Dehumidified

Whilst we were at Aldi buying our great value little weather station we also spied a nifty little dehumidifier. It is only a mini one with a 1.5 litre tank capacity and the ability to remove 400ml of moisture from the air each day, with this you also benefit from mini power consumption at just 65 watts, a little over the power used by an old style light bulb.

Naughty-Cal isn’t a damp boat and we don’t and never have suffered greatly with condensation or mould growth in the cabin. Despite several major water leaks from the domestic plumbing over last summer she has remained incredibly dry with the help of good ventilation and adequate air flow through the cabin. We had previously used “dry bags” during the winter months to great effect. Cotton bags filled with desiccant that once full with moisture you stick them in the oven at home or on top of a radiator for a few days to dry them out ready for reuse again in the boats cabin. These have so far helped to keep the moisture levels in the cabin down to what we thought was an acceptable level.

We have been genuinely surprised by how much difference the little dehumidifier makes. 1.5 litres of water may not sound like a lot at first but it is a full bottle of Schweppes Lemonade, which would take some mopping up if you spilt it. The whole cabin has a much drier and fresher feel; the dehumidifier keeps the air moving around the boat which also seems to be keeping any odours or stale smells at bay. It has certainly already made a massive difference to the feel of the cabin and was well worth the £25 price tag to keep the cabin dry. We don’t run it whilst we are aboard, instead preferring to keep the windows and hatches open ensuring a good supply of fresh air through the interior of the boat. We will however continue to run the dehumidifier during the winter months whilst we are at work here in Sheffield.

One slight modification we plan to make is to create an over flow for the collection tank. Currently when the tank reaches 1.5 litres of water collected, a float switch activates which switches off the machine. We plan to drill a hole in the tank, below the switch level and insert a length of pipe and rubber washer to allow the tank to over flow into the galley sink. This should keep the unit running for longer and, if for some reason the pipe blocks, the float switch will still be present to activate the cut off. This should increase the amount of moisture the dehumidifier can take out of the air. Currently it can run for about 3 .5 days before the tank is full and we really need it to run for 4.5 days to be working to its full potential. An extra 400ml of water collected could and should make a further marked improvement in the dryness of the cabin.

It is worth noting that this is a small basic unit and that it lacks the features of many larger and more expensive units. It is really only suitable for smaller boats and rooms and will shut off when temperatures reach 0°C or if the power supply is interrupted. There is no automatic reset on the unit so should the temperatures drop severely or power be cut then the unit won’t work again until it is manually switched back on. The unit also lacks the ability to choose the required humidity level. It will just keep removing moisture from the air until you tell it to stop doing so by turning it off. This should not be any great problem given the small amount of water it removes from the air but it is worth keeping an eye on woodwork for drying out and fabrics and upholstery becoming damaged.

All in all another value for money purchase which we are quite glad we have made and which will certainly be of great benefit to us and Naughty-Cal. We will certainly be keeping an eye on Aldi and their special offers in the future as they seem to be selling some useful items at good prices which despite their cheap price tags seem to be of reasonable quality. Only time will tell of course how long these items last but they do seem to be incredibly good value.

Slow Cooked Duck

We decided to go for something a little bit different for Christmas dinner this year, or should that be last year now? Time is really flying by and Christmas feels so long ago now we are back at work and into the daily grind. Being on the boat we were fairly limited with our big dinner choices so we plumbed for a duck crown to stick in the slow cooker with some sweet potatoes. We are both big fans of duck and much prefer it to turkey so as there was just the two of us for dinner this time around we thought, why not have something we will thoroughly enjoy?

As is normally the case I was up first so preparing lunch fell to me. It couldn’t have been much simpler, peel and cut up the sweet potatoes into small pieces, I did this the night before and left them in a pan of cold water. Coat the potatoes in oil and some Cajun spices then place a layer in the bottom of the cooking dish. Sit the duck on top, lightly oil the skin and sprinkle again with Cajun spices. Stick the cooker on high then head back to bed for an hour to enjoy some more snooze. Simplicity or what? And right in the spirit of our lazy Christmas break afloat.

After an hour I turned the cooker to low and forgot about it for the day, just occasionally peeking through the glass lid to check that it wasn’t running dry. I needn’t have worried the duck fat kept everything nicely lubricated and made a great base for the next day’s stew. We left the duck cooking whilst we went about our daily comings and goings, heading to the pub in Saxilby for a few pints at lunchtime, leaving the inverter to provide power for the slow cooker whilst we made merry over the road in the pub. After heading back up river to our mooring and having a couple more drinks for good measure, I added some sprouts and stuffing balls to the pot, turned the cooker onto high power again and left it for another hour or so before serving up.

The result was a succulent duck that fell from the bone and was cooked to perfection, perfectly moist and full of flavour and easy to carve, well it mostly fell apart. The sweet potatoes were just right and the stuffing and sprouts were steamed and cooked exactly as we like them, so they were still firm with some bite to them. It couldn’t have gone much better.

