Hockley Heath, Stratford-on-Avon – Friday 29 June 2012
Started out at 09:00 – brilliant sunshine with a few white fluffy clouds, a couple of miles and I was at the Lapworth Link, where it started raining heavily.  Lapworth was where the Stratford-on-Avon Canal company joined their canal to what would eventually become the Grand Union to link in with the routes to Birmingham, London and the Potteries.  This is a ‘narrow’ canal as the locks are only 7ft wide, and from the junction there are 15 in just one mile with the remaining 4 spread over another mile!  After I had managed all the locks the sun has come out again in between the clouds but it is not raining.  There are also 2 lift bridges, hydraulically operated so not difficult, except …. the winding mechanism is not on the towpath side of the canal.  This means that a ‘single-hander’ has to devise some means of tying the boat on the towpath, crossing the bridge and winding it up then …. crossing the canal to get back to the boat.  An interesting problem!  At the second one a couple of dog-walkers helped by pulling the boat under the bridge after I had wound it up.  At Swallow Cruisers boatyard (bridge 27) I saw ‘Meg’ (Braidbar number 55) which was out of the water.  She looks good.  I’ve now moored for the week-end and will go exploring tomorrow.

White Bridge (number 61), Grand Union – Thursday 28 June 2012
Wednesday was a ‘non’ day, after booking the chiropodist appointment I went to Warwick Books and ordered (and paid for) Terry Pratchett’s latest book (the Long Earth) with guaranteed delivery for lunchtime 27th.  Having had my feet sorted (still slightly sensitive after the hard skin has been removed) I went off for a browse around town, and to the bookshop for 13:00 – no Pratchett.  So then I went off to have a meal and a further wander until 14:30 and still no book delivered.  In the Oxfam shop I found a book of humorous verse which I sat outside the bookshop reading.  At 16:30 there was still no delivery so I asked for a refund (readily given with apologies) and walking back found a half price copy in WHSmith.  I hadn’t seen their shop on my wanders.  A whole day hanging around.
Today while I had breakfast a couple of boats went past going up, so I started at 09:00 and as I was re-setting the first lock another boat came up (she’s called ‘Andante’ and crewed by Colin & Ingrid and Andrew & Linda).  They were happy to leave me on ‘Ice Breaker’ and were an extremely slick team with one going ahead and setting the next lock, two operating the paddles and gates of the lock the boats were in, and the two steerers taking the boats into the locks together.  All four do locks / steering / galley, swapping duties as required.  We parted at the top where I went off to find somewhere to moor.  It was very humid all morning and after the flight threatened rain so on went the big coat, after Shrewley tunnel (433 yds) someone cut open the clouds . .  it poured down and I was soaked right through (not just damp – lying in a bath fully clothed soaked through!)  Having moored the rain stopped and the sun came out.  The heater is on and my clothes are steaming away!  In case that gives you a horrible picture I do have more than one set of clothes – I’m dressed in Braidbar shirt & tracksuit bottoms.

Budbrooke Junction (Warwick), Grand Union – Tuesday 26 June 2012
As I only planned a short trip today I started at 09:15 and travelled to Bridge 46 and went shopping in TESCO.  Then I carried on to Budbrooke arriving at about 14:30 where I’m moored for the night. I've travelled 5 miles plus 2 locks. Very few boats out and the two locks I went through were both in my favour.  My feet have really been hurting the last few days so I have booked a visit to a chiropodist for 10:30 tomorrow so I may not move until Thursday.  That is going to be an entertaining day’s journey – there are 21 locks in a mile and a half!  That’s why I need pain free feet.

