mph allowed on canals, I am finding it necessary to hold the tiller arm slightly towards the left in order to maintain a straight line. I wouldn’t call it a struggle exactly, but I have some misgivings about the current flow on the River Weaver, especially when running against it where the strain may prove a little tedious, to say the least.

So, when we arrive at Anderton, instead of taking our boat down on the lift, we’ll see if we can take the Trip Boat down. After that we’ll head for the Macclesfield Canal and, at Marple Junction, take the Peak Forest Canal down to Bugbrook Basin where, if memory serves, there’s a rather nice country pub. Of course, since that’s a dead end, as is the Whalley Bridge branch, we’ll have to return the same way in order to get back to Marple Junction.

Also, instead of doing Liverpool and the Ribble Link to the Lancaster Canal, we’re going to plan it all for next year and book it all well in advance. We could probably still book for Liverpool, but definitely not The Ribble Link, and so for the rest of this year we’ll just poodle around as the fancy takes us.

Sadly, once again we have no Internet service here, which is a pity because I now have nine pages to post. Ah well, maybe at bridge 22, Middlewich or Anderton.

Friday 13th July

We made it to the spot overlooking the River Weaver by 10 am yesterday, with bright sunshine and shirt sleeves all the way. This was too good an opportunity to miss, and so out came the restorer and we set to. We still have the rust preventative patches to paint over, but that can wait until we’re past Middlewich, which is where we’ll be heading today, assuming this rain gives up. Yep, after that lovely day yesterday, we have more rain.

Now that we have a strong signal here, I think I’d better post this blog.

And, some gallows humour to end with

Have a good weekend

Dave, Sheila and Rusty

Shiralee Cruise 2012 # 15

Top of Grindley Brook Locks to Burland


Friday 29th June

My apologies for the lack of photos in the previous blog, although the signal was somewhat stronger than that at Whitchurch, I didn’t feel it was sufficient to be uploading photos to Blogger. Also, as much as I would like to offer some new photos of this trip, the weather has been against us for the most part. Excuses, excuses!!

It does not look too promising for our planned trip down Grindley Brook locks and on to Wrenbury this morning, it’s far too windy and, I suspect we’ll be in for a soaking if we attempt it. But, if it stays dry, we will at least be able to cover the rust preventative on the port side with red paint. Also, since Wifey had a dicky tummy yesterday, we might be able to celebrate the birthday and anniversary today, rather than wait until we finally get to Wrenbury.

Regarding the blocked chimney, having asked our friend Andy; who’s still at Mercia finishing off some work before him and his wife Sandy go cruising; how best to remove the blockage, he has asked around and informs me, that the only way to achieve a complete clearance, is to take the chimney out and work on it from both ends.

Both the top and bottom ends of the stack are secured bu a wide collar and heat proof filler, so this removal is not going to be an easy task. However, having been advised by Sandy, that her good old hubby has already tackled the installation of four such stacks, we’ve decided ‘horses for courses’ and Andy can have the job when we return to Mercia. Well, somebody has to give the lad some work after all that relaxing cruising, don’t they?

Saturday 30th June

Not much to report for yesterday, except still more rain and high winds that prevented us from moving on. We had hoped to be in Wrenbury, but the incessant rain put a stop to that.

However, with Fedderer on centre court, we did at least have something to watch in the evening and, what another corker! After two sets down and looking decided dodgy on the third, we fully expected another shock defeat. But, as usual, he kept his cool, despite the Frenchman’s efforts at delaying tactics and illegal use of his trainer for an impromptu massage. All’s well that ends well.

This morning we’ve had some rain but, with the sky considerably lighter and a very light breeze, I’m hoping to get away before there’s a queue at the top of the staircase locks. Under normal circumstances, during the hours of 8am and 5pm, the lock keeper is in attendance but, if we can get away before 8, we can do the job ourselves and won’t have to worry about holiday makers holding us up.

Now, I know I said we wanted to be at Wrenbury but, about half way down there’s a little village called Marbury that we have yet to visit. It’s only about half a mile walk from the canal and, according to Nicholson’s Guide, is well worth a visit. And, besides, it also has a pub that we haven’t visited either. So, instead of waiting until Barbridge to celebrate our recent anniversary and birthday, we might stop off there instead and investigate. If the pub doesn’t suit, there’s always the one at Wrenbury or the Barbridge Arms.

The Church at Marbury on the Llangollen

Sunday 1st July

Another miserable and wet day yesterday, in which no work was carried out on Shiralee. Instead we decided to take a walk into Marbury, the South Cheshire village near which we moored in the morning.

About 150 yards ahead of us is Marbury lock and the road that runs up to the village. Beside the lock is a big notice inviting boaters and other passers by to visit The Swan pub and local Norman church, so, even with the threat of rain, off we trotted, brolly in hand, for the half mile, uphill stroll, and were very glad that we did.

At the top of the lane and on the left hand side, are older houses whilst on the right is a fairly recent estate of newer properties. From here it was a short walk around the corner to aforementioned church and pub, opposite which is an oak tree on the green, surrounded by a wooden bench seat.

With trusty new mobile in hand I even managed to take a few photos and will try to include them in this blog.

With nothing better to do and with the possibility of paying the pub a visit on the morrow, we took the plunge and stepped inside. To the left of the main entrance was another door leading to the restaurant, whilst to the right a door to the lounge bar. The lounge is a simple oblong shape, with a raised deck and seating at the furthest end, whilst the serving area joins bar and restaurant. Pictures and ornaments adorn the walls, with a definite leaning towards horses and the hunt.

We enjoyed a couple of drinks and a packet of crisps, at not too exorbitant prices, with me adding a pickled egg to mine, something I have been unable to do for many years, because so few pubs offer them for sale nowadays. We’ll be returning tomorrow for Sunday lunch.

We erected the aerial, in hopes of watching some tennis but, as is often the case in rural areas, were unable to find a decent signal. When we did get a signal we found the picture was breaking up, so we abandoned the idea. No matter, we still have another week to go.

The Swan at Marbury

Monday 2nd July

How sad that, having delayed our usual birthday cum anniversary celebration due to Wifey’s upset tummy, we were presented with a less than satisfactory meal at The Swan in Marbury.

Equally sad was the fact that, being somewhat timid creatures, we chose not to complain. At our ages we don’t want a stand up and knock down confrontation with a less than happy chef.

As Sunday lunches go the lamb was very tender, but appeared to have been prepared very early in the day, because the whole meal was at rather less than room temperature. What is more, at the overly inflated price of £9.95, the meal consisted of just two slices of meat, one portion each of red and green cabbage, one small spud quartered, and about half a carrot, the slices of which were piled on top of each other. Even the gravy was barely warm.

In Derbyshire we have two pubs that offer a Carvery, one at £5.95, the other at £6.25, with two types of meat on the same plate, plus vegetables and roast potatoes, all of which are kept hot and all of which you can pile as high as you like.

We actually paid the pub a visit on Saturday, at lunchtime and, even though we knew of the inflated price, we still decided to give it a try, expecting a far better meal than we were given. It’s no wonder that, by the time we left at about half past one, the restaurant was empty. We had been the only diners on the day so far.

Today has dawned fairly bright, but with a pretty strong tail wind and we’re hoping to move on the two miles to Wrenbury.

On Saturday, as I think I mentioned, I took some photos of Marbury with my new LG Mobile. This morning I thought I might download them to the laptop with the intention of including a couple when I post this blog.

So, having plugged the wretched thing into the laptop, via its very own connector cable, I waited a while, but nothing came up on the screen. Not to be defeated just yet, I consulted the User Leaflet – no proper manual with these things – and discovered that I first needed to visit their website and download their PC Suite.

Having accessed the website, I then discover that I need to log in. But I do not have any log in info, which probably means I will first have to register the product. This also means that they will want to know where and when I purchased the mobile, which, at this moment in time, is beyond my capabilities regarding my internal memory. Thankfully my dearly beloved has a far better memory than I do and, with the aid of our Money programme, will be able to help me achieve the objective. Thy will be done some time later today because Wifey has yet to surface and face the world.

