Creaking, Cracking, Biffing and Banging. 1st 2nd March

Nantwich Embankment

Through Wednesday night the cut froze, we could hear it getting progressively thicker. Any movement by the wind of Oleanna made creaking, cracking noises. The water between us and the towpath had frozen creating an icy Shroppie shelf that we bumped and cracked into. Then as the boat returned the other way she would then bump into the large sheet of ice covering the canal, creaking and crunching that way too. This didn’t make for a good nights sleep!

We spent the day sheltering inside, knitting, making soup, reading and watching a bit of TV, listening to the creaks as the wind picked up. Mick at one point went out and broke away the icy shelf, this cut down the creaks, but didn’t stop them completely. How thick was the ice? NB Halsall was due through today, would they be able to move? We had sent our order through to them by text a couple of days ago and their reply had been that weather permitting they would be in Nantwich Thursday. Was the weather permitting?

Around 4pm we heard the honk of Halsall’s horn as they came over the aqueduct. We all sprang into action, there was something to do! Tilly ran up and down like a loon whilst we wrapped up warm. The cratch needed rolling up to get the coal into the well deck and other things to make Lee and Roberta’s life as easy as possible. But with a long line of boats ahead of us how long would it take them to reach us, we waited in anticipation under the pram cover. Surprisingly they only stopped at two out of the eight or so boats, before coming in along side us.

I was interested to see how soon they affected the ice by us, they were breaking it most of the way, keeping a slow steady pace in the wind. At about two boat lengths away the pinging sounds across the ice started, water bubbled up in front of the workboat opposite us. Just as their bow reached ours huge cracks appeared across the surface of the ice breaking it into three or four smaller sheets. Here’s a link to a video I took, Halsall makes her entrance from the left (it is getting on for 16MB).

Their ropes were frozen, so no throwing them over T studs today, at least this meant that they could be passed over a greater distance. First the coal in at the bow, then they moved up along our side to fill the diesel tank. They’d had difficulty pushing off at the Shroppie Fly in the morning, but managed quite well the rest of the 6 miles from there. Little snow but the biting wind must have been cutting straight through them. These people are heroes and always have a smile, even on the darkest day. They only stop when they simply can’t move the boat or it is dangerous to do so. They must buy the best thermals possible.

A chap popped along to ask them to call in as they went through the next bridge, he was wanting all sorts. Bags of Excell (smokeless coal) were now all spoken for with orders, but they had plenty of other fuels he could choose from. Once our tank was full, they headed onwards to some of the permanently moored boats, we’d be sent our bill by text when they pulled up later. In the morning they were expecting a diesel delivery and another 6 tonnes of coal before they set back off and along the Middlewich Branch.

We returned inside to the warmth of the stove. The ice had been broken up, so no more creaking and cracking noises. That had stopped, but was now replaced by the larger sheets of ice knocking and banging on Oleanna’s hull! Leaning out of a bathroom porthole with a broom handle Mick tried to push the offending sheets of ice under others away from our side. This worked for a short amount of time before the wind pushed more sheets towards us.

Throughout the evening we had the constant biffing and banging of the ice in the wind. It didn’t sound like it would freeze over again and it didn’t. At about 4am we had what sounded like a full orchestra of car boots being slammed just outside. Another quality nights sleep, at least with our fat duvets we stayed very warm.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 bad nights sleep, 1 large vat parsnip sweet potato and chicken soup, 0.3 of a sock, 0.5 feline, 2 rubber bouncy balls, 2 cold heroes, 5 bags coal, 74 litres diesel, 257894654 biffs and bangs!

Flat Icebergs. 28th February

Nantwich Embankment

This morning we woke to ice on the canal, about time too, we’d been feeling a bit left out!

When we moved on board Lillian we treated ourselves to a King Size all seasons feather duvet. This consists of two duvets, one a summer weight the other autumn weight, you can popper them together and make a winter weight duvet. So far joining them has never been needed, but last night I felt a touch cold in the middle of the night. The summer duvet was under the bed so I made do with a couple of easy to reach blankets . Today the other duvet has come out from storage but not been poppered to the other one. This means we can have an amount of temperature control independent of each other. Mick hadn’t felt cold, so if he’s too warm he can fling his side onto me instead.

