River Severn to Gloucester dock.......

Stourport - southerly terminus of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal and our entrance to England's longest River the mighty River Severn.

Stourport Wide-beam locks

Stourport Visitor mooring

Entering the Stourport basins that take you through a series of locks into the river we took advantage of the Limekiln Chandlery fuel and toilet pump-out facility. A full tank of water at the Canal and River Trust water-point an we were good to go.  Narrow locks ( there are wide beam locks also) are a pair of staircase locks with a short pound in between. If a boat is coming the other way you can wait to pass in the pound but do not enter the 'staircase' sections together. Bridges block your view, so you have to make the effort of looking over them to see if other traffic is coming in the opposite direction. 

Once on the river at Stourport there are a very few visitor pontoons together with lock-mooring spaces. Space is very limited on these pontoons so be prepared to carry on and take your mooring chances further on the river. We were lucky on this occasion and found a mooring enabling us to stay in Stourport for the night.

Stourport Basin

This was the first time we that we had the time and opportunity to explore the historic Stourport basins and accompanied by my trusty hound 'Suzy' spent a leisurely hour in the afternoon sunshine enjoying the river views.  Exhausted by our wanderings we 'found' ......just by chance 'The Angel' pub overlooking the river and decided to try (just in the interests of  market research you understand) some of their fine range of beers. They do an excellent bag of local Porky Scratchings and if 'Suzy' had been endowed with opposable thumbs she would have given a positive 'thumbs up' to.  She helped to scoff two bags, so I think this was a very positive canine market research experience.  My 'experience' was also very positive and we all retired to our floating bed on the River Severn in a relaxed state that encouraged instant sleep until the bright sunshine of the morning.


Breakfast over and by 8am we were heading towards Worcester.
Locks on the River Severn are gigantic by our canal standards and are of course manned.  Looping lines bow and stern to the vertical stainless-steel cables ensures your safe rise or fall in the lock. Most lock-keepers like to have you opposite their tall 'office' so that they can see if you are O.K. especially if you are in the lock solo. They will direct you to one side of the lock or other as you approach.

River Severn lock.

Worcester is like one of the many large canal or riverside towns or cities that do not take advantage of the spending power of visiting boat crews. Moorings are basically poor and not exactly plentiful, added to the fact you have to pay !!!!!


We managed to find one of the very poor moorings near the racecourse as you enter Worcester from Stourport. This has steel rings attached to water side of the bank so that you scrape all the paint off your boat hull as you attempt to moor - obviously designed by somebody without the slightest boating experience. We continued on and found a better place near the River footbridge - not exactly ideal but at least the rings were in the correct place.
Being a rule-abiding boater I found the car-park machine as directed and paid the correct fee, putting the boat index number in first.  Oh yes.... they do check, last time we were here a parking warden promptly asked us for our ticket !!  Welcome to Worcester. 


I am glad we persevered with the Worcester moorings on this occasion and spent the day visiting the Cathedral and the riverside walks together with a little shopping .......well worth our £4 'parking' ticket.  Not sure about the scratched paint though.

River Severn. Worcester

Our next destination on the river was Stourport-upon-Severn. A delightful town that suffers from the same problem as Worcester - a lack of moorings. Last time we came through we gave up visiting the town when we had to admit defeat regarding vacant moorings and regretfully sailed on with money meant for Upton- upon-Severn shops and pubs left unspent.

On this occasion we were very lucky ( mainly because it was early in the day) and moored on the Canal and River Trust pontoon mooring which has space for perhaps four or five boats. This pontoon is fairly recent and was a subject of controversy when CRT promptly promised it to a commercial trip boat. Sense prevailed eventually and if your stars are in alignment and you come early, this is the place to moor.  One problem with the pontoon is the 3ft x 2ft CRT sign that explains it is a visitor mooring is the wrong way around and faces the town not the river. As you pass you are left wondering what kind of mooring it is......by the time you guess you are on the way to Gloucester.

Upton-on-Severn visitor moorings.  Strictly copyright author.

Upton is well worth the trouble with plenty of good places to eat and drink including the 'Anchor Inn' founded in 1601 ..... how time flies when you are enjoying a few beers.  It (Upton not The Anchor) also has a laundrette which will certainly be useful for boats without washing machines.

