PAW 2011 - Week 9. February 26th 2011 - March 4th 2011

It's Friday night and WW is somewhere on the GU, hopefully near Little Venice. Tomorrow I'll be picking her up somewhere on the Islington stretch.
Here's this week's PAW, taken at the last place we saw her, just below Ham Lock on the K&A. It's been a long wait since we put in the offer at the beginning of November last year, but tomorrow we will finally be in full possession, not reliant on anyone else when we want to move her.


Canon 20d; 24/2.8

Catching up

So as I said last week, we were meant to spend Tuesday to Saturday of last week on the Witch cruising the K&A around Newbury. Delays in completion of work on the boat however, meant we lost a couple of days. I've decided that I want to be as positive as possible about our experiences on the boat; as a result I shall only mention names of companies if our experience of them is good. Needless to say I won't be mentioning the name of the marine engineers where we had the work done on Water Witch, as we found their approach to things rather unprofessional. I know things go at a slower pace on the cut, but this particular company seem to take that ethos a little too far; and I know for a fact that we are not their only customers who are of that opinion. Needless to say, we won't be rushing back for any work to be carried out on WW (for one thing it's a good week's sail away!!)

So eventually we got away from the marina on Thursday afternoon and took the boat westwards. Things went a bit slower than I had planned - making the turn out of the marina was rather interesting (!) and we stopped for coal and diesel; we ended up mooring just below Benham Lock.

Here she is at Benham. That's Noel our galley slave friend on the front:



Note the traditional bag of coal on the roof!

On Friday we moved on westwards. By this time we knew that Dunmill Lock was closed and the last winding hole would be at Kintbury, where we arrived at about 1400(z). We moored up and went for an excellent lunch at the Dundas Arms. I had liver - yum yum!

Back at the mooring we picked up some timber which had been left on the towpath. Will need a years seasoning under cover, but eventually it will keep us warm. Probably got enough for a week or so. In the evening SWMBO went to see a pantomime (don't ask!); she only managed to endure about half of it and then met us to go for a swift half.

Here's the front of the boat at Kintbury. Note the the lack of plank!



Saturday was rainy and we thought about staying at Kintbury for the day. However, on the Sunday Richard the boat mover was due to pick up the boat to bring it up to London. Picking it up from Kintbury would probably add the best part of a day to the journey which meant we would be very pushed to get the boat up to our mooring. So we pushed off, turned at the winding hole and headed back east. Weather was changable, but not catastrophic. A long day and we eventually moored up just below Ham Lock. Was very tired at the end and had some rather scary moments...note to self: when tired, go to sleep.

Here we are on Sunday morning. The picture really doesn't show how slippery the towpath was. Later in the day solid rain set in and it got v. muddy and slidey.



On Sunday Noel and I walked back to Greenham to pick up his motor and meet Richard the boat mover, who had brought a whole bootful of stuff with him. As we went along the towpath to the Witch, laden down with Richard's stuff and trying not to fall over, I kind of wished we had stopped and tied up back at Greenham!

Gave Richard the tour of the boat and then left it to him...

PAW 2011 - Week 8. Feb 19th 2011 - Feb 25th 2011

So last week we took WW out for our first cruise, along with our friend and willing galley slave Noel. I'll post details later in the week. This week's PAW is of Water Witch at the first place we moored her after leaving Newbury.
It's just below Benham Lock on the Kennet and Avon.



Canon 20d, 24/2.8

Best laid plans...

So tomorrow we were supposed to go down to the Witch and take her out for our first cruise. Rang the people doing the work on her today...probably won't be finished until Thursday. Very unhappy. More details next week probably...

The year ahead...

Now that we are now almost afloat on WW, and I have a few days off work, I thought it a good time to think about what we'll be doing on the old gal and where we'll be going during 2011.

This week, we plan to go on our first cruise on the Witch. She is still in Newbury, so we'll be doing a gentle trip westwards, probably only to Bedwyn, and then back. If we have time, we might do a day's there and back trip eastwards, probably only as far as Thatcham.

Next Sunday, we are handing her over to a boat mover so that she can be moved up to London - should take about a week. We shall then move her from Islington up to chez Water Witch on the Stort.

Over the Easter break we'll probably explore the Stort and the northern part of the Lee up to Hertford.

Over summer we'll be doing a big cruise - probably 5 weeks up to Cropredy for the Fairport thing and back.

