Blacking

During our recent cruising poor Kelly-Louise picked up a few scars.  Mostly from my attempts to enter locks on the Llangollen where the by-washes (the channel used to allow excess water to by-pass the lock) seem to be rather fiery.  Getting back to the mooring on a very windy day also resulted in a small amount of lost paint.
KL is obviously tied against the mooring which made it very difficult to access the side.  The Llangollen Canal is actually a “flowing canal” which can move the boat around.  Moreover, it’s a popular canal so there are many boats passing the mooring.
I needed to work out a technique for holding KL away from the mooring but keep her steady.  This would enable me to rub down the loose paint and remove any surface rust before applying the blacking.  I didn’t want to leave the boat with loose ropes as the wash of a passing boat might have trapped my fingers between the boat and the mooring.
My solution was to use the boat pole.  This as achieved by tying one end to a stern dolly and the other to a mooring fence post.

Having secured the side of KL away from the mooring it was possible to repaint the various scars.  Peter uses a gloss black paint above the upper rubbing strake and a flat black paint below.  When I took the top off the gloss paint I thought it was rather thick and perhaps should be thinned before use.  However the instruction on the can stated the contents we not to be thinned.  What really surprised me was the viscosity of the flat black paint.  When I opened the can it looked like the contents had already partially set.  That’s when I recalled reading how others had mentioned the same situation when blacking their boats.  It proved to be an interesting task trying to get the paint onto the brush…. let alone transfer it from the brush to the hull. 
However one side is now complete and all that is required is to turn the boat so I can repaint the battle scars on the port side.  Everyday I learn more about boat maintenance.  

Aldermaston Wharf

We’ve made an unplanned trip to Aldermaston Wharf on the Kennett & Avon.  There were two reasons for the trip.  First, we had to finalise our marine insurance and valuation report.  Second, we wanted to discuss Waiouru’s specifications with Andy, our new boatbuilder.

As usual, we hired a rental car from Enterprise.  We started using Enterprise after reading the favourable comments from fellow narrowboat bloggers.  Their daily rate is very competitive but the significant difference between them and most other car rental companies is they will collect and return you to your boat.  Having questioned a number of their staff I also suspect they have a successful business model and corporate culture.

A mobile grit blasting contractor was at work when we arrived at Aldermaston Wharf and it was apparent Andy had asked him to conduct a brief test on Waiouru.

The grit blasting has done a very good job of taking Waiouru’s shell back to bare metal.  It’s likely to take a full day to remove all the paint.

Being exposed to the elements for the last three months has resulted in some additional damage to the interior.  In a few places water has entered through holes for hatches and ventilators resulting in some rusting.

Water also entered the rear cabin area resulting in some rusting to the floor.  Andy now has a cover over the cockpit area reducing the amount of water that can enter the area.

The bare metal floor is where the blackwater tank will go.  I wanted to measure this area to calculate an approximate volume for the tank.  The length of the area is 4’6” and the width is an average 5’.  If the tank is 1ft high we will be left with head room of approximately 5’9”.  This means we will have to stoop slightly in the back cabin. 

I would have liked the blackwater tank to be the same length as the cabin.  That is; 6ft.  However there is a steel cross beam at the 4’6” point which precludes this.  If we had been able to make the tank 6ft long then the height of the tank could have been reduced to 9” giving us an additional 3” of headroom.  Unfortunately the beam is structural and can’t be removed.

The tank size has now been entered into my toilet holding capacity spreadsheet.  Based on our time on Kelly-Louise I’ve also been able to refine our toilet usage calculations.  From these inputs the spreadsheet shows our tank holding capacity should be approximately 50 days.

Looking at the hire boats tied up at Aldermaston Wharf is appears the hire seasons is coming to a close.

An Interesting Day

Well thus far it’s been an interesting day.  We woke to a misty morning and I spent 30 minutes of it on the mooring outside the boat talking to FMIL (favourite mother-in-law) back in sunny Sydney via Skype.  Normally I can’t get a data signal outside on the mooring so she was lucky.  I’m not sure if I really wanted to hear the temperature in Sydney was 29 degrees C. 