Anchor Inn....serving beer since 1601.  Upton-on-Severn

Arriving at Gloucester about lunchtime we called Gloucester dock lock on my mobile at 'Upper Partings' where there is a sign with their number on it.  I tried the VHF but had bad reception from the lock despite good signals from a trip boat calling the nearby Lanthony Bridge.  When we rounded the corner with the lock facing us it was all ready.


Gloucester dock has plenty of 48 hour moorings and is a very enjoyable place to stay with lots to see and do including the Waterways Museum and Gloucester Cathedral for example. During our stay there was two large schooners and a another sailing ship in the dry-dock, all adding to a visual feel to the docks similar to its heyday during the nineteenth century. 

Schooners including the Spanish training ship 'ATYLA' undergoing repairs in Gloucester dock.    Strictly Copyright.author.

'Earl of Pembroke'  in Gloucester dry dock.

Gloucester Cathedral.               Strictly Copyright Author.

Moorings in Gloucester dock are limited to 48 hour so we will soon move out of the dock onto the Gloucester and Sharpness ship canal.

Staffs and Worcester canal.........

Making towards the junction of the Trent and Mersey and Staffs and Worcester canals at Great Haywood we left Stoke-on-Trent into the beautiful Shropshire countryside which was blessed with wall-to-wall sunshine and the wonderful blue skies. This is what we certainly signed up for.


Locks of Meaford passed by with just a little trouble at the top lock when the exit gate would not close. Fishing about with the boat hook would not find the offending item fouling the bottom of the gate, but fortunately there was three guys watching my efforts in the morning sunshine and responded to my suggestion of a combined tug at the gate with good humour.......much to my delight the combined muscle power overcame the blockage and the gate opened to it's proper place.

"Thanks guys" and we were on are way towards Stone.  I love this stretch of canal with it's gentle green countryside which gives way to the canal town of Stone.  After passing through the famous lock next to the 'Star' pub which is the birthplace of the Trent and canal, we found a rare vacant mooring place in this popular canal stop.  A little early to moor but we grabbed the opportunity to do some shopping at the nearby Morrison's supermarket and have lunch and few beers in the 'Star' beer garden.

Following morning found us having another 'pit-stop' at Aston marina to use their pump-out machine, a dirty job, but somebody has to do it - me !!

Turning towards Great Haywood we found a Canal and River Trust 'hopper' boat blocking our way. It was trailing a rope from  the bow and had obviously broke free from the rotten piece of wood it had been to tied to on the non-towpath side of the canal. I toyed with the idea of climbing onto this rusting hulk and using the boat pole to move it back onto it's mooring, but this was accompanied with some risk of jumping into the water on the other bank and then struggle to climb back onto our boat. You never get brownie points for being a hero so I called Canal and River Trust emergency number and they said they would send a 'team' out to sort it.  In the meantime I nudged the bow of 'San Serriffe'  against the side of the hopper and gently pushed it out of the way. 

CRT hopper bars the way on the Trent and Mersey canal.

Turning onto the Staffs and Worcester canal at Great Haywood we made for one our favourite overnight mooring spots - Tixall wides.   Tixall wides as the name says on the tin suggests is a wide expanse of water being almost lake-like in places, an idyllic place to moor. Late afternoon was gloriously sunny, made even more glorious by a visit from our granddaughter Sophie together with her boyfriend, who both live locally and a great opportunity to see them, especially for our hound Suzy who squealed with delight as one of her favourite people seemed to just materialize walking along the towpath.


I woke VERY early the following morning at 4.30am and the sun was even then shining through the 'pigeon box' portholes on the roof.  Grabbing my camera and Suzy's lead we both went for an early morning walk.  Tixall wides on some summer mornings lays a mist just above the water especially if the night has been cold and the sun gives a warmer temperature just above it. It really is a beautiful sight and well worth an early start to see this 'middle earth' beauty.  It is gone by 7am and the world returns to normal without a hint of it's previous visual magic........

Tixall wide.

 
Early June is the time for Swan Cobs to become very territorial and aggressive.We witnessed a canoeist abandon ship as a testosterone fueled white ball of spitting anger jumped onto his craft and attempted to pull it to bits with it's snapping beak - glad 'San Serriffe' is made of steel !!

