Short trip to Wrenbury Day 1

Engines 3hrs 15m Locks:5 Miles:4

Andrew's first solo trip! Left work at 12:00 and travelled straight to Nantwich to check out Morrisons. Stocked up with lots of salad, grapes and a pizza.

Short journey from there to the marina and unloaded the car. Engine started and ready for off around 14:30. Little bit tricky reversing out of the mooring with a bit of a breeze to make it challenging. Didn't hit anything!

Turned right out of the marina heading for Wrenbury. Fairly busy. Followed a hire boat nearing the end of their week's holiday so doing OK.

Followed by another boat whose crew member came to help with the locks. Was initially quite grateful as had not single-handed through locks before. Thought he was a live-aboard but apparently not as become apparent when he tried to fill one lock with one of the downhill paddles open. Then later turned a lock in full view of an oncoming boat!

I tried to explain why this was a bad idea but was ignored. Apparently the oncoming boater explained things a little more clearly (!) as the crew member was looking rather sheepish when I met him later. Lesson learned I guess! They are on their way to an Elvis-fest at one of the pubs in Wrenbury this weekend.

Through the two Swanley locks and the Baddiley 3 locks by around 17:30.

Moored around 17:45 in a quiet spot between bridges 17 and 18 just round the corner after bridge 17. Couldn't get right into the bank but seems secure enough with 2 piling hooks and a pin.

Cleaned the gas burners on the stove and then got the oven lit for pizza which cooked while I tried out the shower. Fairly cramped but works fine including the waste water pumper.

Very nice pizza accompanied by can of Old Speckled Hen followed by coffee and small chocolate bar.

May have solved problem where the ice box in the fridge was getting very iced up. A sensor which should have been attached to the bottom of the ice box was hanging loose. Have reattached it and will see if it works...

Once phone is charged will try for a photo of this idyllic mooring.

Moved boat to her new mooring

Engines 5hrs 30m Locks:5 Miles:6

The great day of departure dawned bright and sunny soon becoming hot.

A few jobs to start then at 11:00 joined the queue for Cholmondeston Lock.

Fair number of moored boats on the Middlewich Arm meant a slow trip - no problem as in no great hurry.

At Barbridge Junction waited for two narrowboats each towing full length buttys - on their way to Chester Boat Festival next weekend.

In the narrows at Barbridge (site of over-canal trans-shipment) found a very shiny trad style waiting for something... Tight squeeze but got through without much bumping.

Moored up for light lunch - ham and salad sandwich, coffee and muffins. Then Alison's turn at the tiller as Andrew worked the Hurleston locks before walking back to Barbridge to collect the car to meet the boat at Swanley Bridge Marina. A truly cunning plan!

All worked out un-eventfully and our arrivals at the Marina were simultaneous!

The necessary paperwork was soon completed in the office. Andrew moved the car round to the moorer's area while Alison moved "Mind Like Water" to her new home: 15 Lily's Landing.

Our new neighbour was busy polishing his already immaculate boat so entry really needed to be reasonable: fortunately was fine if a little tentative. Neighbour pulled us forward the last couple of feet as we ran out of momentum.

Engines off at 17:00. Sausage and veg with passata and pasta for dinner. Cleared out the fridge and disembarked at around 20:00.

Gave the boat her new name

Engine: 1hr 20m Locks:0 Miles:0

Up at 08:00. Discovered shore facilities.

Renamed the boat from "Mrs D" to her new name of "Mind Like Water" using vinyl signs which work well. Ran the engine for a while to top up the batteries.

Took the car to do some shopping. First stop, Kings Lock Chandlery followed by fish and chips from the Kings Lock chippy. Next to Morrisons at Middlewich for groceries and finally B&Q at Crewe.

Back to the marina, Andrew to work and Alison to nap (post-pneumonia recovery).

Then took Andrew's car to Barbridge to leave overnight as part of the boat move plan.

Had a pint or two at the Barbridge Inn which was much busier than the previous day then walked back to Venetian Marina.

Early night full of chips and beer...

Moved boat for the first time

Engine: 2 hrs Locks:0 Miles: 0

Moved all of 100 yards!

The post-survey works are now complete and we will be moving the boat to her new home at Swanley Bridge Marina as soon as her new CRT licence becomes active on 1st June.

We arrived at Venetian Marina about 15:00. Had to immediately move the boat from the service bay to a temporary mooring. Bit nerve racking but accomplished without incident.

Ran the engine for a couple of hours to top up the batteries and for hot water. Did a few miscellaneous jobs and prepared meatballs and pasta for dinner.

Then had a pleasant walk along the cut to Barbridge Inn which was surprisingly quiet for a Friday.

Passed nb Rebecca which belongs to friends of Alison. They were due on-board this weekend but did not arrive till gone 22:00 and then cruised the other way to Middlewich for the weekend; not returning till Monday. Will doubtless see them another time.

Back on board by 22:00 and in bed soon after.

Bought our own boat!

Buying our own narrowboat had long been a dream for our retirement.

However 2014 brought a variety of challenges including serious health problems involving weeks of hospital. Thankfully that had a happy outcome but it does focus the mind...

So we made a decision to start looking seriously at narrowboats with a view to getting something sooner rather than later.

We had envisaged months of web browsing and trips around the country looking at potential purchases. However it didn't quite work out like that...

We had both independently seen a boat called "Mrs D" on sale at Venetian Marina but it was a bit more than we wanted to pay.

Then at the end of April, Venetian Marina held an Open Day...

"Mrs D" was not only still for sale but... reduced in price for the Open Day!

Well, we got the keys and had a look at the boat, then a look at each other. From that moment it was pretty much a done deal. A few minor details like the survey and sorting out the finance, insurance, licence, mooring etc. but by mid-May we had bought ourselves a boat!

She has everything we need to get started on this new adventure from pots and pans to life-jackets and an axe for chopping wood.

She is a 35ft cruiser stern with an open plan layout inside. No fixed beds but the dinette converts to a double bed and one of the benches converts to a single bed.

There are a few minor works to be done before we take possession which is planned for end of May with our CRT licence starting 1st June. Can't wait!

Blog name change...

This blog was originally called bowsnboats because we owned a share in a narrowboat and I was into archery. However we then sold the share and I no longer do archery...

Still interested in narrowboats and canals though. And increasing interested in folk music so changing name to folknboats

Still on the canals

Well kind of...

We sold our boat share in part because we were missing holidays in France. So virtually as soon as we decided to sell we booked a ferry crossing for the end of March. From one boat to another!

At that point we had not even decided which part of France to visit. After some thought, we decided on a gite near Strasbourg. And get this... It is right next to a canal! Our canal hating daughter still can't believe it.


While researching the small village where we are staying (Waltenheim sur Zorn) I was amazed to find this picture from this webpage from K and H which shows our gite. Not sure which of these buildings it is but it's one of them.

The canal goes right from outside the door to the centre of Strasbourg so I will be taking my bike! In fact the canal goes a good deal further than that as it is the Canal de la Marne au Rhin.

There are some excellent photos on K and H's webpage of Strasbourg. Can't wait!