Ah, ha, but then I can be just as sneaky as the next guy. How about I simply enter PC Suite in the Search Bar in MS Internet Explorer? There it is! Easy peasy, downloaded in a couple of seconds. All I need to do now is install the prog. Job done! Who’s a clever boy then?

Tuesday 3rd July

What a bummer, here I am with the phone prog installed, but with no Internet access at all. In fact the indicator panel is telling me No Service, and that is most unusual, even for this neck of the woods.

Yesterday? Well, yet more rain, so nothing done on the boat. We did walk to the shop and we did throw out a bottle of milk that had turned, and we did call into the local hire boat company chandlery but, no paint. So, a rather dead day.

Today, depending upon the weather, we’ll either take the bus into Nantwich, or move on to Burland. With the weather still not settled, I rather suspect the former and, since the timetable is such that we will only have ¾ of an hour in town, we won’t be out very long.

Wednesday 4th July

You will not be surprised to learn that yesterday was yet another wet one, but we did manage to take a bus into Nantwich to deposit a prescription at the chemist, to be collected later in the week.

Our plan for the next few days is, firstly to move off from Wrenbury to Burland this morning, tomorrow morning, through Hurleston Locks and on to the Shroppie to Nantwich, where we’ll take the bus into town, either that same day, or on Friday morning. On Saturday morning we’ll trot off to Barbridge and stay the weekend, with a Sunday visit to Barbridge Inn at lunchtime. Since there are no pubs within walking distance on our next stretch of canal, the Middlewich Branch, the Barbridge stop is essential.

Now, having downloaded the necessary programme with which to transfer my phone pics to the laptop, I’ll leave this and get on with that.

Thursday 5th July

Boating does have its downside at times, and yesterday was one of those mornings. We left Wrenbury at about 08.15 and passed through the two lift bridges and, about 15 minutes after that, ‘snap’ went the fan belt. Now, I knew we had a spare, but I also knew I would not find it easy to fit, but do we stop immediately to fit it, or do we carry on to Burland?

Such difficult decisions are very much the norm as any live-aboard boater will tell you.

Anyway, after much oooing and aaahing we decided to press ahead, mainly because we didn’t want to be stuck miles from nowhere without domestic power. At least, if we moved on to Burland, we would be close to a marina and could spend the night there if necessary.

After arriving at Burland and allowing the engine to cool down, down into the bowels of the engine bay I plunged and proceeded to struggle with the new belt. Well, even after giving it a good soaking in hot water, that thing would not do as it was told.

Next stop the telephone. Wifey called Swanley Marina who obligingly gave her the local engineer’s number. She spoke to a very nice man named Eric, who promised to be along within the hour. After 2 ½ hours with no sign of Eric, I phoned him again and the conversation went something like this:

“Hi, is that Eric?”
“Speaking”
“My wife phoned you about two hours ago about our fan belt?”
“Did she?”
“Yes, and you said you would be along in about an hour”
“Oh my God, so I did, I’m ever so sorry, I can’t apologise enough, I’m afraid I got sidetracked and completely forgot you. Look, I’ll have to finish up here but I’ll be along in an hour or so”
“Well, look, if you can’t……..”
“No, no, I’ll definitely be there, don’t worry, I won’t let you down”

With that he disconnected and we sat and waited. Well, true to his word Eric turned up and was all apologies again. Apparently, he was on his way to us, via Morrison’s, when, just as he was leaving he received another urgent call and went straight there, completely forgetting about us.

Anyway, to cut a very long story just a wee bit shorter, although he did manage to fit the belt, with an almighty struggle I have to say, he realised that the belt was the wrong width and that, as a result, the alternator could not be given enough of a gap away from the throttle cable. Even at the correct width he reckoned it would still have been a problem.

It seems that all belts have a serial number, which denotes their length. What I wasn’t aware of, is that they also come in varying widths and, where we needed a 10mm wide belt, what the previous chandlery had given me was a 13mm one.

Eventually, with another struggle, Eric removed the offending item and fitted a temporary one, just so we could charge the batteries overnight. “I’ll order a couple this evening and they’ll be here in the morning. If I’m not here by 10 o/clock, give me a bell”

We now have to reverse the boat back to the nearby winding hole and await his arrival. The winding hole has a car park beside it and will make it easier for Eric to access the boat, rather than hiking down the towpath.

Incidentally, I still haven’t downloaded my phone pics to the laptop. Why is this? Well, having installed the programme and ‘transferred’ the photos, I then discovered that they were not in the designated folder and, what’s more, they had not been ‘transferred’. So, I opened the programme again and, lo and behold, there were my photos. They had not been ‘transferred’, merely copied. I now have to attach the mobile to the laptop, open the programme and drag and drop them into the designated folder.

And that's it for this blog.

All abreast until next time

Dave, Sheila and Rusty

Shiralee Cruise 2012 # 14

Ellesmere to Top of Grindley Brook Locks


Monday 25th June

Hey! It’s sunny! We’re on our way to the Preese Branch of the Llangollen this morning. Must get some painting done.

Yesterday it stayed dry enough for us to pay a visit to The Red Lion and take a walk to The Mere, the lake closest to the moorings in Ellesmers, and where Wifey took the Circular Walk on Saturday. After our Sunday drink we took the short walk to The Mere, where they had the finish of the local Marathon, with stalls aimed at cyclists and several food stalls. We walked alongside the lake and on to the gift shop and ice cream parlour. Well, of course!

I’ve now finished roping up our tyres and they will be pressed into service later today. The rest of Sunday was chill-out time.

Tuesday 26th June

What a glorious day we had yesterday, and what a lot we did too, cruising seven miles and renewing some old paintwork.

We left Ellesmere a little later than is our usual practice, because we needed to call into the local marina for coal. Yes, I know it’s summer but, with the lousy weather we’ve had of late, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Anyway, we arrived at the Prees Branch of the Llangollen at about midday and settled in to read the paper and enjoy a well earned cuppa, after which work called.

Sheila wanted to complete the top and sides of the bow, but she had decided that she wanted to change the colour from green to red. After rubbing down and applying rust preventative we now have mostly the original green, but the raised point at the very front, along with the top of the front locker, are now in red. With the front of the cratch also in red and painted with prettycoloured diamonds, the additional red bits look quite effective. There are also some areas along the side that we hadn’t finished last time we painted, so they also have to be finished.

As for the aerials, well, as we wanted to watch some tennis yesterday afternoon, I set the aerial for the right direction, which is when I realised that the radio aerial cable was running directly underneath the TV pole. Ooops! Having removed part of the enclosed panelling, just to check all was Ok and the radio still worked, I then put it all back together and sealed it The whole lot is now completely enclosed and should not be affected by weather conditions.

After yesterdays blazing sunshine, and it really was too hot for work, today has progressed from sunshine to lightly overcast. If it stays like this we will have ideal conditions for restoring the red on the port side. For those who have seen and remember Shiralee, both sides are predominantly red, so this will require quite a bit of elbow grease.

The Prees Branch is a very short stretch of canal that comes off the Llangollen at a big bend and ends at a BW marina, as I think I mentioned last time we were here. Ordinarily we wouldn’t have bothered stopping here since there’s not much to see, although on our last visit, we did take a walk down to the marina and, on our way back, picked up a jar of local honey from a nearby farm. The main benefit of this branch is that it’s very quiet and, more importantly, few boats come down here. Having to paint the bow meant tying up at the stern and middle, leaving the bow unsecured, so we really didn’t want to be plagued by tearaway holiday boaters.

