Cruise Data - 2010   Yearly Total Since last update Mileage Completed 0406 0046 Locks Used 0185 0041

3 August 2010

We are now back on the Macc at Marple about to take our last cruise up the Peak Forest canal. Once we get to the end we will be winding and heading off back down the Macc and making our way to Braunston where we will be leaving Take Five on brokerage.

Our cruise from Wheelock to here took us through Red Bull Basin where we spent the weekend and took lots of photos as we realised that we didn’t have any of the sites there.

The main event of the month has been our daughters wedding in Newcastle at the National Trust property, the Gibside Chapel. We took the opportunity to hire a van and do a removal job on all our stuff in Take Five, the result is that the boat is now very bare inside. The wedding went very well, with dry warm weather and the bride looking radiant.

Back at the boat we still have a few jobs to do before she is ready for sale but it won’t take us long and she will be spick and span by the time we get to Braunston.

The return trip from here to the brokerage is a bit of a sentimental one for us as we will be retracing our steps from when we bought the boat nine years ago this month.

I will be keeping the web site open until Take Five is sold, so stick with us to see how things go.

4 July 2010

American Independence Day today, but I know you knew that, here at Wheelock it is windy, very grey and cool to cold, but much fresher than the last few weeks. It has been a hot sunny period and locally there is now a hose pipe ban, who would have believed it after the weather we had earlier this year.

So what have we been up to during the month of June, well apart from looking for shade to keep cool in, most of our time has been spent preparing Take Five for a new life with new owners. Cleaning, painting, repairing and replacing things, all of which we think has been worthwhile as she now looks and feels like a young boat again and is raring to go on for another ten years or more cruising the inland waterways of the UK.

We did however still manage to enjoy our slow cruise up the Shropshire Union canal, which has always been one of our favourite canals, and for some of the cruise we were joined by firstly our daughter and her fiancee and then by our son and his family. We even managed to share a meal together, a rare occasion over the past few years.

As we have been travelling so slowly we have been taking advantage of our bus passes and seeing some of the country from the road. A ride to Chester was most enjoyable and seeing the city on a lovely sunny day with the races on was a real treat. We even saw Roman soldiers leading parties of school children around the streets chanting some old marching song, and very impressive they were too.

As you can imagine with all this fine weather the canals have been very busy, but everyone seems to be having fun so it is all very pleasant and good humoured, even when a hire boat managed to ram us from the side whilst we were enjoying our dinner.

I have had to buy a new suite, something I have not wanted to do since I finished work, but as my daughter is getting married this month, needs must. We will be going home for the occasion, and when we get back we will decide the future for Take Five, if we haven’t sold her by then.

Once we had left the Shropshire Union canal and headed across the Middlewich Arm, it was a case of turn right at Middlewich and head down Heartbreak Hill, known by this name for the amount of locks one has to negotiate in such a short distance, but as we will be taking a few days to do it, we will feel no pain.

Our intention is to get to Red Bull Basin and then turn onto the Macclesfield canal and head north, in order to visit old friends, Janice’s sister and leave the boat whilst we go home.

21 May 2010

Take Five is now moored up near Bridge 8 on the Shropshire Union Canal, facing North the direction we are now going to travel. The weather outside is balmy, very hot (28c inside the boat) so we are resting up and trying to keep cool.

After all the trauma of last month, we have now decided not to go to Liverpool, but instead enjoy the cruising in the Midlands on the Four Counties Ring, for the rest of the summer.

Our cruise from Atherstone bottom lock to here went well, Take Five is now back in good health and enjoying cruising again, as are we. We stopped over at Fazeley to meet up with boating friends, Klim & Tina, who are now expecting a new boat this summer and will be moving on to her permanently as fully fledged “Live-aboards”, they are both very excited about it. A short trip down the Birmingham & Fazeley canal followed, but only as far as the waterpark at the bottom of Curdsworth Locks, then we returned and went on to Fradley Junction where we joined the Trent & Mersey canal and headed north.

Next stop was at Tixall Wide, where we just managed to find a space to moor in, then it was out with the paint brush and give the hull a good going over, Take Five now looks very smart again after a very hard winter.

We continued along the Staffs & Worcs canal as far as Penkridge, where it was time for some retail therapy and a trip to Stafford sorted that out, we then cruised on as far as Gailey and out came the paint brushes again, this time to decorate inside the boat. Whilst doing this the inverter stopped working, so no TV, this meant we had to turn around and head back through Penkridge to the Midland chandlers, where I bought a replacement for £40.00 less than I bought the last one, can’t be bad.