Swan attack. Staffs and Worcestershire canal.

Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal is a pleasant cruise as you pass through the agricultural back-drop of  gentle countryside. Passing through the village of Acton Trussell you arrive in the large old town of Penkridge.  A good place to stop for shopping or perhaps just a break for a few hours, we decided to do just that. Visiting the 'The Boat'  a canal-side pub next to the bridge that takes the main road over the canal. Two steaks perfectly cooked to 'rare' were obtained for the £12 bargain price of a 'two-for-one' deal.  If for any reason you are passing 'The Boat' - don,t !!  Stop and have a steak or two.

A few beers at 'The Boat' Penkridge.

.Moving towards the West Midlands we stopped for water at Gailey Wharf and dump our waste in one of the large 'Biffa' bin facilities available there.

Gailey Wharf.

Passing Autherley junction where the Shropshire Union canal heads off in northerly direction towards Chester we soon passed the next junction of Aldersley that takes a route through 21 locks into Wolverhampton and the Birmingham Canal navigations.

Fortunately we were continuing on the Staff and Worcester and left the 'Wolverhampton 21' for another time - we have done them in the past and it is very hard work.   Next few miles is overgrown with large trees and is a little short on visual stimulation and we decided to overnight at Compton where pioneering canal engineer James Brindley designed and constructed his first lock.  Compton has just about everything a boater would need............ Shops,Supermarket, pubs and most importantly for us a Laundrette. We have a small washing-machine on board 'San Serriffe' but washing and drying bed-sheets in the confines of a boat is problematic to say the least. So off to watch sheets spin around and around for an hour or two, oh joy, I love this job.

Next few miles needs you to work a few locks with the delightful names of 'Bumblehole' and 'Bratch' .    Bratch has a lock-keeper during the summer and seems a little tricky with three locks in a\ strange configuration, but with the help of the lock-keeper they are in actual fact very easy. One boat up and one boat down is the rule of the day in this group of three locks with impossibly short pounds (gaps) between them.

Bratch Locks - Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal

Passing through Whittington of 'Dick Whittington' fame we arrived on the outskirts of Kidderminster where the canal opens onto a large shopping centre where you could spend days doing serious shopping if that was your inclination.  We settled for a trip to Tesco which is literally a few yards from the convenient nearby canal mooring.

Kidderminster. Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal

We decided at a late hour of the afternoon to continue out of the Kidderminster suburbs and find a mooring. I noticed one absolutely perfect place next to a pub called 'The Watermill.
It had just one mooring next to a manicured grass area. Manager said we were welcome to moor for the night so we had a few 'sun-downers'  in the beer garden next to the boat and slept the sleep of the just and innocent (ish) afterwards.

Staffs and Worcester terminates at Stourport a few miles further on at the River Severn - our next journey. You are more than welcome to join us............

Macclesfield canal onto the Trent and Mersey...........

Beginning of June has seen a great improvement in the weather so we have decided to start our summer travels whilst that long waited for season is still with us. Spreading our bets we have plenty of wet weather gear loaded together with sun-cream and shorts.....as we are always the optimists......but wet weather in the U.K rarely sees the pessimist disappointed  :) 

Most of our first day was spent stowing food, bedding and other essentials into various cupboards. Most boats (especially ours) needs some planning to ensure everything is squeezed into the available space - something of an acquired skill. Loading from the car to boat we open the centre hatch and I hand bags and boxes down into the boat whilst Cap'n Denise stows things around the boat.


As the afternoon grew older we stopped at the Higher Poynton water-point to fill the tank with that essential of life I am reliably informed is more important than all the beers in all the world.  So with the day growing older we decided to stay at the next 'watering-hole' called the 'Miner's Arms' for the night and sample just a few of those aforementioned beers.  Travel by canal is often called the  'fastest way to slow down'  so it was decided to leave all the rushing around at four mile per hour until the morning.

Early morning fishing session  for this patient Heron, Adlington, Macclesfiedl canal.

Sun shining through the port-holes of the roof mounted 'pigeon box' greets us at 4.30 am so we tried hard to ignore it for a couple of hours. Sunshine and our West Highland Terrier scratching at the door to go out are difficult to ignore, so 6 am found me pounding the tow-path in my principal occupation as walk-slave for Suzy the hound.