I was working on the external aerial when a hireboat pulled alongside Kelly-Louise.  It was Pat, a blog reader who had passed us on the way up the Llangollen Canal.  He’d met Jan but I’d been out walking the day he passed.  It was great to meet one of our blog reader and we hope he and the rest of the crew enjoy the remainder of their time on Emerald.

Pat heads towards Hurleston Junction on Emerald

The other interesting event was the arrival of the small red Royal Mail van with a package from Australia containing the “missing link” patchlead I’d ordered from Telco Antennas.

The patchlead links our external aerial to the Android Samsung mobile phone.

This is yet another photo of the aerial currently taped to the top of a boat pole.  There is an ice cream container tied lower down on the pole (not in the photo) which is used to contain the phone outside where it was sometimes possible to get a voice and data signal. 

However the only guaranteed Three Mobile Network signal was from the aerial.

The patchlead now connects the exterior aerial to the internal antenna socket under the back cover of the Samasung.

The phone is now inside Kelly-Louise rather than outside in the ice cream container.  And YES….!   We now have a strong signal on the phone from the aerial.

The red arrow points at the phone data symbol showing we have a HSPA strength connection.

Now the phone is inside the boat the strength of the wireless connection between the phone and the laptop has also improved.

So we can now make and receive phone calls from inside Kelly-Louise.  The phone can also be used as a wireless router allowing us to make use of our Three Mobile “all you can eat” data plan. 

Once I’ve trialled the setup for a few days I’ll probably drill a small hole in the Samsung rear cover so the patchlead can be attached without having to remove the cover.

Mooring during winter

This morning the day started overcast with a breeze and a forecast of rain.  Whilst we always knew it was going to get cold after nearly 20 years in Australia our bodies did object. 

Once we head off on Waiouru we’re committed to being constant cruisers (CC’s).  By definition we must keep moving around the network moving at least once every 14 days and not immediately returning to the previous mooring.  The latter group are known as “bridge hoppers” or “continuous moorers” and are breaching their license conditions.

All of this made me reflect on our plans for our first winter on Waiouru.  Fortunately this is likely to be next winter so we have a year to prepare.  One think I’ve noticed is, during winter constant cruisers appear to fall into three categories. 

1. Those that take temporary shelter in a marina;
2. Those who pay for a BW towpath winter mooring; and
3. Those who just keep going.

I can understand the advantages of spending the winter in a marina where you obtain relatively easy access to facilities and services (a mooring shore-power, water, sewage disposal, etc).  The constant cruiser obviously just struggles on.   But what are the advantages of purchasing a British Waterways (BW) towpath winter mooring?

Looking on the BW website I found the following information

50% of the visitor mooring site will be allocated to winter moorings so that those boaters who prefer to cruise throughout the winter are still able to stop temporarily to use facilities. For this reason the winter mooring section of the mooring site will be at the end of the mooring site furthest from the available facilities to ensure visiting boats are able to make use of them when needed. If there are no signs indicating where the winter mooring space is on the site we would ask that you moor as far from the facilities as possible. It is advisable to have mooring pins with you as bollards or rings may not be available.

An interesting phrase “we would ask that you…..”.  Obviously it’s not obligatory otherwise it would read “you must…..”.    Or is this someone’s attempt to not offend the reader by being autocratic and in the process unwittingly diluting the requirement.

So the winter mooring will consist of no more than 50% of the designated visitor mooring area at the location and will be at the furthest extremes of the mooring to allow those boaters cruising to temporarily stop and use the facilities.

I’ve looked at the BW website to get an idea of the cost of a winter mooring in an area I’m reasonably familiar with.  The location only has water and the monthly cost of mooring Waiouru would be £148.  That is rather expensive water!

My assumption is a continuous cruiser who is prepared to pay for a winter mooring would also want relatively easy access to, water, pumpout/elsan, rubbish, access to transport or shops and perhaps shore-power.  Otherwise… why bother?

Then I recalled a recent towpath conversation with a boater who cruised during the summer and in the winter he took his mobile home to Spain and Portugal.  He obviously needs to moor his boat during winter.  Moreover, he wouldn’t require any facilities.  Perhaps the BW winter moorings are used by this category of boater?

