Back to Boating

As this is a boating blog I suppose the subject matter ought to get back to boating!!

Last weekend we just pottered around on the Fossdyke. I was due a hair appointment in Lincoln on Saturday morning so it made sense to head down to the boat club on Friday evening and have a few drinks there before spending the morning and much of the afternoon doing a spot of shopping and enjoying a drink or two in the Royal William, right on the waterside of Brayford Pool. Eventually we set sail and made the epic five mile journey to Saxilby were we spent the evening drinking and enjoying a fine pizza from the recently opened pizza shop opposite the moorings. The first time we visited the shop they were newly opened and the food was a bit below par. This time it was vastly improved I am glad to say.

On Sunday it was a lazy morning of drinking coffee, reading the news and generally chilling out, before heading back to the marina to give Naughty-Cal a good scrub. She was looking a little grubby around the edges but is now gleaming white again. We had to resort to a stronger cleaner on the bow non slip which does mean that we will have to repolish and wax the topsides as it has stripped the protective wax coating but the boat does look much better for it. 

With Naughty-Cal cleaned and ready for this coming weekends bank holiday we head out on a short bike ride along the towpath. It has been many years since we last rode bikes and mine was beginning to show signs of not being happy after being rudely awoken from its ten year slumber in the garage. The tyres were beginning to crack up and various parts have started to rust in the few weeks it has been outside, so Liam has taken it to work to fit two new tyres and also service it and grease up anything showing signs of dispair!

With the bike fixed we shall stick it back on the roof of the boat and set sail for Kirkstead Bridge this weekend where we will be spending two nights with the Lincoln Boat Club.

Beans on Toast

Beans on toast. Student food or a healthy start to the day?

These particular beans (Tesco healthy living reduced salt and sugar) claim that a half can provides two of your five a day. Washed down with a glass of fruit juice this tots up to three of your five a day.

Go steady on the juice though as it contains lots of sugar. Its also worth looking at the salt and sugar content of the beans you choose as these can be very high in some brands.

Serve your beans on a couple of slices of wholemeal toast and you are adding yet more fibre to your diet. Again choosing a light spread, (we are currently using "Clover Lightest Ever"), will help reduce the amount of fat intake. Although only slightly every little helps.

Bread can be an unlikely source of high sugar and salt levels so again  it is worth looking carefully at the brand you are using.

Steak Out

I left Liam to do the weekends food shopping whilst I was having my hair done. 

I suspected what he might come back with and I wasn't wrong! He came back with some lovely rump steaks from the butchers in Lincoln market. Even better was the price, four huge steaks for £7! 

They were really very yummy as well. We had two last night for dinner with two put in the freezer for a later date. 

Lovely

Easter 2014 - Part 5

Day 5
Washingborough to Lincoln

3 Miles 1 Lock
Total 28 Miles 4 Locks

 Cruising the short section of river back to Lincoln.

 A busy scene at the Glory Hole, Lincoln.

 No moorings here for us today.

 The much photographed Glory Hole or High Bridge to give it its real name.

 With no moorings in Lincoln it was time to head to the Pyewipe for a few pints whilst some boats came home. Then head back to Lincoln for a curry.

Day Six

Lincoln to Burton Waters

2 Miles 0 Locks

Total 30 Miles 4 Locks.

 With the day to ourselves we head out on the tourist trail of Lincoln. First stop the Lincolnshire Life Museum. Here are a selection of their motorcycles.

 And "Flirt" the tank.

 Steam traction engine.

 Then it was a walk around town. Not sure I would fancy living here in the shadows of the castle walls.

 The cathedral towering over the city.

 Pretty buildings everywhere around the city.

The walk back down Steep Hill is easier than the climb to the top!

Easter 2014 - Part 4

Day Four
Old River Witham to Washingborough

7 Miles 1 Lock
Total 23 Miles 3 Locks

 Turning the boats around with the dinghy to get the props into deeper water before firirng up the engines.

 Bardney Lock

 Bardney Lock with the Thywhrittt Arms in the background.

 Cruising back upstream on the Witham.

