Charlie & Co on the Canal

I've finally got round to downloading these snaps off our camera. This was the stint to Shardlow and a picnic on the boat with the family.

Charlie too cool for school at 1 and 3 months!

Through the keyhole... or should be port hole!

With the cushions complete and the new seating in place I thought it was time I'd put a couple of snaps on the boat blog. After much thought we opted for fixed seating on both sides, however if you look closely the seats on the right are deeper which gives more comfort for watching telly than the dining seats on the left with a removeable table. Not bad for a 30 footer with a fixed double..

OAP's Outing... and a 47th Wedding Anniversary!

My aunty arrived from Fareham on the south coast for a visit to Sawley in landlocked Leicestershire. The weather was rather fine on Sunday so we took the boat out for a short stint to Shardlow. All aboard were; my mum and dad celebrating thier 47th wedding anniversary, Estelle and Charlie (Charlie paying close attention to the leaky Derwent Mouth Lock in the photo above) Aunty Sheila and myself.

It was the first warm day of the year so the boat club was busy as we left. The Trent was pretty high and passing Derwent Mouth there were lots of small whirlpools and the boat got pushed and pulled around before making it onto The Trent and Mersey. We stopped off for lunch in Shardlow and opened a bottle on board to celebrate. It was just like a scene from 'On Golden Pond'.

On the Trent and Mersey... or is it 'On Golden Pond'?

A cold cruise from Sawley to Redhill

The first trip of the 2010 was a short stint from TC's new home of the Derby Motor Boat Club down to Redhill. Ship-mates included my best mate Martin and his two lads Harry and Sam. The cruise down to Redhill was ok, however the return journey back up the Trent was bitter and it was too cold for the lads who retreated inside the boat. Both rivers; the Trent and the Soar were high and the current in the Soar was extremely strong.

Bring on the warmer weather... and let the boating begin!

Martin and Harry..

Sam, Stu (me) and Harry

Went over to check on the boat this morning and arrived at Sawley 9am. It had been a couple of weeks since I'd last had time. I was amazed how the entire marina was locked in ice - nothing was moving including the hire boats. I had a go at smashing the ice around the boat, at 4 inches thick the barge pole made little impact. Started the engine up and let it run a while as I lit a fire and thawed out. By 10am the boat was toasty, made a cup of tea and 'chilled out' onboard!