I know I don't have a 'boating season' as such, but this year has been one of extremes, good AND bad times.

Some of the good things: Good friends; new friends; no enemies, or enemy activity; lots of boating; journeys into the unknown with highlights of a trip to Nottingham, and also into the Wash, as well as the usual ones.

The bad things: Niggling little problems with the boat, most just general maintenance. But nothing went smoothly. Every time I went out, something seemed to go wrong. For instance on the trip to Boston I last reported on the previous page, the boat overheated, due to the impeller breaking. This should have only been a small job, this normally being done in the annual service. However my lack of funding means I have to limit maintenance to the minimum. I carry a spare impeller, so can do the job anytime it is required, however the spare I had bought from the Yanmar dealer was not the correct one. There was only a slight difference, and I discovered this when I came to replace it. This meant I had to buy another one, plus a spare. I brought the pump home, calling at the local, upmarket chandlery, who fortunately had one in stock. Once home I cleaned the pump properly, and fitted the new impeller. I still had to go back to buy another at a later date for the spare.

The next morning I returned to the boat, and re-fitted the pump to the engine. It pumped water properly when I started up, however it didn't when I re-tried. So I had to remove the pump, dismantle and grease the impeller to get it working. All in all I had to do the job 3 times, but this was NOT down to me, or my incompetence as an engineer. The Yanmar Dealer had told me which one should fit which, until I removed and dismantled the pump, I had no means of checking. Thankfully I did not require it when out with the boat.

Just to remind people, I do have a degenerative disc in my lumber spine, just above my coccyx. This prevents me from doing much on a continual or continuous basis. As long as I get frequent periods of restful days, doing little other than a gentle dog walk, and lying down watching TV, or on here, I can manage. But this year, I did not seem to get the break I required, resulting in my overdoing it for far too long. I was hurting myself boating and IT HAD TO STOP.

I don't know why, but for a few days I could only walk a short distance with serious difficulty. The last time this happened to me was after I nursed Jessie (my last dog) for a couple of days, after she had a total collapse; seven years ago now. I regained my mobility then by gentle regular exercise, and by taking several shorts walks daily, without overdoing it. But if this happens and is permanent, I will loose everything. I live alone and if I cannot look after myself, I will be in serious trouble.

So coming back from the next trip to Boston, I realized it was time to quit boating, or rather owning my own boat. Coming past the locked slipway was the key moment. On my daily dog walk, I sometimes go to market to the pie stall. A year later they put a sign up, no dogs. I get a boat that may require lifting out, which I can do because my friend has a tractor and trailer near the slipway, which has been free to use for the last umteen years, and they put a locked gate on it. No, I don't think the world is against me, but at times it does seem like that. Mind you, the pie stall has now been moved to a specially built unit outside, so I can visit with Barney again (grin).

I panicked a little, putting Wud-E-Nuff up for sale much too cheaply. Luckily no one bought her, no doubt thinking there was something wrong. She is still for sale, but at a more realistic price. I am letting fate decide if I keep her, or not; however I am making it rather difficult for any buyers. They must decide on the day, and pay me. This should get rid of most of the time-wasters, of which I've had a few already. I'm also being brutally honest, highlighting her problems.

The boating.

I have now covered almost 900 miles this year. I have only kept a mental log, but most of my journeys are over known distances; for instance Boston is 44 miles for a round trip. My Nottingham trip was 119 miles according to the map. Several people who have spent months last year, and travelled all over the country have done much less than this. Nottingham was of course the longest trip I've done, spending 5 days and sleeping aboard for 4 nights.

A common misconception is that the railways closed the canals. Well it was the roads more than the railways that finished them as a means of transport, due to speed, and deliveries being door to door. It takes about one and half hours to go from Lincoln to Nottingham in a car, given no delays of course. But it takes TWO DAYS on a boat. Easy to see why roads won. Despite this however, there is a very real use for goods to be transported by rivers and canals today. Transporting by water is a very efficient means, and providing the cargo is sent daily, most could be carried this way, relieving our roads, with a big reduction in congestion, pollution and greenhouse gasses. Many boats can use the rivers, just as many cars and lorries can use the roads, so a constant supply could be maintained. All it would take is a bit more foresight and forward planning.

Click the picture for many more photos...

I bought my boat with the intention of going to Boston on Tuesday, staying overnight and returning Wednesday. This suited me, and the lifestyle I must lead. Well I'm pleased to say I have done this at least half a dozen times this year, mostly in the company of my friend on his boat. It is a very pleasant trip, as I get a break at Southrey, where he moors, plus another at Chapel Hill, where we stop to see our other friend, who may also come to Boston with us. We arrive at Boston in the early evening, often enjoying a meal from Andy's fish and chip shop, just over the road from the marina. Later we visit the pub, run by the marina owner. It is quiz night, which provides a few laughs, although left to us, no prizes. In fact I often try to time it so we are just too late to enter, to avoid the embarrassment of only a few correct answers.

It does make for an entertaining night however, and the cost of 2 or 3 pints well worth it. It also helps with getting to sleep on the boat. In the morning there is a nice dog walk along the towpath to a nice small park, the marina being right on the edge of the town. I make use of the new facilities, including the free shower. Roy does a breakfast, something I usually don't have, so after sausage sandwiches, we head for the town, and the market. Boston is one of the few towns left with a proper market in the streets. There is also an auction selling junk, something many seem to enjoy buying, although to be honest I'd chuck most of it in the skip, even in my 'magpieing' days. (The term Magpieing was invented by my friend, to describe someone who collects and hoards things, just for the sake of it). I rarely spend anything, leaving it to the others, who stock up with provisions, as well as buying the odd 'bargain' at the auction. For instance one day Roy bought a petrol strimmer for £1. Back at the boat we got it working, and all it required was a new strimming rope.

We set off for home early afternoon, again with the stops on route. I usually arrive back early evening, being as I have the longest (4-hour) journey. Another bone of contention this year has been the lock. Mostly when I have arrived it has been empty, even with the gates open, so I could go straight in. This year however it has been set against me almost without exception. This means I have to moor briefly, get off up the ladder and open the paddles. Also as no one is usually around I push the gates open, rather than open them with the boat. This also has proved difficult for me this year, although after the recent trip to Foxton (see separate story) I now know these gates are heavier than most. I am organized at my mooring however, and other than grease the stern tube, I don't have too much to do.

Amongst my projects this year, I have made a metal-framed door with a metal grill. I've also made a grill to go under the cabin hatch, so it is a simple job to secure and lock up. It is very difficult to make a boat secure, but it is relatively easy to make it harder to break into than the next one. I've also bought a new cartridge grease gun, to make greasing up easier, and less messy. So although mooring and locking up still require more work than leaving your car, at least it is not the half hour (or more) chore it once was.