Of Beagles and Bridges

Out quicker than expected!! the great thing about boats is you can go whenever, an Aston Martin driving experience, and Dan jumped out of 130 miles an hour, and onto 3 mph, as we chugged off for dinner. lovely food, though not great service.

The only winding is done miles away, so K2 went through the stop lock, turned and then joined the queue for that stop lock again!! Which was when another Beagle joined the pack. Bruce was not small, but a happy half hour was spent in which Labrador raided the pub, and nearly got left behind, and Beagles enjoyed company!!

One thing I love on the canals is the bridges - everyone different, everyone hiding a boat coming the other way!! but I think they are lovely. Ivy covered, smashed to bits, or modern, they all have their own character.

Is there a book of canal bridges anywhere...?

And so to return...

In reverse tunnels look exactly the same as outbound. Both again passed uneventfully, well except for the boat that thought was one way, and sat resolutely in the middle of the tunnel, until K2 pushed them onto the wall!! no damage done though, although quite a lot of amazement expressed by the other boat that they passed us!! Presumably they though my tunnel light was the light at the proverbial end!!

British Waterways are doing a great job dredging the Norton junction and Leicester section. The guys were great, allowing us through both ways without a pause, despite a big sign saying "STOP" and ask for permission to pass. Anyways fella's - keep up that work, K2 loves it when she can swim without dredging.

And so to locks. Contraversially, we passed through them late enough to be getting dark, and cruised on another 40 minutes to one of my favorite morrings, but you know what? you get the cut to yourself late at night, and early in the morning, and it's great!

3600yards of tunnel, staircases and rain

Well the rain - it was a lovely day until we got to Watford staircase, then it poured!! but Andy the lock keeper remained cheerful!

A tunnel, flight, the staircase and crick tunnel, and finally moored up outside crick marina. Nearly wasn't though, thanks to some boater who had moored across the winding hole, who assured me the banks were fine to moor on... 40 minutes later K2 woke up again from her 45 degree slumber, and slid back into the deep channel! You should never trust a boater moored across a winding hole!!

Passed ABNB at crick who had sold me K2. I think Barrie was surprised when I rang and said " hey look out the window, I'm sat here!!"

Here now

Amid grey clouds, and a fire to keep warm in the back cabin - ended up winter cruising, back doors shut and stove burning away... Is this August??
Locks all in my favour, with willing helpers on each one, sometimes too willing, as K2 bucked up and ran forward with all paddles opened in a mad rush. Fortunately no damage!! We are now moored in one of the busiest places ever - just outside - yet with little mobile network. How can that be?
Tomorrow the tunnel...
Popped into the workshops in the marina to view our soon to be new neighbour NB Clarence. Certainly is a pretty boat, and being fitted out well. Hope she meets the Mid September deadline, still seemed loads to do !!

Parallel - "You what??"-

See that little switch? the one above "spare"....

Guess what it does!!

Well after stripping the horn and navigation electrics down, wondering why they sometimes work, and sometimes don't, 4 hours later discovered that "parallel" means it runs the power to the switch at the back controls, to power the solenoid, to turn lights and horn on...

Now before you laugh - there IS a nav lights and horn isolator on the fuse board, AND a switch at the back , and without either of those the lights and horn don't work, so why another switch, and why called "parallel" what does that mean...
Anyway, it meant a great 2 hour cruise (lol) so we made a good helmsman out of her!!

K2

It wouldn't be right for me not to pay tribute to the 11 climbers who lost their lives this last week on K2, recognised as the most difficult climb of the high peaks. Whilst some are saying they shouldn't have pushed for the peak, when others were turning round, you have to remember that they were very experience high altitude climbers, and an ice avalanche can occur at any time, without warning.
And before we critise the experts who high climb, remember lives are lost every year on the UK's mountains, by people "tourist" climbing without the correct gear, or regard for the environment they are entering.

Fender ' off....

New purchase of 3 rope fenders from my house neighbours dad (lol - got that?) at Get Knotted, a business he has run for many years. Ideal business - at Warwick top lock, right next door to a pub!

The fenders look great and will be put into use this week to replace those black rubber ones!

Dogs on Tour - eat your heart out!!

One blog I love to follow is that of the 2 humans and five dogs that tour under the "Dogs on Tour" banner. Witty and fun to read. - Hang on..... 5 dogs????
We had 4 this weekend on K2, 2 beagles, a labrador and a german shepherd... here's the weekend crew!! Certainly would not like to be anywhere but tied up with that lot running around, there seemed to be dogs everywhere.
Well, times are changing, and K2 may well be off the pontoon soon... who said life was dull?