By 8am I was sipping a hot coffee with my arm around the tiller as 'San Serriffe' headed towards Macclesfield under the fresh new blue sky of one of those mornings that we all wish for and money cannot buy........a morning only luck and greater things can give us.

Reaching  the flight of 12 locks at Bosley we looked forward to a couple of hours hard lock-wheeling.   For once the weather and Gods were kind and a couple of volunteer lock-keepers gave us a helping down the flight.......making life easy and by mid-afternoon we were moored for the night under the brooding high ground  of  'Bosley Cloud'

Following day we on the Trent and Mersey and heading for the dreaded Harecastle Tunnel and Stoke-on-Trent.  I must admit the Harecastle is not my favourite tunnel which is a passage of some 45 minutes in the subterranean, dripping darkness. An unfortunate accident last year caused the death of a boater after he fell from the stern.  For the first time in a tunnel I donned my auto-inflate life-jacket as recommended by the tunnel-keepers.   Harecastle tunnel becomes very low in the centre and as I stand 6ft I have to bend to clear the masonry passing near the crown of my head. As a spooky finale to your passage an air ventilation motor begins to give a eerie whirr as you reach the Stoke portal, bringing memories of the 'Ghost train' of childhood fairgrounds.  Yes, I am more than relieved to see the 'light at the end of the tunnel' and have the open sky over my head once more.

Harecastle tunnel

Spending the evening at the tranquil Westport lake just before Stoke we continued the following morning towards Great Haywood to join the Staffordshire and Worcester canal that will lead us past the West Midlands and onto it's terminus at Stourport and the River Severn.

Westport  lake.  Stoke-on-Trent

 

Canada Geese gosling - Westport Lake.  Stoke-on-Trent

Waiting for the summer............

Have you noticed how winter sometimes refuses to give way to summer ?     April gave us a false 'dawn' with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures, but the month of May has brought the winter cold back again as if to teach us not to be too complacent.

We had planned to embark on our summer cruise adventures about the second week in May, but as John Lennon once said....... "life is sometimes what happens whilst you are busy making other plans"
Family commitments and various other influences has delayed our departure into the beginning of June.   Perhaps this is for the best as the weather has been cold, wet and windy, a combination that takes most of the pleasure out of cruising the inland waterways.

Long term weather pundits in most of the media newsrooms have prophesied a big improvement in the weather from June onwards. I have heard all this before and is usually the kiss of death for a good summer, but we will have to wait and see.

Our 'Plan A' for the summer is to head towards the River Severn again via the Trent and Mersey/Staffs and Worcester canals, joining the longest river in the United Kingdom at Stourport following it to Gloucester docks and continuing  onwards to Sharpness on the Gloucester and Sharpness canal.

As we hope to return via the River Avon, we will have a 'Plan B' just in case the hot-summer prophecy is wrong and heavy rain turns both Rivers into raging flooding torrents. Having navigated both rivers in the past we know this can happen.  River Avon in particular is full of 'record' high flood markers well above the level of the locks and until recently a narrowboat hung precariously forty foot above the level of the River Severn where boats lock into the River Avon at Tewkesbury, being swept there during floods in 2012. This boat was left hanging where the water left it until a brave couple purchased it last year and had it craned off it's perch.

Narrowboat swept by flooding onto a high perch between the River Severn and and River Avon, Tewkesbury .

Flood level markers River Avon

So if it rains for 'forty days and nights' during the summer I think we will stick to the canals.......so watch this space.

Keeping myself amused during the winter I entered the Inland Waterways 2016 calendar photographic competition and they chose both my entries to be used for the months of June and November.  It is nice to see your photographs actually used for a purpose ( apart from this blog ) and I think some family members will be getting an IWA calendar for Christmas  :) 

River Thames at Abingdon - chosen for the Inland Waterways Association 2016 calendar (June)

'A winter's walk'  chosen for the Inland Waterways Association 2016 calendar.

So with boat serviced including engine and gearbox oils renewed,  fuel and engine filters changed. We are good to go at the beginning of June. I just hope the rain gods are kind to us and take a holiday of their own from creating torrential downpours. A little Camelot-like rain in the early hours of the morning will be sufficient........thank you  :)

Cold cut.......a winter cruise.

