Quick update

Just to let you all know that we are still about and cruising. After spending the winter in the Midlands, we spent three weeks at Stafford Boat Club doing a complete repaint before heading south to the Canalway Cavalcade at Little Venice. After that, it was three weeks on the Lee and Stort before returning to London and the Grand Union Canal. Now moored at Winkwell, when I get anything really interesting to report, trust me, you will be the first to know.

Winter cruising.... and ice

Last Monday we were at Alrewas, we had several appointments made and had to make the decision as to where we were going to stay.... for a few days... if we were iced in.....or as to where we were wanted to be. This is our first winter as continuous cruisers, we have lived on the boat for many years but have always in the past come back to Hopwas to moor at the bottom of Mum and Dads garden for the winter with all facilities 50 yards away. This year is different, Mum and Dad have gone, the house at Hopwas has been sold and we are now continuously cruising. We had been moving around, we had left Stafford, been to Alrewas and need to be somehwere accessible for the forecast bad weather and cold snap. We decided on Whittington, a Staffordshire village with a regular (half hourly) bus service to either Lichfield or Tamworth, plus a local co-op, pharmacy, post office, take away and two pubs.... decision made. What else do we need. WATER!!!! Not in the canal but the drinking variety. We can survive with the various loos, (a combination of cassettes and pump out for a couple of weeks), food - no problem, diesel - we have plenty, coal and logs, getting low but good for a few days yet. However, our water tank is only 100 gallons, we have become expert at using very little water for washing up and our economy showers are something to behold, but, with the best will in the world, we can only last 4 days on our 100 gallons. (Compare this with the usage in an average household and you will see that we are being very miserly!!) This is where diplomacy kicks in..... or, as in our case, you know the couple who own the canalside house just 150 yards away. So, this morning, we started up the engine, selected forward gear and attempted to move forward. And stopped, this ice is different, normal ice cracks, ,makes a lot of noise and lets you go forward. This ice is like a sponge, you go forward and it absorbs you. Back a bit, forward a bit, and eventually we reached our goal, Eric and Doreen's water tap!! After filling our tank we reversed back to our mooring, this must be the first time I have managed to reverse 150 yards without touching the tiller, we just glided back through the channel we had made, moored up, sorted ourselves out and went back to Eric and Doreens for a cup of coffee and biscuits. Result!! Thank you very much.

2013 - and a Happy New Year to you all!!

Time for a post methinks.... it has been a while. Christmas was spent with the family in Hampshire and New Year was spent with friends at Stafford Boat Club. All in all, a very good Christmas and New Year. Time then, once the festivities were all over, to start cruising again, this being our first winter as continuous cruisers. One obvious subject is the weather, first we were forecast to receive the 'beast from the east'. Admittedly, we did get a couple of cold days, one morning the thermometer went down to minus 5.7C and there was a little bit of thin ice on the Shroppie. Then we were to get the 'pest from the west', i.e.rain, and that indeed we did get. Hopefully, there will be no-one telling us in 2013 that there is a water shortage amd that the resevoirs are not full. Obviously, every cloud has a silver lining and the wet winter SHOULD mean trouble free cruising in 2013. Then there is the weather we are getting at the moment, sitting here on Tixall Wide, it is more like a spring day than a winters day! The weather is mild, it is dry and the sun is shining. We have to keep the fires in otherwise it gets damp, but, we also have to have the sidehatch open sometimes! We've spent a couple of days here, peace and quiet after all the hectic festivities, there was a bit of sorting out to do, I always try to operate by the premise that if I get something new for the wardrobe then something has to go (BUT, this does not seem to work with her shoes!!) So, the wardrobe was emptied and tidied, but all I could find to thow away was a couple of pairs of old slippers, who needs five pairs of slippers anyway? We did venture as far as Great Haywood today, we needed water and to dump some rubbish, a newspaper and a couple of things from the shops, there were boats everywhere! Queues for the water point, no empty moorings, so, as soon as we had done our business we scurried back to the peace and quiet of Tixall Wide. What next? We may head towards Penkridge for a couple of days before turning round and going, firstly, to Rugeley for a couple of days and then Hopwas or Fazeley for a couple of days as I have a few meetings to attend in the next week or so and both these locations are good for access to the rail network.

Sunset over Tixall Wide 02.01.13

Winter on the Shroppie

During our first winter as continuous cruisers, we have spent the last 38 days on the southern section of the Shropshire Union Canal. All 17 miles of it available to us because of winter closures. We have moved up and down, and up and down, stopping at Brewood (lovely butchers), Wheaton Aston,(sanitary station out of order most of the time), Gnosall (lovely butchers) and Norbury. We have also managed to find plentiful supplies of wood to feed the stove to keep us nice and warm. I would like to think that we have complied with the rules, and, more or less, I honestly beleive that we have. We have thoroughly enjoyed the villages, the local shops, and their inhabitants, and last night, we had the pleasure of looking at the Christmas lights displayed in Haughton. They were absolutely fantastic and raise a lot of money for charity. But, all good things must come to an end and we are now heading south on the Shroppie towards the Staffs and Worcs to Stafford. From there we will head over towards Tamworth and then who knows where? All in all, our first experience of continuous cruising is going well. Other continuous cruisers seem to be very friendly and willing to offer advice. What a lovely community and one I feel honoured to be part of! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

Winter maintenance...

One thing that I have noticed about the Shroppie is the standard of maintenance. I appreciate it was built later than some canals, but, most of the bridges seem to be in good condition and there is a reasonable depth of water in the canal. It has its problems with cuttings and embankments which will always cause problems... The main point of this latest blog though is that the Shroppie where I am cruising has just benefitted from the annual hedge to edge trim. I have first hand experience of this as one side of my boat IS COVERED IN A NICE SELECTION OF GRASS CUTTINGS, LEAVES AND MUD!!!

The Joys of Winter Cruising.....

The weather is mild, okay, there was a bit of a frost the other night and today was a little bit damp, but, the colours of the leaves on the trees up the Shroppie are a joy to behold. Add to this, no queues at the locks and plenty of space to moor even in the usually most popular places. If my memory serves me right, we only passed one boat on the move today. Every season has its moments and winter certainly has its fair share.

Winter is coming....

Well, the boat has been into a boatyard, the old Kabola Diesel heater has been removed and replaced by a brand new Morso Squirrel. And what a difference, the diesel heater was old and was not really controllable, the Squirrel is new and very controllable. We are now entering into our first 'real' winter afloat, we have lived on the boat for several years throughout the winter but always with a home mooring. We are now going to be genuine continuous cruisers. Currently, we are at Compton on the Staffs and Worcs. Been heer a couple of days and moving off tomorrow up the Shroppie. Probably go as far as Brewood, then on to Wheaton Aston and then Gnosall. So far so good. Presently having to rely mainly on coal for heating,apart from not having seen much 'free' wood,seen a bit on the non towpath side of the canal but who owns it? The chainsaw is still down south in the hands of my son and until I can get it back to the boat there is not a great deal I can do with fallen timber. Trying to cut it up with a bow saw just does not seem to be quite the same as using the chainsaw! Anyway, at the moment we are plenty warm enough and I have a long list of jobs that accumulated over the summer months that now need sorting over the winter months.... Speak to you soon...