Makeover Time

Saturday 30^th July to Friday 5^th August 2016

Before Diane could take full advantage of the unlimited resources of being house-bound there was the little matter of the incumbents disappearing which was scheduled for about 4pm – just as soon as Phil finished his shift on the Metropolitan Line.

Meanwhile we had walked down to Rickmansworth to Batchworth Lock – taken some rubbish down to the bins, but primarily it was to have a look at a little folk festival taking place at the lock itself – with a promise of Morris Dancers – Diane could not resist.

At just over a mile and a half and on the flat of the towpath, it was about 40 minutes down to there – and we arrived at about the right time as well – they were just setting up.

Now if you have a hankering to dance around waving kerchiefs, have lots of bells on your person jangling about, or want to wave and clash a lump of wood with someone else, all set to accordion music, then this is the thing for you – Diane hadn’t seen it for a while and I just sat and watched.

Did I mention that they have big boots as well?

Each of the groups have distinctive colours that they wear - a bit like
musical gangs

I have an ex-work colleague in Australia who carries on like this and when the music stops he seems quite normal and so do these “guys” – I guess it’s the dance equivalent to football’s “white-line fever”.

It was an easy way to spend an hour or so. We managed to spend a bit more time on top of that wandering around the Aquadrome and then back again for the afternoon session of the bells and sticks.

the sticks are out - bigger ones...

..and smaller ones

The walk back to the boat was not too hard – given that by this stage we were on a shady towpath – and by the time we were back it was after 5pm – Diane had her bags packed early on, so it was goodbye and she was off to house-sit; feed the fish; look after the bath; and gently work the washing machine – the equivalent of Diane-heaven, except it was without anyone to make her coffee.

I was looking after the boat.

As I may have written previously, there was a list – always a list – of things that we “needed” to do on the boat – this list extended now to just on two pages and was being added to as we spoke, but now that we are nearing the end of another week it is pleasing to see that the number of things left to do is really quite small.

But what have we achieved in this time – well we had already removed the wallpaper and sanded before this time, so I cannot include that, but let me list it for you.

1.     Paint the walls – all done and finished – taped up and 2 coats applied in expert fashion by her-indoors and a lovely outcome

2.     Amour-all the cratch and pram-hood covers

3.     Wash all of the curtains

4.     Remove and wash the dinette covers

5.     Clean the oven using the much hunted-for “Pink Stuff” and it worked brilliantly

6.     Oil change for the engine – replace all of the filters this time.

7.     We have sorted through the wardrobes and got rid of clothes that we are not wearing anymore – all to the charity shops

8.     Reconnected the navigation lights – these were temporarily disconnected whilst we had some 12v work done a while ago

9.     Polished all of the brass tiller pins – now numbering almost to double figures

10. Cleaned the windows

11. Sorted through the shoe cupboard, much the same as the clothes – getting rid of shoes that we are not and will not wear again

12. Sanded and varnished the walls in the corridor outside the bathroom and behind the dinette – using a water-based varnish

13. Sanded and varnished the bathroom walls and ceiling – a spirits based varnish for the steamy areas.

 

The curtains are not back up but the new paintwork has brightened it up...

...I think Diane has done a great job with painting this - 2 coats in a day

Nice and bright and clean!

Now, I don’t want to give the impression that we haven’t been cleaning or taking care of the boat, but sometimes things get to the stage where it needs to be brightened-up, spruced-up, brought right back up to scratch – things that you cannot do regularly – so this week has been very fruitful indeed.

Still to do – mmm!! – hope we get these done

1.     Sand and paint the roof – this will depend on the weather – not too cold; not too hot; not too windy – you get the picture – perfect conditions required.

2.     Paint the outside of the gas locker – some remedial work being done – a start has already been made on this, so it is just finishing it off.

3.     The inside of the cratch area is going to be cleaned – everything out and a thorough clean take place and then put it all back in.

4.     I need to extend the water pipes to allow the easy filling of the reservoir for the cassette toilet – the current one works but it needs to be improved.

So, again all things that build up a bit and comes to a point where they get done.

