A bit further forward but.....

.....not there yet.

Friday my shower screen door and side panel arrived along with some other bits and pieces, I had a bit of luck as well as the driver mentioned he had to go to the refuse disposal to get rid of a something that someone had dumped outside his yard, I asked him if he would take my old bath and he did, result!

So a busy weekend, Friday afternoon I altered the hot and cold supplies to their new position and I fitted the waste trap to the tray and bedded the tray in position, Saturday I moved the bedroom bulkhead (which was a challenge!) and formed a small return for the side panel to fit up against, this morning I fitted the door and panel and connected up the waste, and here was my first problem. I had re-used the fitting from the bath trap which reduced the pipe size to 22mm, it looked a bit Heath Robinson but had worked ok on the bath, sadly it didn't work now, it's leaking like a sieve, so tomorrow I have to source a new fitting and look at tiles, so that means I get to move on again, good really as I could do with a rest!

The porthole is not in the shower, that's a reflection.

This afternoon I downed tools and watched Lewis Hamilton win the F1 race but lose the Championship, it's been a good season but not a lucky one for him, well done Rosberg.

Hopefully tomorrow will be warm and dry for me :-)

Project Update

On Friday I moved towards Milton Keynes looking for a spot to take deliveries, I didn’t have to go far, just about a mile, I had just passed the Gifford Park service point when I spotted a good place, mooring quickly to investigate it was just right so that’s where I am currently.

There are some steps just in front of me leading down to a quiet little road.

As soon as I had sorted myself out I set about ordering the shower tray and screen, unfortunately it was two different suppliers, the tray, mixer and other bits from Better Bathrooms, excellent service and they delivered it on Sunday.

The screen is a Coram GB, slightly shorter than normal at 1800mm, this was good as the ‘special’ ones you can buy are very pricey, and being 1800mm high meant I didn’t have to cut a slot out of the roof ;-), it may need to be slightly let into the ceiling at one point but I am hoping not, ordering this through Plumb Center was more tricky but I finally got the order taken on Monday, I am awaiting delivery.

So I set about work on Saturday, cupboard dismantled and bath out.

Sunday and Monday I hacked off the tiles and cleaned the surfaces ready for new and did some other minor bits, including lifting the floor to see what was beneath.

Working out the exact position for the shower tray was something I hadn’t thought about much, I knew where I wanted it, but when I thought about levels and uprights it’s quite tricky, for a start the boat does not sit level in the water and the position changes when you fill or empty tanks, and nothing is square, the original fit out would have been done in dry dock but even that was not right my Bedroom wall is 45mm different to my Galley wall, so the bathroom is wider at one end, in the end I just did my best and made a decision!

Today I had to sort out lowering  the tray into the floor and cutting a slot for the waste, good fun, not, but I managed.

The ballast in the bottom of the boat is two layers of 50mm paving slabs, heavy beasts and if you are not careful, finger pinching. I cut the slot out of them using my mini angle grinder, one of the slabs was broken already but it does not matter, I then cut the plywood around the tray and refixed it all added supports underneath as necessary, it was a good job done.

Hopefully the screen and other sundry bits will arrive before the weekend and I will be able to get the tray fitted.

Another interesting day.

After using the new layout of the cassette wc and it’s supporting wall panel, yesterday I decided to improve the access by cutting a curved section out of the panel. It saves you bashing your shoulder each time you enter the area.

My plan for today was to move somewhere that I could moor and organise delivery of the shower tray and screen. As I wasn’t sure how long delivery might take I though it prudent to fill the water tank first, the tap was about ½ mile behind me, so having winded (turned around) it was then a slow trip back over the Iron Trunk Aqueduct and past all the moored boats to arrive at the water point, my timing was out and someone was just starting to fill their tank, so I moored and waited. After a while the large boat that was previously moored behind me arrived having the same need for water, we both needed to fill and wind again, he decided to hover in the winding hole, and as luck would have it two boats were coming through the lock and one other was waiting to go in, it made for an interesting time.

Me waiting, boat ahead on water point, large boat in winding hole
two boats about to emerge from lock and another hovering mid-stream behind me.

When I moved to the water point the large boat winded and took my place, I filled and winded and was on my way, it all took 2 hours to get back to where I had cast off earlier.

I needed a ‘proper shop’ so had to stop at Wolverton where there is a large Tesco and Asda, all was going well as I arrived and saw the moorings where empty,

Wolverton wind tunnel

then I discovered why, it was a wind tunnel in conditions like today, I moved to the bank as usual but struggled to get the stern in close, when I eventually did the bow was being pushed out by the wind, it was a struggle to pull it in, by the time I had tied the bow the stern was ¾ of the way across the canal, try as I may I couldn’t pull it in, so I walked along the gunnel and by easing forward until the bow rope was tight I slowly managed to swing the stern in using gentle revs and engine power, even hopping off quickly and tying it was a fight against the wind.

I did two trips to the shops getting back to the boat just in time for the rain and ‘proper’ wind to begin, good that I’d avoided the rain but I did not want to be there, so I was glad it all died down after an hour or so and I set off again passing the railway mural before bridge 71a.

