Blogs

Keep up to date on the latest adventures and musings from boaters blogs.

12 April 2025

Grand Unuon Canal : Marsworth

NB Nuggler

After a standard Saturday breakfast I set off at 07:30, a bit later than usual. First was Linslade lock with its beautiful new gates. At Grove Lock I met up with Ann and Jeremy on Wild Swan and we continued

Grand Union Canal: Soulbury 3 Locks

NB Nuggler

Today was really all about the long cruise on the level through Milton Keynes. The lock at Fenny Stratford which has a swing bridge in the centre had to be negotiated then dvdd ex naturally Stoke Hammond Lock now rising,

Station cafe

NB Briar Rose

This morning we drove over to Chester to see my dad, and take him out for lunch. We went to the [Delamere Station House][1], which is actually in the Delamere Station building. It must be one of the few stations

Kate and Ada. 9th April

NB Oleanna

*Cooper’s Bridge 80 to Basin Bridge, Stockwith* Another misty start to the day, glad we wouldn’t be out on the river this morning. Instead we walked into the village to pick up a few bits and bobs. **She’s peeling a

Resuming work/life/move balance

Pickingupducks

Humans (and dogs) are adaptable beings. We’ve slotted comfortably back into our usual move-moor routine after the winter mooring and winter stoppage delays. The weather has been glorious, which has made boatlife and the usual chores that go with it,

11 April 2025

Car shuffle and podcast launch

NB Briar Rose

Adrian went to get the car today, so we both walked down the canal to Stoke Station, where he had a train booked to Milton Keynes. Then it was an Uber to the marina, returning the entry cards to Val

Too Shallow For Speed. 8th April

NB Oleanna

*Basin Bridge to Manor Farm Winding Hole to Coopers Bridge 80* No rush to go anywhere today really, so the back doors were opened for Tilly to explore as we had breakfast and waited for the mist to be burnt

10 April 2025

Grand Union Canal:Bridge 75

NB Nuggler

Thursday 10th April Overcast first thing and sill cold. First thing a cruise and the the Blisworth Tunnel. I must have gradually got chilled top the core because before entering the tunnel I started uncontrolled shivering. In my imagination the

Heading north: Day 11

NB Briar Rose

The moorings at Westport Lake are lovely. We could hear an owl hooting last night, and there was more bright sunshine this morning. With very little distance to do today, we had a relaxed start. Our plan was to go

My beautiful dawn chorus walk - Knighton woods

NB Percy

Alarm went off at 5am, dressed tea and toast made and off I went into the dark and quite cold = frosty morning. It's quite unnerving to hear your own amplified sounds only competing with the pheasants who seem to

Mistical Morning. 7th April

NB Oleanna

*Torksey Lock Bottom side to Stockwith Bridge 85, Chesterfield Canal* What is it with bubbling tidal rivers?! We’d not heard a jot of it yesterday afternoon and evening, but as soon as we’d just managed to nod off last night

9 April 2025

Grand Union Canal:Stowehill

NB Nuggler

Frost on the boat roof this morning and cold fingers and toes setting off, early as usual. However things soon warmed up and there’s nothing like a lock flight for getting the circulation going. The bottom gate for the Braunston

Water pump replacement and a plan

NB Percy

It seems our three week cruise to Llangollen has been compressed to a ditch shuffle up and down the lovely Shroppie. It could be worse. Yesterday I stripped out the old water pump and was not happy how I'd done

Heading north: Day 10

NB Briar Rose

We were up early this morning, as we had an appointment. Tim Tyler, who’s building the shell of our new boat, Kingley Vale, had contacted us to say they’d be starting to paint it with primer this afternoon, so if

What A Joy. 6th April

NB Oleanna

*Cromwell to Torksey bottom side pontoon* Originally we’d been booked to pen down back onto the tidal Trent at 11:45 this morning, but yesterday Mick had stopped off to chat to the Lock Keeper. They didn’t understand why we were

8 April 2025

Oxford Canal:Willoughby

NB Nuggler

I got to the boat today at around 12:15. Just a few things to add to the inventory and then I was off. I’m a day ahead of the plan (see previous post) to make sure of being in the

Heading north: Day 9

NB Briar Rose

There was a very heavy frost when we woke up this morning. As we’d approached got the boat ready to go, a balloon drifted over. At 8am we moved the short distance to the water point at the junction, and

Decent progress but at a standstill.

