A delayed post to cover our trip up to BB the week before last. We needed to do two things-one sort out the scrapes and scratches below the gunwale from our spring/summer trip.Secondly reseal the front cratch table board following the six times it had to be lowered for the bridges on the Basingstoke Canal.. She also required a 250 hour service and a change of the engine anti freeze.
We eventually got to the boat late Sunday afternoon on the 16 August after spending some time with Simon and Debs erecting new fencing and having Sunday lunch with my nephew Andrew's family in Berkhamsted.
Work started on Monday on the cratch and paintwork in the marina during which time we were buzzed by a couple of microlights which were using a field next to the Grand Union Canal towards Stockton.
On the way back to Calcutt after the service we were moored out near bridge 103 finishing the painting when we received a text from Stan and Sheila on nb Friendship. We last saw them when we took BB into their private marina at Milton Keynes. They are out for 4 weeks heading for the Rivers Severn and Avon and were moored in Braunston. They therefore came to join us for a lovely evening and dinner the next evening at The Blue Lias at Stockton.
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| The cratch table board fits in a steel A frame and is sealed to the hull behind the gas locker hatch. If this isn't done completely water gets through and then goes down into the bow and floods the bow thruster locker. We found out about this when BB was 18 months old and the bow thruster stopped working. There was about a foot of water in the bow-luckily it had not reached the motor. |
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| The fold down table is cut from a piece of marine ply and shows Pete Hills great painting skills. We had to take off the perspex to clear out all the flies we collected on the Thames and repaint the black edging |
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| On the Tuesday evening we moved into Braunston ready for Justin from JG Marine to do the service etc on Wednesday morning. A lovely shot of the Grand Junction Canal's pumping station at the Bottom lock- which is now replaced by electric pumps to move water around the lock flight. |
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| BB moored outside JG Marine |
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| Nb Nuneaton and butty Brighton of The Narrowboat Trust setting off on the coal run |
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| Replica Steam narrowboat Adamant in full flight! |
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| Another picture of the clean line of snb Adamant |
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| Boat name -not sure why its not a blue boat |
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| I assume they are into cats |