An uneventful trip from then on, crossing the aqueduct at New Bradwell.

and arriving at my intended mooring for the night in front of 'The Black Horse' pub and hopefully stay to organise my goods.

I was soon to discover otherwise, Google Maps had shown it to be what I needed, a mooring with a Pub car park and access for delivery, what it didn’t show was pedestrian access to the car park was down a high steep muddy slope, access to the pub was easy but it’s built on a hill with no easy access to carry goods from the car park to the tow path, so it was a no go, I do not want to be carrying a shower screen in that situation.

It was about 3pm by now so plan B, move on tomorrow and look again!

Totals today: 5 miles 

Charging problem resolved.

After breakfast was over and with a cold engine bay and a dreaded fear that I would find nothing wrong and have to arrange an expert I ventured into the depths, a quick wipe over the connections to the alternator revealed a very loose spade type terminal connector. A quick squeeze on that with a pair of pliers and all was sorted.

Sometimes things are simple and the anxiety is wasted, happy bunny again :-)

Project.........

 ......and an unrelated problem.

I’ve been at the Old Wolverton mooring for 6 nights and I am getting that ‘time to move on’ feeling, but not just yet, this afternoon I ran the engine to get hot water and charge the batteries and something did not sound right, the engine sounded ok but the rhythm sounded odd, it sounded similar to what I what I hear when I run the washing machine off the inverter. I looked at my Smartgauge battery monitor and the voltage was low, normally it would build up steadily to show about 14.4volts whilst charging but it was fluctuating between 13.25 and 13.65, not sure what it is and quick investigation didn’t show anything untoward so it’s a job for a fresh head tomorrow... I got a tank full of hot water then switched off, I love the whole battery charging mystery!

Anyway project update, I finished the second angled cupboard.

Quite pleased with that and it’s given me more storage than the two deep drawers offered, so that's all the work in the galley done.

So onto the next phase, the bathroom,this was the layout, vanity unit behind the door  from the galley with the washing machine in a cupboard behind the towel.

Cassette wc squeezed in beside the bath, it’s all pretty tight for space and a sliding door to the room itself. I have decided to make it walk through, so from the galley door straight into the bathroom instead of a tight corridor and then on through the existing door to the bedroom, not ideal but more practical given the lack of space.

The first job was to remove the old vanity unit, once it was out it was clear that water had been finding its way down the inside and back of the unit, probably from the seal against the walls, this has caused discoloration to both the wall panel, I will probably tile over that to lose it, and the floor, so it’s looks like a new floor covering to replace the laminate.

There were 15mm hot,cold and waste pipes beneath the floor and into the vanity unit through that large hole in the floor, it should have been easy to disconnect those and pull them through but unfortunately the plumber had used cables ties to hold them together beneath the ply, it proved to be a bit of a task, I could not lift the ply because that goes under the panel that formed the back of the vanity unit and to where the boiler sits on it, hey ho! Anyway got them out with only a few expletives.

Next move the cassette, and it's wall panel, water and electric supply, easy...mmm.... so that's it for now.

The biggest problem is lack of room to work and having to move half the interior to 'somehwere' before starting work, be glad when it's finished ;-)

Tempting fate?

Yesterday was a cold start to the day, there was a heavy frost on the roof when I looked around at 8am. Food was getting very low so I decided that I would move on anyway. At 10am I began to prepare for casting off and was happy to see someone working the lock behind me, I thought my timing was good and I would have someone to share the remaining five locks of the Stoke flight so I made sure I was ready to go but to my disappointment when the lock gates opened I saw that it was a wide beam, no hope of a lock buddy there. I let them pass and gave them about 10 minutes start then headed off to follow them down the flight. Arriving at the lock the chap was working it alone while his partner was ahead preparing the next lock, so I helped him through and then entered the lock myself.

One of the locks had what remains of the original side ponds as a little sanctuary for wildlife and the sign inviting people to have a look and even do some pond dipping off of the platforms.

These ponds were common at one time and were a water saving device with water from the lock entering them as you emptied the lock and then being used to partly refill it on its next use, I haven’t come across any still in use but I think there are some around still functioning.

I was extremely grateful to the lady ahead who was opening a top paddle for me on each lock as her partner left, that meant I arrived to find each lock in my favour, and not many people would do that for you!

Leaving lock 18 there were some murals on the underside of the road bridge brightening up the otherwise ugly concrete structure.

Looking back at lock 18

I was soon arriving at lock 20 the last of the flight and the excersise had kept me nice and warm so I celebrated with a coffee from my flask as I left.

Emptying the last lock of the flight

 Approaching Grafton Regis the view of the church in the distance was enhanced by birds and sheep in the fields below.

More boat names amused me as I went on my way towards Cosgrove the first of which decided the title of this post.

Really ??

But what a way to do it.

Is it owned by Wendy and Peter?