 All squeezed onto the visitor moorings.

 Tight at the bow end.

And at the stern!!

Easter 2014 - Part 3

Day Three

Dunsten Fen to The Thywrhitt Arms, Old River Witham

4 Miles 0 Locks

Total 17 Miles 2 Locks

 After a lazy breakfast at Dunsten it was time to set off again.

 Heading up the Old Witham.

 It starts to get narrow.

 The local residents seemed a bit bemused.

 Not a deal of room under the bridge.

 The turn off to the pub.

 All safely moored up. It is very shallow in the edge so it was a case of legs up, engines off and pull the boats in by hand. It was deep enough to pull alongside though.

 The boats by the pub.

 Quick dinghy ride up the Barlings Eau.

 Kev on a quick reccie.

And the very tame Blackbird at the moorings.

Easter 2014 - Part 2

Fiskerton Fen to Dunsten Fen
5 Miles 1 Lock

 Lovely morning on the fen.

 Lovely walk around the lake.

 The view from the hide.

 Stroll to the farm for some eggs.

 The farmers new pheasants.

 Cruising downstream.

 Welcome party.

Safely moored at Dunsten.

Easter 2014 - Part 1

Burton Waters to Fiskerton Fen
8 Miles 1 Lock

 And we are off

 Cruising the Fossdyke

Sunset over Brayford Pool

Nice View

This was the view from the cockpit this morning. Nice place to wake up and have a few coffees. 

The Humber Strikes Again

Yet another leisure boat finds itself in trouble on the Humber.

This account is taken from the Humber Rescue's Facebook page.

"INCIDENT 20/14 - COUPLE RESCUED FROM SINKING YACHT

Volunteers from Humber Rescue were paged at 1256hrs to reports of a vessel which had struck the Whitton Lightfloat in the River Humber. The vessel, a 26 foot yacht was said to be damaged, sinking with 2 people on board.

The rescue boat was launched and teams were on scene of the sinking within a couple of minutes only to find the yacht sunk and no sign of the two people. After a rapid assessment the crew spontaneously switched into search mode and scanned the area for any sign of casualties.

Thankfully the couple, were found clinging to the light float, in shock but safe and well. They were quickly transferred to the Humber Rescue boat and returned to the shore where they were handed over to paramedics for a check up.

Volunteers returned to secure markers to the yacht in readiness for recovery at high tide. After a complicated operation the boat was eventually beached on Hessle Foreshore for salvage and to recover valuables."

Thankfully everyone is safe and sound if not a little shaken. But this does serve as a timely reminder that the big river is a dangerous place to be.

Ready

We have finally finished our list of jobs to do before setting off for our Easter cruise. 

With a final push last weekend and a flurry of activity we finally got Naughty-Cal ready, well very nearly ready in time.

The cabin now has fresh, new carpets which look great and are a real change from the previous cream carpets which were a pig to keep clean. The canopies are scrubbed and have had a coating of Fabsil to keep them looking great and keep them waterproofed. The dinghy is scrubbed top and bottom and with fresh petrol is running sweet as a nut as usual.

The only minor jobs left to do which we can squeeze in on Friday morning as they are only tiny jobs is to replace the shower hose in the shower room and replace the taps in the shower room. To be fair they only arrive yesterday so we couldnt have done them at the weekend if we had time anyway.

So there we have it. We are ready to go. Roll on tomorrow evening.

He Was In!

We had a slight mishap on Saturday. Whilst Liam was fitting the new carpets I had removed the canopies to give them a good scrub. 

I left them on the pontoon leaving Liam instructions to keep an eye in them whilst I popped to the shop. On my return there were only three sections of canopy where there had been four! 

Oops. One had blown in! It was eventually located with the aid of a boat hook but rescuing it with the hook was not to be. So there was nothing for it. In he went to retrieve it. He claims it was cold! 

Had to scrub that piece again as well. 

They are now however clean and yesterday they were also treated to good liberal dose of Fabsil to keep them waterproof and UV protected. 

Their In

Naughty-Cal is sporting her new cabin carpets at last. Now for the leather retrim to match.