The ice wasn’t that thick, you could see it ripple as we moved around inside. Mid morning a crunching cracking noise came, a boat was on the move breaking it’s way through. A hire boat from Norbury Junction, lady stood at the front with pole at the ready should they encounter thicker ice. A short while later a C&RT work boat came past with a cargo of aggregate. The ice was now being broken up, this usually helps it to dissipate quicker. Large flat icebergs drifted past us, layers of ice stacking up ontop of each other.

A moored boat from beyond us reversed down to the water point taking advantage whilst they could move. They were there for an age! The water pressure isn’t that good, but we suspect the tap was frozen and took a while to defrost. One other boat on the move was NB Jenny Wren from the Carefree Cruising Fleet. They pulled in for diesel opposite us, struggling to get the stern into the side due to the ice.

With a covering of ice on the cut now Tilly is grounded, no shore leave until it melts. Why? Well she may decide that she can walk on frozen water, fall through and then that would be that! But with the sun out and the engine having been run for a while this morning inside the pram cover wasn’t too chilly, so half an hour of supervised looking at the world from a different view point was allowed. One day she’ll work out how to get out without our assistance and that right now would be bad.

The highlight of the day was a walk to the recycling bins. Much of the ice on the cut had gone by now but all around the basin a thin layer of snow had settled. The chap from the boat next door to us was using the services and having to defrost the tap to be able to fill his large water containers. Luckily there is hot water on hand inside the block to assist.

My next knitting project was started this afternoon. Colour matching the yarn went well, so we’ll see how it turns out, I’m adjusting an existing pattern which can mean redoing bits until I like the end result. Along with this I also crocheted a fat ball net for the birds. Not wanting to litter the countryside with plastic mesh bags, or buy holders for them. lnstead I made a small string bag that we could hang from the tree opposite. Here the birds can peck away whilst Tilly is kept occupied watching them.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 thin layer ice, 5628 flat icebergs, 4 moving boats, 1 short walk, 4 snow storms, 3rd episode Shakespeare and Hathaway, 1 black, 1 white, 28 tonnes of chocolate, 16 hours mixing, 1 fat ball holder, 1 sheet of floating greaseproof paper, 1 slightly strange ginger cake, 1 bored resigned cat.

Topping Up 27th February

Nantwich Embankment

Every morning we wake up and peek out of the porthole behind our bed to check on the water status. Despite being a bit chilly in bed last night the water was still very fluid around us. It must be that with little tree cover and bright sunshine the last few days that the canal warms up in the sunlight and holds it’s heat. Today however we woke to a snow shower, not very deep but enough to put Tilly off exploring until the sun had melted it.

After a cooked breakfast (photo for Mr Carley’s benefit today), we decided to head into town to top up on food supplies. Fresh things mainly. If the weather forecast for this week is correct we will be in for a few days of not wanting to venture off the boat. We also wanted to equip ourselves with some means of being able to carry water. No containers around town that we could fill and keep to top up the water tank, so we purchased a couple of cheap buckets instead. These at least will be useful for other things in future and will sit inside one another taking up little space. All we needed now was a funnel so as not to loose a drop whilst filling the tank. The chandlers came up trumps.

The diesel pump opposite was busy filling containers for much of the day and a handful of boats moved past bringing with them slushy flat icebergs. The canal was starting to freeze, just not alongside us.

During the afternoon I continued with my sock knitting and Mick debated whether to walk to the service block for a shower or to move the boat. Snow showers had come and gone all day bringing with them strong gusts of wind, not good to reverse in without a bow thruster. But the showers haven’t been cleaned for about a week and the floor in there is ever so muddy! In the end it seemed daft not to top up our water tank if we could move. Mick checked that the water point tap still worked, which it did, then when we had enough hot water on board we both had showers in the late afternoon.

Tilly obliged by being on board so we pushed off and reversed to the water point as the sun was starting to set. As we pulled along side the service block we could see that straight lines had started to form in the canal, very thin ice. Would we be the last boat to move before the canal froze? With the tank and two milk containers full of water (to rinse the yellow water tank out next time) we pushed back over to the moorings and settled down in front of the stove.