Radford Road Bridge 34, Grand Union – Monday 25 June 2012
The French Navy left quietly during Saturday morning, something to do with a visit to the Two Boats pub during the evening?  Weather has been warm and sunny all weekend and I have done very little.  Sunday I went to the Holy Trinity church in the village (according to the Nicholson guide the church is “A largely 13th Century church whose tall spire was blown down in a gale in 1762, and replaced with a stump”).  It is a nice church with lots of memorials to different parishioners’ charity.  It also includes one to Lady Anne Holbourne, a daughter of “ye Right Honorable Sir Robert Dudley Kt Dux of Empire who bequeathed 50 pound per annum to Mr Sam Roll Minister of this church & to his successors forever & also 50 more for ye poor of this parish”.  If this was the same Dudley of Elizabeth’s time that was a LOT of money as he died in 1588.  Others were not quite up to the same value; one from William Dolton (for £20 in 1835) went to pay lawyers’ fees to transfer two others to the Church School.
The Village has a lovely old timber framed house five frames wide (medieval buildings were only as wide as a tree would grow – about 40 foot).  Most is still “wattle & daub” with some brickwork infill.  As it’s on the Coventry Road I would guess that it spent part of it’s life as a coaching Inn at the back are plenty of out buildings for horses, hay and other necessaries.
One minor niggle – the shower pump has packed up, I’ve checked it’s got power (I can hear it humming), that the diaphragms are ok (following the instructions in the hand book I took it to pieces) and after re-assembly (with no parts left over) still won’t work.  I used a suction bottle and a ‘magic sponge’ from the Crick show to dry out the shower and will have to call Peter tomorrow.
Monday – started out early as there are ten locks to go down.  Just after starting I passed “Up Spirits” Braidbar number 102 who remembered me from last year.  The first of the locks are a staircase of two locks and I was ready to start at 09:15 and through that by 09:50 I then decided to be nice, a British Waterways traditional pair (boat ‘Atlas’ with butty ‘Malus’ were just entering the staircase so I stayed moored while they went through.  There was also a pair of cruisers so I let them through as well.  Another pair were next but by this time I had gone into the lock and the first boat to reach came on in.  It was ‘Hasty’ the replica steam powered tunnel tug built along the lines of the Grand Junction Canal Company for pulling horse drawn boats through the Braunston and Blisworth tunnels between 1871 and 1936.  We went on down together and at each lock I was breasted up and brought out of the lock.  It made the whole process easier.  At Fosse Lock there were dredging works being done by ‘Land & Water’ so a delay was inevitable.  By the time we got into the lock there were 4 others behind us along with boats coming up.  However, I had only planned to complete the ten locks so at lock 23 ‘Hasty’ and I parted company.  I went on a little to find a mooring spot and was met by the winter coal delivery man from Uxbridge; I have his card to get in touch.
The call to Peter produced a result, the pump had “lost it’s prime” and needed water poured the wrong way.  I’ll know for next time.  The weather has been sunny with a few cloudy patches all day I’m back down to a vest!!

Cuttle Bridge 25, Grand Union – Friday 22 June 2012
You may not want to know this but yesterday was the Summer Solstice and from now on the days get shorter!  Started at 09:00 and was at the top lock holding on to the centre line waiting for a pair of commercial boats to go through – on their way to Braunston for the Historic Boat Rally this weekend.  Helpful as always they left the towpath side gate closed “cos we’re boarding on this side”.  This would mean I had to tie up then go and open the gate on my side, walk back then haul into the lock.  However a nice dog walker opened the gate and as I was moving in said there was another boat coming.  It turned out to be a Braidbar “Bessie Surtees” with Barbara & Phil on board.  At nearly every lock we met boats coming up, and Barbara was doing the gates and paddles so it was much quicker than I had anticipated.  I moored up just before Bridge 25 and walked up to Long Itchington for bread, milk and a newspaper.  The village needs a call from the National Flag Executive (a new QANGO for the government to set up?), it bugs me, especially in this jubilee year, that if people are going to dig the flag out of the “dressing-up box” in the attic they then don’t take the bother to fly it properly – only one of about a dozen was being flown the correct way up!  Of course while I was cruising it was raining and as soon as I’m moored the sun came out although the wind is very gusty though.
At about 18:00 there was a bit of a commotion – it sounded like pirates so I went out to see.  From the French flags being flown it appeared that the French Navy was in port, a crew of eight all dressed in blue/white striped jerseys with red berets were attempting to moor a narrowboat.  Their training was straight out of a silent film.  First thing is to do is come alongside so the cameraman can jump off and get into position, then you aim for a gap between residential boats on the non-towpath side of the canal, get caught by the wind and blown across blocking the canal.  This is followed by the steerer trying to control the boat while the rest all try to do their own thing.  The owner of one of the residential boats they were aiming for was obviously very concerned, they came out with a boat pole to fend them off.  I was concerned that when they were in reverse they would go into me.  Eventually they got a bit of control and managed to get back across the canal having decided to moor on the towpath side.  The ropes were wrapped round the bollards outside the ‘Two Boats’ pub and coiled back on the boat – not tied on!  I went to ask if they needed help and advised that they tied up to the rings set in the towpath, and also showed how to take the ropes back on board before tying off.  Chatting it turned out that it was a multinational crew (American and European) the Boss they worked for was returning to France and this was his farewell party – he was dressed as Napoleon, but in character admitted that he did not like the sea so was staying on the English canals as he was an artillery officer.  In spite of their chaotic arrival there were no disturbances during the night.