One of my past times is playing the trumpet, and since it is an instrument which requires consistent levels of practice to maintain a good standard, I plan to be taking one of my instruments along to play whenever we tie up in a more secluded spot. So if you hear the dulcet tones of a trumpet as you pootle along the cut chances are it could be me.
I've probably posted this before, but here it is again; me on the Middlewich branch with my Bb cornet:

PAW 2011 - Week 7. Feb 12th 2011 - Feb 18th 2011

A bit early with the PAW this week as I won't be taking any more pics before tomorrow (it's almost dark already!). Last Saturday I took a little walk along the Kennet and Avon just west of Newbury, having visited Water Witch. During World War II, the Kennet formed a potential fall back line of defence against advancing German invaders. As a result, the north side of most of the bridges is accompanied by a pill box. Some of them are still out in the open, others have been hidden by the advance of nature, a bit like this one, which is not visible from the canal.



Canon 20d, Canon EF 24/2.8

Dry dock

Took a trip down to Newbury yesterday to take some stuff to Water Witch. She was still "out of the water" in the dry dock.



Having the last coat of blacking splashed on and the deck drains painted.

PAW 2011 - Week 6. February 5th 2011 - February 11th 2011

For some pedestrian users of the towpath, many cyclists are an inconsiderate, anti social nuisance. Just imagine the happy thoughts resulting from a watery end...



Bronica RF645 Zenzanon 45/4 with yellow filter. Kodak TXP320.

I have an actual follower...

...or rather, Water Witch has! Yes Brian is the first "follower" of this blog. Hello Brian! I say "rather Water Witch" because Brian is one of the former owners from when the old gal was a shared ownership boat. He and his wife are now the owners of Nb Harnser.

On slightly less ego boosting news, Water Witch was taken out of the water this week and blacked. She is also being dewinterised and having the fuel filter and gearbox oil replaced. Normally I would do these last two things, but I didn't want my first hours on board to be spent washing diesel off my hands!

I'm also hoping that the painter at the marina where she is currently lying has had the chance to paint the roof and signwrite her new home water on the side. Going down on Saturday to take a few things - duvet, linen, etc - in readiness for our first cruise over the half term break. Will post some piccies at the weekend.

PAW 2011 - Week 5. Jan 29th 2011 - February 4th 2011

I don't know if this is aimed at anyone in particular or just anyone walking along the towpath near Westbourne Grove and Portobello. Either way I thought it was worth a snap.



Bronica RF645. 65/4 Zenzanon lens. Kodak TXP320 film processed in HC110.

Staying in double digits

About three weeks ago I put in a link to the UK waterways rating site. I started off somewhere in the 130s and quickly rose to the lofty position of 93rd most popular waterways website. I'm currently at 99 overall, and 55 on the Blog ratings. Of course this becomes slightly less impressive when one realizes the website has to be registered by the owner. And even less impressive when you check out some of the sites in the 90+ positions, some of which haven't had anything posted for months...or over a year. In light of this, one would hope that having gotten up to 93rd, we wouldn't start going downwards...but we have.
So how does one keep up the hits momentum with a blog, and avoid falling into the pit of the couldn't be bothered. I guess making regular, frequent and of course meaningful posts is the main thing; and of course getting added to the blogrolls of other websites, which is more likely to happen if you keep up the first thing.

Waiting for the all clear.

So now we are the proud owners of Water Witch we have to start thinking about making sure she's ready to move up to her new mooring. Stoppages on the Thames and the Lee & Stort mean that we won't be able to move her until the very end of February. Between now and then we will be in the process that anything that has been arranged to be done is done on time...blacking...new stove...signwriting...dewinterising...new anodes...

PAW 2011 - Week 4. Jan 22nd 2011 - Jan 28th 2011

Hello,

Well we are now officially the owners of Water Witch, 60 foot (and 1 inch) of floating money pit boating joy. I'm celebrating with another really bad cold and oodles and oodles of back pain.
In about 5 weeks WW will be over here in London completing the last leg of her trip to her new home. At times like these, having finally weathered the storm of purchasing a big lump of floating metal, one likes to get away from everything and just relax...a chair and a view of the canal is all that is needed...



Taken on the Regent's Canal near St Pancras Way. Canon 20d, Canon 50/1.4 lens.

Cue fanfare...

Received an email from the brokers today. We are now effectively the new owners of NbWater Witch. Hurrah! Hopefully we'll be visiting her at the weekend to start preparing the old girl for her new life on  England's prettiest watery cul de sac!

