George
Easter Jaunt – Maundy Thursday
With the Easter weekend finally upon us, we took up residence on Caxton on Wednesday evening in preparation for our weekend break. While I worked on Thursday, Sue worked her magic cleaning Caxton thoroughly so that when I returned, our her boat gleamed in the early April sunshine. All of my regular chores had been done for me so all that was left was to untie and escape!
We edged out on to the Ashby just after four o’clock and headed in a southerly direction on what was to prove to be a pleasant sunny afternoon. It was lovely to be back out on the water again, in the fresh air and watching the wildlife in action. We saw a couple of water voles, a moorhen on its nest and a swan starting to build a nest before we pulled up at “duck bend” near Stoke Golding. Once tied up, we sat down to dinner, home made lasagne for me and home made spinach and ricotta cannelloni for Sue, she does love her “meat free Maundys”!
The Contortionist returns
On Friday morning I had a call from Cox Automotive at Atherstone to tell me that I could collect the Travelpower. In the afternoon I drove there, parted with a load of money and picked up the reconditioned unit. It’s only a few miles to Market Bosworth from Cox’s so by four o’clock I was on board preparing to start work. The control box was relatively easy as had been its removal. Then it was time for the difficult bit, the generator. It must be nice and easy for Beta’s engineers marinising engines in a factory but it’s a different matter removing and replacing bits in the confines of an engine ‘ole. With spanners, sockets and screwdrivers handily placed, I lowered myself into the small space between the engine and the cabin bulkhead. The interference fit of the generator in its mounting bracket had made removal difficult but replacing it was impossible so I decided to remove the bracket and try to tap it into place with a mallet. Bent double, I managed to get it off, tap it into place and then remount it. It sounds easy but the whole process took 45 minutes and after I had extricated myself from my cramped workstation it was time to test it all. I’m pleased to say that it all worked and after an hour’s running, everything was still tight. I logged the output of the Travelpower using the mastervolt software and found that it was producing a consistent 240 volts. Cox recommend getting it serviced again in three years so hopefully I won’t be stuck down the front of the engine until then.
The on/off switch for the Travelpower is located on the front of the control box which is in the back of the cupboard below the switch panel. This makes it easy to forget to switch it off so after consulting with Mr Cox, I extended the cabling and mounted the switch outside the cupboard.
With the job complete, all that remains is for my newly acquired aches and pains to fade, we have mains power on the go in time for the Easter weekend so Sue will be able to run as many washloads as she likes! We’re hoping to make a trip to either Coventry or Atherstone.
The Wireless
When I was a youngster and in the days before internet, email and social networking we got our entertainment from the television and the radio. Of course back then, radio was known as “The Wireless”, a term which is now used in computer networking. No conflict there of course because in the early seventies, we got transistor radios or “trannies”, another term that has a different meaning today. Wireless was dead and radios were great, they were portable for a start so they could be listened to almost anywhere but more importantly, it was all live and available virtually 24 hours a day unlike its rival, the telly. Television was crap, it was only on a few hours a day, there were only two or three channels, most of it was pre-recorded and a lot of it was broadcast in black and white.
Times changed and so did technology, by 1980 The Buggles were singing “Video killed the radio star”, a homage to the satellite television station MTV. The internet, digital tv, smartphones eventually all conspired to strangle the old radio technology with high speed delivery of multimedia experiences. Did they succeed? Absolutely not! The problem with the newer technologies is that they are audio visual and the more complex they are, the more reliant on connectivity they are. They also demand attention, the user has to concentrate on the media delivery. Radio reception is easy and the listener can give any level of concentration that they want at any time.
If you’re still with me on this, you’ll be pleased to learn that I’m actually going to get to the point in a moment or two. The biggest issue with all of the more modern methods of media delivery is content, we now have hundreds of television channels to choose from but invariably there is nothing to watch on Saturday evenings.
I listen to the radio when I am driving but rarely when I am in the house. In the car it will be the Alan Brazil sports breakfast in the morning and Jeremy “we’re all doomed ” Vine in the middle of the day. Steve Wright accompanies me home as he did 35 years ago. I enjoy Simon Mayo’s show but if he’s in the car with me, I know that I have had a long day.
Then it comes to life on board Caxton, we have television and radio as well as mobile internet but more and more , the radio is taking precedence. Mr Mayo is a welcome companion but we do not miss him when he slips away and leaves us in the company of Bob Harris or Desmond Carrington. There is no dish or aerial to align, no mobile signal to slow us down, we just have to press a button to listen to a football match, a play or music from the likes of Hoagy Carmichael, Jimmy Buffett or Elvis Presley.
