Cruising
First trip of 2016
The weather has turned so we’ve escaped the clutches of the marina and headed north on the Ashby canal. We walked to the boat (how convenient is that?) this morning with enough bits and pieces to see us through the weekend and after tending to the fire which has been lit since Wednesday, I started the engine and then we went to visit Joe and Lesley on nb Yarwood. We said our goodbyes before reversing out on to the Ashby canal. We stopped for a few minutes and had a chat with Jim on nb Billie before getting underway under an emerging spring sun.
We had no real plans but by the time we had reached Stoke Golding, I had a trip to Market Bosworth in mind. It was a bright but cool day punctuated by warm spells when the sun poked its head through the clouds.
We passed one or two boats before we reached Market Bosworth where we turned and moored below bridge 42. After a leisurely walk up the hill to town, we treated ourselves to lunch in the Red Lion.
When we returned to Caxton, we stoked the fire up and then settled down for the evening listening to music and waiting for the sun to disappear over the horizon.
We’re back on board at the beginning of a new cruising season and it feels like we’re home again.
You shall have a fishy….
Our daily walk took us along the waterfront at Corralejo this morning. These fish are individually decorated, presumably by different people. What is it all in aid of? No idea but they look nice in an unusual way.
Following the sun
We’ve escaped to Fuerteventura for ten days.
A winter holiday in the Canary Islands is something that we’ve done for years, anywhere between December and February and usually for a week or ten days. Escaping the British climate is just the tonic at this time of year, although in fairness, winter seems to have given the UK a bit of a miss this time around. Nevertheless, the weather here is much better than it is in Hinckley at the moment.
As usual, we were well prepared and all we had to do was to get up in the morning and drive the twenty miles to Birmingham airport for the 9am flight. I didn’t set the alarm properly and only Sue waking at ten past six ensured that we got up, albeit fifty five minutes later than planned. Skipping any sort of breakfast, we quickly grabbed our stuff and were on our way by 6.45. I wasn’t too concerned at this stage, I frequently make this trip when travelling and it only takes half an hour. The shortest route skirts around Nuneaton and joins the M6 at junction 3 and from there it is a short hop to junction 4 and the M42. The traffic was slow moving as we joined it just after 7am but I was still relatively unconcerned, even at 20mph, the rest of the trip would only take twenty minutes. A few moments later and everything ground to a halt and then the police cars started racing along the hard shoulder to what turned out to be an accident just north of Corley services.
In the course of my work, I do a fair bit of driving and as a result, get caught in a number of traffic jams so normally I just accept that there will be delays but with a flight to catch it puts a different perspective on matters. A few motorists got out of their cars to have a smoke, stretch their legs or try to get a view of what was going on. We sat quietly, each of us contemplating what would happen if we missed the flight. After another twenty minutes, the traffic started to move and we were on our way again but the time had slipped away and it was almost 8am when we arrived at the airport. It’s at times like this that it pays to have checked in online and to have pre-booked long term parking in the multi-storey; both actions preventing further delay. We checked our luggage in and got through security within ten minutes of us parking the car and all that remained was to buy a sandwich and some water for what would be breakfast on the plane.
Needless to say, we made the flight and from there on in, everything has gone to plan. We hired a car at the airport and drove to Corralejo where, after we had unpacked our belongings, we did a big grocery shop. Returning to our holiday villa, we got changed and took a stroll into town where we had dinner at a beachside restaurant. It was all very good and there was live music provided by a singer / guitarist just to complete the ambience.
After dinner, we walked back to the villa and then crashed out at the end of our busy day.
This morning, we awoke after a great night’s sleep and after we were showered and dressed, we drove into town and returned the car to the hire company. Breakfast followed at a beachside cafe and then a slow walk back to the villa, stopping only to have a drink and write out some postcards for the family. This afternoon has been spent just chilling by the pool and of course, writing this blog post.
Happy New Year
We don’t normally stay up to welcome in the new year and last night was no exception. We were however, woken at midnight when the revellers at the Limekilns pub counted down to the start of 2016 which was accompanied by the customary fireworks. Eventually the fireworks stopped but the pub party was still in full swing as we dropped off to sleep once more.
There was a period of calm weather forecast for this morning, low wind speeds between two weather systems. We were up early to take advantage of the short window of opportunity that would allow us to get Caxton easily back into the marina and safely tied up. The eastern sky started to get light around 7.45 so we untied the frost hardened ropes and started on the final leg of our trip. The forecast had been spot-on and our mission was completed just under thirty minutes later. By 10.15, we had done the chores and cleared all of our bits and pieces into the car. Our week’s break on board was over and of course so was our final trip of 2015. A little bit different to last year’s Christmas cruise.
We don’t really know what 2016 will bring us but we hope that we’ll get a lot of time out and about on the cut.
Back to the Lime Kilns
We were up and about early this morning since we wanted to get close to home before the temperature drops in the next few days. A few months ago! we found out the hard way that it is not possible to wind Caxton at Wash Lane in Nuneaton so it was on to Springwood Haven before we could turn and head for home.
It was 10 am before we returned to the spot where we had been moored for the previous two nights. We turned on to the Ashby just before 11am and cruised northwards in the sunshine. It was cool and windy but under blue skies, our journey was very enjoyable. We pulled up opposite the Lime Kilns pub where we have moored for our last evening out on Caxton. The wind is forecast to drop overnight so first thing in the morning we will return to our berth in the marina.