All in all the duck was in for around about nine hours, an hour start and finish on high power and the remaining time on low power. A hassle free Christmas dinner if ever there was one but boy was it tasty and we will certainly be cooking it again over the summer months whilst we are out and about cruising.

Calling All Stations

Calling all stations, well weather stations that is. We have bought a new gadget for Naughty-Cal. A friend of ours got one and we thought it such a good idea that we decided we had to have one as well. It wasn’t an expensive gadget either at just £18.99 from Aldi. We have, as you may have already guessed, bought a weather station which comes with a second remote sensor.

The main reason for buying the weather station was so that we could install the second remote sensor in the engine bay and monitor the temperature in there to ensure that our engine room heaters are working efficiently without having to lift the engine hatch every weekend to check them. The remote sensor relays its data to the main unit which in turn displays the temperature and humidity in the engine bay as well as temperature and humidity in the cockpit or cabin and the time, date, moon phase, barometric pressure and 24 hour weather forecast. All great fun and actually quite useful information to know when out and about cruising. The unit will also store minimum and maximum temperatures over a 7 day period so we can monitor the data for the days we are away from the boat, making any adjustments to the heaters as necessary. The main unit can either be fastened to the wall or has a fold out stand so that it can be placed in an easy to monitor location. The unit is also pleasing on the eye so no need to hide it away in an out of sight cupboard it can go out on display where it can be easily seen and the data easily read.

Over the weekend we found that our engine is much more cosy and warm than we are in the cockpit or cabin of the boat. The engine bay reaching the heady heights of 32°C with the tube heater and Webasto air heater running, whilst we had to make do with just 20°C in the cabin and 16°C in the cockpit. Hmm, who has the better deal there then? With the Webasto turned off for the evening and colder night time temperatures approaching freezing point, the engine bay settled down to a much more sensible temperature of around 8°C and the cabin around 10°C, which will happily keep the frost at bay and protect the raw water cooling system of the engine and the fresh water plumbing throughout the boat.

This new gadget should provide us with some extra peace of mind during the winter months but will also provide us with helpful weather information and predictions during the summer months whilst we are out cruising. Quite a useful piece of kit for the princely sum of £18.99.

Tandoori Chicken

The first recipe for you of this year and this is another exceptionally simple dish to cook to impress your friends and family and will make them think that you really do know how to cook.

For this one you will need (quantities feed 2 people):
· 6 chicken thighs, skin on with the skin slashed
· 1.5 teaspoons of paprika
· 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
· 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
· 1.5 teaspoons of ground coriander
· 2 teaspoons of cumin
· 0.25 pints of natural Greek yoghurt
· 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation couldn’t be simpler. Mix all of the spices, garlic, oil and yoghurt in a large bowl, then add the chicken thighs and make sure they are all well coated in the mix. Leave covered in the fridge over night to marinate, letting the spices soak into the chicken skin and flesh.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200°C and cook the chicken thighs on a wire rack for 30-35 minutes ensuring they are well coated with the spice mix. Alternatively grill the chicken until cooked through and the skin is starting to blacken slightly, but don’t let them burn. Serve with hot pilau rice and dressed salad for a super simple meal.

This dish works equally well with lamb and duck if you fancy something a little richer for a treat or for that special meal, but also works really well with turkey if you fancy something a little healthier.

The View From Within

Boy can that galley slave whittle on. On and on and on, she never stops. Well, at last she has given me the chance to say my piece. Not before time too, almost two years it has taken me to get a word in edgeways. Two years, and I’m the one that takes them on their adventures, I’m the one they spend all of their spare time on and I’m the one that this blog is supposed to be about.

Not that I’m complaining, they do love me, unlike the owners of my next door neighbours. I like my crew to come and visit each week, even though it means I have to work harder than most of my friends, at least I get the chance to stretch my legs and I never have chance to get bored. My friends get bored sat on their berths week after week with no visitors to come and see them, I feel sorry for them sometimes. They must get cold in the winter. My crew come and turn my heating on so that I can warm through, I like to feel the heat flowing through my body, and I know that when the heating turns on at 6.00pm on a Friday evening that my crew are on their way to keep me company during their weekend break.

I was a little bit hard on my crew for the first year or so of their company, well you have to know that they are in it for the long run you see. They were very green and inexperienced, but they have stuck it out and I have grown to be very fond of them. They lavish me with love and attention and always make me feel special even if I have been a little naughty or feeling under the weather. We have gotten to know each other very well over the last few years but they still manage to surprise me with their plans and ambitions, and I still manage to surprise them with the odd spell of unexpected naughtiness.