I’m on a diet. Yep, little old me standing 5ft 9inches in my socks, now weighs in at 14½ stone. To you metric morons, that’s about 92 kilos. Losing weight at the ripe old age of 70, as many experts will tell you, is not an easy task. Most folks in my age group would also say it’s a complete waste of time. But I’m making the attempt, not just because I feel uncomfortable at this weight – borderline obese, according to medical charts – but because I also want to reduce my reliance on Insulin injections, of which I take four per day, and I’m rather fed up with stabbing myself that many times.

Sheila also feels that she’s carrying a little too much, although I would argue that she’s rather more cuddly that way. So, we are now cutting out all cakes and sticky buns, which we have become rather fond of, but only with our last cup of tea in the evening.

We are also cutting down on bread and potatoes, which are both heavy in carbs and, in my case, contribute to higher blood sugar levels, which, in turn means more Insulin. As a younger man when I decided to lose weight, the first to go were bread and spuds, so I know it works.

I’ll keep you posted on my efforts.

Meanwhile, for another day we’ll be here on the Prees branch slaving away at the paintwork. After that, tomorrow we’ll take a run down to the marina and turn around to make our way back to the main Llangollen and on to Whitchurch.

That’s it for this entry. Wifey will be up soon and I’m the chief breakfast maker. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, are toast days. Wednesday and Saturday are Crumpet days. Sunday is boiled eggs and soldiers. My new regime calls for just one slice instead of two, but, since I’ll be working my fingers to the bone restoring the red paint, and since I have no wish to fall into a diabetic come from lack of blood sugar, I think I’ll stick to the usual for today. Ah, go on, you know it makes sense!!

Wednesday 27th June, crumpet day.

Only one day to go and it will be our 32nd year as man and wife and Wifey’s birthday. It would be un-gentlemanly of me to tell you which birthday that would be.

Yesterday was fine for the most part and saw Sheila finishing off most of the painting on the bow, although the red on top of the green will need a second coat at some point.

However, we first decided to give the chimney a good clear out of the rubbish that has collected since we left Mercia, all of which is, we think, caused by the inferior coal on sale in this part of the country, which tend towards lots of dust, which in turn causes a build up of soot.

Looking down the flu with a torch, it was not hard to see why we were seeing as much smoke inside the boat as outside when we opened the door on the front of the fire. About half way down there was a complete blockage, and yours truly had the odious task of removing it. Just how I was going to achieve this was something of a moot point, but shift it I must, else no fire for the rest of our trip.

Two hours later and a phone call to my brother Alan, and the job was done, but not without skinned knuckles on my right hand, lots of blue air and the castellated end to an aerial pole, which took a serious attack with a small hacksaw to achieve. This was Alan’s idea and, as a miniature oil-drilling pipe, worked quite well – no pun intended – in churning up the blockage. Of course, the weather has warmed up now, so no need of the fire!!

We had some rain yesterday and, believe it or not, we’ve had more of the same this morning. However, we really must get to Whitchurch today, not least because I have yet to find a birthday card for Wifey, although I do have the anniversary card, so I don’t think I’ll get too much grief,having only achieved half of my husbandly duty.

Some boaters do like to cruise late in the day and, much to our surprise, at around 8 o/clock last night we saw one coming towards us from the marina. The name of the boot was Snoozie, a misnomer if ever I heard one, since the owner left his generator running until 10 pm, our time for going to bed and contrary to BW rules. But, having asked him nicely to turn it off, he was equally polite and happy to do so. This is not a situation that I like being in but, since most boaters are quite genial folks, the risks of a serious confrontation are pretty minimal.

Thursday 28th June

Yesterday was glorious and, after arriving at Whitchurch moorings, which are but a short Womble ride away from the town, we had a cuppa and then walked down to wait for the bus. This was at about 12.20 and we were in town well before 1pm.

We finally found our buffer attachment for the drill and I found a decent birthday card for Wifey, after which, gasping for a coffee, we called into a little Spanish café called Juan’s, where they do a pretty good BLT wrap. This place will be included in all future visits to Whitchurch.

When we returned to the boat Sheila set to with the paint brush again and finished off her own assigned section of paintwork, after which we both retired with a cold drink. It’s very tiring watching other people work, you know, and works up quite a thirst in the watcher!

The Daily Mail had an article about Facebook that I found most interesting, since I have only recently joined. This was about the fact that, without asking their members, of which they already have over 900 million, more than the population of the USA, they intend to force their members to adopt a Facebook email account.

Now, I don’t know about other members, and their have been a few outbursts from some of them, but I don’t much care for bully boy tactics. 900 million members already generate vast amounts of revenue through targeted advertising and the floatation of Facebook raised many millions more, but, as usual, the more money they have, the more they want. Greed! That’s all it is.

Well, I for one will not give them the satisfaction. Call it a knee jerk reaction if you like, but I’ll be cancelling my membership just as soon as I can find out how and a decent spot with a strong enough Internet signal to do so.

A weak signal is also the reason why I am unable to post this blog this morning. We’re off to Grindley Brook this morning where I hope the signal will be a little stronger, so I’ll try posting from there.

Incidentally, the buffer pad that we bought yesterday does not have any way of being attached to the drill unit. We are therefore going to have to tie it on to the disc with twine. Luckily the stitching around the pad should provide a base for this. But I have to say that, from a reputable company like Black and Decker, this is a stupid oversight. Surely they must realise that any polishing to be carried out with this attachment is not necessarily going to be on a horizontal level? Even on the horizontal, if insufficient pressure is applied during polishing, there is the danger that the pad will simply fly off, never to be seen again?

Friday 29th June

First of all, many thanks for the best wishes on Sheila’s birthday and our Anniversary yesterday, they were much appreciated. Ordinarily we would have celebrated at the nearest pub but, with her impeccable timing, Wifey was feeling a wee bit dicky in the tummy, so we’ve put it off for a few days. The upset, we think, was probably due to inhaling paint fumes the day before, which was rather hot and humid. Still, she’s on the mend now, I’m pleased to say.

Weather-wise yesterday was pretty good, with just a few isolated showers, followed by a rather noisy and thundery storm later in the afternoon. This morning is not looking too good either, not least because it’s windy and raining and Rusty had me up at 04.30 for her call of nature.

It is now Wimbledon fortnight and, as is our wont, we set the TV up yesterday to watch Nadal give Rosol a thrashing. Well, along with millions of other viewers, that’s what we expected, only to see the biggest turnaround since the tournament started, back in the year dot.

Now, bearing in mind that our trip from Whitchurch to the top of Grindley Brook Locks only took half an hour yesterday morning, it was necessary to run the engine for a bit longer than usual in the evening. All in all those batteries had three hours of charge. Of course since this is a 240 volt TV and the Inverter/Charger had to be on whilst we watched it, combined with the fact that the aforementioned tennis match went into extra time and the roof of Centre Court had to be closed, which meant another 45 minutes before the final set began, we have been left with less than 12 volts in the batteries this morning. But, at least the laptop is still being charged up, as is the mobile.

What a disaster for Nadal though, and what a shock for all concerned. I just bet the bookies made a few quid out of it. I don’t know what the Czech player was on, but they should bottle it so that we can all possess such power and determination. I wonder how far he’ll go!

Now, even though we only have a slightly stronger signal here, I’m going to try to post this blog, simply because it is now eight pages long and, quite possibly becoming a little boring. Sadly though, I’ll have to dispense with the photos.

All abreast for now.

Dave, Sheila and Rusty, on a blustery, wet and horrid morning.

Shiralee Cruise 2012 # 13

Whitehurst Tunnel to Ellesmere


Thursday 21st June

This day is supposed to be the longest one of the year, and it’s raining. You would think, wouldn’t you that it would at least be the sunniest day also?

Anyway, we passed through the Chirk Tunnel, from rain to blazing sunshine. We also passed from Wales into England, but, even though it stayed fine all day and we managed some more painting, our joy was short lived, because it has been raining all night and looks set to continue today.

