Okay, so I’m finally away. There have been several delays again this year, partly my choices and partly WestJet. The situation in the UK (covid-wise) wasn’t looking like it was heading in the right direction which gave me pause. However, the main reason for the delay was the weather; both on the Island and in Britain. It has been an amazing summer in BC (often much too hot) and I had almost forgotten how beautiful and fun it could be.

I did some 4x4ing around the Mt. Washington area and found some waterfalls and other interesting and wonderful spots.

I swam in the ocean for the first time in a surprising number of years, had a wonderful weekend boating with Steve and Adrienne, went skinny-dipping in a cold mountain stream, and had some great mountain bike rides with old friends. Back when I still ‘worked’ I was often away at sea during the summer or had other obligations and had stopped doing things like that. It was really fun to rediscover what had been a big part of my life years ago.

A couple of highlights of staying later were the class reunion that Don and Lance put together and Abigail’s graduation! It was really a blast seeing some old friends after many (many many) years and catching up at the reunion and I was so proud and honoured to be able to join Abi and her family for such a momentous occasion.

In addition to all that, the weather ‘over there’ was rather strange. As usual, I missed the lovely spring in April, and they were then hit with alternating heat waves and torrential rains.

Put all that together and I just kept putting it off. It’s now early August and I feel good that this is the right time… I don’t plan on staying longer than a couple of months, just enough to give the boat a workout, see some good friends, and rekindle the romance of the canals. I’ll likely stay in the Llangollen/Chester area as it’s familiar and easy to return to the marina in case of sudden changes in the covid situation (like last year).

Speaking of Covid, here’s my first rant: What the hell is Boris Johnson thinking by allowing (fully-vaxxed) Americans in without quarantine but not Canadians? They can even travel through Canada! Is the Queen not on our money? Are we not good enough Commonwealth members? Are our vaccination rates not higher and our case numbers lower than in the US? Maybe we should pitch some tea over the side of a boat… If there’s anything that would convince me to join the ‘to hell with the commonwealth, let’s become a republic’ crowd like Australia, this might be it. Just incensed. Our own government isn’t blameless, they bowed down and accepted it like the subservient suck-ups they often are in international affairs (no matter what party is in power at the time). Rant over (for now).

The flights over were fine, all things considered. However, you’d think with all my years working in government that I’d be better at sleeping sitting upright. Just can’t do it. The food on board has improved marginally since last year, at least it wasn’t a cold sandwich tossed at you from the aisle. I’m not completely sure what it was though, “chicken” apparently. I managed to get to the lounge in Calgary and had an actual meal before boarding so I didn’t much care about the onboard food anyway. And the wine was adequate.

A couple of days later now and I’m on the boat getting her squared away. She survived the winter admirably, with no significant issues. The solar panels kept the batteries topped up so they’re in great shape. She stayed dry inside, no mildew. The spiders enjoyed themselves but have now (mostly) been evicted. All in all, just fine.

My food delivery got messed up a bit, a day late but I was able to buy farm-fresh eggs and homemade meat pies at the marina office so I’m not starving! Lots of leftover cans and packaged food from last year too.

I sent my Day 2 covid test off, I have another to do on Day 8 (although, if I pay MORE I could get a Day 5 “Test to Release” kit – not sure why I can’t just use the Day 8 one that I have already??) Did I mention there might be more ranting?

That’s it for now. I don’t expect much to happen until I’m out cruising next week. If something does occur that’s blog-worthy, both of you will see it!

I know this blog is supposed to be about narrowboating, and that’s why many people have subscribed. However, due to, well you know…I can’t get over to my boat in England just now. Or for the foreseeable future. I’ve become pretty convinced that there will be some sort of “Vaccine Passport” pretty soon. As British Columbia, and Canada in general, is lagging far behind on vaccinations, it’s not likely I’ll get a shot (or a jab!) until at least June, more likely July or August.

As I am each winter, I’m presently up on Mt. Washington here on Vancouver Island. I’ve been so fortunate that I have such an amazing winter pastime, since (as I’ve talked about in previous blog posts) I can only spend six months in the UK at a time. So, I thought I’d keep up the posts, as much for my own amusement as anything. It acts as a diary of sorts, and hopefully a few will enjoy me sharing some thoughts with them.