Who thought that it was all plain sailing when you own a boat – always something to be done; something to improve; something to add.

A bit like owning a house, but with the distinct advantages of being able to move when you want.

That’s the week that happened and a preview of the week ahead.

We’re not in Kansas anymore.

Sunday 24^th July to Friday 29^th July 2016

First up was the need to fill the water tank and empty the cassette which we managed to take care of at the Cowley Peachey services – the water tap here is much faster than the one at Cowley Lock.

It was a slow easy cruise into Uxbridge – for one thing the moored boats meant that we were slow anyway and for another there appeared to be something around the prop which would not budge.

This combined with a couple of sections of canal since we had got back on at Brentford which were heavily clogged with weed, was the awakening that we were indeed not in deep, flowing water anymore.

We were somewhere not like we had become used to.

I had hoped that we could clear the prop when we stopped for diesel at Denham Marina, but this was a particularly busy Sunday morning – a boat in ahead which was just about to leave and another had come in behind us and a further boat waiting out in the canal itself – we couldn’t muck about – afterall we could move, so the prop clearing would wait until we moored up above Uxbridge Lock.

We shared the lock with a cruiser – the guy seemed particularly keen for us to come in – we had visions of crushing the cruiser like a bug, if the water coming in was too fast.

In the end we both fitted pretty well; the water was slow coming in; and no cruisers were “killed” in the passage through the lock.

Finding a mooring place was difficult – plenty of boats and just a few spaces where sadly we could get in – guess that was why there were spaces.

We carried on to Denham Deep Lock, where we shared with another boat but as I jumped off to help with it, who should be on the other side but Nikki and Phil with the girls – Mia and Jess – just out for a bit of a stroll and they nabbed us.

We did finally moor above the lock, had a cup of tea and a chat and said we would see them later in the week – it is their house that we will be looking after.

We have moored here before and it is so lovely that it should be a more frequented spot – next time maybe.

On successive days we then moved along to moor below Stockers Lock and then in Rickmansworth – interestingly we had trouble getting TV reception but it wasn’t of any concern to us at all.

Our plan was to have a bit of a rest day on Wednesday – rain had been forecast anyway – we checked out the nearest cinema – Harrow – and the new Bourne movie was on that day – it was a no brainer for us.

On the train; tickets to the movie; lunch; then sit back and relax.

Now we love this series of movies anyway, but we had a special reason to want to see this one soon – and yes we were in it, well the boat made it into there, our faces were obscured behind the curtains -  so very pleased with that.

--- and we enjoyed the movie as well.

Just a few miles further along on Thursday and we had arrived at our destination.

We will be here for a bit of time – looking after the house and we have now turned this all into a chance to get through a number of jobs that have been hanging around for a time; also a chance just to take it a bit easier.

The biggest job that we have to do is to get the rest of the walls ready to be painted – Friday was the day – so, clear out as much as we could from both the lounge and the galley/dining areas – anything that would attract dust.

Then Diane sanded her way through it all whilst I washed the boat; after that it was vacuuming time and then put everything back – job done and “dusted” in about 3½ hours.

Bookcases cleared; knick-knacks all gone...

...the wine storage covered up...

...kitchen cleared...

...and ready to go

A great deal of relief for both of us to get that one out of the way.

So now we can enjoy the rest of the day and plan for the painting.

 

A satisfied look at lunch - glad that the job was done

I think the other plan that Diane has involves baby sitting the washing machine and the bath – access to unlimited power and hot water is now with her.

Not sure that he has enough fenders - maybe he is an ex-cruiser owner

11 Miles, 11 Locks

YTD:  482 Miles (776 km) , 311 Locks, 4 Tunnels, 14 Lift Bridges, 3 Swing Bridges

Total: 4277 Miles (6883 km), 3010 Locks, 116 Tunnels, 59 Lift Bridges, 170 Swing Bridges

Nie einen Rest für den männlichen Teil der Arten

Thursday 1^st October to Saturday 3^rd October 2015

From one extreme to the other – whereas I had not long finished saying that not a whole lot was happening and hence the reason for the time delay between one blog to the next, here we are and three days in a row and I have been quite busy.