There are a couple of things we can do today though. You may remember some time ago, that I rearranged the fitting of our TV aerial. Well, on a temporary basis only, I also had to bring the radio antenna inside the front of the boat. However, this move had an adverse effect on reception because, every time a boat comes by the volume fades, probably because the antenna is now having the signal blocked by the passing boat.

We also were experiencing similar problems with it in its original position when it rained. Obviously the rain was finding its way between the antenna and the metal bodywork of the boat. But, now that I have a timber support for the TV aerial, I can build around it and affix the radio antenna so that no water can get to it. Unfortunately, whilst it is teeming with rain, there’s no way I’m going out there to do the job. But, I can at least cut up the timber for enclosing the TV aerial support.

The other thing I have thought to do is to make a couple of those pieces of wood that campers use to adjust the length of their guy ropes. At present we simply adjust our fender ropes by re-tying them so that the fender is in the right place to do its job, namely protecting the side of the boat against the canal side. With a couple of those sliders, adjusting the length of our fender ropes will be so much easier.

So, there you go, boredom will not win out today.

Isn’t it strange? Even though our wee pooch has not relieved herself since 10 o/clock last night, she’s showing no signs of being desperate to go. We’re convinced that, when it’s raining she has the innate ability to control her bodily functions. Well, at least until we force her to go out, or she can’t hold it any longer. I wish I could go that long!

Jesus, but it’s really bucketing down. No wonder Rusty is keeping shtum! I can’t say I’m too keen to go out there right now, but it’s got to be done.

Friday 22nd June

…..and still more rain, and we’re supposed to be making for Ellesmere this morning. Anybody taking a boating holiday in this part of the world this year has to be sorely disappointed. We’ve cruised the Llangollen on four separate occasions, once on a holiday boat some 15 years ago, and three times on Shiralee, but we’ve never been subjected to this level of bad weather. Hopefully the next three months will see some improvement.

I blame it on those Global Warming freaks! I won’t go into the ins and outs of that subject here. Suffice it to say that I don’t believe even half of what the so-called ‘experts’ have to say about it.

Holiday boaters.

The hire boat companies will tell you that, if you can drive a car you can handle a boat. Well, I have to wonder how they handle their cars and the carnage some of them must cause.

Now, I know it’s not very pleasant cruising in the rain, which is why we try to avoid it, but what happened yesterday is a case in point. It’s pouring down and we have a boat coming towards us. The boat came alongside us too fast to begin with, and then steered towards the bank, presumably in order to stop and moor up out of the rain. As it pulled in the stern hit our stern and, at that point I opened the hatch and shouted, “You might try slowing down.” But, much to my surprise, instead of mooring up, they continued on their way in the pouring rain, after first crashing into the side of the canal.

I despair, I really do.

Our wee pooch does not like hot tea. At least, I assume she doesn’t because, when the handle of my mug parted company with the rest of it, she ran like a scared rabbit after being showered with some of the contents. Most of it landed in her bed and, for a second or two she hopped about a bit and then she shot off to the other end of the boat. I only repaired that mug a few months ago with Araldite, so I’m a bit disappointed in the efficacy of that stuff. Still, we have a few more mugs in the cupboard, and Rusty’s not too put out by the experience.

For a 14 year old Jack she can certainly run fast when she has to though!

Now, although it is still raining, the wind has dropped, so we might still get to Ellesmere today.

Fuel consumption on “Shiralee”.

According to the information given to us by The New Boat Company, this particular “Sandpiper” model has a fuel tank that holds 169 litres, which equates to about 37 gallons. Now, so as to avoid cheating HMRC of their due tax, we keep a log of our fuel usage, separated into Propulsion, which is taxable, and Battery Charging and Heating, which are not. Thus far on this trip up the Llangollen and back, we have used 127 litres, which allows for 1 litre/hour for Propulsion and Charging, and ½ litre/hour for Heating.

OK so far?

Yesterday we checked the level of fuel with a dipstick and it seems we still have almost half a tank full. Nope, we don’t understand it either. We’ve asked the New Boat people at Mercia Marina, but they seem unable to help and they have assured us that the tank does not taper down, which could make it appear to contain more than it does.

When we fill up, which we will do at Swanley Marina in about one week’s time, what we put in will be very close to our estimates as to how much we have used. We have to assume therefore, that a bigger tank than usual has been fitted to this boat. Nothing else computes. I suppose we could approach Liverpool Boats, the company that built the shell and, in all probability, fitted the fuel tank. It really is a puzzle!

Saturday 23rd June

It’s as black as Newgate’s knocker out there this morning. This is supposed to be summer, for goodness sake. Yesterday was as bad, although we did manage the seven mile run, from St Martin’s Moor to Ellesmere, without getting a soaking. And, joy of joys, we also managed to moor up at the very top of the arm, and that’s no mean feat, I can tell you. In this spot, despite not having a signal on my 02 mobile, we do get a strong Internet connection. For my usual text message I have but a few yards to walk, back to the bridge, where the signal is OK.

At St Martin’s Moor Wifey finished off the area of the stern behind the safety rails. We now need to finish the top and sides of the bow, which means waiting until we get to the Preese Branch, where we can just tie up with the bow and centre ropes, leaving the top of the bow clear of obstruction. If it stays dry we will be able to prepare the top for final painting.

Today therefore I am planning to refit our radio aerial and rope up our small tyres. These are two old go-kart tyres that we found when we were at Pilling’s Lock Marina, and which we have been using as side fenders, but only on odd occasions. We’ve had rope fenders and we’ve had those elongated, hollow plastic fenders, but tyres are much better at absorbing movement caused by the aforementioned holiday boaters as they race past, causing a huge bow wave.

In roping the tyres up, which have already been fitted with eye bolts, I’m going to thread the rope through the eye and make an eye splice which, in my honest opinion, looks far more befitting of a permanent, live aboard boater, than simply knotting the rope through the eye. I’ve also made the guy rope sliders, ready for attachment to the hook that goes over the hand rail. So, I have plenty to busy myself with today.

We also have to pay a visit to the nearby chandlery to collect another pot of green paint; which we will need when we repaint the roof; and to collect a couple of bags of coal. This is now becoming a nuisance because, despite it being summer – Wimbledon starts on Monday – it can still be quite chilly in the early hours when I get up, so we are still having to keep the fire going, just for little old me! Aaaah!

Before we left here last time, we ordered some dog food from the local pet shop; that too we have to collect today. Oh, and our cassette will need emptying. This would have been done yesterday, had we been able to pull in at the BW area, but it’s just as well that we couldn’t because we would not now be moored at the top of the arm and would not have such good Internet connection.

Tomorrow is Sunday and we’re going to make sure it’s a day of rest. So there!

Ooh! Guess what? The sun is coming out. Whoopee!

Llangollen from the towpath

NOTE: I have just downloaded the contents of Sheila's camera. The above and following shots are from that download.

Sunday 24th June

We have finally completed the work on the TV and Radio aerials, albeit temporarily for the Radio aerial, because, with all the fiddling about with the cable, the fixing attachment at the end disintegrated, so the cable is attached by just the inner core and it won’t take that very long to rot through

Ellesmere is a fairly big Shropshire town, but we have yet to find a shop that sells such things. So, we’ll have to wait until we can bus into Whitchurch or Nantwich.

I only have one more job to complete this weekend, and that’s the eye splices and guy rope sliders for the tyres.

We are hoping for better weather from tomorrow, which is when we’ll be heading for the Preese Branch again and, with some dry time, completing the paintwork on the bow. After that comes the biggest part, the roof, and for that we really do need some dry weather.

07.00 and it is now peeing down again. Will it never end? Still, at least we live on a boat and, whilst we’re on the canal, as opposed to a river, we’re unlikely to be affected by flooding. From what I here, there have been up to 140 flood warnings, mostly in the north. I’ll have to get on to Waterscape to see how the River Weaver is faring. I’ve also heard that Liverpool has suffered from flooding, and that’s another one of our destinations.