December - not a popular month for cruising narrowboats on the U.K canals. A recent 'calm before storm' spell of benign winter weather enticed us to travel at least a short way for a few days to charge the batteries of both the boat and ourselves.  It also gave us a chance to top up to the brim with fuel at 'The Trading Post' to minimize the chance of water droplets condensing on the interior of the steel fuel  tank if left partial empty during the cold temperatures. Fuel and water do not mix and so I always try to keep the fuel tank brim full in an effort to avoid water contamination.
 

A frosty start.

Providing it is not continuous rain I actual enjoy cruising in the quiet cold winter months. We met only one other boat on the move and a smiled 'hello' to the steerer  swaddled in heavy winter coats and gloves just like us got a muffled happy reply together with a wave.

I noticed that wisps of smoke had started to come from the chimney as Captain Denise lit a fire in the 'Morso' stove and soon the cabin would be as toasty warm as any summer's day.

Suzy soon learned that heat rises.........dozing on the top step.

Some of the moored boats also had the same wisps of white smoke denoting that the boat had not just been left empty for the winter and usually a wave through a window denoted somebody happy to sit and relax in a nice warm boat even it was going nowhere. 

Winter smoke curls from a moored boat.

At this time of year after tons of leaves have dropped into the Macclesfield canal the propeller on 'San Serriffe' seems collect them as we go under the bridges and occasionally the prop' wake starts to 'splatter' - a sure sign that the propeller has something on it.  A quick blast of reverse throws off any leaves/twigs and the usual calm straight-line wake re-appears again.

Pesty Westy 'Suzy' the hound was enjoying running up and down the boat roof ensuring the various Ducks, Geese and the Swans who were minding their own business were rudely interrupted in their calm water born duties with a good hysterical barking.......her barking is not just reserved for ducks.....big rough dogs on the tow-path get the same treatment in the confident knowledge that she is perfectly safe on the boat roof.  

Travelling south in the afternoon on a sunny winter's day had just one problem......aforementioned sun !   Hardly above the horizon it was shining directly into my eyes and despite my 'shades' and a peaked cap it made trying to see where we were going very difficult.  You are never happy I hear you say......if it rains you moan, if it is a sunny day, you moan.....this is so true,I must be thankful for small mercies and a sunny day in December is one of them.

A winter's walk........sharp low December sunshine highlights this bridge.            Copyright.

Sunny days in December also have another drawback - it gets very, very cold as the sun disappears below the horizon and the temperature drops quickly and within a few hours of mooring the boat the roof was covered with frost as we retreated to the warmth of the roaring fire in the cabin.

Mooring near the 'Miner's Arms' a shared executive decision to go for an evening meal was quickly decided.
Leaving 'Suzy' to guard the boat accompanied by a mound of doggy treats to keep her happy for a couple of hours we strode off into the cold darkness.

We were greeted with an almost empty pub and our hearts sank as we were told that they were not doing meals that (Wednesday) night .   Disappointed at a pub that in the past was always busy almost every night we decided to drown our sorrows with a few beers.

" Oh.......by the way, we close at 9pm tonight " the lady behind the bar informed us.

" What ? " was my incredulous reply.

A hurriedly convened team discussion between Captain Denise and myself witnessed another instant executive decision and a taxi was called to take us to nearby Poynton.  Choosing the 'Farmer's Arms' it was quickly confirmed that even Wednesday night was food night and they were open for business until late for a few unhurried apres-food drinks..........phew, evening rescued.

Following morning was frost-free and after preparing the boat for the winter ( draining water from pipes, etc) we returned back to our home mooring.
Hopefully we might be able to make another few 'snowflake' winter trips, but we obviously look forward to spring next year when we can continue our annual exploration of the U.K canal system.
See you there.............

Moored in Adlington for the night .........'San Serriffe' in her new colours.

 




 



 

Narrowboat painting made easy..........

Nothing lasts for ever especially paint. Exposed to the elements for a few years it begins to show signs of wear and tear, especially on a narrowboat.