First up on Thursday I had a doctors appointment to check out a long standing problem with my back, and before anyone says that this has only happened since Diane has been away, it actually goes back almost 6 months and she had been onto me about getting something done about it.

Even from 20,000 kms away she has a way of getting things done and so finally I made a doctors appointment.

In my defence as to why I had not anything before now was the fact that I was still on an ancestry visa and quite clearly stated “No access to public funds” and I take that to quite literally mean that I should not access the NHS services. Now that my status has changed I decided to seek a medical opinion to confirm my own or offer something different.

It appears to be muscular – obviously having to do too much work – probably too many locks – but I need to have an X-ray and physiotherapy.

Without wanting to suggest that the NHS system could do with a shake-up, the doctor said that she would arrange an appointment time for the X-ray and for the physio to start and would advise me – but it was quite clearly advised that the X-ray would take a couple of months and the physio might be a month.

I would give you the example that Diane has just gone through with her Dad back in Australia – he needed a blood test and an X-ray – after they came out of the doctor’s surgery they walked around the corner and had both done within an hour and would be able to go back in to see the doctor withgin 24 hours – all results having been fully checked by qualified medical staff to assess the results.

This has been the norm for us over the past 25 years (and longer).

I fail to see why I need someone else to set up an appointment for me when, in all likelihood the time and date may not be suitable and I would need to ring and re-arrange another date and time; and why does it take so long to actually get an appointment.

In addition I had to ask the doctor to supply me with a set of back exercises that I can start in preparation for any physio but also just to help relieve some of the stiffness and soreness that I have.

Oh, and by the way, the doctor agreed with my assessment of my situation – I am waiting for my medical qualifications to arrive in the mail.

Friday was moving day – but not too far.

The primary reason was the need to empty two full cassettes before the final one became full as well – it would have been another 4 or 5 days but the weather forecast was good so it was an excellent reason to move – down to Batchworth Lock where the water tank was filled and the cassettes emptied – a good result and I was away within 25 minutes but just as far as Tesco where I moored for a quick trip into the supermarket.

Unlike the usual situation on Ferndale, I had allowed the milk reserves to dwindle down to a completely out of stock situation – this would never do for “she who must be obeyed” and I could just imagine the terror-filled eyes that would have been confronting me if Diane had been facing the same realisation.

Anyway, I wasn’t overly concerned and the short stop meant that there was milk in the fridge once again.

The last time I was here, the TV reception was almost non-existant for me and so I had thought before getting here in Rickmansworth that it would not be worthwhile stopping – just as well I had that mindset – the moorings were all full anyway.

So I continued a bit further along to a mooring site that I had seen when down this was just a few weeks ago – just after going through Stockers Lock and rounding the bend there are excellent mooring spots with a southerly view across the canal and no trees to block the sun; TV reception is good so my schedule of recording TV shows for Diane can continue – thus preventing any problems upon her return.

The remainder of Friday was glorious with the temperature eventually reaching over the 20C mark – more like 22-23C – and the sun was streaming in through the windows and through the solar panels.

 

the outlook - obviously not when it was sunny, but still very open

Looking back - just around the corner is Stockers Lock

From the list of jobs that still remain for me to take care of before the end of October, I made a few notes on some of them that I can complete during this coming week with most of the work being able to be completed over the weekend.

It is all a matter of timing and arranging things to be done in the right order – as some of these jobs involved sanding I would need to have the engine running, so tie that in with having to charge the batteries.

The front-well deck and the rear deck both needed to be sanded back and repainted, so after walking back to Batchworth to deposit the rubbish in the bins there and of course popping into Waitrose for free coffee, walking back – engine started, both decks sanded and then two coats of primer/undercoat have been finished and now fully drying through ready for top-coating tomorrow.

A real sense of achievement and I have to say the the look of it is pleasing as well.

 

The front deck after one coat - getting there

Back deck after one coat

back deck after two coats

So it has been anything but relaxation here on Ferndale over the past few days – I may need to take a break to recover.