Then it was back to Penkridge for the night, but whilst watching a DVD, we heard stones landing on the roof, so out we went out to find a group of youths on the bridge throwing them and then giving us abuse. So I went off to see them, followed by Janice with the camera, that frightened them off, so we headed back to the boat. They soon came back and started again, so it was time to dial 999, and to our surprise a Policeman came on his bike to see us within half an hour. But we had moved up the lock to get away from the trouble, he did find us and looked at the photos Janice had taken, and recognised one of the boys and said he would deal with them. We felt a little better after he had gone, but still didn’t sleep to well and were glad to be under way early the next morning.

We had a long cruise down the Staffs & Worc canal, of seven and half hours, the canal was busy and we had to queue for the locks, by the time we arrived here, we were feeling much safer and enjoyed a very good nights sleep.

Luckily these incidents don’t happen to often, but when they do it does upset you and worry you for a while afterwards, what is wrong with the youth of today, I think we blame the parents and the lack of control of their children.

I cleaned the chimney and stove yesterday, always a good sign that winter has ended and summer is with us, we hope, I have a few more jobs to do on Take Five before she is fully recovered from the winter but it shouldn’t be to long before she is all shipshape again.

The wildlife is now well into the reproduction phase, we are seeing lots of Ducklings, Goslings, Cygnets, and and other young birds on the canal, the dawn chorus is certainly getting louder, waking us up at 0400 hours daily, thank you birds!!

Wendy and Malcolm are coming to visit next weekend for the bank holiday and then we are expecting our son and his family for a short visit, so it looks like a busy time for us, but this canal is very nice with not to many locks and lots of good scenery and pubs. So lets now enjoy summer and some easy cruising before we say our goodbyes to Take Five later in the year.

30 April 2010

Well another Bank Holiday is with us, and the weather is changing accordingly, we may even have to re-light the stove to keep warm this weekend. We are now moored up below the Atherstone flight of eleven locks where we stopped when the rain started.

Since I last wrote a lot has happened and not all good, you may remember that whilst in Banbury the bolt holding the fan pulley onto the crankshaft came out and RCR fitted me a new one. Well after a short visit to Braunston we moored up just outside, where we know we can get good signals for TV, phones and broadband, and I discovered that the bolt had gone again. I was not a happy bunny and suspected that I would now need a new crankshaft, which would cost a lot of money, so I called a boatyard in Rugby, Willow Wren, and they sent a boat to tow us there. Not an experience I would recommend, as you have no control over your boat and we ended up been towed through bushes which resulted in our paint work getting badly scratched.

However we did get to the boatyard and once there the engineer, Chris decided that we would have to take the engine out and investigate further, which he did and then decided that he could re-drill the end of the crankshaft and fit a larger bolt to hold the fan pulley on. It took them a week to do all this, but that is always the problem when you use a boatyard that has a hire fleet to administer. Anyway it did allow me time to clean and paint the engine compartment and the engine before it was all put back together. I also managed to do some varnishing inside the boat while we waited for the work to be completed.

Once it was all finished we left the boatyard but were a little apprehensive as to how far we should go, so we cruised up to Hillmorton locks and back to Rugby, where I checked that all was still well, and it was, well apart from the fact that we now had no hot water. Our water is heated up by pipes carrying the coolant from the engine through the inside of the water tank and transferring the heat to the water, but it wasn’t working.

So we cruised as far as Stretton Stop and got another engineer to check it out, he found that the pipes that carry the water had collapsed inside and were blocking the pipes, replacing these pipes solved the problem and we now have hot water again, in fact it heats up much faster than it ever did before.

Next stop was Atherstone, where we did some shopping and Janice got her hair cut, before we came down the flight of eleven locks and broke out from our winter cruising area, at last.

We set off this morning, but only got as far as the second lock, when Janice told me that she could hear a squeaking noise coming from the engine, so it was up with the engine decks again, and this time I found that the large alternator was hanging off its mounting. Further investigation showed that both of the mounting bolts had come out, it looks like the engineer didn’t tighten them up when he refitted it. Once I had put it all back together we set off again and arrived at the bottom of the flight just before the rain came.

It has been a frustrating and expensive month, but on the positive side Take Five is now in a much better state than when we bought her in 2001, I just hope the rest of the year is more trouble free.

Spring continues to get better, with the trees and shrubs getting greener and even more flowers coming out, we passed a wood yesterday which was full of bluebells and looked lovely. Ducklings are common now and we have also seen our first baby Moor Hens, Swans are on nests and in the fields we are seeing Skylarks, Lapwings, Buzzards and lots of Hawks. I have also seen my first Kingfisher of the year, busy taking food back to its nest.

Our plans now are to get onto the Trent & Mersey canal and head up to the Macclesfield canal and then hopefully on towards Liverpool.

11 April 2010

Today we came down the last lock at Napton and have moored up near Flecknoe Farm, a very popular mooring and very busy at this time of year.