The evening got colder and colder outside. A draught across our knees puzzled us for a while until we realised that it was cold air coming in from a mushroom vent directly above us. Nothing much we can do about that as ventilation is very important in a boat. A blanket on our knees may well do the trick though.

Progress in Scarborough, we won’t know the place when next we visit! Poor traffic cones being made redundant after such long service.

0 locks, 0.14 miles, 1 reverse, 7 snow showers, 1 dusting, 1 full water tank, 1 almost sunk bottle of water, 1 freezer full, 1 fridge full, 1 fruit bowl nearly full, 2 buckets, 1 funnel, 1 clean shaven chin, 2 showers, 1 pair of Pip socks complete, 4 years of cones, 1 traffic island!

Waiting For The Beast. 26th February

Nantwich Embankment

There was a slight amount of snow in the air this morning, but certainly nothing to write home to Scarborough about (it looks like they’ll be getting quite a bit of the stuff over the next few days!). Tilly was a little bit reluctant to venture out, but in the end the lure of the tree and mole hills were too much for her and she braved the cold.

We are definitely in waiting mode. Waiting for the beast to arrive. It feels like we’ve been waiting for ages already. Last week we both silently wondered if stopping at The Shady Oak for a night was a good idea, but so far the water around our hull has remained liquid. Maybe it’s because the embankment keeps getting a good amount of sunshine in the day which is keeping the water too warm to freeze, I suspect this will be short lived. Today there have been lots of passing boats, about half shareboats making the most of their winter week, hoping to be able to keep moving and return to base.

In water saving mode, Mick carried a large bag of washing over to the launderette this morning. One big machine took all our clothes and all was returned dry in just over an hour. That didn’t fill the day!

I spent the morning putting together a family invite for Mick’s next big birthday in May. It’s funny how he’ll legitimately be eligible for some Senior discounts, but the things he’s chosen to do for his celebration don’t do old fogey discounts. It was nice to be thinking of warmer times for a while.

The afternoon saw me finish off a sock that I’ve been working on for a while. I’ve now tried several patterns, some top down, some toe up. They all have had various things that I’ve liked about them, but other things that didn’t feel so good once on your foot. So I’ve been working on a hybrid pattern and yesterday I’d found a handy calculator to help with gusset and heel calculations. Now written out as one pattern I’ll hopefully manage to knit a matching sock for a pair! Soon I’ll have enough items to open my own etsy shop and hopefully sell enough to keep us in wine. Fingers crossed.

Bourne Blue Cheshire the last treat cheese

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 tentative cat, 4 cold paws, 28 minute wash, 28 minute dry, 1 set of invites, 1 perfect sock, 0 ice, 7 passing boats, 2 shiny knockers, 1 cosyish boat.

A Busy Hour. 25th February

Nantwich to Nantwich

Tilly had obviously made her point to Lowkey yesterday as she had free run of the towpath between walkers and woofers this morning, it is a busy stretch.

Quite a few boats were on the move, some share boats, others we assume were weekend boaters making the move back to their moorings after breakfast.

On his way back from the service block Mick had spotted a coal boat so had flagged them down. We’ve not come across NB Effingham before, their timing was good for a small top up of coal before NB Halsall comes through next week. If the temperatures plummet as they are forecast to, then even the coal boats may have difficulty moving. Although they do try to deliver by van where they can, little stops them, which is why they are such a valued asset to the system. With a buffer of three bags of Excell on our roof we could relax knowing that we’ll be warm for the next three weeks.

With quite a few boats moving a space on the embankment had shown itself, the end spot within easy reversing distance to the services. Tilly was home, it was time to move! We quickly pushed off, pootled through the bridge and pulled in at the services to top up the tank. Having had the heating on for a while this morning there was hot water, so whilst we filled Oleanna up I had a quick shower on board. By the time I was dressed again Mick was already coiling back up the hose. So as soon as my shoes were on my feet we pushed off and moored up at the end of the embankment moorings, there’s more sky here.

This outside has a few trees. Not easy ones to climb as they have sideways trees growing up them. This is more of a challenge, which I like. From the branches I can look down on the woofers walking by without them knowing where I am. There are also lots of holes for me to stick my arms in and dig through the soft soily mounds. It’s going to be good here. Tilly was out for much of the afternoon, returning for a snooze every now and then, A good outside can be exhausting!