Never any rest for the male of the species

GO THE WALLABIES!!!

2 Miles, 4 Locks

YTD: 814 Miles (1310 km) , 518 Locks, 14 Tunnels, 11 Lift Bridges, 16 Swing Bridges

Total: 3708 Miles (5967 km) , 2639 Locks, 112 Tunnels, 45 Lift Bridges, 167 Swing Bridges

41

Saturday 12^th September to Saturday 19^th September 2015

I know that it has been a week since my last informative blog but at the moment there just isn’t a lot of variety or interesting things actually happening.

It doesn’t make a lot of sense to tell you about going to the supermarket or that I have done the washing – the usual and normal domestic stuff that still happens, even on a boat.

What did happen that was interesting – nothing at all.

Sometimes it can be just uninteresting.

Sure I have done a bit of travelling – firstly from Cassiobury Park down to Croxley Green where Phil and Nikki now live with the two girls – Mia and Jessica.

I was very kindly invited to dinner on two consecutive nights – nothing flash, just good wholesome home cooked food and a chance for some conversation.

Croxley Green was interesting in a not-seen-it-before sense – worth a walk up the hill to see a varied group of shops offering quite a lot really and the Croxley underground station is right there as well.

A couple of days there and then it was down to Rickmansworth – nothing against it but I did need to empty the cassette and that was the nearest elsan point – I did however stay a couple of days – it was Champions League time and the White Bear shows all of the matches.

After that, I wanted to go down to Uxbridge – for fuel and I needed some packing rope for the stern gland. The fuel was only 59 ppl (self-declare) and I filled right up to the brim – it had been over 5 weeks since the last fill and I was happy with the 140 litres.

There was another boat waiting there at the same time and I was talking to the woman on the boat when she asked me a question that I had not been asked for a long time by a newly acquainted woman……

…..if I could guess where she came from, she had reached the conclusion that I was Australian. It is an indication of my improvement in picking some of the variety of accents of the UK that I almost immediately picked it as of a Mancunian origin.

If you were thinking that she might have been about to ask me some other type of question then ….. you were wrong!

We compared notes on a few things but predominantly pump-out tanks – she was about to have hers removed and I informed her that we had done so last year – and could not be happier with the result – there, the conversation always comes around to toilets – the batteries being quite OK.

After that – it was back on the “road” – the water road (to use the title of Paul Gogarty’s book) and up to Harefield – why there? – well I was a bit tired, it was starting to rain (for the 5^th or 6^th time that morning and fairly heavy this time) and it was nice and open for a TV signal to see the Rugby World Cup.

And today, Saturday, it was such an incredibly brilliant day – the sun was out from the very start and stayed out until disappearing behind the tress – a lovely warm day – and being the weekend there were so many people out and about; the sun giving them a new energy to engage with others.

This shot above Common Moor Lock was so peaceful and showed how lovely not
only the scenery was but also the day

 

I don't recall seeing a dutch barge going through a lock but that is exactly what
was happening at Lock 77 today

I finally moored up back at Cassiobury Park from whence I had left just 4 days previously but I think I will be here until next weekend when I will wind and head back south again but perhaps carry on past Uxbridge.

There, not much of an interesting week at all; I have hardly done anything at all.

Somewhere in there I have resealed the bath, cleaned the Reflecs stove; done a check on the stoppages over winter to see where we can cruise to; and of course a few loads of washing (had to get that in for Paul and Bruce).

Someone is bound to ask about the heading for this blog – why 41?

If I had written this yesterday then it would have been 42 and I could have given erroneous answers about the answer to the ultimate question of life and the universe, but quite simply it is a countdown.

There are now 41 days left until Diane returns.

 

Whatever caption I may wish to add may not be a wise move on my part, just
to say though, she is the best...

19 Miles, 24  Locks

YTD: 809 Miles (1302 km) , 508 Locks, 14 Tunnels, 11 Lift Bridges, 16 Swing Bridges

Total: 3703 Miles (5959 km) , 2629 Locks, 112 Tunnels, 45 Lift Bridges, 167 Swing Bridges

For our spring collection, dahhling!!

