OnTheCut

We're only on the boat !!

NB Percy

Reports of my early demise are greatly exaggerated as was one said and attributed to Mark Twain I think. Where was I - yes I was giving a review of my 2024 and waiting until December was over and done

Mac on test

NB Briar Rose

The April Canal Boat is out, and includes my boat test on Mac, by [Stone Bespoke Boats][1]. [1]: https://stonebespokenarrowboats.com/

Living Jenga = excitement & chaos

Pickingupducks

Older boats are like older houses. You start one job and another 6 make an appearance. They also demand because of their dimensions that doing work anywhere affects another area because everything has to move to produce working space. This

The Bizarre Rules of Horse-Drawn Boats: Forgotten Laws of the Waterways

Widebeam & Wellingtons

For centuries, canals were the backbone of Britain’s transport system, and horse-drawn boats were the workhorses of the waterways.

Summer 2024 Adventures on the Leeds Liverpool Canal

NB Areandare

Lipstick!!! 5th March

NB Oleanna

*Scarborough / Goole* **Painting finished and waiting to be hung** Whilst being in Scarborough we’ve managed to catch up with most people, some more than once, some many times. However one person has eluded us, I knew there’d be trouble

About Damn Time!

The Sumpners Afloat

I know it’s the same every year, but isn’t it funny how January seems interminable and then we race through diminutive little February like a dose of salts! Since my last post, we’ve had a couple of trips home to

Passing. 25th February

NB Oleanna

*Goole / Scarborough* **A Sunday walk to the Spa** Life continues onwards in Scarborough. Jobs in the house continue. The roof space needs clearing for when we get a new roof done in a few months time, so it’s time

We’re done – it’s over.

Pickingupducks

That’s it then – all over. How did that happen so quickly? For the first time in our five years of working and living afloat on a narrowboat, we took a winter mooring. Somehow it’s been nearly four whole months

Home Mooring

NB Harnser

Only slight drizzle as we walked up to the Old Plough but it was dry and cold when we came out. As expected our mooring by the bridge was quite noisy with the lorries rattling over the bridge. This morning

Caen Hill Locks – ITV

NB Floydtilla

One of our targets when we take a our year out on the canals in 2026, this was on the news 24th Feb 2025 See ITV News We have walked them a number of times, but not as yet on

Braunston

NB Harnser

Boy were those trains noisy and lots of them in the early hours of this morning, they sounded almost constant around 1 –2 am with some stopping with their engines running. This morning as expected we woke to the sound

Hillmorton

NB Harnser

Yesterday afternoon the weather was great but just as we went to bed it hammered it down. This morning blue sky’s and sunshine. I went to set off at ten and it happened again, but this time it was a

Spiders, Just How Do They Do It? 20th February

NB Oleanna

The last couple of times Mick has been down to check on Oleanna he’s not been able to run the engine, the starter battery had lost all it’s charge. The battery charges as the engine runs and for the last

All Oaks

NB Harnser

It was definitely wet and windy yesterday evening, much better this morning with light winds but overcast. old story, just getting ready to set off and a boat came along behind us, I didn’t appreciate how slow he was going.

West of Ansty

NB Harnser

Last night we had a Japanese takeaway and it didn’t really work very well. I ordered on line and paid with PayPal I received an email saying my order had been received and was pending until payment had been confirmed.

A Nice Lie Down. 19th February

NB Oleanna

Since Oleanna’s launch some eight years ago, we’ve had two mattresses for our cross bed. The original we strongly suspect was just 6 inch upholstery foam. Not the best thing to sleep on every night, especially when your a lady

Coventry Basin

NB Harnser

A much calmer day today, last nights wind and rain just a memory. We stopped to fill up with water by the Ansty Club, its quite a good tap, flow wise and as there are three live aboard boats it

It’s time for clearing the decks – are you?

Pickingupducks

Spring’s sorting out is going on all around us. Many birds are busy nesting, female ducks are once more putting their lives at risk as the mating season begins (males can and often do drown the females if they mate

Ansty

NB Harnser

Last night as planed we ate in the Barley Mow, what a friendly little pub, three bees on the pumps, I had Taylor’s, Diana had Dombar and the other was one of out local beers, Wherry. Had a very nice

Newbold

NB Harnser

Just a quick one for anyone who visits Moors Bridge by cad, the road on the offside now has a barrier across it so you have to turn back and go under the railway .[[DSCF0386]][1] As expected it rained over

Confession Time

NB Oleanna

So, over the last few months, I’ve been wondering if I should come clean about something. Would anyone notice? Would anyone care? I have felt guilty about this, I have felt stupid to have done this. So now is the

Hillmorton top lock

NB Harnser

Not much to report today, no ice and a bit more wind, it started fine but started raining just as we pulled in to moor up, not even anything worth a photograph. A little late getting away as I needed

Willoughby

NB Harnser

Sorry last nights blog was so let getting away, I had next to zero internet/phone signal all afternoon and evening where we moored, then just before bed it was 2 green lights on the MiFi and we were good to

The Shropshire Union at its best.