Finally, I asked myself “How often do BW check their winter moorings?”  Do they “move on” boaters who are squatting on the facilities and what do they do about boats on the moorings without a winter mooring licence and are unoccupied…… pull them from the water… tow them away?  I suspect not!

I suppose these questions will be answered during our first winter as CC’s. 

A short cruise

Yesterday we made a short cruise down to Nantwich staying overnight on the 48 hour moorings before returning today.  The main reason for the move was the blackwater tank needed to be emptied.  Jan was the first to use the loo and after the action came out to inform me the tank indicator LED had gone from Green to Red. 

My first comment was “No breakfast for me then!” 

Kelly-Louise was facing the wrong direction so we took her up through the lock to the winding hole where I did a reasonable job of turning her.  We then when back down through two locks and I again winded her in the entrance to Swanley Marina.  I did an even better job with this movement; not touching any of the banks despite the wind.  Actually I used the wind to my advantage.

We then completed the pump-out without any assistance from the marina staff.  The first occasion we’ve done it on our own.  No doubt there will be many more!  I then had to wind the boat again.  This time I reversed it off the pump out station and used the wind to bring the bow around whilst I manoeuvred the stern into the entrance to the marina.  Again I did it without touching the banks which made me fell rather pleased with my boat handling skill. 

We cruised to the Hurleston Locks and found there was no lock keeper on duty.  One of the pounds was very low and we had to run more water down as one boat coming up had grounded.  That’s when I realised the top lock had no by-wash.  This meant all the water entering the flight of locks has to enter and leave via the top lock.  Unless this is carefully managed the lower locks and pounds can run low on water.  I assume this is why there is usually a lock keeper on duty.

We found there were plenty of vacant 48 hour moorings just beyond the NCC marina and settled for the night.  I eventually managed to get an internet signal on the android phone.  It was my fault; one of the settings wasn’t correctly configured. Both of us had a rather broken night’s sleep with the boat bouncing around in the wind.

Today was clear but blustery.  I managed to get a better photo of the horse before making a Skype call

back to my dear old mum in Perth, Western Australia.  We had our weekly natter and solved the world’s ills.

The wind had started to increase in strength so we decided it might be prudent to get back to the home mooring.  Of course this meant I had to again wind the boat.  A new technique this time.  I stopped KL at the winding-hole and held onto a stern rope allowing the wind to push the bow of KL around. 

Whilst the technique worked I was embarrassed to watch another boater come down after me and effortlessly wind his boat in the same spot without getting off it.  Note to myself………. More practice required!

We then “crabbed” our way back to the mooring in the wind.

The two major pieces of information from all of this are:

1. The capacity of the blackwater tank on KL is 26 days
2. I need to practice my winding technique.

Poor Communications Signal Today

Today was a bad day for a 3 Mobile communications signal.  I know we are in a blackspot so I have been setting the android phone in “tethering” mode and placing it in an empty ice cream container taped to a pole outside the boat.  This usually enables us to receive a signal.  However it didn’t work today.

My guess is we have a problem with atmospheric conditions as the phone doesn’t have either date or voice signals.

To get around the problem I reverted to the 3 Mobile dongle which is connected to the Zoom wireless router.  The dongle is also connected to the external high gain antenna on the pole.  This gives us a full strength data signal and if we needed to make a phone call we could use Skype.  The negative is we are using our 3GB data allowance whereas the android phone has unlimited data.

With a little luck the patchlead I purchased from Australia will arrive early next week and I’ll then be able to connect the android phone to the high gain external antenna.

Meanwhile Jan has been baking lemonade scones (flour, cream and lemonade).  They always turn out light, fluffy and delicious.

Nosey Neighbours

I looked out the window of the boat this morning to see one of our nosey neighbours closely examining our external internet aerial.  I wasn’t particularly perturbed until she looked like she was going to chew on the cable. 

There are 10 of these local girls and they can sometimes encourage each other to misbehave. Fortunately they are moving to a new neighbourhood at the end of the month. 

This one is particularly cheeky!

On the opposite side of the canal, behind the hedgerow, is a large hole in the ground.  It was very noticeable due to the recent earthworks.