NB Percy

We were due on the boat a few weeks ago to do a spring trip up the Llangollen canal and it would have been a stunner in this locked in high pressure we are experiencing. But as a friend says

Sad Gits Frites. 5th April

NB Oleanna

*Kiln Pontoon to Cromwell Lock Pontoon* After breakfast we both headed to see if there was anything to buy with yellow labels. Mick headed to Waitrose, a pint of milk and a Saturday newspaper, plus a look around to see

7 April 2025

Heading north: Day 8

NB Briar Rose

I had a boat test to do this morning just back at Kings Bromley Wharf, so we had a pretty relaxed start to the day. Even though I had just a few minutes walk up the towpath and Andy the

The Last Art Shop. 4th April

NB Oleanna

*Kiln Pontoon, Newark* With a few days before the next suitable tide for us to return downstream from Cromwell we have some spare time around Newark. Ten years ago we spent the winter months here so got to know it

6 April 2025

Heading north: Day 7

NB Briar Rose

Another sunny day. We had scrambled eggs for breakfast as it was Sunday, and set off about 9.15. Just around the corner was Huddlesford Junction, where a boat club use the remains of the Lichfield Canal as moorings. Parts of

Penning Them Up. 3rd April

NB Oleanna

*Hazelford Lock to Kiln Pontoon, Newark* ***I know what’s up there!*** A lie in, Tilly wasn’t impressed by the morning view, ***ah but I remember what lies at the top of those huge steps!*** Once we were up and dressed

5 April 2025

Algae is awful!

NB Wakahuia

My second to last post was about Kevin and Josh cleaning out the ponds in front of our and Janet's places. We all had such high hopes of getting rid of what Janet so delicately calls green snot - the

Heading north: Day 6

NB Briar Rose

The mooring at Grendon was excellent, with the hill between us and the railway line really cutting out the noise of the trains. This morning, there was a lot of birdsong, including a weird robotic type noise, which is that

Storming The Castle. 2nd April

NB Oleanna

*Cromwell Lock to Hazelford Lock* **Good sunrise** More of a lie in this morning, although I was awake to see the the colourful sunrise across the river, so glad we’d not ended up breasted up yesterday without the view. **Under

Sometimes you just have to move on…

Pickingupducks

We’re back on the move, with this week encapsulating the variety of life afloat on the inland waterways of Great Britain. In five days we’ve travelled 28 miles up 42 locks. We’ve moored in a city (surprisingly quiet considering we

4 April 2025

Heading north: Day 5

NB Briar Rose

We were up a bit later today, and untied about 8.30. A boat was coming through the lock, who Adrian went to help, so we could go straight in, and then a boat arrived behind us. The tiny lock takes

Stargazer on test

NB Briar Rose

The May edition of Canal Boat is out, and included my boat test on Stargazer, a 70ft widebeam by [Bespoke Boats][1]. [1]: https://bespokeboatcompany.com/

Two ends of a canal I'd love to see reopen

NB Percy

Not in my lifetime if ever sadly. The canal is the Cromford Canal. Within a week I'd visited both ends for different reasons. In fact over the last week we've walked The upper Peak Forest, The Caldon and the Cromford

Line Astern. 1st April

NB Oleanna

*Keadby Lock to Cromwell Lock, River Trent* **Dawning** The alarm went off before the dawn had even started to show us her colour. A cuppa made and consumed whilst we rolled back the covers and did our final checks. Woofers

3 April 2025

Heading north: Day 4

NB Briar Rose

We were awake early for some reason, so set off at about 7.30. It was a stunning morning. These waters are very familiar, from when we used to moor at Brinklow. It’s still very pretty though, and we seemed to