And this, I’ve heard of sitting on the fence but this lot were just standing on the posts, every post occupied for about 50 yards and all but two brave ones flew away as I past by.

The Navigation pub just outside Cosgrove looked a bit quiet even though it was lunchtime, in the summer the garden is full but I did get a wave from two couples dining behind the angled glass windows on the left as I passed, they looked surprised to see me cruise by, mind you it is quiet I only passed one other boat on the move.

I couldn’t pass by this bridge without a picture, probably the nicest one on the Grand Union.

Bridge 65 at Cosgrove

I stopped briefly on the service point to top up the water, I like to keep the tank full during the winter months in case I get frozen in somewhere, and then headed through the shallow 3’ 4” Cosgrove lock, I intended to stop just after the lock and visit the small shop on the mobile home site close by the lock but on enquiring with a passing lady was told it was closed for winter, so I continued on passing across the Iron Trunk Aqueduct, not very long this one but quite high as it passes above the River Great Ouse.

I moored up just before bridge 68 in between a widebeam and another rather large vessel opposite Galleon Wharf.

Current mooring

Galleon Wharf from the side hatch

Totals this post: 7 miles : 6 locks

After sorting myself out I took off on foot to Tesco for some of the more urgent supplies, milk and butter etc, it’s about a 35 minute walk along the towpath so I didn’t load up too much, I can moor very close by when I move on but I didn’t want to be there just yet.

Today I walked to Screwfix, I decided I had to buy a small collapsible workbench and a couple of clamps to make my life a little easier, that should have been about 40 minutes but I rerouted accidently and it took just under an hour going.

If I can muster some enthusiasm tomorrow I will do a bit more work in the galley and start on the second angled cupboard, but no promises, they only lead to disappointment :-)

Brrrrrr.......

.....winter coat shows itelf.

It was chilly, no frost but decidedly a nip in the air, and a cold wind too, when I ventured on deck around 9am to access the situation. I had no real reason to move apart from wanting to get near a food store in the next week or so as I am running low and the little convenience stores are pricey.

The sun was bright though so I decided I would stick with my initial thoughts and move up to Stoke Bruerne, and at 9:30 I was casting off wearing my winter coat for the first time since last winter.

I have travelled this section of the GU before, not much new for me to see but it was in the sunshine and still some pleasant views and nice autumn colours and the ‘odd’ interesting boat name.

The Owl and The Pussycat

As you approach Gayton Junction there is a good example of a turnover bridge, these were sometimes built when the tow path changed sides and they allowed the old horse drawn boats to carry on without having to untie the horse to change sides, he simply walked over the bridge still ‘roped’ to the boat as both the ramp up on to the bridge and the off ramp were on one side, imagine a normal bridge were the ramp up and ramp down are on opposite sides the rope would be taken over the bridge and the boat don’t fly!

I stopped at Gayton Junction services for the usual fill and empty, reversing onto the service point which is actually on the very start of the Northampton Arm.

This is where I began my little time lapse video when I travelled down the arm last year, if you missed it you can view it HERE.

Looking from the service point the GU mainline passes the arm on the left in this picture.

I also spotted this rather nice mosaic mural and plaque which I don't think was there last time, fixed to the side of the service building.

 It was then on towards Blisworth where I had a slight holdup waiting for a pair of boats to moor up, the butty was having a problem getting to the side and was diagonally across the canal, they ‘poled’ it over and got a round of applause and shouts of “eventually” from what I took to be friends of theirs watching from the opposite side of the towpath.

Next came Blisworth Tunnel  3076 yards and the third longest navigable tunnel in Britain, again not my first time through here but tunnels are always a bit of an adventure.

Still a bit hit and miss taking pictures inside but never mind.

Hit

Miss

 I passed one boat and he warned me the boat in front of me was towing so it may be slow, it was slow, but I kept well back catching them only as I left the tunnel portal.

Neither 'tow-er' or 'tow-ee' were happy, evidently 'tow-ee' had run out of diesel in the tunnel, not something you should let happen in a tunnel, and the 'tow-er' had managed to damage his tiller by getting it jammed against the tunnel wall, I presume whilst they were getting sorted before commencing the actual tow, he was not a happy bunny at all! I thought it would be rude to take a picture and as I could not be of assistance I carried on past them.

Stoke Bruerne is just a short distance from the tunnel and is a popular canal place for both boaters and tourists, it has a Canal Museum, tea rooms and trip boats, but this time of year it was fairly quiet, just a dozen or so people milling around the top lock, and a young lad (about 8 years old) asked if he could close the gate for me, which he did with help from Dad, before I emptied the lock I checked behind me to see a boat approaching so I went and opened the other gate for them. There are seven Stoke locks in the flight lifting or lowering you 56', we shared the top lock (14) and the next one (15) before I told them I was mooring up, it had just started to rain so my timing was good and there was a fishing match on the moorings but there was space for me before it, so all in all a good result after a pleasant eventful cruise.

Tonights mooring:

Damp maggot drowners.

Looking back at lock 15 

Total today: 8 miles : 2 locks : 1 tunnel