We stayed near Burston till Thursday, more work done on the right hand gunwale and the rear hatch slide. The slide is very heavy, I’ve had it off it’s runners only once before, but couldn’t actually lift it, I just rolled it over onto it’s top face. This time I decided to raise it on wooden blocks to clear the brass rails it runs on. I had to take them off to de-rust, prime and paint under them. That done they were refitted. Another job done.
Thursday we headed off to join Chas and Ann at Great Haywood. We keep saying goodbye, then meeting up again!
Hotel boats Snipe and Taurus at Sandon Lock
It was the last of the reliably fine days, before this current series of thundery showers rolled in.
Even the horses were sunbathing
Some fine elderly boats at Weston Wharf
We moored overnight near the road bridge, opposite the farm shop, then in the morning moved around onto the Staffs and Worcester, mooring on the straight before Swivel Bridge.
Local neighbourhood watch….
Yesterday we had an excellent lunch on board Moore2Life and later Ann and Chas brought round a birthday cake for me, a week early but we’re not going to be together after today, we’re heading back to Stone, they’re heading home, leaving M2L in Great Haywood Marina for a week.
So today we headed off at around 08:45, down to Tixall Wide to turn around, then back to the junction and mayhem around the service point.
Tixall Wide this morning
Coming back past M2L, Ann….
I thought that getting off a little earlier than normal we might have missed the crowds, but, as usual, the water point was thronged. We waited for about 40 minutes on the offside for the opportunity to fill up, deliberately aground so we didn’t drift about in the breeze.
Great Haywood Junction
After filling and emptying, I then set myself the task of reversing for diesel on the Anglo-Welsh wharf. Those who know the junction will understand the challenge, for those who don’t, it required backing off the water point, then a 90° turn to go under the bridge, still in reverse, and another turn onto the wharf. And I didn’t touch the sides anywhere. Smart a**e.
Fueled up, watered up, rubbish and loos emptied, the last job was a bit of grocery shopping. Although it’s dearer, I decided to pop across to the farm shop rather than trail up the village to the Spar shop. We pulled up behind Tony and Jacqui on NB Timewarp just through the road bridge.
Tony and Jacqui
Tony gave me a bit of a confidence boost; he’s got a lot of experience of painting boats and was very happy with the preparation I’d done, and the plan going forward. He also gave me some valuable advice when it comes to the final coats. Thanks, both, see you again soon.
This is what it’s all about… Bridge 81 and Leatop Farm on Ox Hill. Beautiful.
Sunshine and showers was the order of the day, but it was still very pleasant and we finished up going further than planned, ending up mooring above Sandon Lock.
Some fine cloudscapes today
My first job was securing a couple of boats that were only tied at one end, mooring pins having been pulled out of the soft bank by passing boats.
I just made it before the heavens opened as a short but intense thunderstorm passed over. It’s brightened up since, and turned into a fine evening.
We’ll spend a couple of days here, there’s a winding hole just ahead so I can turn around and do a bit of work on the right hand side, then we’ll head up to Stone on Thursday.
Locks 3, miles 6
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