Bridge 20, Grand Union – Thursday 21 June 2012
Ice Breaker was re-launched at 07:00 (marina staff on an outside breakdown call), no booze but light rain.  Had to wait for the office to open and for the weed-hatch to be re-sealed (rubber seals had been blasted off with hose).  Also arranged time for a pump-out then up to the office (via 2 locks) to refuel and pay the bills.  Agreed with senior staff that if the new propeller causes speed problems it can be changed back (to an 18x12 RH) obviously under certain conditions.  After re-fuelling it was back down through the locks and on towards Birmingham, the brave route.  Only a couple of miles and moored at Bridge 20 next to ‘Kate Boats’ so lots of activity to watch, except it has rained for most of the day.  Took a walk to inspect the Stockton Locks, a run of 8 in less than a mile – tomorrow’s fun!

Calcutt Marina, Grand Union – Thursday 21 June 2012
The boat was not lifted out on Tuesday, so took the opportunity to review route plans (do I wimp out and go round or be brave and go through Birmingham?)  Watched the work being done on “Bwthyn Dwr” another narrowboat which is also being blacked but with Bitumastic.  Wednesday it was my turn, I let the marina staff get the boat onto the trolley – while it is still moving forward the tractor starts reversing and uses the speed & weight of the boat to push her up the ramp.  Loads of weed growing, but out of the water it doesn’t look as bad.  This was all blasted off with a high pressure hose and the hull allowed to dry.  The propeller was removed and replaced with the new one.  The one that came off was “18x12 RH” (that translates as 18” diameter, 12” pitch [so one revolution will move the propeller 12” through the water] and Right Hand screw)!  They did not have a straight replacement so the new one is “18x13 RH” this should give more push or stopping power.  I will have to see.  Once the hull was dry it was painted with a couple of coats of “Comastic”.  After all the work was done I re-painted the gunnels so Ice Breaker looks good.  The weather has been super – sunshine all week.

Ice Breaker – Update
Saturday 26 May to Monday 18 June 2012
This is a précis of what I intended to publish day by day.  Internet has been unavailable and a brainstorm occurred when I went up to London – I left my dongle behind so have had to get a new one.

Sundays I have continued to visit local churches and have been to services at St Martin’s Church in Welton, this was at Pentecost which is deemed to be the “birthday” of the Church, a traditional C of E service with the addition of champagne because it was the 90th birthday of one of the parishioners.  Next a Boaters’ Christian Fellowship service at the Crick Show, held in the Beer Tent while other show visitors were having breakfast.  Then a brief return to London for the annual St Columba’s Day service and Meeting of the Friends of the Church.  The last was the Braunston village church (called the Cathedral of the Canals).

While looking round the graves at Welton I noticed a very ornate one to Robert Francis Burton, who had served in the 102nd Regiment at Lucknow (relief, siege and capture) and various actions in Oudh.  Just nearby was a standard War Graves headstone (one of the white ones seen in Military cemeteries) to a Private T Wooton, Northamptonshire Regiment died 19th July 1917 aged 37.  Crick has the grave of George Smith, a Victorian who did a lot for getting child labour regulated and the children of boaters into schools (even if they didn’t like it!).  There was also another War Graves headstone to T Arthur who died 23 March 1919 and served in the Non Combatant Corps.  Braunston has a lot of boaters including the Nurser family.