When I first saw it I though a new marina was under construction.  However one of the local farmers informs me it’s a fish farm and it froze over last winter killing all the stock.  As a result the owners have been deepening the pond to prevent another mass die-off this winter.  It doesn’t actually look large enough to be a commercial fish farm and I suspect may actually be a private pond for paying recreational fishers.

Ice Cream

Today was our first attempt at making EasiYo ice cream.  Why make ice cream when it’s cheaper to purchase the readymade end product?  There are two reasons.  The first is the flexibility it provides.  The ice cream is in a sachet so we are able to carry a sizeable quantity ready to be made whereas the finished product takes up room in the freezer.  The second reason is taste!  The EasiYo allows us to use our imagination and make whatever flavour we like.
You can purchase the EasiYo ice cream making kit for about £9.  What you get for your money is a 1.5 litre plastic container with a lid and two sachets.  One vanilla and the other chocolate.  Although we purchased the kit, frankly I don’t think it’s necessary.  We’re not that interested in chocolate ice cream and would have preferred two vanilla sachets.
The process is very easy with the instructions on the back of the sachet.  Add cold water to the contents of the sachet and mix in the container.  Place the container in the freezer until it starts to harden and then remove.  The mixture should have the consistency of sorbet.

The mixture will only quarter fill the container.
Then you need one of these……….

Got ours from Tesco at less than £5.  Beat the mixture in the container for up to 5 minutes on full speed.  Make sure you get into the corners and the base.  The mixture will more than double in volume.  With my first attempt the mixture almost overflowed the container. 

Place back in the freezer until set.  Of course you could add whatever flavours, fruits, etc to the mixture.
I don’t believe the 1.5 litre container is necessary and the mixture could be made in any suitable sized container.  Then, when the final mixing is complete the ice cream could be transferred to one or more containers for setting in the freezer.
The chocolate flavour has now been tested.  It certainly tasted of chocolate and was creamy.  However I’m reserving final judgement until I’ve sampled (tested) the vanilla sachet.
Oh, where did we get the EasiYo sachets.  They are stocked by most Lakeland, Julian Greaves and Lawsons stores.  Alternatively, you can got to the EasiYo website <here> and look for a local stockist or order online.
Bruce on nb Sanity recently posted about a method where it was possible to extend the volume of EasiYo yoghurt produced from one sachet.  Jan now has another method which is simpler and produces even more yoghurt from one sachet.  I’ll describe how this is achieved in a future post.

Alternative Shopping Centre

All this delicious home cooking is starting to shrink my belt.  Time for a walk!  Google Earth had shown me there was a Sainsburys on the far side of Nantwich along with some buildings in the satellite photo that looked suspiciously like a retail park.  So I slipped on my old New Balance “Trailblazer” All Terrain joggers and headed East.  These days the shoes have been worn so much there is no foam padding and little tread left on them but I’m loathed to throw the shoes out as it would mean I’d be forced to wear the new pair I purchased whilst in Plymouth. 

I don’t want to wear out the new pair.  They are such great shoes <sob>

The route wasn’t all that difficult and the Sainsburys was far larger than I had expected.

I was also correct about the retail park. 

Jan would have been proud of me.  I kept my hands in my pockets and didn’t purchase anything!

When I returned to the boat Jan informed me an Anglo-Welsh hire boat had gone past during my absence and the steerer was a blog reader.  She didn’t get his name so hopefully we will see him on his way back down the Llangollen Canal and get the opportunity for a chat.

The Dinette

Many boats have a dinette which frequently doubles as a second bed.  By placing the table and seating on the plinth it’s also possible to use the area underneath for storage, water, sewage tank, etc.

Whilst back in Australia, and at the beginning of this project, we decided not to have a dinette on Waiouru.  Mainly because we don’t want to give up the space in the saloon.  We think that we’ll be able to manage eating with a lap tray in our boat recliner chairs.  However we did realise a table would provide additional bench space and would probably be necessary when we had guests so we started looking for a suitable folding table.

When we moved to Kelly-Louise we both immediately realised Peter & Margaret had solved the problem for us with their folding table.