Six years ago, just after we bought the boat, we bought some wood filler. This came in an aerosol can and, according to the manufactures blurb on the side, it could be used for up to three months. I really must contact them to complain. This stuff still works after six years. When I tried applying it to a spare piece of wood, just to see if it still operated, nothing happened. But, after unscrewing the applicator nozzle and removing the dried lump of filler, the new stuff came out as good as new. Amazing!

Ooops! I was going to post this today but, even though she had to get out of bed at 04.00 this morning to take Rusty out, (Hey! She insisted!) it’s only 20 past 7 and she’s already getting up.

Tomorrow morning then!

Some idea of what we'll be painting on our back doors

Monday 25th June.

It is now tomorrow morning and, as promised, I’m going to post this blog. But first I want to find a couple of photos.

All abreast for now

Dave, Sheila and Rusty.

Shiralee Cruise 2012 # 12

St Martin’s Moor to Llangollen and Whitehurst Tunnel


Wednesday 13th June

I have just posted # 11 of these blogs and, having inserted three photos, could not post any more. Sorry folks, I hadn’t realised there was a limit. Will post more in this one.

Yesterday remained dry, but not always sunny, and we managed to get all of the green paint finished on the starboard side, and all the diamonds completed on the front of the cratch. I had thought to persuade Wifey to stay another day and paint the bow and stern, but then, it looks to be another dry day, so perhaps we’d best be moving on to Chirk, where we can do a bit of shopping. Needs must when the Devil drives, etc.

Thursday 16th June

We are now moored up opposite Chirk Marina and are hoping to get some work done today. I managed to remove one of the front cleats, with the use of a drill and hammer, but then the weather looked a bit threatening, so I decided to forget about further efforts.

We are staying here for another day and, since it has started bright and sunny, we may get the other cleat off, affix the two new ones and get the bow and stern painted. We will then have just the paintwork on the port side to worry about, and that can be done, either at Sun Trevor, which is a couple of miles short of Llangollen, or when we get back to St Martin’s Moor.

Our next stop should be the Trevor Basin but, since that has few moorings – although we did manage it last year – we may have to bypass it and go on to Sun Trevor. We are hoping to spend the weekend at Llangollen itself, where they have water and electricity beside the moorings. This is run by British Waterways and, last year, cost only £6 per night. We’ve been advise that a local pub called the Bridge Inn does really fine food, so we’re hoping for a proper pub lunch on Sunday.

Meanwhile, back to the grind, but not until Wifey raises her head from her pillow, and we’ve had brekky.

Approaching Chirk Aqueduct from East

Friday 15th June

The weather stayed fine for us during yesterday morning and early afternoon, and you know what they say about making hay while the sun shines. Without more ado, and straight after breakfast, I removed the second cleat, drilled and tapped new holes for the 5mm screws and fitted the bigger cleats. That done, I was wondering what else we could do.

We were sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee, when it occurred to me that we ought to be thinking about the red. After all, it does take up a goodly proportion of the sides of the boat. So, I suggested to my dear Wifey, that we should see about getting some T-Cut.

“Well”, she said, “I know we have some back at the marina, but we do have the proper, International Paint Restorer in the bathroom cupboard”

So, we grabbed a couple of cloths and dusters and set to on the starboard. Now, I know it’s been six years since we bought the boat, but I hadn’t realised just how flat the paint had become. All it needs now is a good polish and a buff-up and it will look as good as new. Well, it will do once we have rubbed down and filled in the scratch marks. We really were quite proud of ourselves after all that effort.

Needless to say, as soon as we had finished, down came the rain, and it didn’t stop for the rest of the day and, as far as I can tell, all night too. It’s stopped now and the sun is trying to break through, so perhaps we’ll get moving this morning.

Trevor, or Sun Trevor, here we come.

Silly me on the Llangollen

Saturday 16th June

Even though the weather was looking somewhat threatening yesterday morning, we set of at 07.45 with only a vague idea as to how far we would get. Trevor Basin was overflowing with boats and I wouldn’t have been surprised to see them stacked on top of each other. So, that was out and, since it wasn’t raining yet, we continued on hoping to reach Llangollen. Sadly, no sooner had we passed Trevor Basin than the heavens opened up. We therefore pulled in at Sun Trefor – that’s the Welsh spelling – and have stayed the night.

For the rest of the day we were confined to barracks and could do nothing but watch the rain fall. No matter, we’ve always got plenty of books to hand and, of course, the radio, which we pay more attention to than the telly. There’s such a load of crap on that I wonder why we still have one on the boat. I’m seriously looking to buy a decent 12 volt record player with recording facility, so that we can play our old vinyl albums and record them to cd.

This morning, although the wind has dropped, it is now coming down like stair rods. But, we have a secret weapon, in the shape of a ginormous umbrella, a gifet from our son David some years ago. This thing has come in useful on several occasions and we wouldn’t be without it.

For the most part the Llangollen is much like any other canal, plenty of wild vegetation and moorings separated by miles of open spaces and areas where it is impossible to moor up. But, from Trevor Basin onwards, that all changes. Being an area of outstanding natural beauty this stretch of canal is open to government and European grants and, with all that lovely, free mazumah, both sides of this stretch are lined with concrete blocks. There are one or two gaps in this, especially on the opposite side to the towpath but, in general it’s well lined for most of the way.

Between Sun Trevor to Llangollen, about two miles or so, there are two short stretches, of 300 and 500 metres respectively that are only wide enough for one boat to pass through. This means that Wifey has to walk ahead with her mobile and, if there is another boat coming through, warns me to stay put until they are through. If it’s all clear, then I can go on. In some places this can be a delicate operation because, not only is it very narrow, but it’s very bendy and you’re driving against a current. This two mile stretch can take up to 1½ hours to complete.

Unfortunately, although the canal is wide enough for two boats to pass safely, the powers that be have not included quite as many mooring spots, especially for the holiday season. What with the concrete blocks and the solid towpath, which has been tarred and loosely gravelled, it’s impossible to stop anywhere between Trevor Basin and Sun Trevor, and then the two miles to Llangollen, where you can only stop for 48 hours at a cost of £6 per night. The £6 does include electricity and a water supply though, so it’s pretty reasonable.

Regardless of the weather, we’re off to Llangollen this morning. Looking outside right now, we’ll probably need that gamp again. The forecast for the weekend is for more of the same, so I doubt we’ll get any painting done.

Sunday 17th June

As I said yesterday, 1½ hours to Llangollen, mostly in the pouring rain. Once again we managed to find a spot at the top, rather than having to go through to the basin, which is a much longer walk into town.

Our first port of call, once we had enjoyed our cup of coffee, was the hardware store, which lies at the far end of the town, on the A5, the road most travelled by us when visiting Auntie Bob and Uncle Ron. We found the masking tape but, as we expected, they didn’t have a buffing disc for the drill.

After that a trip to a few shops; butcher, baker, general store, greengrocer, the local supermarket; and, of course, the ice cream parlour.

The River Dee, which runs through the town, was in full spate. Indeed, of the three visits we’ve now made to Llangollen, we’ve never seen it so angry. Falling in would not be a safe bet under those conditions.

Sadly the rest of the day was rather wet and windy, so we still didn’t manage to improve on the paintwork. Today though has started calm and fairly bright and so, even if we only manage to paint behind the stern rail, this would be an achievement.

With only 48 hours of mooring allowed along here I’m afraid, come hail or shine, we have to retrace our steps towards Ellesmere and back to the Shroppie. Meanwhile, around midday, we’ll be trying the delights of one of the local pubs.

Monday 18th June

Llangollen lies way down in the Dee Valley, whilst the canal is way up there in the clouds. Consequently, when visiting the town from the canal, we have a rather steep hill to negotiate downwards, or an equally steep flight of steps.

Yesterday lunchtime we decided to take the stairs, simply because they would, supposedly, bring us out a wee bit closer to the pub we wanted to use. Sadly, no pub. In its stead we found a huge block of flats.