PAW 2011 - Week 3. Jan 15th 2011 - Jan 21st 2011

Everyone knows that every canal boat needs a buckby can and some kind of non human crew member. Currently we have neither of these, although sometimes SWMBO suggests I am only half human. So as an aide memoir for the things to be obtained once Water Witch is at her mooring, we have these clinging to the fridge of the bricks and mortar.



Canon 20d with Helios 44m plus extension ring. Only just squeezed this one in on Friday night, hence the flash illumination.
The Buckby can fridge magnet is available from The Canal Shop Company

Separated by a cigarette paper...

Paperwork sorted and mailed - check! Deposit sent - check. Money sent for insurance and recovery - check. All that stands between us and Water Witch is the Royal Mail, the loan people, and the electronic funds transfer system.

Fingers crossed

New paperwork arrived yesterday. Signed and witnessed. In the mail tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Booked in to be blacked and new anodes in middle of February. Week long cruise planned at end of February. Hopefully  we'll have her moved up to where we are at the beginning of March...other fingers crossed!

Aaaargh!

It appears that those inconsistencies cannae be ironed out except by sending us replacement paperwork to sign...which of course has to be witnessed! How very taxing!

Almost properly boaty...

Things on the Water Witch front are apporaching a finishing crescendo, to borrow a musical phrase. Today we visited our friends Chris and Elizabeth so that they could witness us sign the purchase and loan contracts. Tomorrow they will be in the post, once a couple of minor inconsistencies between the two have been ironed out. So hopefully by this time next week, we will be on the brink of owning Water Witch...

PAW 2011 - Week 2. Jan 8th 2011 - Jan 14th 2011

More walking along the canal last weekend. On Staurday from Hackney Wick to Tottenham Hale along the Lee Navigation, with a short refreshment stop at the Anchor and Hope. Last Sunday was my birthday, so we took a stroll from Roydon up to Burnt Mill on the Stort to make sure our bit of water was still there - it was! Then to the Plume of Feathers in Gilston for a very good lunch washed down with an amount of well kept ale. Anyway, here is this week's PAW:



Taken on the Hackney Cut of the Lee Navigation. Bronica RF645 camera with Zenzanon 65mm f/4 lens on Ilford HP5 film stock; processed in Kodak HC110 developer.

Exciting update on the WW front tomorrow!

PAW 2011 - Week 1. Jan 1st 2011 - Jan 7th 2011

The last couple of days I've been pounding the Regent's canal with a camera taking pictures. Yesterday I went from City Rd Lock out to the Hertford Union. On Saturday from Battlebridge Basin to Lisson Grove (and back). Guess it's an antidote to the waiting for things to be sorted with Water Witch. In a previous life I was in the photography game, but now it's more of a serious hobby (although that word has some negative connotations for me), which I can come back to when the feeling takes me. So while I'm feeling enthusiastic about taking pictures, I've decided to do a PAW - Photograph a Week - to keep the creative juices flowing. Every week I'll be posting a picture I've taken in the previous 7 days, with a generally boaty/waterway theme. This is week 1:



Taken with a Canon 20d. The lens is a Zenit Helios 44M, 58mm/f2, which cost me about a tenner on e-bay. The location is the Regent's Canal adjacent to the Hackney Road gasometer.

I've posted this one a bit early, but I'm going back to work tomorrow, so things may overtake me! My next PAW will be posted on Saturday 15th January.

For my flickr photostream go >HERE<

Happy New Year

Hello my follower(s)!

Happy new year to one and all. We have been in Paris for the past few days. Returned on the last Eurostar of 2010. While in Paris we naturally took a stroll along the canal, stopping for lunch at our favourite bistro on Quai de Valmy. Thursday we took a stroll through the catacombs...we had planned to go on Wednesday but the queue was about 80yds long! It would seem the tourists were, ehem, dying to get in!

Anyway, enough of that. Things are progressing on the boat front...but at an appropriately slow pace given the time of year. We have agreed with the vendors about the required repairs highlighted in the survey; once they are done the mortgage people should hand over the lolly they are lending us. We are going to split the cost of a new solid fuel stove, as the one already on board has a fracture in the top plate. The boat had already been booked in to be blacked in March, so it looks like we won't be moving her until the rear end of that month.
Have a peaceful start to the year and a most enjoyable 2011.