We managed to get as far as Banbury on our travels south and then winded and headed back north again. So what did we get up to? well we stopped at Claydon locks for a week and hired a car and went even further south to visit our friends Eric & Ann in Eastliegh. Our time with them went all to fast but we did manage to drink and eat a lot as well as talk ourselves dry, but we did have a lot of catching up to do, it was really good to see them again. Whilst we were with them I had a phone call from Ian (the coalman) he was moored alongside Take Five and wanted to know if we wanted filling up with coal and diesel, which I thought was very good of him. So he did top us up and we sorted out the money when I got back and saw him next.

Our next stop was Banbury, where we spent a week waiting for our daughter and her fiancé, Malcolm to come and visit us over Easter. Whilst we waited we shopped and looked around the town, which is very nice, we also bought a car. Yes we bought a car, our old one at home is nearly ten years old and needed replacing anyway. You may have heard of the UK Governments Car ‘Scrappage Scheme’, designed to make us get rid of our old cars and buy new ones, whilst at the same time helping the car industry out of the recession. The scheme has finished now but they offered you £2000 for your old car when you bought a new one. I had been looking at cars for a while as we have now decided to come off the canals and return to our house in Newcastle, which means that Take Five is now looking for a new crew. Hence the reason for the need to replace our old car and it was just to good an offer to miss, so we now own a Hyundai i20 five door classic, colour blue, maybe we will call it Take Five 2.

The decision to come off the cut has not been easy and has taken a lot of thinking about and discussion during the winter months, but it is now made and although we will be sad to leave the cut and our life on Take Five, it is the right time for us to make the break and head back home.

Our daughters visit went well, and Malcolm seemed to enjoy his time spent on the boat, doing the locks and also helping me repair the engine when the fan belt pulley bolt, came loose, so we had to strip it all down and refit it.

When they had gone back to Newcastle we went up on to the summit of the Oxford canal and I did some varnishing in the bedroom. I also discovered that the fan belt pulley bolt had come loose again, this time when I took it apart I discovered that I needed a new one. A problem as we were miles away from anywhere and I could not move the boat, but this is why we joined the ‘River Canal Rescue’. I called them and told them what I needed and the next day they found me and brought me a new bolt and fitted it. The service was very good and I can highly recommend them to any boater who wants peace of mind when out cruising.

We were then able to cruise to Napton top lock and go down the flight into Napton, where we needed to visit the local shop for supplies before cruising on to Fkecknoe.

The weather at last is starting to look like summer, we have just had four nice warm sunny days, even getting sun burnt, but today the cold wind has come back, and we have had to light the fire again for warmth. Yes we did manage to let it out for a whole two days, a mistake maybe we will have to wait until the end of the month before being that rash again.

The fields around here are now full of lambs and we have been lucky enough to see a Red Kite and lots of Buzzards, Skylarks as well as our first Swallows of the year. The trees and shrubs are now showing the first sign of leaves and Daffodils and wild flowers are everywhere, Spring is with us at last and it is lovely.

12 March 2010

Well at long last we have made it on to the Southern section of the Oxford canal and are now moored on the summit just above Napton top lock. We came up yesterday and enjoyed a dry, but cold and windy cruise up the nine locks that make up the flight from Napton. It was nice to meet other boats moving, mostly hire and share boats but never the less it is a sign that life is returning to the system. It’s a pity that Spring is a bit slow coming, we have seen snowdrops but as yet no flowering Daffodils, and the temperature is not yet in double figures.

So what have we been up to, well whilst I was on the Ashby, I had two of our double glazed windows removed, by Channel Glaze, the seals had gone and they were filling with condensation. They came down to Trinity Marina and in a snow shower took out my windows and fitted two temporary ones.

Once they had gone I set off for Coventry, it took me a couple of days to get there and I had to break some more ice on the way. Then when I got there, there was only just room for me to moor, the basin seems to have been taken over by residential boats for the winter, not good.

Janice came back on time and then we set off for Oxford, stopping in Rugby for shopping and to fill up with coal and diesel from Ian and his coal boat. We were also pleased to see our first Spring Lambs near Old Oak Wood, and the sun was shining so it felt like one of those special moments.

The nice men from Channel Glaze came back and refitted our windows, this time in nice dry sunny conditions, which was good as it allowed the sealant to dry, so we are now dry and warm again and can see the outside world once more.

Once up the Hillmorton flight of locks we made haste for Braunston, where we stopped overnight, having visited the Midland Chandlers and given them some more of our money. We also managed a meal out in the refurbished pub, what used to be “The Mill House”, it now has a new name but I can’t remember what it is. They do “Two meals for One” and they were very good, it is all table service now, very posh.

I also managed to dispose of my waste oil at the Braunston Marina, they are very good having a waste oil tank available for all boaters, it’s just behind the laundrette.