So despite technology seemingly marching on, the oldest method of broadcasting not only still has its place in modern society and arguably is the strongest medium that is available to us today. Television viewing figures continue to be diluted whereas radio listening figures remain stable at least and in many cases continue to grow.
The joy of boating is…….
…. That sudden surprise expenditure!
When we took Caxton out at Christmas, we discovered that there was a fault with the Travelpower generator. The problem only caused us to have the minor inconvenience of not being able to use the washing machine, no big deal only being out for a week. I didn’t do anything about it until the weekend just gone when it was mild enough to get into the engine room and remove the generator for inspection. As is the way with these jobs, it was a real pig to get off, even a double jointed strongman would have struggled but I persevered and eventually it was out and disconnected. Removing the control box was much easier by comparison and then today it was off to Cox Automotive at Atherstone, specialists of this parish, for a proper diagnosis.
I had hoped that it would be no more than replacement brushes or something similar. No such luck, the rotor in the generator has failed and needs to be refurbished- £340 + vat. There are some resistors in the control box which have cooked and although it may not be essential to replace them just yet, it seems pointless to ignore the problem so that will be another £180 + vat.
It will be early next week before the work is done so there won’t be any cruising this weekend, hopefully I’ll have the time to get it all back together again before the Easter weekend.
A hearse, a hearse, My Kingdom for a hearse!
The day began with the sun coming out, which was a great start. If you’ve read Sue’s post you will already know that it didn’t end so well. We wandered up to town around midday and already crowds were gathering in the streets. We walked around the Farmers market before making our way to the old forge where a blacksmith was giving a demonstration. The church bells were ringing out as we passed by and made our way to the parish field and then the country park where there were a number of stalls selling craft items both modern and medieval. Our walk eventually took us to the new cemetery from where we could see Ambion hill in the distance. Distant cannon fire signalled the start of King Richard’s final journey but since there was another two hours before the cortège was due in the town, we decided to visit the Dixie Arms for some lunch.
On arrival, we were greeted by the landlady who eagerly showed us the cellar bar that they have there. This is a great pub with a fabulous restaurant run by a hard working couple who deserve to do well. Their hog roast and real ales were certainly pulling in the punters when we visited and of course we sampled both food and drink there. We spent an hour in the company of some visitors from as far afield as Bolton and Pembrokeshire and with Sue already having engaged with some Canadians earlier in the day, it felt good to be part of something that had grabbed the interest of people far and wide. When we left the pub, we were impressed by the sheer number of people who were now packing the streets.
We made our way to Shenton lane where we took up position and waited for the funeral procession to pass by. At 3pm an air ambulance passed overhead, 530 years too late of course!
Eventually the hearse containing Richard’s coffin arrived, escorted by Police motorcycles and with a police helicopter hovering above. We followed it into the marketplace where a short service was held before the cortège continued on its way to Leicester.
With the show over, the crowds began to disperse and we too headed back down the hill towards the marina.
Below are just a few photos taken around Market Bosworth.
Looking forward to a funeral!
Market Bosworth is preparing for tomorrow’s funeral cortege when the mortal remains of King Richard III will pass through the town from where he was slain in 1485 to his final resting place in Leicester. Estimates vary but the local businesses are expecting up to 10,000 visitors, which seems like a lot but this event is unprecedented so we’ll just have to wait and see.
Regardless of the final visitor tally, the weather looks favourable, the monthly farmers market is on, medieval re-enactments are planned, there are at least two hog roasts and the pubs are stocked with real ales, some of them brewed for the occasion. The battlefield line is in steam this weekend so all in all it promises to be a good day out.
Post with pictures tomorrow.
Back to base in relative warmth
We slept in. We had watched a couple of films so it was late when we had gone to bed but nevertheless waking up at nine thirty came as a bit of a surprise to us. We decided to get up and go, so after reviving the fire which was just hanging on to life with a few glowing embers, we got dressed. Rain had been forecast for the afternoon and by the look of the sky, it wasn’t too far away. After the usual preparations we were underway but with one difference which was a bit of an experiment.