In addition to the blogging, I’ve made a couple of short videos lately (‘vlogs’ I suppose) and uploaded them to YouTube. I’ve had a YouTube channel for a while and have posted a few videos, just for fun. And guess what? It’s called Canuck on the Cut. You can either search that on YouTube or go directly to it by clicking on the link.

And to that point, the reason for this post is to tell you about the latest video… Bear Lodge Deck Yak. It’s nothing serious, just some blathering and saying hello to everyone. Oh, and after I did it, the rest of Vancouver Island got hit with a pretty major snowstorm, so I take some of it back…you’ll understand if you watch it.

I hope everyone is keeping a positive outlook and maintaining their good cheer. Please take good care, feel free to contact me any time if you just want to talk or unload or bitch about the state of the world! I have the time to listen…

It’s been quite a while since I’ve added to the blog and now that the ski season is well underway, I thought it was time. It’s been a good season so far, plenty of snow and decent temperatures. The abundance of ‘covid rules’ have made it somewhat different but we’re all trying very hard to cooperate and just stay open.

I’ve been following the happenings in England, and on the canals specifically of course. There’s been some interesting weather over there lately, torrential rains and significant snowfall. Many of the rivers in the Midlands, and some of the canals, have flooded, causing plenty of issues. My savior from last September, Heather (you’ll remember she got me though the locks on the day I broke some ribs) was evacuated from her boat to a hotel when the marina she was in rose to very near it’s maximum. She’s back aboard for now with no serious damage, thank goodness.

Cool Change is out of the water and up on blocks which eases my mind somewhat. Phil and Angela are keeping an eye on things at the marina (their boat is there) and I have a camera inside so I’ll get notifications if it starts to float away (I hope). I’m pretty sure the Llangollen Canal drains adequately to handle an excess of water. There have been breaches below on the Shropshire Union canal, causing some stretches to drain and leave a few boats high and dry (as well as blocking movement on the canal) until it’s fixed. The entire canal didn’t drain as there are places to insert planks to block it off, and usually a lock will prevent too much loss of water. However the floodwaters still have to go somewhere so hopefully the bywashes and other systems don’t get overwhelmed.

I’m sending good wishes to all my friends in Canada and on the cut (including the ones I haven’t met yet). I’m hoping to be back for some cruising this year but if not, it’ll be all the sweeter next year! Take care everyone, and be safe… (it’s mandatory to say that, right? But I do mean it).

Aaaannnddd… here are some shots of what I’ve been up to…

Many boaters on the inland waterways of the UK have taken up the hobby of ‘boat-tuber’. This is where they take a bunch of video and post it on YouTube, sometimes creating very high-quality content. Some of them are former TV professionals, and a few could (and maybe do) make a very good living at it. Most are just fun to watch, a good way to pass some of the time away from the boat while waiting for the snow to fly.

I have no illusions about my artistic ability or have much interest in taking video of everything I do in order to post it online. However, I do have some bits of video that I’ve taken over the last three years aboard, and have posted some of it on YouTube just for fun.

My latest is a combination of time-lapse taken with a Go-Pro mounted on the bow, and a Google Earth track downloaded from a GPS app that I use to record my course (and find the upcoming pubs).

When cruising along the canals, it’s often impossible to know what’s just beyond the trees or hedge that line the banks. The Google Earth view is quite interesting, I’m going to try to get a real-time view of it next season so I’ll know when something interesting or scenic lies just beyond the green border.

Check it out (along with my other minimal offerings) at:

youtube.com/canuckonthecut

I’m still working on the technical aspects, for some reason I can’t get the resolution up. It just goes black. There’s also a scratch on the lens of the GoPro which I’ll fix that next year.

As both of my regular readers probably already know, I’ve pulled the plug and I’m leaving the boat sooner than planned. I was originally scheduled to fly back to Canada in early November but circumstances have changed. I always knew there was a chance that the Covid crisis might worsen (the ‘second wave’) so had booked a changeable flight. Add to that the rib injury, making it difficult to move the boat, probably well into October, and this seemed to be the logical choice.

Also, way in the back of my mind is the concern over the US election situation. I was scheduled to fly just two days after it so if things really heat up down there, I’d rather not have to deal with potentially enhanced security at airports.