NB Holderness

Last night there wasn't a light in sight, other than the moon. There was a farm house quite close but we could just see the roof. We got away in a cool'ish wind. Adderley Locks were just around the corner

New Kids On The Water

NB Oleanna

Well the above title isn’t strictly true. For those who scan narrowboat blog blog rolls, you’ll have noticed a new one has appeared on the right. **[NB Kingley Vale][1]** is actually from old hands at blog writing. Very experienced hands

Napton

NB Harnser

Well I wasn’t expecting that this morning, there was ice all over the canal and it was only just freezing when we went to bed, the coldest it got overnight was -2° C. A boat came crashing through at about

New year, new boat, new blog

NB Briar Rose

Big announcement time! We’re having a new boat built, starting very soon. Kingley Vale will be built by Braidbar Boats, and I’ve set up a [new blog][1] to record the build and our subsequent travels. I’ve added it to the

The 5 best boat navigation apps in 2025

Insure4Boats

When you're out on the water – cruising along the coast or exploring narrow inland waterways – the last thing you want is to feel lost or unsure of your surroundings. This is where boat navigation apps come in. With

Marston Doles

NB Harnser

Last night we ate in the Wharf pub at Fenny Compton. We have eaten there many times over the years with different management in place. Last night was very good, we booked a table for 7pm and they were very

Fenny Compton

NB Harnser

As expected we woke to the sound of the rain, amplified by the dripping trees, one of the reasons I avoid mooring under trees, but here I had no choice. It was gone ten before we were away, 20 or

A Lover-ly time to be afloat

Pickingupducks

This week has seen a flurry of red roses, cards with hearts, and lots of soppy messages on social media. For many, it brightened the gloom of this often dreary time of the year. For others, I recognise it’s depressing

Claydon bottom lock

NB Harnser

Not a great rush this morning as we didn’t plan to go far, Down through Cropredy lock and passed the canoe club before pulling in to fill with water by the[[DSCF0312]][1]winding hole, another slow tap but at least there is

Decision Made, Deposit Paid. 13th February

NB Oleanna

The estimate for grit blasting and blacking came through last Saturday from Danny, I suspect Sally had given him a prod or two. There wasn’t much need for discussion between the two of us. Tilly hadn’t met these people, so

Cropredy

NB Harnser

Well there goes the latest plan. Just received notification that Little Bourton Lock is closed due to a gate failure. It .could have been worse, we might have been the other side of it, so Cropredy is the end of

Claydon Top Lock

NB Harnser

This morning the stove was still not running correctly, so I went on the roof and used the boat hook as a chimney brush. It dislodges a lot of fluffy soot which came out like a fountain and landed like

Narrowboat solar panel installation (step-by-step)

Insure4Boats

Solar panels can cut your energy bills by up to [£340][1] per year, which is useful to know given the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Here’s our step-by-step guide to narrowboat solar installation to help you save money and do your bit

How to paddle board for beginners

Insure4Boats

So, you've seen people cruising smoothly on their paddle boards, gliding across the water with ease, and thought to yourself, "That looks amazing! I want to try that!". If you're wondering how to paddle board, you're in the right place.

Marston Doles

NB Harnser

It stared dry and very dull, to add to the problems the stove was not performing, I have never seen it so coked up. I was going to sort it before we left but it was still far to hot,

Napton on the Hill

NB Harnser

We woke to rain this morning but it was only a very light drizzle when we set off 1040 hrs down to the marina entrance to wind and then stop at The Stop House to take on water, I also

A Revisit. 6th February

NB Oleanna

*Redhill Marina* On leaving Swanley Bridge Marina, we chatted through the painters we’d seen and the boats that they’d painted as we started to head northwards to join the M6. We’ve seen lots painted by The Paintshed, several from Willow

Braunston

NB Harnser

We travelled from my daughters to the boat this morning in miserable weather, with the amount of road works we went through I am glad it was weekend and not mid week. Our first stop was Aldi in Hillmorton (thanks'

4th Painter. 5th February

NB Oleanna

*Swanley Bridge Marina* Not a bad nights sleep, the cat kept quiet! Time for some breakfast. The Travelodge only offers a grab and go breakfast, not suitable for me, so we headed into Northwich, surely Waitrose cafe would have something

Giving back gives more than expected

Pickingupducks

One advantage of spending the winter in one place has been the chance to formally become volunteers with the charity that has responsibility for the waterways we live on – Canal and River Trust. Volunteering has brought unexpected blessings and

3rd Painter. 4th February

NB Oleanna

*Uplands Marina* **Scarbados on a lovely day** With a window between house jobs and appointments we booked ourselves a hire car for two days so that we could cross the Pennines to visit another couple of boat painters. Mick headed

Flow Down on test

NB Briar Rose

The March Canal Boat is out, and includes my boat test on Flow Down by Aintree Boats.

The Four Counties Ring – Map Updates

NB Floydtilla

This year (2025) we are planning on completing ‘The Four Counties Ring’ so one of my tasks has been to update our interactive map. We are starting from our Marina mooring at Droitwich Spa Marina then up to Wolverhampton, as

3 February 2025 at 15:54

NB The Maisibert

Depending on the survey today then Ray would have had the last trip on The Maisibert.

Our new super power!

Pickingupducks

This week has seen the single biggest revolution in our off grid life. Out with the old… Our 50ft floating home/office/workshop, since we bought her 7 years ago, has been powered by 3 lead acid Albion leisure batteries. Initially, they

Updated Shropshire Union Canal Map

NB Floydtilla

I have been updating my map of things near and around the Shropshire Union Canal, would be interested to see if you think I have missed anything important, or even added things that should no be there? See https://floydtilla.co.uk/shropshire-union-canal-main-line-2/ to