Boat test alternative — interiors

Lockdown made boat tests impossible, so the August edition of Canal Boat has another look back instead — this time looking at contrasting interiors.

Overwater

A boat test today at Overwater, just fifteen minutes drive from Nantwich.  It was a bit miserable to start with, but the sun came out — although the wind didn’t drop.  The boat owner was going out anyway, so we did the shots while he did that.  We were due to do another one tomorrow, but the forecast is for rain; we tried rearranging for this afternoon but it wasn’t possible, so I decided to drive home.

Post lockdown visit

I came up to to Nantwich after an early shift, and the three hour journey from London was very easy. I arrived about 5.30.  Apart from being full of spiders, the boat seems fine.  She has spent the lockdown moored in front of the cafe, but Bill had moved her back to the end of the basin for ease of access.  This was the view from the side hatch.

I turned everything back on, did a quick change of the loo (after more than three months of warm weather it was the driest I’ve ever seen it), and made the bed.  The Eberspacher started first time, which is always a relief, so I have hot water for the morning.

This evening I walked up to the bins, then crossed over the bridge and walked down the canal to the aqueduct.  I went down the steps and returned via the road.

Tomorrow, I have a boat test to do nearby — so I hope the wind has dropped a bit.  It’s really blowy here.

Boat test alternative — exteriors

The July edition of Canal Boat is out — and as we haven’t been able to do boat tests recently, there’s a look a back at some of the best boat shells from the past few years.

Odyssey on test, and our Coronavirus diary

The June edition of Canal Boat is out and includes my boat test on Odyssey by Boating Leisure Services, plus a piece about the build up to abandoning our big trip when the lockdown happened.

Annual Report

Today marks the ninth anniversary of taking ownership of Briar Rose.  Our miles and locks are a bit higher this year, because we had a longer trip in September plus the shortened trip this spring; the figures should have been a lot higher!

This year we have travelled on the following waterways:

• BCN -- Old and New Mainlines, Gower Branch
• Bridgewater Canal Leigh Arm
• Coventry Canal
• Droitwich Barge and Junction Canals
• Grand Union Leicester Arm
• Grand Union Mainline
• Leeds and Liverpool Leigh Arm
• North Oxford Canal
• River Avon
• River Severn
• Shropshire Union Mainline
• Shropshire Union Middlewich Arm
• Staffs and Worcester Canal
• Stratford Canal
• Trent and Mersey Canal
• Wardle Canal
• Worcester and Birmingham Canal

Lockdown jigsaw

Adrian got me this for my birthday a few weeks ago — and now he’s completed it!  Points for anyone who can identify the mooring.