A Lunchtime Meet

We had a bit of a lie in this morning as we didn't have anything planned till lunch time.. Del did readjust the belts for the third time and then ordered some new ones from Beta Marine.. We then walked up to The Red Lion pub where we met up with Ann & Keith off n.b. Oakfield and later on Lynne and Paul turned up off n.b.Piston Broke.. We had a lovely lunch which they do for a fiver.. We caught up on all the gossip and put the world to right as normal..

We said our goodbyes and then we walked up to the Co-Op and picked up a few treats.. we got back to Derwent6 at 3.00pm which was a nice time. We plonked ourselves in front of the telly for a couple of hours and listened to the radio in the evening,..

Up to Crick without a paddle

There was a fresh wind and we had rain overnight but we felt we needed to move on today.. We said goodbye to our fellow friends and they looked a bit sad we were going..

We twist and turned through the countryside and then soon approached the Crick Tunnel..

This tunnel is always very wet so Del was glad we had the roof polished..

After a soaking we moored up to see if there were any spots in a location we could get telly..There were two so we pushed off and got into one..

Del spent the next hour wiping the roof down as the tunnel leaves these white marks if you don't..  Al checked online of the times at the cinema as our plan was to go to Rugby.. After lunch we made our way to the bus stop and caught the 12.30pm bus.. We go into Rugby at 1.00pm and then walked down towards the cinema.. We were surprised to find the footbridge across the railway was closed so we had to walk the long way round to the retail park..We just about made it before the film started..It was cheap Tuesday and we went to see the new Die Hard film with Bruce Willis, and typically it was full of action from start to finish..

We came out and had to walk the long way back into Rugby and ended up getting back to Derwent6 at 5.00pm.. We felt it had been a long day and we had made the most of it..

Needs Must

We had a very quiet weekend really as it was so cold we didn't feel like moving..We needed a waste pumpout but knew we could go another few more days. We needed to use the boatyard close by as we wanted the tank flushed this time. It would have been busy on Saturday and it was closed on Sunday, so it was fire roaring and watch the Rugby..We were glad we did as they were all good games...
Monday however we had to move. The waste tank was nudging ten and we were getting itchy feet anyway.. At 10.00am we pulled the pins and soon entered the boatyard.. We ended up paying eighteen pounds for a pumpout.....not like us to pay that but it was needs must.. We did say we wouldn't use this boatyard again but it just shows that sometimes you have to..  We needed gas, coal and diesel but we wouldn't buy it from them due to the silly prices. They were charging thirteen pounds for a bag of coal....

We then pushed on towards the Watford flight and on the way spotted some wood..It was a quick reverse and Al held Derwent6 while Del gathered it all up and stuck it on the roof..

We only had a days wood left and half a bag of coal so it was very handy.. We approached the flight of locks where we were going to get water at the bottom but there was a boat moored up on the water point.. Oh we were going to have a cup of coffee first he said.. We couldn't be bothered to comment and went straight into the lock as it was in our favour.. Al walked up to check that no one was coming down and the lock keeper wasn't on, and then gave Del the nod to come up..

We got to the top as everything was in our favour and in the top lock we got water..

It has been so empty with boats that we stayed in the lock and filled the tank..It takes a hour to fill Derwent6 and it was very quiet..

The cold was starting to get to us so we found a favourite spot of ours and moored up..

After something to eat and a hot drink Del started chopping the wood we had just got.. So the locker is now full of wood and we still have some left on the roof.. It is a nice spot here with the lambs bouncing in the field opposite us..

We had a lovely Shepards Pie on the go (what timing) and a relaxing evening ahead...Bloody Fantastic!!!

All good plans

Well the plan was to move today as we are coming up to our two weeks. We were up early and greeted with ice on the canal again, so it won't be today..We had planned to move up on the summit, but the ice was sure to be worse up there.... So we decided to top up the cupboards instead and get some fresh air..We got the bus into Daventry and went to Mr Tesco's, where we picked up all the heavy stuff, tins fruit, wine and beer.. When we got back the ice had melted a bit but it was still slushy..It was 1.00pm and we felt it was a bit late in the day to move..It was also getting colder and snow was in the air, so the fire was more inviting.. Al stayed in the warm in the afternoon and Del went out on his bike to warm up.. I think Del got the bum deal lol.. In the evening with nothing on telly, we listened to music all night..

