More progress was made last weekend, when the varnishing of the T&G which was fitted (last year) was completed and my curtains are coming along nicely, thanks to my mum!

I’ve also been quite lucky, I think, to come across not one, but two Sabb engines currently for sale. One single cylinder, with Hurth gearbox, and a twin cylinder Sabb without. Hopefully they’ll also be delivered to me as well but in the mean time I really need to get the bilges sorted…

I was checking over some of the papers in my “boat folder” and came across and old log which was written by my mum in April 2005, when my parents had just bought their “new” 50ft Narrowboat, from Tring, Herts, up to their mooring on the Bridgewater. I went with them for the ride, and ended up doing some long days to get back in a week…

09/04/05
We arrived at Cowroast Marina at around 12 noon. We went to see the boat to check it, and all is well. Norman and Lynn (friends of ours) bought us from Manchester by mini-bus so to treat them we all went over to the Cowroast Inn for a meal and drinks to celebrate! Afterwards we filled up with diesel and checked the oil, and set off towards home at 4PM, eventually stopping that night at 7.15PM at the Duke of Wellington Pub.

10/04/05
Liam was up at 6.30, Keith & Trish up at 7ish. We lit the fire as it was a cold mooring, and then after Liam checked the oil and water, set off at 8AM. A quick stop at Tesco for supplies at dinner time, and then through a few more locks. We met up with a couple from the Barnton area, who had just bought their boat up north, and were heading down south, the opposite to us! We moored up that night at 8PM and had a quick bite to eat and then off to the pub for a couple of drinks in the Barley Mow, Braunston.

11/04/05
An 8AM kick off this morning, reaching Stoke Bruerne, which is a lovely place! Liam steered through Blisworth Tunnel, who I told I could see somebody on the counter with him! He told me to go away, thinking about the ghost stories the tunnel has. Keith and Liam got rather wet through here, but eventually dried off later when we took fuel on at Alvechurch boat centre north of Blisworth, eventually stopping at the Millhouse Inn.

12/04/05
My Birthday! Set off at 8.30AM. Shortly after setting off we came across a young Lamb in the canal struggling to get out. We stopped in the bridge hole where Keith jumped off and pulled it out. After a lot of Baah’s (maybe a thank you) it was returned to its mum. We took advantage of another Tesco, canal side, and then heading north again, we spot our friend, Tony, also a fellow boater on the towpath. He had driven down from the Bolton area to hand deliver my Birthday card, how sweet! He took a ride on the boat back through a few bridge holes where his car was parked. Later on in the day, as we approached through one of the bridge holes on the North Oxford, we came across a Man and 3 children shouting “Benji, Benji” across the canal. Their little Yorkshire Terrier, obviously called Benji, was in the wate ron the other side of the canal bobbing up and down, struggling to stay afloat! Liam managed to get the boat in close, and Keith lent over and grabbed his back leg - 1 minute more and he would of drowned! He was wrapped in a towel and a large plastic bag to get some heat into him, but we had to shake the poor little mite to get him breathing properly. We gave him to his owner who thanked us a lot. Two lives saved today! Is it going to be 3, I wonder? 85 miles covered, so far, with Liam still in his element! Moored up for the night at the Anchor Inn.

13/04/05
Keith and Liam set off early this morning, leaving me to have a lie in! I got up at the 2nd lock at Atherstone, but shortly after we ran aground in the middle of the pound. What a nightmare to get the boat afloat. With no boat pole, as it wouldn’t fit in the mini-bus, we had to resort to running water down from the pound above to free the boat. We later stopped for the night at Brindley Bank, just passed Bridge 67 on the Trent and Mersey Canal. No pubs tonight, we stayed on the boat, had a few drinks and an early night.

14/04/05
We stopped at the vistors moorings in Stone on the way north. After setting off, we were just coming up through Newcastle Lock, in Stone when the engine cut out. Liam, who was steering, managed to get the boat on to the towpath side, and then dived into the engine room to investiage. The problem was the fuel lift pump! After a few calls to Tony, he very kindly went first off to Jones’s in Trafford Park, and then ran it up for us the following day. It took a while to bleed but we eventually got going later on and moored up for the night at Etruria for a few well earned drinks, after the Stoke locks.

16/04/05
We were restricted by the opening times of Harecastle Tunnel, so we had a late start but still managed to get to the Southern portal for the first convoy through at 9AM. We went straight through Red Bull, dropped down all of the Cheshire Locks, through Middlewich, and eventually tied up in the dark at Broken Cross in Northwich at 9.30PM.

17/04/05
Keith set off at around 7AM, Liam got up later and took over at around 8.30AM. I stayed in bed until 9.30 ish! Heading for Lymm, we met Ian and Margaret at Wincham Wharf and then later on, Joan & Brian off Smiler at Acton Bridge. We made good time through the tunnels, and the Stop Lock, with a quick stop at Thorn Marine in Stockton Heath for some fuel, and then onto Lymm for another short stop, and finally then on to our home moorings.

There have been no updates, for absolutely ages. I tried to think of an excuse why, but can’t! As you should hopefully notice, I’ve completely changed the look and feel of the website. I hope you like it but praise and/or constructive critism wanted please!

All of the posts which I’ve missed out over the past couple of months will be uploaded shortly, with any luck!