We had bought 'San Serriffe' in 2008 with the paint showing signs of fading after being moored the same way around for some time. Direct sunlight from morning to dusk had started to fade the paint on one side especially the red name panel. Red seems to be the first colour to be effected by U.V exposure and 'San Serriffe' was certainly no exception.

Professional boat-painting is an expensive business and the very best finish on a narrowboat is by hand-painting. Owning a boat on a tight budget after retirement fostered an initial 'make-do and mend' approach to things and the paint was refreshed with plenty of elbow grease, 'T-cut' and polish. Hard work but it kept the faded paint looking reasonable - for a short period of time.

I have some experience of painting a previous boat called 'Dipper' an ex-Alvechurch hire boat and if I learned anything during the twelve months that elapsed whilst I completed the task was how difficult it was to do the job anywhere near the level achieved by a professional boat painter.

'Dipper' in her original hire-boat colours. 

First consideration for painting a boat without a dry-dock is waiting for rain-free days when you can prepare and apply paint.  If you are lucky enough to have sunny days you quickly learn that narrowboat steel becomes very hot and makes applying the paint problematic to say the least.  Added to this is the movement as boats pass your mooring, dust and flies on to the new paint,etc, all make the job a real challenge.


It CAN be done........I have done it.   But preparing and flatting the surface of all four cabin sides including the roof is a very large surface area and a task not to taken on lightly. I applied three coats of 'International' paint using an orbital sander to 'flat' between coats experimenting with thinning finishing coats and adding 'Owatrol' paint conditioner and rust inhibitor. This helps paint flow from your brush, the 'Owatrol' instructions recommend that it is added in a ration of 1:3 with the undercoats and 1:4 with top gloss. I achieved a good brush finish, but nothing like the hand applied 'gloss' achieved by the very best professional boat painters which is often better than most sprayed lacquer finishes on cars. This took a couple of months during the summer learning how to mask and 'sand' the roof using fine kiln-dried block sand. This is not as easy as it sounds and ensuring an even 'spread' of the sand on the roller-applied wet paint surface of the roof is difficult for an amateur like me. 
Excess sand is brushed off when paint is dry and subsequent top coats are then applied on the sand.........at least that is how I did it!

'Dipper' paint preparation before applying top coats

Masking for 'coach-lines' can be a nightmare for beginners.  I started to measure the distance from the roof to the coach-line for example every few feet and marking with a pencil - THIS DID NOT WORK !!   Slightest error (and I mean slight) produces a 'dog-leg' as you look down the length of the boat. I learned how to measure just at the start and finish of the 'line' securing the start of the masking tape to the boat ( secure with another piece of tape at 90 degree) pull taught and 'snap' the tape on from the end using the roof or gunwale line as a sighting line - a technique that needs to be 'learned' with a few trial runs until you can use it with the confidence of experience.  If I learned anything that is worthwhile to pass on from my 'masking' learning curve ................it is this :  USE THE VERY BEST TAPE AVAILABLE AND REMOVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE - IT BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE IF YOU LEAVE UNTIL THE NEXT DAY AND WILL RUIN THE NEW PAINT SURFACE IF YOU TRY !!

Sign-writing by Andy Russell

On completion of the paint work on my previous boat 'Dipper' standing back to admire my work, I realised I had still one major hurdle to overcome - sign-writing for the name, etc.
Hand painted sign-writing it certainly not for the amateur even if you  have an artistic flare, It takes many years of practice, creative talent and technique to reach anything like perfection. I got lucky and realised that an all-time master of the art Andy Russell was by chance working in a dry-dock near my moored boat.  Despite my cheek Andy agreed to paint the name  'Dipper' on my finished paintwork over one of his 'trademark' scrolls - I was delighted at this professional touch to the finished new paint.  I would have resorted to cut Vinyl letters if Andrew had told me to tickle spiders, but as good as some of them are - they are nothing like the real thing.

'Dipper' on completion of my D.I.Y paint job

Despite my attempts to halt the worst effects of  wear, tear and weather on the tired paint of 'San Serriffe' including repainting the roof and rear deck with 'sanded' panels, it was obvious that something radical had to be done.  I was very reluctant to take on the job myself after my previous experience - it really is hard work to achieve even half reasonable results.  I decided to go for a professional re-paint and rang Andy Russell who is so much in demand that I had to wait some 15 months for a 'slot' leaving me at least a period of time to put some money in the piggy-bank.


