travel

Life (and other) thoughts

/ CanuckontheCut / 6 Comments

It’s been subtly brought to my attention recently that I don’t write much on my blog posts anymore. I do admit it’s become a bit more of a travelogue, a photo journal of where I’ve been, than I had actually intended.

I think part of the reason for this is simply that I feel that I might have said everything about this experience already, how it feels, how much I love the canals and the boat. I don’t know that this true though, when I really think about it. Besides, some of it might need repeating!

This is as I sit here on a quiet evening, having been thwarted in my plans for the day by some pretty heavy rains, yet feeling very happy and contented with my choices. Honestly, however, having met Rianne and fallen so much in love, it’s hard to be over here without her. We have a plan though, so I’m looking toward a future of spending more time together exploring this life and having new adventures. In the meantime, we make the best of it by utilizing the technology that’s becoming so widely available as to give us our daily sharing of life on each side of the world.

The longer I’ve been here the more comfortable I am. There have been occasions and locations where this wasn’t always the case. I know better now how to pick good mooring locations, when to move and when to stay in place, how to find shade or sun when needed. All those little things are now coming naturally, I hardly need to think about it. I don’t stress as much about running out of food, a shop or delivery point almost always appears when needed. I know how long my water will last (and how to make it last even longer), how long I can go between pump-outs, and how far I can reasonably go each day just by looking at the maps. The only thing that still gives me concern is how to get my laundry done! I’ve decided to just have way too many clothes on board, in case I can’t find anywhere for a long time.

I’ve also found that certain areas of the network are more attractive to me than others. I’ve not found anywhere I don’t like, but some are better (for me) than others. I love the Llangollen and the Shropshire Union Canal. I look forward to perhaps returning there in a couple of years. I still have a couple of spots to explore further south, including the upper Thames. It’s supposed to be beautiful, clean, and not very busy.

A long-term thought would be to go back down to Stratford-upon-Avon, down the Avon to the Severn, then return to the Shroppie that way. It would need the right conditions, and lots of time, as rivers can be unpredictable if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Rainfall can increase the flow to the point where boats are not allowed to move, and could actually be in danger if they’re not moored properly. So that would require time and planning but sure looks worthwhile.

There goes the travelogue again. Maybe thinking about the future and possibilities encourages that. The possibilities are so exciting and varied, yet understandable and familiar. It’s like a hobby, you do the same thing every time but it’s always new and different and totally enjoyable.

A very large part of the enjoyment for me is the people. I’ve met some of my best friends over here, sometimes after just a momentary meeting. By staying in touch afterwards, the friendships have grown and deepened. Sadly, I have recently lost one of my dearest friends, we met on my first trip over. He taught me so much and we ended up cruising together on several occasions. He joined me on the Anderton Boat Lift, fulfilling one of his goals on the canals. It was an amazing few days that I will always treasure.

The community of boaters on the canals is something we often talk about. It’s almost universal. People help each other whether it’s catching a mooring line, picking up something at the store if you’re going shopping, or just talking and being good company for someone that’s obviously been alone too long (usually me!).

It’s a tough time on the system these days with the huge funding cuts and inability for the governing body (the Canal and River Trust, or CRT) to properly maintain the canals, locks, facilities, and support infrastructure needed. The management was handed over to the CRT, technically a ‘charity’, in 2012 with guaranteed funding. By doing this, it was no longer a government responsibility. As a historically, culturally, and financially important part of the transportation infrastructure, this now looks like it might have been a mistake. Recently, the government started implementing annual cuts that will reduce funding to an untenable level within a few years. I hope this doesn’t happen, it would be a huge loss.

So, this year has been a shortish visit, without any particular plans. I decided quite early on that I wouldn’t even try to go very far. Something told me that this wasn’t a ‘normal’ year. It’s been the driest spring ever apparently, and the stoppages due to low water levels started much sooner than ever before. In addition, those financial issues were quickly showing up, with broken locks, canal leaks, and other infrastructure problems also popping up with maddening frequency. When I was up the Ashby Canal I was contemplating doing the ‘Leicester Ring’, which is a great route that goes around a large circle past Coventry, turns eastward toward Nottingham, down the Trent river, than south through Leicester before returning to the marina I started at.

I’m not totally sure why I decided against this plan, I think it goes back to the ‘intuition’ that I hinted at earlier. It just didn’t feel right. So I returned to the Foxton area, where I had begun the season, and found several lovely, secluded mooring locations and got down to work on all the jobs that I didn’t do last year. Mostly painting!

So. Here I now am, in the last few days of the season. I’ve got virtually all the things done I wanted to, some turned out better than I could have hoped. It’s given me a new love of Cool Change, she’s not the old, nearly broken hulk that I was starting to see. New batteries, new propeller, and lots of new paint. From the bow compartment to the engine room, the entire roof, the walking gunnels, and the cratch (the bow area, see photos below), she’s feeling like a reborn gem. Just don’t look too close!

Original bow when purchased
Much sanding of years of paint over rust
Now I can look at it.

Anyway, that’s enough. Hope it wasn’t too boring or dumb. For anyone that’s still reading the blog, and especially if you made it this far, thank you. I don’t get anything out of this except an outlet for the joy I get from this life. It’s not for everyone, but certainly has worked out for me! Take care, see you next season! (or skiing!).

