Handrails: Day 6

A couple of boats left this morning, and as I wanted to do another top coat on the handrails, I moved forward a couple of boat lengths to where there were no overhanging trees to drop bits onto them.  Because of yesterday’s rain, I had to dry them off before I could give them a light sand (it seems weird taking sand paper to newly shiny paintwork), and then start painting.  I had much less paint left than I would have liked, so decided I would prioritise the tops and outsides of the handrails, and leave the insides to another time.  It was just as well, because by the time I got to the end, I have virtually no paint left at all; at least the most visible bits, and those which had suffered worst, have two coats.  I left the paint to dry for a few hours, and then began the task of removing all the masking tape.  To my relief, it came off very easily and left a nice crisp line.

The handrails are by no means perfect — we’d have had to have done a lot more work to make them that good.  But I’m pleased with the overall look, which is much improved.  Hopefully the rust has been stopped and won’t come through again too quickly.  I do think I’ve been quite fortunate in having a week where the weather has been pretty conducive for painting, generally sunny, reasonably warm without being hot, and not to windy.

Handrails: Day 5

Nothing to report on the handrail front today as I had to go to work — the reason for being at Wolverton.  I caught the 0500 train, and got back to the boat at around 1600.  I made a quick visit to Tesco, and as I walked back it started to rain.  However, it didn’t last long so I decided to head off, to get away from the noise of the trains and the flats.  I did get wet for part of the journey, but then it dried up again.  The tree that I photographed across a boat yesterday has been cut down, so the canal is back to its normal width.

I should really have stopped on the moorings past the aqueduct, but as it wasn’t raining I decided to go up the lock.  Of course as I was going into the lock it started to rain again, and continued until just after I moored up.  I was pretty sure there’d be space in Cosgrove village, as it’s been quiet here all week — and while there were more boats than previously, there were several spaces available.  So no painting today, but I did like the way the rain formed water droplets on the new paint but didn’t on the old, as seen on the roof diamonds.

2 miles, 1 lock.  (6 miles, 2 locks)

Handrails: Day 4

I didn’t really expect to make any progress on the handrails today, as I had a boat test to do in Droitwich.  I’d parked my car in the village on Monday night, to cut down the walk, and then drove to Bicester where I met Andy the photographer in the park and ride car park so we could just take one car the rest of the way.  The weather at Droitwich Marina was warm and sunny and the boat was good, and we were done in a decent amount of time.  Having dropped Andy back at his car, I took mine back to the marina and walked along to the boat.  As Saturday’s weather forecast now isn’t very good, I thought I’d make use of the afternoon to get the first coat of top coat done.  I started just before 3pm, and the whole thing takes about an hour and a half.  It seemed hard work covering the black undercoat, but I was relatively pleased with the result.

One slight concern is that I seem to have used more than half a tin of paint.  Whether that’s because of doing the diamonds the other day, or whether covering the black just takes a bit more paint, I don’t know.

A bit before 5pm I untied a set off.  The paint dries pretty quickly in this warm weather, so I wasn’t too concerned about it while under way.  Before Wolverton, a large willow tree has fallen across the towpath and half the canal.  There’s enough room to get through, but I wouldn’t want to be the boat underneath it.

I continued as far as the winding hole at New Bradwell, where I turned around and returned to Wolverton, where I moored on the end by the flats.  I hadn’t seen a moving boat the whole time.

3 miles, 0 locks.  (4 miles, 1 lock)

Handrails: Day 3

I had a very nice evening yesterday with Catherine, Nigel, Grace, and Matthew.  Getting to their house was a bit circuitous as Towcester High Street is closed for several months of road works.  It was good to see them and hear about their trip down the South Oxford Canal.

There’s not much to report today, because putting a second coat of undercoat over the first leaves things looking pretty much the same as they did before.  The job was done by mid morning, when the sun started to come out.  While I was painting, the Braidbar boat, Burnt Oak, went past and I had a quick chat with John and Martina.  We last saw them in September, when we paired up with them for our very rapid decent of the Hatton flight.