The run up to Crick was uneventful with help going through the Watford Locks (seven locks with a flight of four in the middle).  Crick tunnel was also no problem with the new builders’ light on the roof – it means I can see properly.  It should be possible to moor at the back of the HGV park of Watford Gap Motorway service area, but I went past.

Crick show was over four days this year and numbers seem to be lower than other years.  Braidbar boats had a few of the Owners Group on hand to help - “Eleventh Heaven” (the Show Boat), “Shim Shams” and “Bunnies Warren” (their home is in the Marina) “New Dawn”, “Dolce Far Niente”, “Sanity Again”, “Just Siviting” (that is not a spelling mistake), “Cala”, “Priscilla”, “Briar Rose”, “Islay” and “Ice Breaker” (all moored along the canal) so a good turn-out.

As boats arrived time was spent getting them ready for interested parties to view them, cleaning paintwork, polishing the brass and coiling ropes.  Peter and Susan arrived on the Friday and the organisation of the Braidbar part of the show was soon under way; final cleaning of the show boat, both inside and out, and putting plastic runners over the carpets before people walk through, literature into gazebo and organising shifts.  The evening was spent in ‘The Moorings’ the local Pub/Restaurant for a meal (23 of us). 

Saturday usually seems to be for those who are serious about having a boat built, the weather was normal for Crick, it chucked it down!  The metal trackways put down for pedestrians and safety vehicles tried their best but had to be supplemented with bales of hay so it looked, and smelt, like a farmyard.  There were less Show visitors, due, no doubt, to parties and other functions at ‘home’.  On the Sunday I had visitors, but because of the lousy communications (although they sent 12 texts from within the show ground) we almost failed to meet up.  I also had time to wander round the show and bought a TV antenna and mast.  Tuesday was the last day, when again I had visitors, but this time managed to meet at the entrance.  The ‘Best in Show’ boat was announced, unfortunately not “Eleventh Heaven” which came second.

During the show Peter came onto the boat to sort out the stern gland which is leaking, and he’s shown me how to fix that, part of the cause is that I’ve managed to bend the tips of the propeller which is the cause of the judder I experience at certain revs so the boat needs to come out of the water which will be an opportunity to re-do the hull blacking.  He’s also measured the front doors as I want to replace the roller blind with infill boards, and he has measured for two cratch lockers to give extra storage and seating.

I have fixed the TV antenna and although not at full height and through trees have got a good signal.  Will from The Graphics Boat “Robyn” has fitted the Houdini hatches and Cratch with window film.
It has rained on and off all month – more on than off!
When I returned from London the footpaths were all dry but no surprise that didn’t last stayed on boat using computer as it was raining.  On the Wednesday I travelled down to Norton Junction on the way to Calcutt Marina to get the boat out of water.  Crick tunnel was cold and wet as usual and I had assistance through Watford Locks (they had seven boats going down and none up so traffic was controlled by lock-keepers).  Sun has shone all day and has cheered everything up.  Good TV signal so I’m pleased I can now keep up with the news! 

Continued to Braunston for the week-end, the tunnel and locks caused no problems.  The new light means that I can see in tunnels so have not hit the walls.  Friday I went to Daventry to see a company called Road-Pro, their gadgets look useful!!  Also in to Rugby to replace my “MiFi dongle” which I have left in St Columba’s (not back there until October)!  Expected to have to pay full price but I was allowed to upgrade, thanks to very helpful staff.  Hopefully from Monday will be able to use email again.

Saturday I spent day doing odd jobs on boat – it has rained all day, while I’ve been moored in Braunston “Priscilla”, “Islay”, “New Dawn” and “Eleventh Heaven” have moored and passed through.

Monday 18 June 2012 – Travelled to Calcutt Marina.  More fun with boat names – near Calcutt top lock were “Trespassers W” and “Pooh Sticks”.  Booked in at Marina Office and plugged into mains electricity so used the vacuum to clean the inside of the boat.  I am ready for tomorrow.