After three great weeks with our friends Chris and Jim from NB Sylph, we are planning to head back up to the Grand Union Canal this week. We are still in Fenny Compton but have not been idle during our stay!
Two trips to London from Banbury to get Bob’s eye checked – we are making slow progress but are still tethered to the hospital for a return trip in three weeks!
Our cratch and stern pram covers are progressing – we have a cratch and board fitted and the framework for the pram cover (photos in gallery). It looks like we will have the whole lot finished in another week or so!!! We are pretty excited to get this underway and hope that it makes wintering on the boat much easier as this will give us somewhere to take of our wet jackets and muddy boats, hang the washing to get it dry and act as a buffer to the outside by reducing draughts!! Much cosier!!
We also had new drains created at the stern of the boat to enable the water that accumulates on the roof to flow off rather than onto the stern deck and into the engine bay. Whilst the painting is not yet complete – looks a bit dodgy but Bron will get around to it! – the job was well done by the guys in the boatyard here at Fenny Compton. We, like most boaters, have struggled a bit to match the paint colours but at least we have put in a barrier to stop the rust.
We are also trialing dehumidifiers inside to reduce the amount of condensation we get. Not sure how successful it will be but if we don’t go mouldy that will be a bonus.
Meanwhile our radiators are working beautifully and although we haven’t had too much really cold weather we are pretty confident we can survive all but the harshest winter conditions. Its lovely to wake up, reach out and feel the comforting warmth of the radiator thanks to the automatic timer,
Jim and Bob have had a great time together helping each other out. Bob helped Jim with an oil change on their boat and to paint their roof. Jim and Chris have been taking us to Banbury for our trips to London, and also around the area to Warwick, Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon as Chris attends her medical appointments in relation to her recent break!! So we have been fortunate in seeing a bit of the region we are in. Have to say though that we prefer the pace of the canal rather than the motorway.
Jim and Chris have moved their boat out of the marina on weekends and we have had many sociable evenings sharing a meal, a drink or two, lots of laughs and telling yarns about our lives. We have even spent a couple of afternoons in the Wharf Inn – a very nice canal side pub.
Last night as Chris was busy planting her bulbs in readiness for next year’s beautiful roof display, and in the midst of Jim attempting to organise their bow lockers, Bob put our recently collected conkers to good use attaching string to two of them in readiness for a game of conkers. Photos are in the gallery with Jim triumphantly dispalying his own intact conker and Bob’s split conker. The UK triumphed over Australia – this time!!!!
Today we are off to Southam for a drive and then back to the Wharf Inn for a farewell drink and bite to eat before Chris and Jim head off for a week and we head north. But we will be meeting up again very soon when Bunion welcomes Gina aboard for some doggy holidays in January – Chris and Jim are planning a holiday of their own!!!
We are expecting very high winds tomorrow so looks like we will head off on Wednesday – gives us time to make sure all those little jobs we have been too busy to do get completed!!!
Hi Bron and Bob, Lovely to read about what you are doing while we are here in NZ coping with a second summer on its way … We’ve had some lovely weather so far and are hoping it’ll continue. However, as is usual, Labour Weekend is set to be poopy. I had promised, Bron, that I would find you a map site that I have seen on blogs showing where you are. I think this one can give your latitude and longitude as well as showing your position on a map. Check it out and have a play: http://www.waterexplorer.co.uk/
My hunch is that your condensation problem is actually Bunion peeing. Either get rid of him, boat train him or see if there are parts of your boat that are not covered in insulation (the last is the serious suggestion, if you hadn’t worked it out …) I seem to remember reading and being told that where there is bare metal beneath the lining (ie no spray foam adhering) condensation will form. The dehumidifier could be a boon though, as they are so effective as extracting water from inside rooms. Here at home on chilly mornings, I scrape the windows down with a windscreen squeegee – saves having to dry them off or suck that water up with the dehumidifier.
Big hugs to you both, Marilyn and David
Hi there Marilyn and David. Good to hear you are enjoying a summer while we slowly freeze!!! Actually its getting to 20C here today!!
Bunion is very well trained and does not pee inside but keeps bringing his girlfriend Abercorn on board so maybe it is her????
We will keep trying out the dehumidifiers – they have captured quite a bit of moisture already. Take care and happy moving xx