All in all, it’s been an interesting summer cruising the canals. I have to say I’ve had a much better time than so many others! Just being able to get over and check on the boat was lucky, but I also managed to get many more miles under the keel…or baseplate. It turns out my total distance travelled was 328 miles and I did 144 locks. Much less than other years but not bad for a late start and severely truncated route. On the return to my winter mooring marina, I had some of the longest cruising days ever, as much as 10 hours. I took advantage of whatever good-weather days I could find as there was not many of them.

I had originally planned on returning from the Braunston area (as far south as I had intended) via the outskirts of Birmingham and Wolverhampton. As the summer went on, these areas started to experience more Covid outbreaks that I was comfortable with. There was the distinct possibility that there would be local shutdowns. This had happened in Leicester and for several weeks no boats could travel through that city. Or, for that matter, leave if they were already there. If this had happened to me it would have been quite disastrous for my schedule. In the end, I decided to retrace my route back to my winter moorings. This was shorter, safer (no large cities where the outbreaks seemed to be happening the most), and I knew the good mooring spots already.

Update:

I’ve now returned to Canada. The flights were awesome, I was on a brand-new Air Canada 787, capable of holding 275 people, with only about 30 of us aboard. The food was Covid-standard, a cold sandwich or salad, but I got extra wine and cookies. Everything was exactly on time, right into Victoria. Some amazing friends had my truck waiting at the airport all stocked with food so I could just head straight to the mountain for my 14 day quarantine.

Of course I’m a bit disappointed, and I’m not convinced I did the right thing, but I do feel somewhat relieved that whatever happens I’ll be in a safe place. I could have easily stayed on the boat through anything that came along as it’s a very comfortable place to live, but there was the chance that I’d be there well into the winter. That, in turn, would have meant missing skiing! Not something I was willing to chance. Also, with the ribs I’ve been getting pretty bored, not being able to move the boat. By the time they healed adequately, the weather would have likely turned cold and wet(ter).

I’ll probably be writing more posts in the next while since I have little else to do, and will post more pictures as I sift through them. I’ve also put a couple of crappy YouTube videos together, watch for them too (if you’re REALLY bored) at www.youtube.com/c/CanuckontheCut

///qualified.themes.prowl <—the boat

///committing.hurried.eggshell <—me

Some might have noticed my lack of words lately. Here’s the story…

I was very fortunate to meet up with several friends, quite by chance really, while in the Braunston area. I spent a few days cruising onto the Oxford Canal with Martyn and Amanda, and then had some laughs with Guy and Rose, and finally a great pub visit with my nephew Eric and his family Lisa and Tilley. It was all fantastic, but I managed to make it not last.

One of the things I repeat to myself constantly is to be careful in locks. I’m usually by myself, in the middle of nowhere, and quite vulnerable. This day I ignored that… First thing in the morning, remote lock, wet surfaces, etc etc.

To make a stupid story stupider, I did a glorious swan dive from the roof of the boat, landing chest-first on to the stern railing and busting some ribs.

If you’ve never done this, DON’T! I’ve had a few injuries, mostly skiing, some doing other silly things. but this is the most pain-in-the-ass injury ever. Almost impossible to do anything without cringing with pain. And sneezing is now my mortal enemy. I’m sure glad it’s not hay fever season.

One of the worst parts was that I was at the beginning of a long day of locks, the first of 22. I managed through a few, slowly, before being caught up by another boat. Once they realized why I so slow at working the locks, they came to my rescue. Heather mostly, leaving her brother-in-law Brian to help with her own boat. She did all the locks for me, all day! Refused to let me get off the boat. What a champ… Got me to Nantwich where Phil helped me through the final four the next day to my winter mooring location.

That’s it then, just chilling in the marina where I have everything close at hand and easy (water, food, power, etc). No locks for a while.

I want to thank everyone for all the help. Brian and Heather for getting me through the locks. Phil and Angela, you’re always there for me. Eric & Lisa, Guy & Rose, Martyn & Amanda, and everyone else that have offered so much help.