We had a wonder over to the Launderette, suspect we’ll be bringing a large bag of washing over tomorrow so that we can save our water. The rest of the day we enjoyed the bright sunshine heating up Oleanna. I washed off the mud that had built up on the stern and bow and watched steam rising from the gunnels as it dried almost instantaneously.

Maps were put on the table  and we had a cruise planning session for the first half of this year. There are various dates when we want to be in certain places, visitors (yes, you Duncan!), birthdays, cricket, a play, a wedding, a train and appointments. They are all possible and we may not have to go through Worcester too many times either!

My plans for a pot roast chicken this evening were scuppered as the chicken that came with our shopping was far too big for my cast iron pot, so we enjoyed a conventional roast chicken instead.

0 locks, 0.15 miles, 3 bags coal, 1 full water tank, 1.6kg too big, 4 exhausted paws, 1 ivy clad tree slightly worse for Tilly, 3rd sock attempt a good one, 5 months almost planned, 2 made to measure hearth rugs photographed, 1 mooring in pole position but too far for our hoses.

Stand Off In Nantwich. 24th February

Nantwich

A sunny morning to explore my new estate. They keep saying we might be here for a while if the canal goes solid. I have my own picnic bench and they have been suggesting that maybe we should have a barbecue one evening. It however is a bit too chilly on my bum for that.

So I was minding my own business making sure I’d marked everything as being mine, doing my best to fend off the masses of passing woofers and succeeding at this mostly, when I turn round and there was a trespasser! What was he doing? This is my estate! He’s certainly not having my bench!!!!!

I sat down under MY bench and sat my ground. He sat down too. We sat and avoided looking straight at each other for what could have been days. The non stare zone was strong, who would give in first? Certainly not me!

People walked by with their woofers and still we sat. ‘Ah look at the sweet kitties’ Sweet my …….. if he comes near my bench! Still we sat, the zone stronger still.

Then this man arrived, ‘No fighting you too!’ He walked into the zone and broke it! Go away, we were doing just fine until you came along!

Because the bond between us was broken he started to back away slooowly, I started to regain my estate, slooowly. This was all going to end well in my favour. If I was lucky I might end up with a second picnic bench. but the stupid man kept trying to stroke us, couldn’t he see we were involved in some serious feline negotiations, things started to get edgy.

That is when Tom appeared, trying to pick me up. Nothing for it, the sloooow careful negotiations were on the rocks and our time was running out. Nothing for it but to speed everything up. Arched back, mohican fur, chimney sweep tail, side ways running put into action. Just a shame that my arched back made it easier for Tom to pick me up!

Tilly was returned to the boat so as to avoid any possible vets bills. She certainly seemed to have the upper paw in the situation. But now he was strutting his stuff around under my bench, even daring to sidle up to my hatch! For the next hour or so Tilly ran from window to window keeping a close eye on her new neighbour. He had been here before her, so she had most probably been stealing his estate.

Mick had done the paper run on a bike first thing and had had a look around the Farmers Market that is held every last Saturday in Nantwich. He returned with a pork pie for himself and a parsnip quiche for me which was very tasty. With Tilly safely indoors, we decided to make the most of the beautiful sunny afternoon and go for a stroll. Knowing that Jaq from NB Valerie had been moored on the embankment this week we decided to see if she was still there so that we could finally introduce ourselves.

Almost at the winding hole was sat a dark green boat with solar panels catching the sunlight. We tapped on the roof and could hear stirrings from inside. Jaq’s head popped out from the bow doors and when we said who we were a smile quickly crept across her face. We were invited in out of the cold for a cuppa and a long chat. When you follow peoples blogs you know all that they are willing to tell of their lives, you know what they look like and certainly with us you know what we like to eat! At last we could put a voice to Jaq. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon, thank you for your warm welcome.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 happy cat, 2 not so happy cats, 1 newspaper, 2 pies, 2 puddings, 0 juice, 1 item listed, 1st stages of etsy done, 1 hour stand off, 1 stupid name Lowkey! 2 many woofers, 1 stupid man, 1 bench to reclaim, 2 cuppas, 1 green boat, 1 Jaq smile, 4 fingers crossed for Tuesday, 20 minutes catch up with Australia, 1 bully beef ding ding for Tilly tonight.