The Ashby and Beyond

/ CanuckontheCut / Leave a comment

I greatly enjoyed my time on the Ashby Canal. It’s primarily rural, lots of fields, cows, sheep, and horses. Also, as mentioned, there are no locks! I don’t generally mind doing locks, it’s good exercise and often a pleasant change of pace. It’s also nice, occasionally, to not have to do them.

Although it is very rural, there are a couple of villages and the small town of Hinckley. I stopped on the outskirts and walked into ‘town’ to get some groceries. Little did I know that I was in a real-life ‘Little Whinging’. It felt like I was back at the Harry Potter Studio.

Mostly I’ve been continuing my plan of working on the boat, not travelling too far. I sometimes move for a few hours to find a good mooring spot, something with a wide enough towpath and not too much foot traffic, then moor for a few days. I’m still working on the starboard side, all the canals in this area are set up that way. It’s good though, I’ll have everything completely done, then when I more further north the towpath will switch to the port side and I can finish the job.

Some days were spent in Braunston, one of the canal system ‘hubs’. Always lots going on there. My good friends (a ‘brother from another mother’ as we put it) drove half-way across the country for a visit! Phil and Ang are amazing friends from up in Cheshire, we were moored near each other for several seasons, in two different marinas. With Todd, of course.

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I also finally managed to make it to the local parish church. It has elements from the days of William the Conqueror, but was largely rebuilt in the 19th century. The vicar Katherine was really interesting and told me lots about it’s history.

I was glad to leave Braunston when I did, apparently there was going to be an ‘historic boat’ festival this weekend. As much as I love looking at these old boats and hearing their stories, the crush of the crowd and lack of mooring space would be too much to handle! I did manage to see some on the way out of town though…

On the way from Braunston north, you travel through the ‘infamous’ Braunston Tunnel. There’s nothing that special about it, except that it’s not entirely straight, barely wide enough for two boats, and allows two-way traffic. So, needless to say, there’s lots of paint on the brickwork. There’s also a couple of ventilation shafts along the way…

I’m presently moored at a fantastic, quiet, perfect mooring spot for getting down to work. I have shade all morning (it’s become quite warm and sunny) so I can paint, then when the sun hits the boat after lunch I get lots of solar to charge the batteries and dry the paint. I’ll stay here until I’ve done the entire starboard side. More to come when I’m further north and can do the port side!

Another boat show and then Up The Ashby

/ CanuckontheCut / 4 Comments

I won’t dwell on Crick Boat Show, it was exactly as previous shows (even down to the Abba tribute band back again). I picked up a few boaty bits and hastily moved on. In 2020 (the Summer of Covid) I had travelled up the Ashby Canal but was unable to visit any of the villages or sights due to the lockdowns. So that’s where I decided to go this year. First, a bit of history…

This is a lovely, lock-free, 30 mile dead-end side canal that is famous for it’s beauty, ease of access, and that it traverses the infamous Bosworth Field. This, for those that have forgotten their classic education of needless British history, is the location of the penultimate but deciding battle of the Wars of the Roses. The Lancastrians had been fighting off and on for 30 years against the Yorkists for the right to put their leader on the throne of England. Without going into further detail (and believe me, there’s a lot of detail), it eventually came down to August 22, 1485 near Bosworth in central England. Henry Tudor, having just returned from exile in France, approached from the west (or south, or something), while King Richard III was encamped on higher ground to the east (or north). Lord Stanley couldn’t decide who to support (who was likely to win, in other words) so he sat on the sidelines with his thousands of troops.

Bosworth Field

To make an incredibly long story a tiny bit shorter, they fought and many died. Including Richard. The legend is that Henry was crowned on the battlefield with the crown that Richard had worn into battle. Richard’s somewhat mangled body was stripped and paraded through Leicester before being buried quietly and nearly secretly in Greyfriars Church. So began the Tudor dynasty, most notable for Henry’s son, Henry VIII and his penchant for killing his wives, and for Elizabeth I (his granddaughter).

Fast forward to 2012 and some very fine research (and luck) and the location of Richard’s grave was ‘calculated’ using old floorplans and city drawings, eventually coming down to a spot in a car park. He was dug up on the very first day of excavations (and DNA and other analysis proved conclusively that it was him).

On top of this amazing discovery, it has been pretty conclusively determined that the actual Battle of Bosworth Field took place a couple of miles away! Metal detecting and excavations have shown the ‘proper’ location, within sight of the original ‘location’. Interestingly, they had built the Bosworth Heritage Centre in the wrong place! However, it’s a great place to visit, a very interesting museum and lovely hiking around the famous locations.

So, there you are now up to date with what is a fascinating and important bit of English history. If you cared.

The cruising itself has been pretty good, quite cool and occasionally wet but very quiet and easy. I had an extraordinary meeting, several couples on a hire boat moored next to me. Turns out they were from Duncan (on Vancouver Island for my UK friends), and we had mutual friends on Mt. Washington. Such a small world.

I also had another (!) ‘breakdown’. Well, not really but a pain in the buttocks anyway. A couple of my batteries decided to call it quits, so the entire bank wouldn’t hold any charge for more than a couple of hours. My luck was again with me however, it turns out I was moored just outside a small marina that did repairs. They were able to source and acquire new ones and we installed them the same day! They were also very inexpensive, both the batteries and labour. Can’t thank you enough Andy (of The Ashby Canal Centre).