Storm Dave

 Who on Earth comes up with these names?   If we'd taken notice of the 'Armageddon' weather warnings, we'd be hiding away until June.  As it happened, we got as far as Bollington on the Macclesfield canal and barely noticed the wind.

REWIND a bit.

Having left the marina and taken many deep breaths whilst 'Mr. Faffer' pulled his boat by hand into Aston Lock, we stopped off in town to buy a few bottles of Villa Maria which was on offer in Morrisons.   They also had a lovey red as wine of the week kind of thing which was rather nice... I can't spell it's name.

We did consider stopping in town for the night but tbh, the place I would prefer to be seems to have a constant moorer ... or rather party of constant moorers taking up the 48 hr spaces.  No doubt with some acceptable health (mental or otherwise) problem meaning they manipulate CRT into letting stay in a honey spot place.  No matter - we decided to chug up to Wedgewood.  I'd read much moaning about Harecastle tunnel now requiring 48 hours notice for a booking, so I logged on and booked for 9am Saturday morning.

Thing was, the weather was nice for chugging so we ended up at Westport Lake... where I thought we'd chance our luck turning up for the 'no notice' session next morning... this being Wednesday afternoon.

All I can say is the fuss on facebook feeds (which generally I don't notice) is unjust.  The tunnel keeper was more than obliging and 9.15 Thursday morning we were heading through the tunnel.   My Tunnel anxiety used to cause me problems but I seem to have gotten over it now...  a lovely chug through and actually a bit warmer than it was outside.  

The turn onto to the Macclesfield was executed perfectly - well it would be... there being no witnesses and before long we were moored at the bottom of Bosley Locks for the night. It was the first time 'Ellis' has been here when it's not been on restricted opening hours.

With the forecast for 'storm Dave' indicating Saturday onwards would be Armageddon, come Friday as it was still ok, we made the decision to head up the locks.  It's been a long time since I last came up here so I'd forgotten was a ball ache they are, in that there isn't a gangplank over the head gates so you have to walk back to the bridge at the tail to open the other side paddles.   Had it not been a bit breezy, I might have walked over the top of the gate but being a clumsy ginger twunt  less sure footed than I used to be, I did it the long way.

An uneventful journey up the locks meant we were at the top in no time and once topped up with water (and bins emptied) we chugged on to Lime Green to sit out the storm.  Discussions were had as to whether or not we should begin sanding down the roof but by the time we'd gotten back from B & M (or it could be 'Home Bargains') rain ad begun so that was ruled out and the Bosun starting gaming whilst I nipped in and out between showers to read a bit and have a drink.  

OH - hang on... I've not introduced the new fella in my life.  Since I was last here, I'd been on the middle-aged bender dating scene.  IT ISN'T PRETTY!  Lordy no.  a lot has changed.  Dating 'Apps'... where to start.  Actually come to think of it, I'll write a separate update on that terrible phase, with a warning at the start so as not to offend.  Suffice to say, I'm VERY pleased to now be settled  again (nearly 18 months now) with a wonderful gentle, kind and respectful fella.  OK so he is 'johnny foreigner' (Bulgarian in origin) but is a man of integrity and I suspect pretty good in a fight if needs be... hard to believe given his dress sense!

Introducing Dob!  Not a flattering pic I'll grant you but it's the latest.

Anyway - Saturday morning arrived (or was it Sunday?) and nothing horrible seemed to have happened.  The sunrise was lovely:

We'd hoped to be able to moor in Macclesfield but AS usual, the 48 hour pontoons were full so we chugged on to Bollington.  I'd forgotten HOW hilly the place is... we HAD planned a Chinese takeaway for tea but having gone on a reccy  to find the place in the afternoon, I decreed I'd not make it there and back without a lung transplant! 

Until Next time...

And We're off

 Typical.  No sooner did we decide that Today 's (we'll Tuesday was) the day, did I spot a closure notice on the only route available until the Bridgewater gets mended - if it ever does.  Yep. Bosley lock 11 ( on the Mac)  has a broken paddle and an update will be given on Wednesday.  Un deterred (but a bit of chuntering and moaning by me later) we were un-plugging the shoreline and setting off to top up the Diesel, do a pump out and buy and emergency bag of logs.

In case I've didn't mention 4 years ago, I've made Aston Marina my home winter moorings... having tried a couple staying out on the cut and not liking the hassle/mud/constant power watching, I went a bit nesh and now luxuriate with water and power on tap.  OK it is a bit expensive... in fact it went up 6 percent this last winter.    That said, most of the of the other Moorer's are friendly -Nick and Sandra are worth the weight in gold (that would be a decent amount in Nick's case lol)... It's ok... he's fair game - teasing me constantly about being ginger and dancing backwards.  He's gotta be the campest 'straight' bloke I've met but we all have a laugh during our winter interactions.

That's one thing that hasn't changed about boat life... folks on and around water (generally) are lovely.  There are s few old gits/stuck up farts etc. but most days out, you can interact with someone who improves your mood.  I TRY to be that person but concede there are days when someone does something stupid - or inconsiderate and I get triggered.    I shan't lie here... I do get triggered by people who are not self aware and by that I mean those who only see what THEY are trying to achieve rather than what someone else may need them to do to make their life easier.    ONE perfect daily example being (and especially if it's windy), some idiot mooring slap bang in the middle of a lock landing that's big enough for 2 boats, meaning that single handing me has to hold water mid channel whilst they faff about.  Now I know it's only a little thing and if  was 3rd in the queue I'd have to do it ANYWAY but when I'm 2nd, I get a cob on... which then of course means my interactions with them are biased right from the start.  It's petty and I find my self repeating (under my breath) 'respond don't react'... often failing!