A lady who single hands her boat, and sells from it, had stopped to talk yesterday and today while out walking, so when she went past on her boat I went to help her up the lock.  She’s on her way to the Village at War weekend at Stoke Bruerne.  Another single hander arrived to go down, so I worked the lock for him too.  The garden next to the lock still has alpaca and goats in it — and I was particularly taken by one goat which appeared not to want to come out of its little house.

While I was at the lock I walked round to the shop at the caravan park to get some bread rolls for lunch.  This afternoon I’ve been working on boat tests, as they’re mounting up unwritten.

Handrails: Day 2

A cooler and duller morning, perfect for painting, so I got on with it.  First I had to clean off a sort of sappy stuff that the nearby tree had deposited on the boat, then I got going with the undercoat.  On the advice of Phil Speight I’m using a black undercoat, which will apparently help the red appear redder — although he wouldn’t say it would stop it fading!  At least it means you can really see where you’ve been.

The trickiest bit is the inside of the handrails, because I found it had to be done by brush rather than roller.  I will do another coat tomorrow, as now it’s dry I can see it’s a bit thin in places.

The red on the bow flashes has faded too, so I thought I’d smarted them up.  This involved kneeling on the bow and hanging upside down to mask up the diamonds.  For the curved bits, I traced templates and cut them out of a cereal box.  They didn’t work as well as the masking tape so I had a bit of tidying up to do, but at least it was better than freehand.  I also took the top chains off the button fender to do the stem post.  Here’s the before and after.

I’ve also redone the red diamonds on the roof, and they look good too.  The thrill of taking off the masking tape is something else!

It has become increasingly sunny and warm this afternoon.  Some boats have left, so I pulled back a bit.  Mostly this was to get out from under the tree, but getting a little further away from the screaming toddlers on the boat in front was a bonus.

I’ve been invited out to my cousin Catherine’s this evening, so I’ll be walking back to the marina to get the car.

Handrails: Day 1

It was a beautiful sunny morning.  I’d been glad to see when I arrived yesterday that the previously rusty bits of the handrails were still black — even though the Fertan had been washed off if rather shorter order than would have been ideal.  First thing, I was outside making sure they were clean and dry, and putting on some primer over the treated sections.  I wanted to get it done before it got too warm.  Once that was done I started on the next job, to mask up round the bits I’ll be painting.  I have followed the advice of Neil from Herbie, and Used the same masking tape he recently recommended.

I’d bought two rolls, which was just as well, as one turned out to be not quite enough.  I did most of the job, but masking the cabin side isn’t really something you can do while balancing on the gunwales.  So after I’d made a dash to Tesco for some food, and then had lunch, I headed out of the marina.  As I approached Cosgrove Lock I could see a Wyvern boat with the pole deployed.  It seems there had been quite a lot of boat’s and confusion just before I got there.  In fact a boat I though was on the water point also said they’d been waiting for the lock.  Once down, I looked for a mooring; there had been plenty of space up in the village but down here there were loads of boats.  I enventually found a space big enough and slotted in.  Then I did the rest of the masking tape application.  The primer also got a light sand, ready for tomorrow.

While I’ve been here, loads of boats and people have been past.  A little while ago a big family group came along and admired the little ash bin on the well deck.  They then peered in the galley window, virtually nose up to the glass (and we’re talking adults here, not children); they got a bit of a shock when they reached the dinette window and found me looking back at them.

1 mile, 1 lock.

London, Berkhamsted, Portsmouth, Thrupp Wharf

A pretty long day this morning, beginning with an early start in London.  This was the view over East London when I got up.  The tube and a train took me to Amersham when Andy the photographer picked me up, and we went to Berkhamsted for a boat test.  Actually, the boat turned out to be above Cowroast.  Once that was done we drove back to Andy’s, and then (as he was going with his wife to their boat) he gave me a lift to Portsmouth.  A bit of public transport got me to Southsea to pick up my new glasses, then a walk a train and taxi got me home.  I wasn’t there long — just enough time to pack a few things and load the car to head up to Briar Rose, arriving at aroun 8pm.