Next stop was Napton, where we had a walk into the village to post some more birthday cards, March is birthday month in our family. The old pub by the lock, “The Folly”, is under new management but we didn’t go in.

Janice had a good holiday with daughter Wendy and granddaughter in Fuertaventura in the Canary Islands, and found it a bit cold coming back to Take Five, but she seems to have adjusted now.

Now we are heading for Oxford, but will be taking a long weekend out on the way to visit our friends Eric & Ann down south, we hire a car from Enterprise they provide a very good service, picking you up from where ever you say and returning you when you take the car back, and its all free!! (well not the hire of the car of course).

It’s four years since we last came down this part of the Oxford canal and we are struggling to remember it but so far we like what we see and from what we wrote about it the last time we were here it should be a nice cruise, lets just hope the weather gets better and we can start wearing our shorts again.

12 February 2010

I am now on the Ashby canal, having moved here yesterday, I moored up to meet Ian, the coal man and his boat Gosty Hill. at the quiet moorings on the hospital corner.

Janice has gone home again, but before she did she had to get a lift to York from her niece, to attend the funeral of one of her Aunties. Wendy then picked her up and took her on to Newcastle, where she is now waiting to jet off to the sunshine on Sunday.

This meant that I did not have to go into Coventry to drop her off to catch the bus, instead we went back to Ansty, where she was picked up, and I cruised from yesterday. Before she went we managed a cruise up to the top of the locks at Atherstone, where we winded and headed back to Ansty. On the way, we moored in Nuneaton and Janice got the bus into the town centre and collected her glasses. Neither of us is very impressed with Vision Expresses one hour service, won’t go there again.

The weather has been wintry, with snow showers and frozen canals, but a few brave hire boats are out and freeing up passage for us. The wildlife is busy, birds are starting to make nests and the ducks are still at it, maybe they are just keeping warm.

I am going to be staying on the Ashby for next week and then making my way back to collect Janice, from where I know not, but it will be good to get her back again

31 January 2010

After 33 days stuck in the ice we final got free on the 20th January, that is the longest that we have been frozen in during our cruises. We had just about run out of coal, when much to our relief we saw the coal boat breaking ice and heading towards us. So we were able to replenish both our coal and diesel supplies, before moving off to fill up the water tank, and then head off to the winding hole and turn round. That manoeuvre was not easy, as the hole was still full of ice, so we had to work Take Five hard to break it. But once turned round we headed off towards Rugby and a much needed pump-out, it took us a couple of days to get there as it was still very cold, and of course we had to break more ice. We went as far as the bottom lock at Hillmorton and turned round and went back to Rugby where we spent a couple of days shopping. It felt good to have water under us again, even though cruising was very cold on the face. Whilst we had been stuck at Ansty we had taken the bus to Nuneaton and Janice had ordered some new glasses, but they would not be ready for another two weeks, so we have had to stay in the area in order to go and get them when they are ready. So we headed back towards Coventry and stopped overnight at Ansty again, and again when we woke in the morning the canal was frozen, so here we are back where we started the year. But at least we are ok for everything, and will be able to get the bus into Nuneaton and collect the glasses. Janice is also going home in a couple of weeks for a holiday in the sun with our daughter, so we need to get into Coventry for her to catch the National Express coach home. I will then have to fend for myself for ten days until she comes back and then maybe we can get back to some serious cruising.

We have seen some wildlife over the last week, a fox running across a snowy field, a Muntjack deer, which was just sat on the bank very close to the canal and didn’t move until I stopped the boat for a better look. A Buzzard also let us see it in all its glory, it was sat on a branch close to the canal and just watched us go by, we certainly see more wild life in the winter

10 January 2010

A belated seasons greetings to you all from the crew of Take Five who find themselves still frozen in at Anstey, near Coventry. Take Five is well and truly stuck in all this ice and snow which is covering all the country, and we could be here for some time yet, according to the weather forecast.

Our Christmas went well at home with our family and the New Year with Janice’s sister in Manchester, despite the chilly weather conditions.

We are now settled down trying to stay warm and snug, although we have both caught bad colds, and Take Five is holding up well, with the stove going none stop and the engine charging our batteries so we can watch TV and play on the laptop. We have a water tap near by, which we have to keep defrosted with a kettle of hot water when we want to use it, and a bus stop with buses every hour into Coventry or Nuneaton. The nearest supermarket is only twenty minutes walk, or the first stop on the bus going into Coventry. Our supplies of coal should last another week and we know the coal boat is frozen in two miles in front of us, heading this way. Oh yes and we have a pub very close to the boat, so all in all we are well off and no doubt much better off than many other boaters out there.

Our intentions, when the ice releases us, is to head for Oxford and then come back towards Birmingham and up to the Macclesfield canal, where we would like to be in March, but it all depends on the weather.

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