This morning was a chilly one…

Zoot, the new Ship’s Puppy, had been outside for his daily romp and when we came back on board he sat on the sofa shivering where his legs had gotten wet from the dew laden lawn.  I thought ‘I know, I’ll light the stove’.  This was the first lighting after the Summer and we both sat there mesmerised by the flames and the growing warmth.

“CLUNK” … a noise that made us both jump so I attempted to find the source of this loud metal noised interruption to our morning.

My thing had fallen off!

The blanking plate from the back of the stove that is. On closer inspection it seems that one of the lugs had sheered off.

There was quite a build up of soot which is odd as I’ve not long had the thing professionally cleaned… still, he wasn’t much cop when he did it and now I’m shown the annoying spoils of his inadequacies in the cold light of day.

Lunch time and I’m in the car to the Chandlers.  £44.0 later I’m stocked up with stovey supplies to make good the bad upon my return home.  The lugs were £3.40 each and the screws were £1.80 each – what a rip off!

And a fiddly fucking job it was too!  And dirty!!  It’s not on tight yet though, I’ll need to have another fiddle but I lost interest if I’m honest and I was getting frustrated.  I had a brilliant idea of cementing the thing in only the cement I’d bought last year was now a glittering rock hard mass in the sealed pot.  Back out to buy fresh supplies at the weekend to finish the job.  I did however purchase a pot of stove paint as it’s in desperate need of sprucing up

So, since I moved on board almost two years ago, I’ve now spent in the region of £200 on replacement parts including door glass, grate, griddle pan, chimney and blanking plate.  I think, as it’s probably as old as the boat (20 years) I’ll replace the whole thing next year.  Plus I don’t know how well it’s been looked after in this time.  After all, it’s a necessity and it’s also extremely important to have it ‘safe’.

Anyway, as long as it’s functional and safe for this Winter then it’s a job well done.  Spring will find me mulling over the possibilities of a new purchase.  Until then I shall enjoy the cold nights having stocked my woodshed with Joiners Nuts earlier in the year from Woof! Wood – I’m well ready.  This is my 3rd delivery from this company and they’re brilliant!  Less than a fiver for delivery by friendly drivers who plonk the palette where you need it.  Cheaper than coal and it smells fantastic.  Plus I don’t get dirty except when I have to clean the bugger out.

There we have it!  Like I said, just about to embark on my 3rd Winter aboard so for those few that took the piss and publicly insulted me in the early days, you know who you are, I’m still here and still LOVING IT!  Oh, and I’m growing my hair after 14 years :lol:

Lottie and I took our first cruise last week! Of 2011 that is :cheerful:

We set of a week last Saturday in the direction of Crofton passing through Hilperton where we filled up with Diesel, Seend, Semington, the Caen Hill Staircase, Devizes and finishing up just before Crofton at Pewsey. The round trip took us 9 days!

There were a total of 29 locks in a row at the Staircase and by the end of the upward journey I was not only sunburned but numb and completely shattered! :pinch:

Upon reaching the end of Caen Hill we cruised a little while longer and moored up where I fell into bed, prostrate, and snored almost immediately.

Lottie and I really had a wonderful week together. We didn’t argue too much and enjoyed each other’s company. On night 4 Marvin jumped ship and we never saw him again. We even stayed moored up for around 25 hours at that location in the hope of his return but alas, he did not. We continued back whence we came taking in all the dreamy scenery and solitude. It was heavenly.

On night 7 we were back at Devizes and dined at at Franco’s – don’t bother, it was shit!… We were awoken on the Friday morning to a hive of activity – time, 6.30am. It was the annual Devizes to Westminster canoe race. Having dabbled spectator wise for a couple of hours we booted up the boat and made headway homeward.

Back to the Caen Hill staircase again but down this time. 4 hours to get up it and 6 hours down as we were sharing with another boat who didn’t know what they were doing. I even managed a great argument with a boat we met on the way down. He didn’t like the way we exited the lock and started vocally insulting us to his partner about being noobs. I heard him, which I believe was intended, but he’d chosen the wrong fucking person. By this time we were about half way down and I was NOT in the mood! “Stop your fucking moaning” I shouted to him. We traded insults and commenced our journeys.

The last lock approached and there were a bunch of blokes fishing off the mooring straight which is not allowed due to us having to side up there to allow me off to work the lock. Fisherman “Oi, we’re fishing here”. Me “I’m on a canal, in a fucking canal boat and this is a mooring straight” “what you need is a nice hot cup of FUCK OFF”. Again, I found myself trading insults with these Neanderthals so I put the boat into full throttle forward which soaked each and every one of the fuckers :lol:

Even Lottie joined in calling them all Pikey’s which they didn’t like very much. Truth hurts :lol:

We passed through Bradford on Avon and moored about a mile farther up where we found an abandoned tree swing yeeehaaaa!

Lottie had some friends over in the evening for a get-together on the towpath and I befriended a couple of boaters. Dennis on CAT and Mike & Nicky on Steben. We had a great evening drinking and chatting. Dennis gave my electrics the once-over when I told him I couldn’t get any electric when cruising. Blow me, on our last night the electric sprang to life. All it turned out to be was a bloody switch I hadn’t switched over!

ELECTRICITY I whooped… fell into bed around 10.30pm with my phone on charge once more. To sum up, I did approximately 10 swing bridges and 65 locks in 8 days. :sleeping:

Can’t wait to do it all over again in July.

Yet again Marvin met with the not so deep drink this morning. In fact, it wasn’t a great start to the day for many reasons.

Firstly I woke up to bright daylight and shouted ‘shit’ as I scrambled to look at my phone and clock for the time. It was 8.55am and I had to be at work for 9.30! Somehow my phone had been switched off completely which is very odd. At first I thought it may have been a power cut but no, everything else was still showing the correct time. So I can only assume I turned it off in my sleep.

I had a bad nights kip anyway waking at 2.35 after a bit of a nightmare but not scary enough to make me sweat, just really weird! Anyway, I was late. I rushed around and tried to make my hair look kind of presentable as it’s short and gets flattened like a 90 year old pair of boobs during the night.

So, when blasting the hairdryer I hear Marvin meowing outside… meow, meow, meow, PLOP, mew, mew, mew :lol:

He swam and scrambled out of the cut and stood by the front door rather wet. I had no time to dry him either so had to leave him to his own devices. Luckily it was fairly warm this morning.

That’s around the 5th time in 5 months he’s fallen in. This evening he wouldn’t even jump from the jetty to the boat! I may have to donate him to a land home before long :(

Anyway, on a lighter note, I bought two absolutely fabulous mugs at Sainsburys today!