Happy New Year everyone!
Storm Frank
Our sympathies are with those in the north at this time, here in the midlands we are just on the southern edge of the ravaging effects of storm Frank so we have a lot to be thankful for. Overnight, the wind picked up to gale force levels but with Caxton secured on springs fore and aft, all that we knew about it was the odd creaking of the mooring ropes.
We awoke to an overcast morning but the wind was still blowing hard so we had a slow start to the day. After showering, we walked into town and couldn’t believe how strong the wind was as it helped blow us along our way.
We were on a mission to visit one of the local carpet shops so that we could order some flooring for the hall in the apartment and we just managed to do this and then walk to the local Wetherspoons before the heavens opened.
We had lunch in the Lloyds No1 pub and then watched the rain pour down outside for a couple of hours. Sue took a short shopping break and after returning to the drinking den, we made our way back to Caxton (in the rain of course!) where we have once again settled in for the evening.
The wind has already dropped so tomorrow we plan to move on, turn around and then return to Hinckley or at least somewhere near there.
Short hop , short blog
We didn’t travel very far today, retracing part of our trip yesterday as far as Marston junction and then on to Nuneaton where we have moored until Thursday so that we can sit out tomorrow’s storm. Today’s weather gave no hint of what is on its way and we enjoyed an excellent cruise under blue skies and sunshine. We only encountered one boat but that provided plenty of entertainment when it was driven at full speed into the bank on a right angled bend. The crew seemed unhurt with perhaps the only damage being done to the steerer’s pride. Once we had passed him it was easy to see what had happened, he had been blinded by the low sun and its reflection on the water’s surface and hadn’t seen that there was a bend!
We tied on the visitor moorings and after a shower, walked into town where we had lunch here at Saints Bar. Afterwards, we ambled back to the towpath where we have settled in for the evening on board Caxton.
It’s Miner Bill!
After spending our fourth night in Trinity marina on board Caxton, it was time to get out on the cut. First of all though we had to say goodbye to our visitors, Sue’s son Brett, his wife Kerry and their two children. They had arrived on Sunday and stayed in our apartment overnight. They were just finishing breakfast when we got to the apartment so we chatted with them for an hour before they set off and we walked back to the marina.
We were ready to start our trip just after midday and despite the strong wind, we managed to exit the marina and point Caxton in the direction of Marston Junction. The mild weather is continuing but the wind makes it chilly after a while. Luckily for me, Sue has bought me some new thermals and knitted a sort of polo neck capelet that can be worn under a coat which keeps my neck warm and draught free. Fully insulated, I was able to steer Caxton along the six miles of the Ashby canal that leads to the junction with the Coventry canal. We passed a handful of boats along the way including Mister Pip, skippered by one of our acquaintances, Phil. Two hours later and we reached the junction so Sue went to the front to look put for any traffic on the Coventry canal. We were in the narrow section approaching the bridge when the bow of a narrowboat came into view from the direction of Nuneaton, it was the unmistakable “Miner Bill ” with Ralph at the tiller. Ralph indicated to Sue that he was turning on to the Ashby and she signalled back that we intended to turn left. This turn can be interesting at the best of times with Caxton being 68 feet long but with a bit of wind and a misbehaving bow thruster it looked like a perfect nightmare was about to unfold. In the end it wasn’t too bad and we all ended up where we wanted to be. Nicki appeared, camera in hand and took these photos.
We pressed on and made our way to Hawkesbury. Along the way, Sue stoked the fire up with some peat but unfortunately this coincided with us entering the cutting that is the Bedworth straight. We were suddenly protected from the gusting wind that had been clearing the smoke from the chimney and now it was just drifting in the almost still air. After a few minutes of being smoked like a kipper, Sue returned to the fire and removed as much of the smouldering peat from the fire as she could. The smoke subsided pretty quickly after that and then a few minutes later we were out in the open again. The smoke still hung in the cutting behind us but we were breathing fresh air again!
We reached Hawkesbury just before half past three, winded under the bridge then found a mooring for the evening. Neither of us fancied the walk back to the Greyhound so we settled down and had a bowl of home made soup that Sue had made as we had travelled along.
Christmas Again!
It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since we spent our first Christmas on board Caxton. We were moored at Market Bosworth at the time and after living aboard on Christmas eve and day, we started cruising on Boxing day . The following day saw us mooring at the Lime Kilns but then overnight, the canal froze over and there we remained until New Year’s Eve.
This year is completely different. For a start, Caxton lives in the marina across the road from where we live. The weather has been more autumnal than wintery and the mild temperatures are set to continue, so it looks like a Christmas cruise is a real possibility. We’ve been keeping Caxton warm and dry by regularly lighting the fire so this week it hasn’t been difficult to prepare for our time aboard. We are expecting visitors on Sunday and we had hoped to have a short “out and back” cruise between now and then but a fierce wind has put paid to that idea. Undeterred, we still moved our remaining bits and pieces on board this afternoon and after a short walk to the Wharf Inn, we returned to Caxton and settled in for the evening .
Our plan now is to sit tight until Sunday morning when we will move the boat out of the marina and then moor out on the towpath overnight. On Monday we’ll be able to start our Christmas cruise properly so watch this space!
Caught on Camera
Canal by Amanda Littlewood