| This Month's Totals and Average | |||
| 0.31 miles | 0 locks | 0.42 hrs | 0.74 lmph |
Got the final closing up done and put "Paws" "to bed" for the festive period. Drive north.
This will be the last entry for this year, but please join us again to find out where next year's big adventure is going to be.
Weather mostly sunny although cold, but with forecast of rain by Monday. Plans made to close "Paws" up and travel to house on Saturday.
Excellent illustrated talk on the Caledonian Canal at the IWA branch meeting on Wednesday. Also included background history surrounding the formation of the Scottish canals (including the Forth & Clyde/Union Canals).
Added yet more stats to the abstracts page.
Headed to the house for a few days to attend funeral of daughter-in-law's grandmother on Wednesday. Travel north not too bad, although something caused a closure on the A5 westbound, and the usual delays for roadworks on the M6. Included a visit to daughter and son-in-law on Tuesday evening, and met up with son, daughter-in-law and grand-daughter at a play-area for coffee on Thursday. Had intended to return south to "Paws" on Friday, but had a bout of sickness over Thursday night and was unfit to drive. Finally cleared sufficiently to return on Monday. (Unfortunately missed the AGM of the Boaters' Christian Fellowship , and the remembrance day parades.) Drive south uneventful apart from the roadworks.
Haircut to start Friday, then slowly heating up stove pipework (small fire first, then increasing size - needed tending regularly). Pottered around in between. Mostly sunny.
Heavy rain overnight Friday continued into Saturday morning. Once the rain ceased, took a walk to the saw-mill for more kindling, then a trip for stores. When I returned, took "Paws" up to the water-point outside the marina office. Got water and coal, then returned to the towpath mooring. Went to the bonfire at St Paul's Church on Saturday evening.
More rain overnight into Sunday, but again cleared by breakfast. Usual Sunday routine, then brought "Paws" back into the marina and settled her in for me to head to the house. Packing ready for the off tomorrow.
| Local movements | |||
| 0.31 miles | 0 locks | 0.42 hrs | 0.74 lmph |
Kym back again - finished by lunchtime and looking good. Just have to wait till tomorrow for sealants to cure, then warm pipe through for a couple of days before painting.
Trip to chandlers for paint, and oil for next engine service. Stopped off for one item of shopping on the way back (forgot it yesterday), and called in at Drayton Boats to see if they could fix the gearbox leak (busy until I get back down, but not causing any damage in the meantime).
Remained cloudy all day.
Bright but cool day, with the sun popping in and out between the clouds. Kym from the Little Chimney Company came round about half-nine and started removing the old flue pipe. We found that it had just been 'wedged' in between the stove and the deckhead, and a piece of insulated pipe used as a collar between it and the casting through the deckhead - most unsafe! Kym got all the bits out, measured up and created a new pipe with proper fittings (to be put in tomorrow). The decorative wooden boss on the inside was now obviously shaped at the wrong angle but I managed to find someone to reshape it with parallel faces (Andy, at "Creative Carvings" ran it through his lathe for a couple of quid).