Road Closed for bus..

Blimey a bit colder today.. We thought we would go into Daventry so we got up early and walked down to the bus stop where we noticed the road was closed. They were repairing the bridges on the Long Buckby/ Daventry road and the bus had been diverted. We couldn't be bothered to get it further up so we walked back to Derwent6. So that was are excerise for the day. We had nothing on so we read our books in the afternoon, watching the birds on the bird feeders.

In the evening it was the Brits so we ended up watching that.

Washing and Water

We had a really heavy frost last night and were iced in again..

It seemed a lot thicker this time and we wanted to top up with water... Del had another look at the coolant leak from the engine and it hadn't dripped over night but it is something we will need to keep our eye on. Al started a load of washing and we then reversed back to the water point, after most of the ice had melted. It was a glorious day and it felt quite hot in the sunshine. We went back onto our nice mooring we have here and set ourselves up for the afternoon. We had some lunch and then read our books out in the cratch till the sun went down.

Del watched Arsenal play in the evening, but they lost in style again, he was not happy!!

Engine Checking

Wow the weather is a lot better today and we made the most of it and opened up the cratch covers for breakfast.....it even felt spring like.. After the Domestic belt going last night Del had to check things were ok and when we started the engine the belt started squeaking. So it was covers off again and adjustments were made.. Del then noticed a slight coolant loss from the engine as anti freeze was in the engine tray. After a tighten of all the hoses and a clean out of the tray, an inspection will be done tomorrow. Del then polished the starboard side of Derwent6 and then did a bit of paint touching up after rubbing down the rust spots. So Derwent6 is looking good at the moment....

Hard working weekend

We have had a busy weekend and been making the most of the sunshine.. Del first did the brasses and then chopped up more wood for the locker.. It was then on the hunt for more and we managed to find some about a quarter of a mile away..... On Sunday it was another nice day and the canal was frozen after a very cold night.

After a hearty breakfast Del polished the roof and Al cleaned inside, so Derwent6 is spick and span at the moment..Del watched the football in the afternoon and Al had cooked a nice dinner ready to sit and watch telly all night. We thought we had better run the engine at about 6.30pm for a hour so the batteries were alright for the evening.. When Del started it one of the red lights was on showing that the domestic batteries weren't charging.. On inspection the belt had snapped on starting. We do carry a spare so Del set to work on changing it.. We found out that it had completely perished and was cracking all round. This belt had lasted three years and we definitely got our moneys worth out of it...

We were soon back in action and charging again and Al got to see her Dancing on Ice and Dallas!...

Have a Heart

Del was up early making the tea's for a Valentine lie in.. Then Del made the breakfast and sorted out the fire..We had a warm cosy breakfast in front of the fire having a chat about what we could do today.. We decided to just have a nice day together just like we always do.. It's like every day is Valentine Day on Derwent6, which is why we have a heart on the stern doors.

We had a lovely day where we curled up on the settee and watched a film and then Al cooked a lovely three course steak dinner in the evening........ Ahhhhhhh

Peace and Quiet

We have stayed put the last couple of days as the weather has been so cold.. We have had more snow and Derwent6 has been covered in ice.. We are looking forward to warmer weather now. We have plenty to do on board with the hobbies we have.. Reading is the main one for Al and playing the guitar is Del's.. Staying warm is the main thing and Del has been hunting for wood. We have found a few wet rotten bits which doesn't burn very well, but we have two bags of coal which should keep us going.. We are running a mix of coal and wood at the moment just putting a couple of nuggets on when the wood won't burn.. So not much to say really. We celebrated Pancake day with a lot of pancakes and feel fatter for it.. Al has been out shopping, just to get out and see whats out there.... We are loving the peace and quiet at the moment!!!!