They took me to see some new waterways this year. I loved it, the chance to run free for hours down the coast without the constraints of this river to hold me back. I loved the salty sea water thundering past my hull as we skipped down the coast at 25 knots with not a care in the world. I put up a good performance for the crew and looked after them so that hopefully they will take me again; I liked it there, Norfolk I think they called it. There were lots of funny looking, brightly coloured boats down there with new and inexperienced crews so we had to keep a look out for them and be on guard, but we all had a good time and I liked the change of scenery. I never knew there were other waterways like these ones. I have been cooped up on this muddy, shallow ditch for most of my short life, but my current crew are now showing me lots of new places, places I like and places I want to go to again.

I am not sure what they have planned for me this year, but I do hope it is as exciting as last year and that we can go away with my mate Devocean again. She is a wise old bird and keeps me on the straight and narrow, showing me what to do when I come up against strange new situations. My friend Wish You Were Here has just about finished the “testing” of her current crew so maybe she will join us on some of our adventures this year as well and I do hope we get the chance to meet up with Chrisnico again. She is very mischievous and we got up to all sorts of tricks the last time we all got together, we make a great pair of troublesome twins.

Must dash now, the crew will be here soon for their weekend afloat, so I am going to get myself ready for their arrival. I’m not sure if they have any plans for this weekend yet and I hope that the weather will improve for them. I have been rattling around on this mooring all week in this horrible wind, with waves crashing against my hull and bow. I wonder if they will remember to bring me a drink of diesel, my tank is starting to get a little low again and they must remember to fill my water tank this weekend or that will run dry.

Hopefully it won’t be so long before I get to grab a word or two with you again. See you soon,

Naughty-Cal

Christmas on the Ditch

A handful of pictures today for your viewing delight from our Christmas on the Fossditch and Witham. The weather was great for the whole holiday, a little blowy at times but certainly no worse than we have been out in before, unlike the storms of this week!

Christmas day morning was spent lazing around, playing with new gadgets and eating fine food before we headed off in search of a dinner time pint or three, eventually settling on the Sun Inn, Saxilby.

Christmas day at Saxilby

Boxing Day was bright and breezy, so refreshed from a good night’s sleep we set off to find somewhere to spend a few days away from our mooring. We set off through Lincoln and Stamp End Lock and down onto the River Witham beyond, cruising on perfectly quiet waters, only us and the wildlife on the move. We had thought we would moor at Fiskerton Fen, a favourite mooring of ours, but with the wind direction it was a little exposed so we carried on the mile or so further to Bardney Lock. Here the visitor moorings were much more sheltered and had the benefit of electricity and water on tap. The moorings here are still very pleasant and remote but within easy walking distance (1.5 miles) of Bardney village and the local shops and pubs.

Boxing Day on the River Witham

A pleasant winter scene

Bardney Lock Visitor Moorings

We decided to visit the remains of Bardney Abbey whilst we were in the village. It is a very pleasant walk along a lovely and unspoilt lane, past private residences, farm houses and through a farm yard. The remains have been covered with to protect them from the elements, however here and there you can catch a glimpse of the magnificent stonework that once stood proud amongst the fields. The hummocks and hills in the enclosure each hide a feature of the once stunning building, information boards around the site show pictures of the remains and plans of the former Abbey buildings making distinguishing the individual buildings and features all the easier.

The remains of Barndey Abbey

Back in the Swing of Things

Well the Christmas break flew by. It didn’t seem like we had ten days off work but we are well and truly back in the swing of things now.

Christmas on the ditch was lovely and peaceful, the mild weather making it all the more perfect. We had a run out on Christmas day to Saxilby for a few pints in the Sun Inn, before enjoying a lovely meal f slow cooked duck with sweet potatoes, stuffing and sprouts later in the day.

On Boxing Day, we decided to head out for a few days. Finally settling in on the fully serviced moorings at Bardney Lock. We had a very pleasant few days moored in the peace and quiet, doing lots of walking (you have to from here) and generally enjoying the tranquil setting we were in. I will post more pictures later in the week now that I have coaxed my phone back into life!
New Years Eve was a much more energetic affair. With an evening in the Woodcocks pub where they held a casino night and put on a great disco and buffet lunch we had a great night in great company and were finally forced to leave at 1am. Never mind we finished off the night with drinks on Wish You Were Here where we finally gave in at 3.45am and decided enough was enough.

New Years Day was a write off. We didn’t get up until mid day and then we were so tired and hung over that we did little bar get showered and drink coffee. We had a little snooze in the afternoon wasting another couple of hours before getting up at 5pm to have lunch. We watched a few episodes of Still Game before heading back to bed to sleep off the remnants of a stinking hang over. What a waste of a day.

Monday we were both much better which was a good job as we had an invite for drinks and bacon butties at our friend’s house, another annual event. So we got up bright and early, did some shopping (more on that another time, we have some great new boating gadgets) and head off for drinks. It wasn’t long before the drink was flowing and by 6pm we were ready to head back for home and grab some dinner. We eventually settled on eating in Harbour City, the Chinese restaurant opposite our mooring. Yet again we had a great meal with excellent service despite not booking in advance. Then it was time to hit the sack and get ready for the start of work again.

Needless to say we felt like rubbish yesterday but we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday from start to end.