Cruising day! It’s a busy day!
Friday 17th November Day 118 ((this is along post you mind need a Baileys hot chocolate and a biscuit!))
Cruising Day! It feels like a life time ago we were cruising and it’s great to finally set off and today we will be on virgin water! ((Well, technically not as the canal water…)) okay, no need to be pedantic about it! We are minutes away from the boat services so make use of that and I put a wash on to make use of the engine being on generating electric.
We plan on cruising to Stone or somewhere near today. First up to Hoo Mill Lock and I feel a bit rusty with doing the vlogs but fab to get back into doing the locks. The next lock we come to is Weston Lock. This is past where we moored last time, we were up this way and is a new stretch of this canal for us. It’s where we walked past Heidi – The Pirate Boat/Youtuber when we walked up here and got chatting to a lady at the lock who used to work in a newsagents in Derby which Chris remembers going in as a kid. These are all lovely locks to do. Just as I shut the lock gate, I see another boat coming so open it for them to cruise straight in.
Wait a minute – breaking news. I’m sitting at the dinette typing today’s blog up. The aim was to get to Stone ((spoiler alert – they did!)) as Chris had told me the Christmas light switch on was tonight and it turns out its next Thursday! ((WTH! Peachy, I bet you’re about to kick off!)) I am! I was promised a Christmas light switch on. Turns out it is next Thursday so we will probably aim to hang around here for a few days as the weather looks a bit dodgy and then cruise for a few days, turn around and come back here for Thursday. I normally put my Christmas decorations up on the 1st of December but the rules change if there is a Christmas light switch on nearby ((You’ve just made that up!)) I know, if anyone else wants to adopt this rule then you have my permission. Wait… more breaking news… Chris has checked and there is a Christmas market on Sunday in Stone! Hurrah Christmas has been saved!
Right, back to cruising… We moor up for lunch near Weston on Trent. It’s a welcome curry parsnip soup which Chris made the other day. It’s cold but the sun is warm on the back and as there are a few locks dotted on the route it keeps the old body warm.
Pit stop done we crank it through some beautiful countryside. This stretch is full of fields and cattle and we are treated to some kingfishers swooping over the water and fields. I did manage to get a bit of footage which I will put on YouTube but it won’t be out for about a month. Next up is Sandon Lock which is quite deep at 9ft 11in and we have a little friend on the lock which we think was a Muscovy duck and we decide to get the tub of seed out and it’s very grateful for the lunch. It has beautiful colours, very much like a peacock.
Lock done we carry on cruising through the Trent valley and it reminds us of being on the River Trent as it’s quite wide in places and the fields come right to the edge of the canal. It really is a lovely stretch and I can see why so many people recommend this canal for winter cruising.
We pass a lovely looking marina, Aston marina which offers the usual boat facilities and then we spot a boat going into Aston lock as we pull onto the lock landing. I grab my windlass and wander up for the standard natter of where are you going? Lovely cruising day and then about liveaboard etc and one lady said to me “You’re too young to be retired,” ((Are you sure she said that?)) Yes! Anyway, we got chatting about me working from the boat ((Nearly choked then, working…)) and being an author, that always still seems weird to say but also told her about my YouTube channel so hopefully she will follow our adventures. We are doing so well with the channel, we are getting anything from 3-10 new subscribers a day which is amazing. Natter done, as they leave another boat comes along and they pop along to help and have a lovely chat with them. They have a beautiful boat, it’s new but with a 1937 engine I think he said. He recognised The Plot! Woohoo, canal famous lol. I think he said it was from one of the canal Facebook pages where I’d posted pictures of the plot and shared the vlog. Lovely couple and he took a picture of our boat before we left the lock.
The couple also said that the Stone moorings were full. ((Well, we’ve already had that spoiler because of your Christmas light tantrum!)) so if we cannot get one ((we know you do!)) then it will be the Stone flight and another 4 locks to do before we can moor up and it’s already 3pm and it goes dark at 4.30ish! ((Look, give it up Peachy, we know you made it so stop trying make it sound all dramatic!)) we cruise past about 6 boat and find a mooring ((Oh wow! Who knew! I am SOOOOOOOO relieved. I was really worried you wouldn’t make it.)) Okay, enough of the sarcasm.
Whilst Chris puts up the cratch covers I head inside and get the fire going as it’s cold inside. Job done I’m at the dinette ((You’ve already said that!)) but my battery is about to go so I will see you tomorrow! I really need to crack on over the next few days as I have about 30 videos to check and edit and I am really behind with my NaNoWriMo wordcount! ((well, you will go away for days socialising with your pretend friends!))
Miles: 9 (wow, think it’s our third longest cruise!) locks: 4
Wordcount: 1,181 Total: 19,614