And here are some pictures just because…

///allergy.tops.originals

I think I’m going to have to revert back to “this sooo awesome!!” mode for a while. I’ve been moving a lot, not doing much sightseeing or taking too many pictures. I’ve simply been revelling in movement, not being confined to four walls any longer. One of the best parts of this is that I’m able to be out without endangering myself or anyone else (at least as much as possible in this weird world). I’m not going to pubs or restaurants, I’m not going into shops except for essentials, and I’m not getting close to anyone. That’s actually pretty easy to do on the canals, it’s only at locks that there’s any chance of close encounters and it seems that we’re all pretty aware.

Now this might seem like it’s dimishing the enjoyment of the canal system, and I suppose it is. However, if I compare it to what I’d be doing back in Sidney, it’s fantastic. I had only just begun mountain biking before I left, and I am anxious to do more of that as I really enjoyed it, but if was back there I’d only be staying home, fattening the curve (no, that’s not a typo).

Okay, here’s today’s adventure. As I mentioned previously, I’m on the Ashby Canal. It’s a short (22 mile) section that connects to the Coventry Canal. It used to go further, to the coal mines around Moira, but the northern sections were progressively shut down due (at least in part) to subsidence as the coal under it was extracted. Several miles of old canal are being restored north of Snarestone, hopefully this will be completed in the near(ish) future.

Along the Ashby is a village that many will recognize, Market Bosworth. If that name seems familiar, it’s near a notorious battle of the War of the Roses (no, not the movie) in 1485. In fact, this is the location of the last significant battle, where Henry Tudor defeated and killed Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth Field. As a further reminder, Richard III’s body was found a few years ago under a car park in Leicester.

Unfortunately, the Visitor Centre is presently closed, as are the guided walks around the area. I might have to return when things get back to normal, I’d love to explore more. This had seemed like a highlight of coming up the Ashby Canal but I guess I should have expected it.

Oh, and here’s how NOT to go through a tunnel…

It turns out the breaker for my tunnel light was off. It didn’t trip, I had just missed it when turning them all on when I first came aboard. Going the other way was a bit more organized. The damn bend in the middle didn’t help but it’s pretty wide so all was well…

 

 

 

///towers.daily.brains

 

Well, things are about as back to normal as can be expected. I’m not going to talk (much) about how different things are, I’ll just say that people are very calm and mostly cooperative with the rules over here. It’s not quite like nothing’s happening but close, once out on the canals,

So. I left the marina and headed straight to Natwich. It’s a beautiful town and my good friends live there. Stayed a couple of days and had my first pub meal! Fish and chips, of course.

 

When I left there I really got down to business. I’ve spent so long sitting in one place, whether it was on the mountain, in Sidney, or in the marina, I couldn’t wait to really move. So that’s what I’ve been doing. Not a lot of stopping to see any sights, just enjoying being somewhere different every day. I think once I’ve got it out of my system I’ll stop and smell some roses.

Now, for some readers (you know who you are), here’s the route I’ve been taking, in terms of the towns and villages rather than the canals:

Nantwich, Audlem, Market Drayton, Norbury, Gnossall Heath, Wheaton Aston, Brewood (pronounced Brood because, well of course it is), outskirts of Wolverhampton, Four Ashes, Penkridge, Acton Trussell, Walton-on-the-hill (outskirts of Stafford), Great Haywood, Rugeley, Handsacre, Fradley, Tamworth, and Atherstone.

Whew. And lots of spots in between, as long as the canal runs through them.

The weather has certainly cooperated since I’ve been moving. Not a lot of rain, mostly perfect temperatures until the last couple of days. It’s damn hot now. Had an amazing lightning display off to the north last night, and there’s hints of another tonight.

Okay, it’s a few days later… I’ve still been travelling like crazy, not stopping except to eat and sleep. Well, that’s an exaggeration but I have been putting the miles in. I’ve made it to the Ashby Canal, which was one of my goals since I’ve not been on it before and I’ve heard good things. It’s seems very nice so far, nothing special but that might be because the weather has turned. Rainy, cool, and windy. It’s much more rural than most of the areas I’ve been through lately, which I like. There’s still a couple of days to go on it so we’ll see. I’ve done some calculating and I’m well ahead of whatever schedule I had in the back of my mind, so I might slow down along here…

///elevates.populate.fuse

 

 

 

I had to think seriously about whether to write this post. As many of you already know, I’m back on my boat, back on the UK canals (sort of). I finally managed to book a flight that didn’t get cancelled, 5 times lucky it would seem. There’s been a bit of soul-searching, deciding whether to fly over to the UK or not. There’s lots of reasons <not to>, but in the end the reasons <to> go won out. I even splurged for business class (I blame Robbie).