Furness Vale dry-dock ( Upper Peak Forest canal) was booked for a period of twelve days at the end of September 2014 and I took the opportunity to make everything as cost effective as possible by blacking the hull at the same time. I took on this job myself as Andy started the early paint stripping and preparation stage.  Steam cleaning a hull and splashing coal tar Bitumastic around with a paint roller is not a good idea when somebody else is putting on finishing gloss coats !!!


I had moored 'San Serriffe' overnight near the dry-dock ready for a 8.30am start as directed.  At 8am I realised Andy was preparing the dock appearing a few minutes later next to the boat and we pulled the boat into the dock on the ropes.  Before 9am I was steam-cleaning the hull as Andy removed the brass port-holes in readiness to strip the name panels.......Andy certainly hits the deck running and has things done before most people  just think about it.

'San Serriffe in original paint. Andy Russell is removing cratch-cover press studs prior to starting paint preparation. Traditional castles were painted by previous owner Lilian McPhee and will need some restoration  as they were covered with a varnish that had gone brittle and discoloured.

As I steam-cleaned the hull Andy was preparing one of the name panels where he had found a small area of surface rust on the boat side underneath the brass port-hole.  Removing the rust scale he applied 'Jenolite' which chemically converts it to a hydrophobic layer effectively reducing the chance of the rust re-appearing especially when protected by further primer and top-coats.

Brass port-hole removed. Andy Russell treats a patch of surface rust.

Returning the next day to ensure the hull was dry after steam-cleaning and ready for the first coat of 'Bitumastic' blacking,  I noticed Andrew had prepared the cabin side and applied grey primer. Returning on a further two days to apply more coats of blacking I noticed the first colour coats had been applied (midnight blue with cream outer borders)
rear and front decks were stripped and progress was looking good.

'San Serriffe' cabin sides finished in primer.   I had done the roof myself a couple of years ago (sanded) and was not to be painted..........just call me a cheapskate !!!!!!

I re-polished the brass-port holes with a buffing-wheel at home and re-lacquered the finished surface with Rylard's  'Incralac' which stops the brass tarnishing.   I find life is far to short to polish brasses every few days especially in the winter and although the finish is slightly 'duller' than a newly polished 'Brasso' surface it still looks good. I find this lacquer lasts at least four or five years especially with two or three coats.  Old lacquer can be removed with Cellulose thinners and a buffing wheel on an electric drill. Polish the brass again, re-lacquer and you are good for another few years of work-free boat brassware. I find it much easier to take most of the brassware especially the roof 'mushrooms'  to my home garage workbench where they can be securely held in a vice whilst I use the polishing wheel. 


Returning with the cleaned brass portholes gave me an excuse to have another peek at paint progress. Further finishing top coats had been applied and the effect was literally breath-taking with a glass-like finish. Andy Russell certainly knows how to achieve a perfect gloss - light years away from my amateur efforts with 'Dipper'

Rear deck preparation and the first top-coats going on.

  

Final top coats, sign-writing together with superb 'barber's pole tiller-arm. Masking tape is still on the coach-line.

Andy Russell's sign-writing in certainly some of the very best possible.  Watching him work with the speed and confidence of years of self-taught experience is a visual master-class.   He suggested an electric-blue dropped shadow and the whole effect, in my humble opinion, is just superb........... 

So if you want to make narrowboat painting easy, hire a dry dock. I used Swanley Marina DIY sheds for San Serriffe a couple of years ago when I painted the roof - not forgetting to bring something to stand on that will bring you to cabin level (most dry dock sides are too far from the boat).......or give the job to Andy Russell.

Abandon ship !!!!

Washing the breakfast dishes I seemed to have this strange sensation of falling forwards into the sink and looking out of the galley window I could see no fields - no horizon, just water !!!!!

"There is something seriously wrong with the boat!   shouted Cap'n Denise from the shower.

"You are not kidding........what the hell is going on?"  I replied with a slight tone of concern.

Rushing outside to make visual sense of my desire to fall-over, I realised we were hanging from our ropes at a steep angle, where just five-minutes previously we were at our normal inland-waterway horizontal situation.