Trapping The Postie. 31st March

NB Oleanna

*Just over the Lincolnshire Border to Keadby Lock* As we laid in bed with our cuppas we realised that the VHF radio had been left on overnight. It chirped into life with someone asking if anyone was up yet. This

2 April 2025

Pleasing but more questions need answers

NB Percy

This blog is a mess, so much I have not put on that I would have done so in the past. Can't even say it just boatey stuff as there are visits missing updates. Hey ho .... here is something

Heading north: Day 3

NB Briar Rose

We didn’t light the fire last night, and slightly regretted it this morning! We were up in good time, and moved across the canal to the marina, where Boating Leisure Services were to fit a new Eberspache diesel boiler. The

Floydtilla BSS Certificate – Passed

NB Floydtilla

Floydtilla’s BSS certificate is due to expire at the end of April 2025, so it was time to book a test, we have added a few new bits and pieces to the boat in the past 4 years including our

1 April 2025

Absence explained

NB Wakahuia

It's months since I posted; and to be frank, I had pretty much decided to close the blog down. There were a couple of reasons for that: * unbeknownst to me, I was suffering a bit with long covid -

Heading north: Day 2

NB Briar Rose

It was cloudy, chilly, and a bit blustery when we set off this morning, a little after 8.30. At the locks, the bottom lock was empty, and there was a lock keeper about who said he’d set the next one

Cost of living on a narrowboat

Insure4Boats

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to be a challenge in the UK, more people are looking for ways to save money on their monthly bills. As a result, alternative living arrangements, such as living on a narrowboat, are becoming increasingly

31 March 2025

Heading north: Day 1

NB Briar Rose

We were awake fairly early, because it was a big day. Firstly, it was my 55th birthday so there were cards and presents over breakfast (including a harmonica, after I mentioned at the Country2Country festival earlier this month that I

30 March 2025

Moving out and moving on board

NB Briar Rose

The past few days have been quite hectic. Friday was my last day at work. There were lots of nice words said, there was a cake that was quickly demolished, and I was applauded out of the newsroom as I

29 March 2025

Home Mooring

NB Harnser

A boat went down the locks early this morning but one came up just before we were ready to leave, even so lock 6 was half empty by the time we got there. Lock 5 was in a similar state

Biophilia indoors is bringing evident benefits

Pickingupducks

One of the most popular and most watched episodes of Grand Designs was that of woodsman Ben Law, handbuilding his cruck-framed home in the Sussex woodland he manages. The thought he put into making the wood the centrepiece of his

28 March 2025

Braunston Top Lock

NB Harnser

An early start this morning by our standards because you never know how long you have to wait at Watford. Not much sign of progress at the old Edwards Restaurant site in Crick since last week.[[DSCF0590]][1] Crick tunnel was as

27 March 2025

Crick

NB Harnser

I am not sure if I may have seen the Aurora yesterday evening, the northern sky looked a dull, dirty red, hardly noticeable unless you looked for it. When I looked later the sky was its normal nigh time dark.

26 March 2025

Oh gawd I wish they were closer

NB What A Lark

Welcome back Reader. It has been a while I know, when I left off last year we were expecting our daughter and husband over from New Zealand with their four month old baby. I had said repeatedly when I was

Downtown Medieval Village

NB Harnser

We were away at 10 this morning just after another boat we have been playing tag with went by. They were travelling at a comfortable speed so we followed them at a distance all the way to Husbands Bosworth Tunnel

The 5 best water shoes for kayaking and canoeing

Insure4Boats

When you're heading out for a kayaking or canoeing adventure, the right gear can make all the difference. The right small water craft, a good paddle, and an excellent life vest are obvious canoeing and [kayaking essentials][1], but have you

25 March 2025

Theddingworth

NB Harnser

Last night we ate at [The Waterfront][1] at the end of the basin and had two very nice meals, I had Tuna Steak and Diana Sri Lanka Curry. Not the cheapest meals we have had but we thought value for

24 March 2025

Market Harborough

NB Harnser

Late start today and we didn’t get away until 11 am by which time a couple of boats had been by heading north. We had a bit of rubbish to get rid of and the bins are at the carpark