It's hard work...

...this boat upkeep thing. Spent all day yesterday polishing up the three brass rings on each of K2's 3 chimneys. (well 2 chimneys and an exhaust!)









Here's the before and after shots of the exhaust stack...
Elbow grease, as my Mum used to say, and the effects are being felt today - still looks much better.

Finally finished polishing the vintage brass oil lamp as well. That's a milestone, as I bought the lamp way back before I got K2, and have only now finished it.

Now the question is - where to hang it?

No rollercoaster but brass instead

Forgoing the opportunity to go to Alton Towers for an adrenalin filled rush, I toottled over to K2 instead! So what to do? Lovely sunny Saturday, I could go out, and join the "M north oxford cut", with the hoarding masses, or stay put and enjoy the sunshine.

I stayed in -

And washed bedding, starting sorting the saloon, and polished all the brass on the Ol' Donkey till he gleamed. Cleaned off all the oil as well so that he came back to the condition he was in in when I got him.

A sparkling engine in the sunshine was a great sight, but sadly he wasn't turned over.

Stories abounded in the marina of heroism and rescue, of daring exploites and battling with the wind,

Then the pontoon shuddered, and a new boat, blew straight onto it, and off fell the lady from the back counter! Early bath - we told her it was the initiation rite, and she had passed with flying colours. Apparantly the water here is not warmer than the cut - but I don't intend to test it myself!

Bugsworth Basin

Ok, so I cheated. Wanted in Sale, Manchester, a lovely drive across the Peak national park was called for, and a small deviation from the return route saw me in this delightful spot. Steeped in history of lime kilns and working boats, it was a lovely place to wander for an hour. I loved the "weigh bridge" more accurately known as " the guaging stop place". A stop lock, with calibrated sides, designed to measure the boats cargo weight, and therefore set the approporiate toll for traffic. The Eureka moment in real application!

Spurred on by pictures like this -

of K2 before she was K2, I think I need a major declutter. Julie has something to do with it too, not the clutter, but the declutter - if you follow me. Emptying a 4 bedroom house into K2 has taken its toll, and she isn't quite as sparkly as the picture shows. It won't take a lot to regain that early day lustre, but I need to be a little more ruthless in what I hoard.

If you're in a hurry, you have the wrong hobby.

So there we were again, rushing to meet the 2100hrs end of food time . K2's 1954 engine pounding away at a full 1100rpm! But we headed for a fantastic place, and the staff are so accomodating they made sure we had food and drink even though we arrived bang on 2100! Thanks Guys - couldn't recommend you enough.

Of course the weather forecast was so wrong all week, predicting rain when glorious sunshine occured. That is untill K2 pulled off the moorings, then the predicted rain came in torrents! So after a couple of days that was it, back on the wood again, so everything can dry out.

Come on sun - where are you? Still a little fun was had on the inflatable kayak!!