O.K. No worries, we’ll just walk in the opposite direction to the next one. That one was closed and up for sale.

The nearest one to us is a huge hotel, and we hate hotels, so we decided to take a walk across the bridge and into the middle of town, where we found a one bar pub called The Bull. Now, although this was only small inside, judging by the light hearted behaviour of the clientele, it was certainly friendly and popular. And, with the price of a Guinness only £3.10 pence I’ll remember it for next time.

After telling you lot that I shouldn’t moan in my blog, will you allow me just a small one? Pretty please!

At Tesco, some time ago, I bought a bunch of shiny, new socks. After one wash they will now fit Sheila. Thank goodness for that, otherwise my money would have been wasted altogether. They were a pretty good fit at first but, what can you expect from cheap goods?

I could indulge in a second moan, this time about Aled Jones’ discussion about gay marriage yesterday morning, but I’ll refrain. Suffice it to say, why enter into such a discussion on radio, when the majority of gay people are, according to some surveys, totally uninterested in the matter? Well, they wouldn’t be, would they, because the vast majority of heterosexual folks don’t seem very much interested in marriage either? ‘Nough said!

Well, we’ve had our 48 hours at Llangollen and must be on our way this morning. The sky looks clear at the moment and, with a bit of luck, we’ll get to wherever we decide to go without getting a soaking.

Tuesday 19th June

Unusually for us we travelled six miles yesterday and moored up just short of Whitehouse Tunnel. This was with the express intention of carrying out further paint jobs. Sadly, all we managed was the application of green paint to the already applied rust preventative on the port side, and we then had to wait until it dried. Pretty soon along came the rain, putting paid to further efforts with paint. I did, however, manage to finish off the diamonds on the front of the cratch, so all was not lost.

This morning has started with a completely clear sky, but, as we already know about Welsh weather, what starts out fine can easily turn to mush. We live in hopes.

Meanwhile, the bus goes to Chirk from here, well, actually from a stop above the tunnel, so we’ll either take a trip this morning or, if it stays fine and sunny, Sheila will go whilst I slave away with the paint brush.

Wednesday 20th June

It’s raining. Well, there’s a surprise. But, as a young woman replied when, on the approach to Llangollen, I remarked about the lousy weather, “This is Wales, what do you expect?”

Thank goodness it wasn’t like it yesterday. We waited until after 09.30 and caught a bus into Chirk, only to discover that our passes are not valid in Wales, except if the start point or destination is in England. Ah well, we’ve done alright so far.



When we arrived back at the boat, after we had a coffee and read the Mail, out came the brushes and paint pot and, with no interruption from the Welsh weather, painted all the green along the port side. We now only have the bow and stern to do, and we need to restore the red on this side too.

The next project after that’s done will be the roof, which is a job for Wifey, although, now I come to think of it, we could paint up to the middle from one side of the boat, and then the other side when we’re moored along the opposite bank. It does seem a little unfair for Sheila to have to paint all of it on her hands and knees, which I am unable to do on these mechanical things.

According to our Nicholson’s Guide the short tunnel ahead of us, and which we will go through later today, is called Whitehouse Tunnel. According to the local bus stop timetable, it’s Whitehurst. Just thought I’d pass on that wee snippet of useless information before I post this blog.

All the best for now from Dave, Sheila and Rusty.

Shiralee Cruise 2012 # 11

Ellesmere to St Martin’s Moor





Canoeists at Maesbury, on the Montgomery


Thursday 7th June (Cont)

Hello again from Ellesmere. I do hope you enjoyed the photos I included in the last blog. I keep meaning to sort through all our previous pics and making a separate file just for the blogs, simply because the lousy weather lately does not predispose me to wandering around with my Olympus hanging round my neck. I might just get the opportunity to sort those out later today, if Wifey gets the laptop out.

Meanwhile, with even more rain about, it doesn’t look like we’ll get any paintwork done today, and we have three nice, shiny and new pots of the stuff to open up. Ah well, I can dig out my lump of ply and start designing the back door panels.

Now, as my brother will confirm, I’m not one for fishing. In fact, when it comes to that particular sport, I am an abject failure. So it came as something of a shock when, on Radio 2 this morning I discovered why that may be. I wash too much. According to perceived wisdom – or is it just a fisherman’s tale – you should not go fishing if you have just washed. Apparently the fish do not like the smell of soap!!

What’s more, people who shower every day are more likely to suffer sickness. So, on the one hand, if I don’t was I will probably be able to catch loads of fish but, if I shower every day I’ll be ill. Hmmm! There’s got to be a moral somewhere amongst that lot, but I can’t see it just yet.

Friday 8th June

We decided against taking the busted 12 volt t.v. in for repair. After checking into how much it cost, and knowing there would be a minimum charge of £40 plus parts, and suspecting that a new Power Supply wouldn’t come cheap, we figured the game wouldn’t be worth the candle. Besides which, we still have a telly, which we don’t really bother with very much whilst cruising. So, we’ll wait until we return to Mercia before making a decision about a new 12 volt model.

It doesn’t look like we’ll be moving on today, the weather is really bad, just like yesterday. Luckily we still have another day of mooring time, so we’ll just have to sit tight.

Meanwhile, yesterday I actually got around to cutting up the ply for my back door panels. Now, all I have to do is design the layout, for which I shall us my Print Master programme and some good clipart. I’ll keep you posted on progress.

Saturday 9th June

Well now, our 72 hours is up this morning, so we should be moving on but, looking at the state of the weather, that’s looking pretty doubtful. It’s absolutely bucketing down, even as I pound the keys. Luckily BW Mooring Wardens are pretty thin on the ground these days, probably due to their new charity status. If the state of the moorings along this and the Monty are anything to go by, the future does not look too encouraging. Even at the locks and designated mooring areas, much of it is overgrown.

Who likes proper coffee, by which I mean percolated or cafetierre type coffee? Well, we do and, ever since the days of visits to Aunty Bob, we’ve always used Coffee Mate as a whitener. Coffee always seems to taste better with that, rather than ordinary milk.

Yesterday we took a quick walk into Tesco for said whitener and, bless my soul, there was none to be found, except the small containers of the Light variety, and we hate anything that suggests reduced sugar or a replacement sweetener.

Initially we were unable to find where it was being kept. This was unsurprisingly really, since it was on a bottom shelf and in just the one row, most of which was Tesco’s own brand. Eventually we found it, with the help of an employee and I asked why the normal stuff was not available. He then checked on his lovely computer and, much to our amazement, that particular product was no longer available because there’s obviously insufficient demand.

Outside this brand new store are banners and posters proclaiming their efforts at helping the community! Yeah! Right! Profits were down last year, I do believe.

The brightest point was our evening meal of the kate and syd pie that we bought from the local deli/bakery the day before. Scrumtious is the only adjective for that particular jumminess. Alright, yumminess is also an adjective. But you see my point. Real tasty fare at some of these local shops. Fortunately we’ll be coming back this way……….!!

Sunday 10th June

I don’t get it! Yesterday afternoon we hitched up the laptop and had no bars up on the dongle. So, as is my wont, I attached it to the top box on the roof and, hey presto, we had lift off, with three bars showing. This morning, with the dongle still in position on the roof and three bars up, no service. So, what is the point in showing the signal strength if there’s no service out there? Still, we already know just how erratic mobiles and dongles can be up here in wild and woolly Wales.

Yesterday evening, just for a change because we don’t usually bother with such things, not even on a Sunday, we had a roast dinner. With a really succulent piece of lamb to ingest we Wifey went looking for the mint sauce, two of which she found in the cupboard. The first of them had a sell by date of 2008 and had been sitting there for so long, that the residue of mint and vinegar had rusted holes in the lid. I wonder what that stuff does to our innards!

When we arrived here at the top of Welsh Frankton Locks, well, just past them and bridge # 1 West, the wind was becoming quite strong but, as we had already travelled three miles, we decided to pull in. Unbeknown to me until we looked in the Nicholson Guide, we’re only a mile away from the pub we’ll use today, so we won’t be leaving here early today.