Most of the water in the canal had gone and we were leaning alarmingly.

'Don't panic Captain Mainwaring' ........I thought.
"I suggest you get ready quick, we have a situation" ......I suggested to Denise with only the slightest hint of panic in my voice.

What the bloody hell !!!  I mused appraising the rapidly disappearing water and throwing our dog 'Suzy' onto dry-land in an effort to stop her falling over. .

No wonder the kettle keeps falling off the stove..........!!  Denise manages a smile despite San Serriffe being well and truly aground due to a lack of water on the Trent and Mersey near Wheelock

A few minutes before everything had been O.K and a hire-boat moored behind had sailed-off with no problems regarding water level.

Mobile in hand, I found the Canal and River Trust emergency phone-book number and hit the 'call' button.

"Hi..........you have no water in the Trent and Mersey canal near lock 60 " I reported.
"Trent and what ?" was the reply.
"Trent and Mersey !!" I struggled to keep calm and speak clearly.
" Sorry, computer cannot find it" said the voice
"What!!!!!!!!!!  T-R-E-N-T AND M-E-R-S-E-Y !! one of your principal waterways!! slightly losing my composure.
"Sorry, for some reason it is not coming up on the computer, sorry - hang on" she said.
"Oh yes, I will certainly hang on.......my boat is at a very steep angle !!!" I said.
"At a steep angle, you say, oh right ?  O.K putting you through" she said

"Hi"    came a man's voice
 I explained precisely as possible that the Trent and Mersey had drained of water above locks 59-60 near the M6 not very far from Wheelock and I was leaning at this crazy angle with the boat threatening to roll-over.
"Is that near Stoke?"  He asked.
"Stoke????? No!! nowhere near Stoke" ..... I answered frustrated by my need to repeat my exact location regarding place names. bridges numbers and locks.
"Oh right, we will have to get somebody there as soon as possible" came a positive reply.

At that point a fellow boater came by and explained that he was a few locks down and had taken it on himself to drain the upper pounds ( including 'mine' ) to 'bring some water down' to his level.  

Despite the upper pounds being reasonably long all this had done was leave them virtually dry.

I managed to make a cup of tea, by wedging a saucepan against the kettle so that it did not slide off the stove....... boat seemed to be wedged firmly without movement sideways, so we sat stoically at the steeply-angled stern with our hot tea. Very British.

" Shall I re-arrange the deck-chairs" ....asked cap'n Denise with a smile.
" What?" I asked
" That is what they did on the Titanic"  came the smiled reply.
" No use doing that, they would just fall over the side...... lets drink our tea and put the life-jacket on the dog" ....I said

Time passed.....as time does.

 " Hiya".........came the greeting from a friendly Canal and River Trust man.

He explained that they were bringing water from several pounds above and would have us moving in a short while.

He had come from the locks lower down and had got a good tongue-lashing from disgruntled boaters held-up there.

" You can only do your best, it is not your fault" I commiserated.

When we had sufficient water to float he came back and helped to move the boat off the ledge it had wedged on.  He explained that a boat was coming down and would we wait to ensure a 'one-up, one down' regime to maintain the water levels.

We would like to say many thanks to this friendly guy and his colleague positioned a couple of miles or up the canal ensuring a supply of water.   It is very frustrating to be in a 'no water' situation, but helps no one if you express your frustration in blunt terms to the guys trying to sort the situation out.........any problems caused by lock-gear failure ( principal problem on this occasion) was certainly not of their making. Apparently the low water levels had been obvious for several days but nobody had reported it.


We were very fortunate to make progress after only several hours, the navigation being restricted seriously for a few days afterwards whilst problems with paddles on lock 61 and the mitre-liner on lock 63 had been repaired.  All the pounds towards Rode Heath were very low but we managed to keep moving in the centre of the canal and had to smile after saying 'hello' to the owner of a boat on a permanent mooring sitting on the stern of his boat with it's propeller showing high and dry..............

" Might as well do a bit of fishing............nothing else to do "  he said with a resigned smile.


 .....Always remember in life  'Seize the moment'  if a Brandy is offered as the ship goes down, it is not the time to become teetotal........

and ......."He who is not panicking does not realise the serious of the situation"   ( my favourite )