More Snow, more Snowmen

As we went to bed last night the rain turned to snow and as we got out of bed it was white again.. It was very slushy again but it got heavier as the morning went on..

We managed to make another snowman or snow rabbit..

Here are some snow swans...

The locks at Braunston are now closed so the traffic has gone all quiet here. Al went into Daventry again and sorted some things out and topped us up with food as the weather is going to turn colder again. Del cleaned out the bilge and topped up the greases. He chopped up what wood we have left on the roof and cleaned the flue on the chimney for our next cold snap.   The snow stopped just after lunch and Al got back from Daventry.

We relaxed in the warm heat from the stove in the afternoon reading and dozing.. With nothing on the telly it was listen to the radio for us..

Mizzy old Day

We woke up to rain, rain, and more rain today. In fact we couldn't even fill the coal bucket up without getting wet. We felt sorry for anyone going anywhere over the weekend..
So it was a day indoors for us... We settled down to watch the Rugby on telly and ended up watching it for most of the day and evening....

Cakes on Board..

We woke up to snow on the ground but it was like a heavy sleet and very slushy. It was still snowing till we got out of bed and had breakfast, when it turned to rain. When it stopped we set about doing some jobs inside Derwent6, Al cleaned all the sides and Del did the porthole liners as he had brass withdrawal symptoms... At 2.00pm we were visited by Keith and Jo off n.b.Hadar and Jo had brought some home made chocolate chip muffins "Oooo Come on board" Del said.. We had the kettle on and sat down for a good chat..

They have been having problems with their batteries and we chewed over ideas as to what we thought it might be.. It was lovely to see them both looking so well and looking forward to the summer months.. They went home at 5.00pm and we settled down to watch the Rugby.. Al cooked a nice chili in the evening and we ended up reading and listening to music..

Daventry and Dust Down

It was a nice morning and Al decided to have a trip into Daventry to get a few cards and have a look round the shops. She caught the bus from Long Buckby Wharf and the ten minute ride on the bus drops her right outside Mr Tesco's.  Del thought he would give Derwent6 a wipe down and clean up for the forecast of more snow we are going to get... Al got back at around 1.30pm and then we had some lunch.. In the afternoon Del went out on his bike and Al read her book. With a lovely dinner and some telly in the evening it was a nice day.

What!!! Breaking Ice

The weather was cold today but bright, and the wind had died down a lot.. So we were up early and on the move. The thing we didn't realise was how heavy the frost was.. We only got half a mile from where we were moored and we were breaking ice..

It was only a thin layer, but it's something we just don't do.

We wanted to move as we needed to get through Braunston Locks before next Monday when they will be closing for a month. We also didn't want to get caught up in the weekend traffic where everyone was making a dash for it to get through.. We first got to Hillmorton where again the locks were in our favour, so it was easy..

At the top the ice was about 5mm thick and very patchy. We stopped at The canal shop as we wanted some gunwales paint but they were out of stock..

We moved on down the Barby straight still breaking ice.. We then passed another boat which gave us a path to take all the way into Braunston..

Again it was very quiet here, so we stopped for water.. We also got rid of our rubbish and Al walked up to post a letter and go to the Butchers who also agreed how quiet it had been this year..

We then set off for the locks and while we sat in the lock to see if any boats we going to join us we popped into the Chandlers and got some blacking paint. (still no luck with the gunwales paint). By this time a boat had joined us in the lock and we made good progress to the top as they had a crew of three. We headed off into the tunnel, which was empty, so no boats to pass...

The ice had now gone and we were clear to Norton junction where we turned up the GU Leicester arm and moored up..

 As were setting up the telly it started to rain, great timing!!!  Knackered from all this we chilled out for the rest of the day with the lamb shanks we had cooking on the stove all day..mmm......Snore!!!!!