Monday 11th June

The pub we’ll use today! Hmmm, another robber. £3.60 for a pint of Guinness. I had my usual two pints and left, never to return. Even then I had to ask the barman to top up the vicar’s collar of froth.

There’s a huge sign by the canal as you approach the pub saying, ‘Welcome, moorings available opposite the pub’. Why are they so keen to welcome boaters, only to stitch them up with high beer prices? This, the Narrow Boat at Maestermyn, is a very attractive pub and, from what I remember of the menu when we passed through here last year, the food prices were pretty reasonable. The attraction here is in the varied menu, so why antagonise your customers by hiking the beer prices? Ah well, with the amount of pubs lining the canals, not all of which are keen to rob and pillage, we boaters have a choice. It’s never more than a few miles to the next one.

Apart from the disappointment with pub prices yesterday, we did manage to get a little work done on the boat. Well, I did, unfortunately we’re a little too low in the water here to be able to paint the sides. Still, I did paint the yellow diamonds on the cratch and expect to paint the green and red ones sometime during the next couple of days. Having said that, with the erratic weather we’ve been subjected to of late, I’m not banking on it.

At the moment it is dry but overcast and we’re only travelling about 3 miles, to a place called St. Martin’s Moor. This is a long, wide stretch of canal with plenty of mooring spaces and, as I also recall from last year, can produce some stunning sunsets.

Tuesday 12th June

It’s looking good, the sun is shining here at St Martin’s Moor on the Llangollen. We arrived here yesterday morning and immediately set to with some painting. Well, not quite immediately, we had our cup of coffee first, of course.

I think I mentioned our trip into Oswestry on 1st of the month, where we bought a twin pack of smoke alarms. I may also have mentioned that the first one ‘beeped’ at us in the early hours just two days later, which ‘beep’ we took as a warning that the batteries were low. Two days!

Anyway, we replaced that unit with the spare and, at 04.45 this morning, that too warned us that the batteries were low. So, being in a rather ratty mood at being awoken at such an ungodly hour, I fired up the laptop and shot off a message to the manufacturers. Oh, by the way, when the first one ‘beeped’ at us we immediately bought some spare batteries, at a staggering cost of £4.50 for a pack of two. Needless to say, these smoke alarms require three batteries each.

I shall, of course, fit the new batteries asap, but only after Wifey has crawled out of the pit.

Other news. We’ve now painted the red diamonds on the face of the cratch and also painted, along the starboard side, all the green below the gunwale. If the weather is kind to us today we’ll have a go at the green above the gunwale, after which it will be the turn of the cream coloured parts. We still have a lot to do, but we are determined to have it all done before we return to the marina.

Panic! Panic! I’ve just come back from walking the dog and was met with a blank screen on the laptop. This is not unusual because, as with most computers, it has built-in power saving system and automatically goes off if left unattended for a certain amount of time.

Under normal circumstances all I have to do is run my finger over the scroll pad, or whatever the pesky thing is called, and up will come the screen. This time, nothing, not a glimmer, absolutely zilch! OMG! Now what do I do? I have visions of turning around and returning to Ellesmere and the local computer shop.

Obviously my next step was to consult with Wifey – still in the marital pit – which is when I noticed that I had not switched on the Inverter. No power to laptop=no laptop. Simple! A big sigh of relief but, had it not been for that darn smoke alarm waking me up, and had I not immediately jumped out of bed and removed the wretched thing, I would have followed my normal routine and switched on the blooming Inverter before anything else.

Could this be a doom-laden warning? Should I, some time later today, back up the laptop? I only did so a couple of weeks ago but, hmmm, maybe I should.

Now, on a totally different subject, I wonder how many of you read the Dirk Pitt novels by Clive Cussler. We do and, what’s more, we keep a list of those we haven’t read, in a nice little book, in Wifey’s handbag, just in case we find a charity shop with a good selection of books. We never buy brand new if we can help it, and we avoid hard backs, waiting for the paperback to appear.

Anyway, according to the novel Inca Gold, some time back in the ‘90s, the USA went over to the decimal system of measurements. Yes, I know they already have dollars, but this was, supposedly, all about the metric system of weights and measures that we Brits have adopted just to please the Europeans. So, what does Mr Cussler do in this novel? Well, alongside every metric measurement he has included a bracketed equivalent ‘old’ measurement. Does he really think we are all so dumb? Or does he perhaps think his American readers are dumb?

This will not put a damper on us reading these novels, but I have to wonder what his publishers were thinking to allow this unnecessary lapse in consideration for his reading public. You expect to find this kind of thing in recipe books, sometimes even extending to British, American and Metric units. But surely, not in a novel> This is a first for me and, I hope, will not be repeated.

Whilst writing that last section of drivel, I was astonished to see a cow, from the field across the other side of the canal, jump in the water and take a swim. Well, perhaps it fell in whilst taking a drink but, off it swam, upstream, not a care in the world, and disappeared into the distance. Whether, or not, it managed to climb out again, is anybody’s guess.

I was a wee bit slow there and should have grabbed the camera to record the happy event. There will probably never be a repeat performance.

O.K. Since Wifey is still in bed, it is only 06.55, I shall attempt to post this blog. I’ll also slip in a couple of photos, but they won’t all be from this year. Unfortunately it is not possible to include photos whilst I’m writing, as they have to be added after posting.

Ooops! Sorry! That will have to wait until later. I forgot. When the computer ‘crashed’, I also lost the Internet connection and I simply can’t be bothered setting it up again.

Wednesday 13th June and I am finally online again and can post this blog.

Cheers for now.

Dave, Sheila and Rusty.

These are the last two plaques from the shop in Audlem

Shiralee Cruise 2012 #10

Weston Arm to Montgomery Canal and back to Ellesmere


Thursday 31st May (cont)

Let’s start with another plaque from that shop window in Audlem!

Well, we’re off to Maesbury this morning, come rain or shine, and it certainly looks like rain. We should be on the Monty until next Tuesday, when we’ll be returning to Ellesmere to collect stuff from the chandlery, after which we’ll continue on to Llangollen.

Tomorrow we will be moored up with the port side – left to you landlubbers – against the towpath so as to get to grips with more paint repairs.

Friday morning, if we can find a bus timetable, we’ll take a ride into Oswestry, which is only a very short ride away.

On Saturday, well, that’s too far ahead to worry about!

Friday 1st June.

Summer is supposed to be here but, having made our way to Maesbury, where it immediately started to rain, we put off the painting and instead sought out a bus timetable from the local Tourist Info Centre, which doubles as a café cum shop. Sadly they no longer supply bread. So, just as well we had decided to pop into Oswestry.

We did manage to at least rub down the offending rust patches and cover them with rust preventative paint. If it is still dry when we get back from town we’ll cover the white patches with green.

In truth the whole boat needs a new coat of paint, but this will require a steady hand around the wording and picture. Can I do it? Well, so long as I can find a really good, soft brush and don’t drink too much beforehand, all should be well. I can always make one of those sticks that artists use to rest the brush-hand on.

Finding a timetable was a doddle compared to locating the bus stop, but I think we finally have it. Hopefully we’ll find other people at the stop and can ask them. The bus goes at 10.04 and takes only about 10 minutes to reach town, but it doesn’t return until well after midday. Looks like we’ll be spending some time drinking coffee and wandering around a bit.

Saturday 2nd June

Yesterday we managed to get quite a lot done. The bus to Oswestry only took about 15 minutes, leaving us over two hours to kill.

Oswestry is something of an urban sprawl in itself, with shops and pubs in just about every side street. The bus route actually runs through a big trading estate, with some of the big national, such as Homebase and Halfords, represented there.

The Market Square is quite small, less than half the size of that in Harlow, yet it still boasts three pubs, none of which we sampled yesterday, I might add.