Sunday 19th April to Monday 20th April  2015

We farewelled wb Still Rockin' on Sunday morning, helping them through Iron Bridge Lock, with just a few onlookers.
 

the wee narrowboat negotiating a course between two wide beams, and George
(left) carefully taking a suitable line for the lock...

...nothing less than perfect

and taking all of the lock

As we had noticed earlier in the morning, so too did George as he manoeuvred Still Rockin' into the lock - the pound had dropped about a foot (30cm) since last evening, and we would be moving soon enough ourselves.

No doubt we will be catching up with them again sometime again whilst we are down south.
 

Bye for now - see you both again soon

As we have said time and time again, it does not matter how long it is since you have last met, it simply becomes a matter of taking up from where you left off - in this case it has been about 2 and 1/2 years.

As soon as we returned to Ferndale we prepared to leave - again we needed to wind and once again we found that we were of a suitable size and the canal suitably wide enough to allow us to do so without the need of a winding hole - any longer on our part and we would not have been able to turn.

Now facing south we could move, but we immediately pulled in to fill the water tank - it had taken a battering with showers and three loads of washing - now down to just 1/4 full.

Soon enough we were on our way,into the lock,sharing with other boat (about a 40 footer) - they were to moor up just below the lock whilst we carried on, tracing a familiar path from the past week, eventually mooring up just down from the canal-side Tesco at Rickmansworth.

The weather was not as bright and sunny as it had been last week, in fact it was at that stage where a shower or two would have not been unexpected, but would have been most unwelcome to the propsect of drying the load of washing hanging out the back.
Fortunately the rain didn't eventuate, but tracking down a Sunday roast did go ahead - a visit to The White Bear seemed in order and with the football being televised it seemed like an agreeable location.
The meal was less than we would have expected, but still quite nice - a 6 on the Wrenbury scale and we declined to finish watching the game and further declined the dessert menu.

Later on we did venture out for a walk around - safe in the knowledge that the washing was now secure inside and the chances of rain had dropped.

It is a lovely small town centre, although we suspect that the full community is much larger and more extensively catered for.

We found a recylcing depot which appears to take used oil - with a 5 litre container awaiting disposal I will come back to find out more.

Monday was a cracker of a day and having got through a great deal of work in the morning we both decided that there were a few things that we needed to do in the town centre - some cards to be bought and posted; coffee; find the Waitrose store; a small Halford's was found in the High street; and as an indicator of the state of the area, we also found quite a number of charity shops.
 

Sunny? - yes I should think so

Almost ready to seek some shade - not yet!

The temperature had continued to rise to the point that it was actually quite warm and as Diane had not yet made the full transition between winter clothing and summer clothing, she found herself without a pair of shorts to put on - my suggestion of just going in her knickers was rejected.

The solution was apparent to her - an old pair of jeans which were used only when she was working the locks had a largish hole above the mid-thigh region and she made the usual hacking of them in an attempt to create a pair of shorts.

Well, shorts they were, but only in the castaway sense and needed some severe rectification work if they were to look anything worth while.

I have to say dahhlings, that my dressmaking skills came to the for and whilst Diane modelled them, I carefully snipped away to bring them into shape.

It is certainly easier cutting away at the level of upper thigh when the model is female than if they were a male - nothing too much to snip away accidentally, dears!
 

Just a small snippet of the line of this year's shorts collection

Anyway the spring collection of ChicFerndale has started.

As the sun started to set later on, we took a stroll around the lakes of the Aquadrome.
Plenty of bird life around and human life as well, with many others enjoying the end to a great day whilst there was still a bit of warmth about.

Lastly - a very happy birthday to Robert on the 19th and also to Nikki on the 20th.

3 Miles, 4 Locks
YTD: 276 Miles, 172 Locks, 6 Tunnels, 2 Lift Bridges, 11 Swing Bridges

Totals: 3170 Miles, 2293 Locks, 104 Tunnels, 36 Lift Bridges, 162 Swing Bridges