The reason for my hesitation in writing about it is that I wasn’t sure how welcome I would be. With the rather vitriolic rhetoric coming from many Canadians toward US travelers (somewhat justified I must say), I thought maybe I’d get a bit of that over here. There’s sometimes a sort of a blending of Canada and the US in the minds of overseas people but I haven’t yet had any problems. Everyone has been very matter-of-fact and accepting, often asking how Canada was doing. It’s nice to tell them the truth and ease their minds.

In fact, Heathrow Airport is the only place I’ve seen anyone wearing masks. Once out of the London area, there’s been little sign of them. People are very serious and precise about physical distancing though, so that’s good. Face coverings are to be mandatory in shops soon so I’m sure they’ll become more common.

I’m now doing a 14 day quarantine on the boat (in the marina) as Canada wasn’t included on the ‘safe’ list of countries not requiring isolation upon entry. I’m not sure why, since our numbers are better than several countries that are on the list. I attribute it, at least in part, to our close geographic and social association with the US (we’re all ‘American’ to many over here, as I said). I have a bit of work I’d like to do on the boat before leaving, so it’s not a huge hardship. The chandlery is going to deliver supplies to me so I can get on with the jobs, and I’m allowed to walk the fields next to the marina for an hour a day. Having said that, the entry into the country was very strange at such a time. I collected my bags, put my passport into a machine, then just walked out. I didn’t see or talk to a single border or health official. I had previously filled out an online form giving my contact information, so I assume they can reference that to check up on me.

I’ve started writing the occasional article for an online magazine, you can read them at canalsonline.uk/author/doug-yelland/ . I’ll be adding more once I’m actually moving, or if something interesting happens.

I want to thank my good friends Phil and Angela for driving all the way to Heathrow to collect me, deliver me to the boat, and bring me a huge load of precious groceries! I can’t wait to be able to get out and cruise with them in August. What incredible people… I had a couple of offers of a ride, the people I’ve met on boats are truly amazing. Thank you all for your support, encouragement, and help. It’s so good to be back…

I sincerely hope everyone is coping well. I know it’s been harder on some than others; I’ve heard from friends that are struggling, others that are doing fine. Seems that many like working at home and there’s lots of discussion about a ‘new normal’ for many different aspects of our life. Let’s keep the good parts even as we shed the bad.

On the blog front there’s, again, not much to add. I’m back in Sidney now, the mountain isn’t that great in the spring when the rains start. Foggy and soggy. My condo renovation in Sidney is done and it’s very nice… It took me some time to get my stuff sorted and put away but I’m enjoying it now. Plus it’s convenient to be near the shops, I don’t have to buy enough food for weeks at a time. Most things are open in Sidney, it’s almost like nothing’s happening except for sidewalk service at some places, instead of inside shopping. Everyone is very respectful of the distancing so life goes on. Restaurants are mostly open for take-out, lots of groceries on the shelves, and I even found some hand sanitizer.

As for the plans to get to the UK, that’s pretty much still on hold. The canals are gradually opening up for cruisers so that’s really good news. However, as of June 8 incoming foreigners will have to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. If staying on the boat is allowed, that works fine but they will likely need an address where they can check on me to make sure I’m not going out. We’ll have to see if the boat location (even in a marina) is acceptable. There’s a remote possibility that by July this might be lifted for Canadians, there’s quite a push over there to get tourism going again. London is in pretty good shape with a big drop in new cases, and much the rest of the country seems to be going in the right direction (except for a few locales). If the boat isn’t allowed, I’ll try to make other arrangements. I won’t go until the canals are totally open though, I don’t want to be ‘unwelcome’.

On that point, at the present time the hire boat companies are planning on starting nearly regular rentals in early July.  This was sort of my indication of when it might be acceptable for me to be on the canals. There will continue to be some restrictions to cruising however; for instance if you want to travel through a ‘controlled’ lock (where a lock keeper is needed) there will be limitations and usually a booking needed. It’s likely to be pretty open however. There’s a huge amount of pent-up energy and if this happens, I’ll look into going over in July. Fingers crossed!

///beggar.puppet.dispersing