After a coffee and muffin, we took a wander around the indoor market and then visited a couple of other shops, including a jewellers and an Orange outlet, where we explained about being unable to use Sheila’s SIM in any of our phones.

“When did you last make a call on it?”, asked the nice man.

“Oh, it must be well over a year ago”, says Wifey.

“Well then”, replied the nice man, “that’s why. If you don’t make a call for more than six months, the account is

automatically suspended, just in case you lost the phone, or had it stolen.”

That SIM had about £15 on it and it has now been lost. This begs the question as to why the account is suspended, but only after six months. If somebody found it after it was lost, and if it wasn’t protected by a password, how would Orange know to suspend it? Doesn’t make sense!

Anyway, we then invested in another mobile for Wifey, because there are some areas on the cut where O2 has very poor, or non-existent service, but, as in the case of the Shroppie and Llangollen, the Orange signal is quite good.

Twenty five quid and half an hour later, Wifey walks out with yet another new mobile. She now has two Pay as You Go mobiles, one with Orange and one with O2.

But the story doesn’t end there because, after we’d had a break at home and did some more painting on the boat, Wifey sits down to figure out how to use the new mobile and how to set things up. The nice man in the shop had, supposedly, set her PIN for her, very much the same as the nice lady at the O2 shop when I upgraded mine. And, just as happened to me there, so the same happened to Wifey. After about an hour of messing with the blessed thing, it suddenly asked for a Code. But, it wasn’t asking for her SIM, it was asking for a PUK Code, whatever that is. Of course, when she tried entering her PIN, it wasn’t recognised and, eventually, after much fiddling, the damned thing blocked the SIM, so we now have to return to the Orange shop to get it sorted. Great, more time wasted!

But that’s for later today. First we have to get ourselves to The Queen’s Head, which is half way back towards the Llangollen, where we’ll take the bus back into Oswestry. This time it shouldn’t take as long, because the service from the is much more frequent.

We would also like to finish off one side of the boat but, as it is looking like even more rain for today, I have my doubts about that. We will, however, enjoy lunch at the local pub, which is called, unsurprisingly, The Queen’s Head.

Our Rusty in a quiet mood

Sunday 3rd June

Another barrel of laughs yesterday. Yet again we took the bus into Oswestry, but not before we moved the boat, and ourselves of course, to the moorings at The Queens Head. With just two spaces left we were fortunate in being able to do so.

Anyway, having just missed the 11.44, we waited a further 30 minutes for the 12.14. Fortunately the nice Orange man had nobody else in the shop and could sort our problem out straight away. Although, with the amount of time he spent on the phone to the office, straight away didn’t quite fit the bill.

So, how were we to know that all their phone PINs are set to 1111? No booklet accompanied the phone, and he certainly hadn’t told us before we left him on Friday. The sole reason for the SIM being ruined, was not knowing that one simple fact.

Eventually, after waiting an age for head office to transfer the previous number to the new SIM, we were on our way.

However, having picked up a few more odds and sods, we eventually arrived back at the boat and Wifey proceeded to fiddle fart about with the phone, entering contacts and such. Having finished her faffing, we thought it might be a good idea for me to give her a call, just to check the phone was working. It wasn’t!

It ‘appeared’ that she now had a new number, because I received a message telling me the number was unavailable. So, we tried the number that, supposedly, came with the phone. Invalid number!

Great! So, Sheila decided to phone me. Unavailable! This then clicked in our brains and told us that Wifey’s nice new Orange phone was out of range. All she then had to do, was take the phone outside and, hey presto, all OK.

What a palaver!

Wifey lounging about

We calmed down after that, and believe me, after yet another failed mobile – or so we thought – the fur was all set to fly, with me thinking she’s another phone up. Happy days.

Maybe lunch at The Queen’s Head today? Who knows.

Monday 4th June

Oh how exciting some days can be, but yesterday wasn’t one of them. Although, we did enjoy a really good meal at The Queen’s Head, for the rest of the day it simply poured with rain, and there’s nothing less exciting than watching the rain stream down the windows of the boat. It’s akin to sitting in a caravan, on holiday, surrounded by kids moaning about not being able to go out because of bad weather.

Mind you, we did put the telly on to watch Gary Barlow and his Commonwealth tour to find singers for his Jubilee record. We both enjoyed that one and found it very uplifting, somewhat like the Forces Wives programme.

So, yesterday was probably more enjoyable than we expected, despite the rain.

Today, as the weather men have promised a dry one for a change, we’ll be making our way back to the Weston Arm, where we’ll stay overnight. We’ll leave there around midday on Tuesday and move up the Frankton Locks and back onto the Llangollen.

Moored up on the Weston Arm

Tuesday 5th June

Dry, but a wee bit chilly yesterday morning, but we made it to the Weston Arm by about 10.30. Strange to say, even though it was a dry day, neither of us felt like doing much, just touched up a bit of paintwork here and there, and filled in some of the magnolia on the cratch.

We did stay up rather late though, in fact an hour past our normal bedtime, and watched the Jubilee Concert. In parts the sound was pretty awful but, in others, they seemed to get it right for TV audiences. Could have done without some of the earlier ‘stars’ though, and it’s a shame McCartney couldn’t come up with something original. No wonder Her Maj. turned up much later. All in all though, not too bad though.

The Weston Arm has room for about six ‘legally’ moored boats, with room enough for another three on the water points. Since there is only enough room for three boats at the bottom of the locks, we often find that boats also moor on the water points overnight. It’s just as well that the locks don’t open until midday, and that at least one of those ‘illegally’ moored boats makes its way further down the canal before then, otherwise there could be a few altercations between those wanting water and those who wish to stay on the water point.

When we’re finally through the locks today, I’m hoping we can moor up at the top, rather than return to the last place we were moored up on the Llangollen, which will be easier for phone and dongle.

Wednesday 6th June

Well, as I expected, no room up top for us to moor overnight, so we moved on to the first available moorings, which were between bridges 66 and 67. Of course, as I also suspected, not enough signal strength to post this blog, which already runs into seven pages.

By the time we had passed through the four Frankton locks and found the moorings it was already past one pm and, with the overgrowth of grass along here, coupled with the wind and rain, we decided against further paint work.

Ah well, another lazy day of chilling out and reading. Oh, but we did switch the telly on again, this time to watch Rolfy and his art class.

Today is a must for getting to Ellesmere, come rain or shine. We have stuff to collect from the chandlery, shopping to do and I want to see if I can find a TV repair man for our 12 volt job, the power supply of which I blew up a few weeks ago whilst attempting to make up a proper, 12 volt lead. I find it staggering that a company advertise a 12 volt set, for use in caravans, boats and trucks; on ly one of which is possibly fitted with an inverter; and them only supply a 240 volt adaptor. There’s no point in supplying the adaptor if you don’t have a 240 volt supply to plug into! Dumb, I call it.

Thursday 7th June

What a surprise, it’s raining again.

When we finally arrived here at Ellesmere yesterday morning, we immediately collected our coal and other bits from the chandlery and, after lugging all that back on a sack barrow, a cup of coffee and on to the town for shopping.

It was a really lovely day when we left the boat but, after about an hour of wandering and stopping off at the butcher, chemist and baker, we finished our shopping spree at Tesco, which was when the heavens opened up. No coats, no brolly and looking like drowned rats by the time we reached the boat with trolley and two bags. Like I said, a lovely day.

Needless to say no painting got done, just another chill-out day, which suits us retirees just fine.

This morning is looking pretty bleak too, so I’ll just have to knuckle down to designing the panels for our back doors. They will be two panels for each door, with castles at the top and roses at the bottom. I might even slip a cartoon dragon in with the castles. Hopefully that job will start today, but you never know what can come up to stop me, like sunshine perhaps, which would see us both with paint brushes in hand outside the boat.

Enough said for this blog methinks. Time to post.

Best wishes to all you landlubbers.

Dave, Sheila and Rusty.