Killer Bunny Sunset. 23rd February

Beeston Castle Winding Hole to outside Nantwich Basin

Jack Frost had visited us over night and the surroundings looked very picturesque this morning. We were relieved that the water around us was still fluid so that we could carry on to Nantwich.

For the first time this year, maybe this winter, I put thermals and padded trousers on this morning as it looked so cold and with wind chill added we could get nithered if not wrapped up well.

The lock ahead was empty as planned, so was the next one, but the following two were set against us, all that winding of geared paddles!

Above Stone Lock the pair of boats was still moored on the visitor moorings and just after the rings finished was a short narrow boat with a tarpaulin over it’s stern. As we slowly made our way towards it, it became obvious that the bow had come adrift as it swung out from the bank. It then proceeded with the assistance of the bitter wind to do a perfect wind (turn, called wind as you use the wind to your advantage to make the manoeuvre) right in front of us, returning it’s bow to the bank. No shunting back and forth, just a simple clean swing all the way round.

We could see that it had been tied on pins which looked like they were still hanging on it’s mooring ropes in the water. Once we’d managed to pull in I held Oleanna whilst Mick headed back to moor it back up. It then decided that it would rather be on the other side of the cut, but the wind soon pushed it back over. With all it’s ropes now on the off side and hard to get to, Mick managed to grab the centre line. By now the boat was by the start of the visitor moorings so he tied it to the first ring. It may have drifted from further up the pound, but it was certainly now facing the opposite way from where it had been left and moored a touch more securely.

A squeezing through the Anglo Welsh boats below Bunbury, then up the staircase on our own, just a family watching our every move. By now we were cold and hungry so we made use of the moorings before the services at Calverley.

The next treat cheese came out, Black Bomber Snowdonia Cheddar, creamy but with a kick. Wit time getting on we didn’t have time to stop at the cheese factory, next time.

We toped up the water tank whilst I cleaned out Tilly’s pooh box and then had a shower. The water tank needs to stay as full as possible with the likely hood of the canal freezing over, no water point will be passed without being used. Straight on at Barbridge. Obeying the sign at the bottom of Hurleston locks we kept straight on towards Birmingham, we’ve been to the furthest points in the other two directions so it’s south for us now.

Being not far from Snugburys Ice cream we could make out the ears of Peter Rabbit in their field holding onto his dagger carrot as the sun was setting behind him. I’ve started to find him quite menacing.

So far this winter we have always seen a kingfisher along this stretch from Barbridge to Nantwich. I was beginning to think that today was going to be the occasion that proved the rule. But a flash of blue by the moorings at Henhull and one came out for a photo call, first sitting on a cratch cover and then a tiller. As soon as we passed he was away back low along the cut flitting this way and that to give us flashes of his blue back.

Arriving at Nantwich there were a couple of spaces before the service block, these are normally 24hrs, but for another month are 14 days. We decided to see if there was any space on the first stretch of the embankment so carried on through the bridge. However there was a line of boats stretching all the way to the aqueduct. Mick popped Oleanna into reverse and gradually pulled us back through the bridge hole to moor in one of the gaps. By now the freezing breeze had frozen our bottom jaws and we were glad to get back inside to the warmth of our stove. Stew and a Hot Chocolate Cake for pudding was well deserved.

We’ll most probably stay here for a few days and see if the icy winds from Siberia do their worst. We have shops nearby, a water point and if we run out of coal there’s the chandlers to top up our stocks.

This morning we heard of a boat fire in Stone last night, where the owner and her dog passed away. Tragically it turns out to have been Alex Bennett who we saw in the New Year with at Bugsworth Basin 2016/17, we also bumped into her on NB Tench last October on the Caldon. She was a well known face at boat rallies and she loaned NB Tench to Alarum Theatre Company last year for their Idle Women Tour (click on the link for a bit more about Alex). We hardly knew Alex but will miss crossing bows with her somewhere on the network. When we next see NB Tench she will have a new owner. Our thoughts are with her family and friends, such a sad loss.

6 locks, 2 of them a staircase, 8.81 miles, 1 reverse, 2 straight ons, 1 perfect wind, 1  freezing wind, 1 full water tank, 1 frozen head, 1 photogenic kingfisher, 1 less boater on the cut.