Thursday, 14 January 2016

Solid Stoves & Old Boots

Our three readers are to be congratulated on correctly identifiying the purpose behind the numerous stove flues in yesterday’s post.  I walked back this morning to investigate and take photos.

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Of course this wasn’t the sole reason for the walk.  It Is wednesday, which means Jan’s weekly magazines need to be purchased. 

It didn’t half bucket down last night and some of it was solid.  The boat sounds like a carillion when the hail hit the bell shaped mushroom vents!  This morning it was clear but rather cold.  We decided to make the most of the weather and cruise the short distance down to Ellesmere Port. 

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This is looking very familiar.  We were last here in September 2013 and not much appears to have changed.  Actually looking at the photos from that visit I seemed to have been doing a better job with taking photos.  But then I was using the expensive camera whereas almost all of my recent photos have been taken using the phone.  I know… a poor tradesman blames his tools!

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Jan mentioned the weather forecast for the weekend was looking grim so we decided that perhaps loitering in Ellesmere Port wasn’t a good idea.  So we winded and left.

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Initially we had the sun directly in our eyes but then the sky clouded over and the mercury fell.  Both of us started to shiver.  But then we are still wearing our summer clothing!  It seems winter might finally be arriving and we may have to change into thick socks and don thermal vests.

It was a three hour cruise back to Chester and along the way I managed to take a photo of nb Old Boots.  I missed the photo opportunity on the way down.

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Can you see the row of moldy old boots above the boat name?  We arrived back in the basin around 1.30pm and had a late lunch after topping up the water tank.  Waiouru is now back on the same mooring as Sunday, except she is facing in the opposite direction.

4 comments :

Hoits said...

Another interesting point about "old boots" is that she appears to be built onto an ex-army(WW11?) Pontoon. At one time these made a cheap way to get flot, but I haven't seen one for years

Tom and Jan said...

The WW2 pontoons I saw when I joined the NZ Army had a square bow. Was the British Army different?

Les Biggs said...

You should have moored in the museum basin for a few days and relaxed. Could have got the train into Liverpool, ferried across the Mersey. How i wish we could have.
Les

Tom and Jan said...

A visit to Liverpool is in the summer cruising plan Les. I was more concerned about being frozen in at the basin where services are sparce.