The table has two folding leafs and four folding chairs that fit inside the frame.  After some searching we have identified this style of table can be purchased as a kitset from stores such as Argos and cost approximately £170.  When not required, our table will probably be placed under the starboard side hatch.

So another milestone achieved.

Boat Oven

The size and type of oven on Waiouru is important for both of us.  Jan will have to use it and I will eat the results.

The first decision Jan made was it would be a wall oven with a separate bench top hob.  The second decision was the cooking would be done with gas.  As Waiouru will have a “thru” galley Jan perceived a problem with removing hot items from the oven.  This would be due to the open oven door extending into the galley isle.  We think we’ve resolved this problem by selecting a Spinflo Duplex oven & grill. 

The unique feature of this model oven is after the door is opened it slides back under the oven compartment removing the oven door from the galley isle.  This will enable Jan to stand directly in front of the oven when removing hot dishes.

Jan would also like to commence purchasing oven pots and pans.  To do this she needs to know the capacity of the oven.  Unfortunately the literature provides the external dimensions of the oven and the volume of the oven cavity.  However after some Google searching I found a site which included the actual internal dimensions.  Jan can now measure pots and dishes prior to purchasing them to ensure they will fit in the oven.

Shrewsbury

Wanting to maximise the use of the rental car during the weekend we decided to go to Shrewsbury.  Why Shrewsbury?  Well it didn’t appear to be near a canal and we wanted to save all the locations near a canal for the time when we are cruising the network.

The direction of our route took us via the Battlefield Industrial Park so we took the opportunity to look around Homebase, B&Q and Wickes.  All window shopping to get an idea of what is available.

I continue to be fascinated by the Tudor style buildings.

Looking at the map I could see the heart of the town is located in a loop of the River Severn.  The river almost circles the town and one assumes this obstacle assisted in defending the medieval town. 

The buildings don’t appear to have a straight edge in them; leaning and tilting in all directions.  My assumption is the original builders didn’t have the means to machine the timber.  Or perhaps they just didn’t bother!  Whatever the reason it must make modern renovating interesting.

Jan rather liked this scene near Shrewsbury Abbey.

 

It was an interesting walk around the town and we spent a pleasant afternoon before returning to Kelly-Louise.  We didn’t explore all of the town and if the opportunity presents itself we’ll go back for a further look.  We returned to KL via the big Tesco on the outskirts of Shrewsbury where we used the opportunity of having a car to fill a large shopping order.

Waiouru is looking forlorn

Yesterday we hired a car from Enterprise and made a trip to the boatyard to discuss the rebuilding of Waiouru.  We’ve been waiting for the insurance company to advise whether they intend sending a loss adjustor to inspect her before we start work.  Unfortunately this delay has resulted in further deterioration to Waiouru and she now looking rather forlorn.

The actual visit and discussion with our new builder, Andy went very well and we feel very positive about the future.  Andy had plenty of good advice and was both willing to listen to our ideas and be critical when he thought we might be somewhat outlandish.  Our biggest concern was the need to increase the water storage capacity.  I made the suggestion that we replace the blackwater tank under the rear cabin floor with a second fresh water tank and mount a new blackwater tank vertically across the stern.  This would mean giving up the computer workstation in the back cabin.  However Andy advised there would be too much weight at the rear of the boat when both tanks were full.  In the end we decided the foredeck would be lowered and returned to the state as first built.  However instead of having storage under the deck we’ll install a stainless steel water tank.  This will give us 100 gallons under the deck and a further 100 gallons in the bow.

We also confirmed our decision to go with a pump-out system.  The tank will go under the back cabin floor as originally planned and Andy said it will be “massive” in capacity.  He thought we might only need to empty it every 5-6 weeks.  The outlet and rinse pipes will terminate on the roof.  I was concerned about the ability of the pump-out to suck the effluent that high and empty the tank.  But Andy told us it wouldn’t be a problem.  I can see the advantage of having the outlet on the roof as it will be easier to access the outlet from either side of the boat.  Finally comment on toilets.  We’ve discarded the idea of the vacuum flush on the basis of price and complexity.  Having looked at the working of both the Tecma and Sanimarin toilet system we have decided on the Sanimarin.  The macerator in the latter is larger and has a stainless steel impeller whereas the Tecma macerator is plastic.