Sitting it out

We woke up to the wind battering us and it trying to rain, so moving early was out of the question.. We sat tight for most of the day and things did brighten up but the wind never let up.. As we had locks ahead we thought it wise not to go.. The good thing was that we found some more wood which the wind had brought down.... So we will sit it out till tomorrow

Farewell coffee meet

It was a cold night and we were glad of the fire. When we looked outside we could see we had a frost which at least took the mud away. We had breakfast but blew out coffee as we had arranged to meet Keith and Ann off n.b.Oakfield at the coffee shop at Clifton marina. We made the most of the time as we took a load of washing up there and got rid of our rubbish on the way. We used their commercial washing machine which does twice the load we can on Derwent6 and in half the time.
It's very cosy in the coffee shop with nice fires going and very nice coffee..They also do some very nice cakes, not good for our diets we are on at the moment! We put the world to rights as always and then said our goodbyes. We had plans to move tomorrow and wouldn't be back to this area till next winter. We didn't know when we would be seeing Keith and Ann again so it was quiet emotional, we have enjoyed winter round this part of the country.
We got back to Derwent6 and then set about getting ourselves organised for the next few days. The day started cold but bright, but in the afternoon it got very windy and ended up snowing. It tried to lay but then it turned to sleet and then rain which got rid of the snow. It is very cold again and we feel the need to move now, all we need now is for the wind to stop, so we can hit the locks tomorrow.

Keeping Busy

It was nice to wake up in our own home this morning.. We got up, had breakfast and then walked down to the bus stop and got the bus into Rugby town centre. Al had some books to take to the charity shop and we did some food shopping in good old cheaper Asda. We got the next bus back to Derwent6 and then unloaded our stuff.  After some lunch Del chopped up the rest of the wood we had in bags for kindling, and then chopped up the wood on the roof to fill the lockers for the next cold snap we are going to have.. The next thing was to look at the telly. As you all know we were having problems with the signal, and we were advised by Roadpro that we may have a problem with the tuner inside the receiver, so while we were down in Kent we picked one up. Al's dad Alf had an old one in the garage, so we took it back with us to try it.. Lo and behold it has sorted out the problem, or so far it has, fingers crossed..  so we didn't have our relaxing day we had planned, still there's always tomorrow......  

Another Weekend away

On Thursday we moved down to Rugby and on Friday we left early to go down to Kent. We had plans to meet up with Maxine and Graham but they were both in bed with flu. We saw Pam and Alf (Al's Mum and Dad) and then made our way to Bernie and Sarah's in the evening as we were going to the Beech's restaurant where they had a Michael Jackson evening. We met up with friends Steve and Erica and had a great night.. The Beeches has had a revamp and is now a pub restaurant and still under going some major changes..

On Saturday we spent the day with Bernie and Sarah, celebrating Hannah's birthday from the week before......We had a fun evening.. On Sunday we left to get back to see Pam and Alf and then at lunchtime we got the train back to Derwent6.

Derwent6 was cold and it took us about two hours to get it warmed up.. But it was lovely to be home..   It was a small anniversary of ours today as it was thirty four years ago when Del asked Al out.... Al cooked a lovely meal to celebrate and we had an evening of reminiscing......

Windy (and it's not Del this time!)

Wow! what a windy night. We are a bit exposed here and we were getting battered around. We had put extra fenders down and tightened the ropes but we were still being rocked.. So not much sleep we're afraid.. We had breakfast and then Al decided to have some shopping therapy as it was close to the end on the January sales and we have a big Next close to us.. Del went on the hunt for more wood and manage to find some close by. CART had been cutting trees down and this tree had the disease everyone is talking about and had to be pulled down.. A loss we know, but our gain.. Al got back at lunchtime when we had something to eat. While we were eating and it was still blowing a gale the coal boat came round the corner.. Mark on n,b, Callisto stopped and topped up our diesel tank and we took on a couple of bags of coal for that overnight heating.. 

After a sleepless night we both had a cat nap in the afternoon and watched some telly in the evening..We are still having problems with our telly and after trying a software update we now feel it is the tuner at fault.. so watch this space to see if we fix it.. It takes about a hour before it finds the correct signal and you can watch it.. Oh well who needs telly anyway!!