Busy days

So, here’s another update. I feel like I’m really getting into the swing of things now. I’m cruising for a few hours in the morning and early afternoon, then mooring somewhere awesome, eating and relaxing for a couple of hours, then doing some work on the boat. That was the plan, and that’s what I’m doing.

So far I’ve done a lot of sanding and a bit of varnishing, some wire brushing and painting, and fixed many small things.

I still need to find more LED bulbs for the interior lights, nearly every single one was burned out (not LEDs) but I was only able to find 12 replacements. There’s about 22 just in the deck head (ceiling). I’ve replaced cupboard door clasps, handles, and hinges. Windows blind repairs. Plumbing issues. Caulking. It seems endless but I’m enjoying making things right. Soon I’ll look around and won’t be overwhelmed with jobs ‘to do’!

The cruising has been spectacular. I realized what it’s like (most of the time); The Jungle Cruise in Disneyland! Without the cheesy jokes and animatronics, but almost identical otherwise! I’ll try to get some video…it’s uncanny. Narrow twisty canals, throaty diesel rumbling quietly, the forest completely overgrown to the water’s edge. There was even some hanging vines that Tarzan could have swung on! It was just Ivy I suspect but it sure looked the part.

There’s been a lot of swing bridges, which are a bit annoying. I have to tie up the boat, block the road traffic, open the bridge, run back and move the boat through, tie up again and run back to lower the bridge and let the traffic through. It would be much quicker with an extra person, and less annoying for the drivers. Most of them have been electric, you simply push a button and it’s all automatic. One of them however was out in the middle of some fields and was Doug-powered. And not that easy…good thing nobody was waiting for that one!

Here’s my mooring for the night. I’m on the ‘offside’ (non-towpath) which is actually not allowed since it’s private property. But I couldn’t get into the correct side, it’s just too overgrown. And the ‘landowner’ here appears to be a train track and motorway. Not a single train yet and the highway noise isn’t bad so I’m happy here. It’s an absolutely magical looking location too, completely overgrown. And, since the towpath is on the other side of the canal, nobody is walking by trying to look in my windows.