Winter is over, now on our travels.

Hello everybody...Its blog time again….Winter is over, where is the time going?

Since being back at Yelvertoft a lot has happened. Jenny has been fine, but me ..not so good. I had so much planned on the boat, but a slight body malfunction resulted in, a night in hospital, one month in bed, and a ‘procedure’ which thankfully put me back to normal !! Jenny was brilliant as usual. Nursing me through a nasty time.

We had planned for Infinity to go into the boat yard for the central heating to be fitted

then spend Christmas at Foxton, nice and warm, however it was all cancelled due to me.

John at Limefarm Marina started a major refurbishment on his yard which required part of the mooring to be pumped out, the yard was blanked off and nothing moved for a few weeks. Once back on my feet we killed time, doing bits and pieces, Jenny made a pom pom rug, and I just pottered ..playing a bit of music and trying to get back to guitar.

We were holding back in Yelvertoft and as soon as John was ready we set off to get the heating sorted. A nice steady cruise to Rugby and a stop of at The Barley Mow pub to see Simon and Kelly...I did a night there as the Busking Bargee...literally singing for my supper.. well free beer and a full Sunday lunch. I’ve been asked to play at their wedding in October..well pleased.

John is a brilliant mechanic but not the fastest worker and a few days work turned into a few weeks work, but the job he has done is excellent. We have had a major problem

with the electrics on the boat and we were worried the batteries, new last year, were

faulty as they didn’t seem to hold charge. Just said to John ...sort it.

Turns out the previous owners or mechanics had wired it up wrong, I couple of new components and relays and switches all is fine. But one problem was still there. The engine keeps eating fan belts. Literally…. it will slip like crazy and snap a new one in

24hrs.

On the way home another fan belt broke and we had to stay at the side of the canal at Braunston, John came over and repaired it on the side of the cut. The problem

appeared to be miss matched pulley’s, very disappointed as the so called BMC experts had looked and allegedly sorted the problem before. Will not be using Callcutt Boats

again, also advised a few people to avoid.

Once back at home marina my wood work kit came out, replacing the wood and bits removed during the heating installation. As I say about my wood work...a blind

carpenter would be pleased to see it !!!….. however its home to us. Darren came over

and laid carpets and relaid the bedroom one again after I had to work on the walls.

sorry bulkhead ..

So finally we are ready for off …..yeeees…..err ...No ...Jenny had a cold and I went down with a bad bout of tonsillitis...also it was wet and windy making it not cruising weather.

Eventually on the 19^th May ...6 weeks later than planned we left for our summer cruise.

First stop Foxton Locks for a couple of nights, very apprehensive about the boat, but

she was good as gold. John you appear to have cracked it. Every thing is working, charging, and running as sweet as a nut.

We have planned to be out for a couple of months, returning to Northampton mid July

for Jenny’s brothers 50^th wedding anniversary.

Starting at Foxton we have cruised past for the first time, onto ‘virgin’ canals for us.

Filled up with diesel at Debdale Marina, and then on to the River Soar.. first

time on a river. Its is absolutely beautiful, very wide in places and weirs which we

haven’t really come across before. The locks are quite heavy and we were

lucky enough to link up with a couple about the same age to share the work.

We are planning about 4 hours a day on the move, enough to top up the

batteries, but not enough to make it hard work. Had a good night outside of

a ‘Hungry Horse’ establishment, started off as an early doors pint..ended up

as a full blown night out..Sizzling Steak special..bottle of wine for a £5.00 a

very good one at that, well it tasted OK.

We are meeting some lovely people and the houses we are are passing

are absolutely beautiful, there is a lot of money in this area.

On leaving the River Soar we crossed over the Trent and Mersey

canal onto the Erewash canal about 15 locks between there and the end.

So far the weather has been good for us. Until today, bank holiday Monday

hissing down with rain, but we do need water, tops up the canals.

The reason we have come up to Nottingham is to have a meet up with Ashley

Chapman. She is coming over tomorrow sometime with her little boy...Bobby.

Well that’s it for now, hope you find it interesting, We are turning around on

Wednesday, returning back down the Erewash, as it is a dead end now.

Turning right on to the Trent and Mersey and missing Birmingham for the

time being, as when Northampton is out of the way we are heading for

North Wales Via Birmingham.

TTFN

Foxton Locks

Moored for the night on River Soar

Mum, Dad and little cygnets.

Some posh houses by the River Soar

Turning off the Soar towards the Trent

Cross over from Soar towards the Erewash canal avoiding the yachts.

Entrance to Erewash canal and we made it...