I've derailed myself already.

Before we could leave, I remembered the heating hadn't come on  - actually, it HAD come on but not stayed on.  Rewind a bit.  The webasto has been on it's last legs for a while... sounding like an asthmatic climbing Snowdon... starting up ok but when time came to go on to half power, gasping for breath and making terrible noises.  I've had a refurbished one in a box for weeks  and have been putting off swapping them over.  NOT cause it's hard, just that the positions I need to distort my aging body into, always means I'm gonna ache for days afterwards.  IF  I just cleared the rubbish out of the floor area before I begin the job it WOULD be a lot easier - alas, I never do that until I get stuck and then HAVE to.

Anyway.

bummocks - the pics have shown in the wrong order but I'm sure you get the jist. 

School boy error made of course though.  WHEN I pulled the fuse from the power supply, it broke in my clumsy fingers...did I have another 20 amp one in my box containing gazillions ? - did I buffalo.  SO everything stopped for a drive to Halfords.  40 mins later with new fuse (and spare) in hand it was time to test it out.  Of course, I 'd ended up with an air lock so MUCH bleeding, topping up and cursing later (I do a lot of cursing these days) about half an hour later it was fully operational.   These refurbed units come from a website called Sonberg.  first time I had one (3 years ago) it was £350 for the bare unit... this time it' had gone  up to £395 but still really good value.  I mean, I suppose I could have called an engineer out (or taken it apart and tried to bugger it more  repair it myself) but for 400 quid, swapping the unit over is a no brainer.  AND they'll give a 50 quid trade in for the old one - which reminds me, I need to box 2 old ones off and send them off.

ANYWAY - by now it was noon and once pumped out and fuelled up we chugged off... ONLY to end up behind a boat moored in the middle of the first lock landing!  Shoot me now.

Until Next Time...

The Ginger returns

 It's strange how quickly time passes.  When I was a kid, summer holidays seemed to last forever... easily bored, my poor old parents must have hated trying to keep me occupied.  

I suppose  that's why by the time I was a teenager, I was mowing the village green or painting railings etc. to occupy me.  It's not even that this was totally 'pre' computer games... we started off with a Vic 20 and Atari which gave the option to spend hours glued to the tv screen typing in code, just to get your name filling the screen or bouncing around if you could be bothered with the extra lines.  

That's where the stupid 'work ethic' came from ... boredom.  Better to be doing something rather than nothing.  Even working with my dad and uncle in their garage was better than being bored - with the added advantage of being paid 12 quid a day (for a 10 hour day 6 days a week).  

Daft thing is, here I am, nearly 40 years (eek) later, and I still struggle not to have something to do. Boating does help in that regard - there is always some or other chore, niggling at the back of my mind that needs doing... although these days I AM getting better at putting things off to last minute.

Painting the roof being one of them. When I repainted Ellis last time (4 years ago during a dry docking for DIY Blacking), I didn't really pay the roof much attention - mainly because the shed I was docked in had bracing bars on the roof so it was a complete pain to clamber on the roof without banging my bonce on the bars.  Ergo, I slapped a bit of paint quickly on it and that was that.  Of course, having not rubbed down and deal with the patches of failed non slip stuff, it's gradually gotten worse to the point that now I need to take it  all back and do it again properly.  

I WAS tempted 18 months ago when it was in for blacking again to do it but the same constraints put me off.  Enough is enough however so when we leave the marina, we're going to begin doing it - bit by bit as we chug off to meet customers.  

Rewind a bit.  You'll remember the original plan to run the boat as a 'live-aboard experience'? ... well I'm still doing it but have conceded that in order for it to actually WORK properly, it HAS to be more like a Hotel.  I'm still making it quite clear on the website that it's NOT A Hotel boat but to be frank, people read what they WANT rather than what is written - ie,  they come along WANTING a hotel boat.

Business wise - I've made a few mistakes... the initial idealism that it would be fun to have people come along and share the adventure was a little naïve.  Same thing with the idea of NOT charging solo travellers a supplement.  THAT was probably the biggest mistake... solo travellers sometimes take WAY more effort to host as many of them seem to  stick like glue and suck the life out of me  want attention/company all the time.  The exception being the intrepid American or Australian solo explorers - THEY are great.

AS such, I altered the website to make it clear that the 'cost' of a trip on Ellis is the same whether it's 1 or 2 guests... effectively I'm a private charter.  I have however made it quite clear (if folks read that far) they are not to expect a master and servant relationship lol.  Sometimes I have to point this out - SEVERAL times!

I realise this has been a bit of a pointless posting... it was just to try and get back into the habit of writing as thoughts come into my head.  There does of course need to be a bit of a catch up as to what's been going on over the last few years - which I'll try and do soon... I just need to think WHAT is appropriate to share or not.  That's difficult for me... filtering has never been my strong point.  

Anyway - here's a lovely photo of #legsellis from last season enjoying the cooler evening air - hiding under trees whilst trapped on the Grand Union during the 'drought'... not gonna lie, for middle aged ginger puff, I've got great legs !😜

Until next time...

I might pick this up again

 When I had the time and emotional mind set to write this blog, I enjoyed it... sometimes found it hard to come up with topics but overall, I'm sure it was good for my mental health.

It's so much easier to tweet but I've even let that slide of late - in winter I seem to Hibernate.  

Anyway - watch this space as I'm on the verge of return.

Until next time...