Although I specified one of the side hatches must be large enough to allow major appliances to pass through it this hasn’t been done.  I assume this is yet another piece of information Ben didn’t pass to Tim Tyler.  The washer/Dryer won’t fit through either side hatch and nor will it fit through the stern doors.  It will only fit through the front cabin doors.  This means it will have to be placed in the boat before all the partitions are erected.  The damned thing better not need replacing whilst we’re on the boat otherwise I can see myself disassembling it’s replacement to get it into the boat and then re-assembling it.

Finally, one of the side hatches is also in the wrong place.  They are supposed to be at the end of the 6ft galley but one of them is at 5ft 9ins.  We don’t want the galley bench top to terminate 3” into a side hatch.  Our solution is to extend the bench top on that side beyond the side hatch.  This will give Jan 8ft of bench space on the affected side and 3ft6” on the other side.

Local Walk

It was an ideal day for a walk.  Warm and sunny with a slight breeze!   I had no pre-planned route except I was going to head east.  In the end it was a circular route north of Nantwich and just over 18 km in length.

At Hurleston there is a flight of four locks going down the the junction.

To the left of the flight is the Hurleston Reservoir which is fed by the canal.  This looks like the spillway into the reservoir.

It’s actually difficult to see the reservoir from the canal so I walked to the top of the embankment.

One can’t but be amused by the irony that we discharge our shower and sink waste water from the boat into the canal and it eventually enters the reservoir where it gets pumped back through the pipes into our boat’s water tank for us to drink.

In some instances the water doesn’t travel all that far.  This is the canal water point at the top of the flight.

The first big decision…. LEFT or RIGHT?

I went right and then cut inland away from the towpath following a marked track across meadows.  After two hours of walking country lanes I was starting to think I might have geographically embarrassed myself.

But my instinct for terrain hadn’t deserted me and I safely made my way back to KL after a pleasant 3½ hours.

After the walk a shower was a definite necessity.  Everything was going well until I bent down to reach the shampoo and my iron buns bumped the mixing valve turn the water to full hot.  You probably heard the scream…. yes around 4.00pm GMT!  They are now vivid red iron buns.  I need to practice my showering technique.

Happy Birthday Myles

Happy birthday Myles……… We won’t mention age!

Patchlead

Well following the advice from Craig at Telco Antennas in Queensland, Australia I have placed an order for the ‘patchlead’ that will connect our Samsung Galaxy mobile to the external aerial.  I’m optimistic it will work out and I will no longer have to leave the mobile outdoors on the pole to get a signal.

Today we were able to make two Skype calls back to Australia and speak with some of our family.  We had read on Facebook our eldest son’s dachshund had to be put to sleep after he became paralysed in the back for the second time.  They paid for an expensive back operation after the first occurrence and whilst “Fritz” didn’t fully recover he was mobile and active.

Jan is very upset as she recalls the loss of one of her own dachshunds with the same condition.  Apparently it’s a generic problem which is particularly prevalent in Dachshunds due to their long backs.  I did read they are now attempting to minimise the problem with selective breeding.

Good luck in your next life Fritz.  Hope you catch some of those cats……. and stay away from the snakes!

Relaxing

First a photo for my favourite mother-in-law.  These were going very cheap in a Nantwich shop and I was unable to resist the temptation.  Bet you have difficulty buys them in this quantity back in Australia!

A while ago we were moored on the towpath basking in the late afternoon sun.  It was time for a fruit juice.

A tasty little merlot from Chile.  Looked at the wines from Oz but the exchange rate makes them rather uncompetitive.  Jan didn’t want her photo taken.

And this smelly fat old tramp just sat down and started to eat the cheese and snacks whilst partaking of the fruit juice.

Why is it some boaters think when the bow of their boat has passed the stern of your moored boat they can increase their speed?  There is also a wash from the stern!   And it’s not just hire boats that go past at speed.  All of this has made me aware of the need to carry some medium size plastic fenders on Waiouru.  I also have an idea for a more substantial towpath anchor point to reduce the possibility of the pins being ripped from the ground.