Caxton is a semi-trad boat and like many boats of this design has a canvas tonneau cover which protects the back deck. Unlike most others, this cover has a zipped section which rolls up to give some protection to the steerer from the elements. I have never tried steering with the tonneau in place so I decided to give it a go on the short hop back to the marina. The ambient temperature seemed lower than the day before, the wind was colder and there was no sunshine so it was the perfect test. With the rear doors closed and the hole in the cover being only two feet square, I was protected from draughts. The cabin doors were open so there was a gentle warmth emanating from inside the boat which made the trip a relatively pleasant one given the conditions. Sue reported that it was still warm enough inside and since I didn’t freeze, the experiment proved to be a success, Joe and Lesley – thanks to your design skills, we are once more, forever in your debt!
The trip back was quiet, we only passed two boats on the move, a very short narrowboat with an outboard engine and a two man canoe paddled by two bearded guys who looked like a pair of backwoodsmen. There was a fishing competition near Congerstone but there were only half a dozen anglers there, most of whom were surprisingly talkative. There were another couple of fishermen opposite the winding hole to the north of Market Bosworth and when I asked one of them if he had caught anything, he replied, “Not much, only a f*ck*ng cold”.
It was a bit windy as we entered and crossed the marina which is par for the course where there are wide open spaces but as I have mentioned before, Bosworth Marina is so spacious that there is plenty of room to manoeuvre and very quickly we were safely tied to our pontoon. Within ten minutes, the heavens opened – we had just made it in time!
We had some lunch and then did a bit of cleaning and tidying before packing up the few bits and pieces that we had to take with us into the car.
That was it, our boating weekend was over and despite the temperatures that we had endured, it had been a really enjoyable one.
The House of the Rising Sun
It’s been almost two months since Caxton cruised a canal, we have been on board for a weekend or two of course as well as having a weekend in London and ten days in Tenerife. It was Sue’s Mum’s birthday on Friday so we paid her a visit before calling in at Hartshill yard on their open day and then landing up at Bosworth Marina late in the afternoon.
We plonked our stuff on board and lit the fire before making our way up the hill to Market Bosworth where we did a bit of shopping and had a refreshment stop in The Dixie Arms. We returned to the marina and Caxton just after five and then had dinner before flopping in front of the fire, listening to the radio until eventually we both fell gently into the arms of Morpheus.
The fire stayed in and as a result Caxton was still warm when we awoke on Saturday morning so we got up, showered, dressed and prepared for a cruisette.
It was cold but bright and dry as we pulled out of the marina and headed north on the Ashby canal on the mini cruise which would take us to Shackerstone. By the time we reached the village my toes were becoming numb and my fingers weren’t too far behind them but we plodded on past all of the moored boats until we reached the winding hole where we turned around and then found our own mooring spot just in front of the village bridge. Once we had warmed ourselves through, we took a walk up to the pub in the village, The Rising Sun, where we enjoyed a well earned drink and had a laugh with the landlord and some of the locals who were drinking in the bar.
An hour later and we braved the elements, hailstones mainly, returning to the safety and warmth of Caxton’s cabin where we had dinner as we listened to music and then settled in for the evening.
Can life get any better than this? Probably not!
Winter Escape
The view from the balcony of the apartment.
Well it’s that time of year again where we pack our cases and head off in search of some winter sunshine. This year we’ve run away to Tenerife for ten days. The great thing about the climate in the Canary Islands is that it never gets too hot and it never gets too cold either, perfect for just walking around in shorts and t-shirts all day with no more to do than decide where to eat and drink.
It might not be everyone’s choice but for us it’s a great way to pass a few days of winter away. We’ve visited a variety of restaurants in the last week and enjoyed some lovely meals. Monday afternoon was spent in the company of one of my work colleagues who is also out here on holiday.
Putting the world to rights with Dennis
A few beers were partaken in the afternoon sunshine making Tuesday morning’s hangover well worth it!
Only a few days left now but with February half way through, the transition into spring seems just around the corner, it won’t be long before Caxton is back out on the cut.
Front Page News
The gale force winds continued throughout the night, keeping Sue awake until 3am, although she claims that my snoring didn’t help either! We had a late start as a result but once showered and dressed, we were heading up the hill to Market Bosworth where we planned to have lunch. Before we popped into the Dixie Arms, we spotted the current copy of the local community magazine, Aspect featuring a picture of boats, including Caxton, in the marina on its front cover.
We had a lovely lunch, then did a bit of shopping in the butcher shop and at the Co-op before returning to Caxton. The wind had dropped but as the sun sank, so did the air temperature and we were glad to get back to the boat.