I knew it was coming, just after Christmas, all three major expenses all at once - annual insurance, mooring fees and boat registration. So Dickie, take a deep breath and pay up. Oh yes, I just remembered, I've also booked Skylark in for her first blacking in a couple of months. Ouch!
It reminded me of something I was told recently, ' Narrowboating - a cheap way to live but a bl**dy expensive hobby!'
Thursday 26 February 2015
Wednesday 25 February 2015
Side Hatch improvements
I mentioned I recently fitted a new leaded window to the side hatch. I went back to the boat the other day to finish off the painting and fit a wooden seal to keep the wind out. I don't know if all side hatches let the wind in around the edges or even if only some do but, when I'm in line with a side-on gale, the wind can rattle its way in. So, with a neatly fashioned piece of trim, I created a wind baffle which works whether the outside hatch is open or closed. Nice. Maybe when I take my camera next time, I'll take a shot or two to illustrate my well-honed carpentry skills.
This recent trip was also quite successful in the furniture department. Having been spending quite a lot of time on board, I had begun to think my settee was not quite as comfortable as it should be. It's fine for routine sitting, eating, drinking and occasional dozing but not so good for long term stretching out and comatose sleeping - the sort of thing I find myself doing when I've read all my books, played all my songs, finished all my G&Ts and on TV I can only get 'Let's go Walking in the Lakes with Alan Tithead'.
So, I have been keeping one eye open for something different and yesterday I found it - a secondhand reclining chair and foot stool. It's not too wide (for obvious reasons), just the right colour (brownish) and just about the right price (less than I've seen elsewhere). So a deal was done and I picked it up this morning. I can't wait to try it out.
This recent trip was also quite successful in the furniture department. Having been spending quite a lot of time on board, I had begun to think my settee was not quite as comfortable as it should be. It's fine for routine sitting, eating, drinking and occasional dozing but not so good for long term stretching out and comatose sleeping - the sort of thing I find myself doing when I've read all my books, played all my songs, finished all my G&Ts and on TV I can only get 'Let's go Walking in the Lakes with Alan Tithead'.
So, I have been keeping one eye open for something different and yesterday I found it - a secondhand reclining chair and foot stool. It's not too wide (for obvious reasons), just the right colour (brownish) and just about the right price (less than I've seen elsewhere). So a deal was done and I picked it up this morning. I can't wait to try it out.
From BT to TalkTalk
Having been wedded to BT for many years, I recently tried to negotiate a better deal with them and they didn't want to play ball. The first person I spoke to could only manage a contract 35p cheaper a month, the second bloke came out £4 more expensive and the woman from Customer Loyalty (ha ha) just agreed she could not better the current TalkTalk deal I was looking at. So, bye bye BT. The thing that wound me up most of all was that new customers could get great deals but these were not available to existing customers - how loyal is that!
So the new TT router arrived (tiny compared to the BT hub), I plugged it in to the phone line and mains, it found my computer over the airwaves and basically connected itself. Fab.
Now, I wait to see how it performs but so far so good - seems very fast and there's no data limits. It's free for the first 12 months, then it's less than £4pm for the next 6 months. I even negotiated a £150 credit off my line rental due to a bit of argy-bargy with a sales assistant. I would have preferred not to have had the slight problem but the offer of credit was a pleasant surprise.
I realise my bargaining power is limited because I only want it for general browsing and phoning but if I added more options my leverage would obviously increase. BT was aware of this - bless 'em - and were not too bothered to lose me but TT was keen to enroll a new convert. Good on them. Time will tell.
So the new TT router arrived (tiny compared to the BT hub), I plugged it in to the phone line and mains, it found my computer over the airwaves and basically connected itself. Fab.
Now, I wait to see how it performs but so far so good - seems very fast and there's no data limits. It's free for the first 12 months, then it's less than £4pm for the next 6 months. I even negotiated a £150 credit off my line rental due to a bit of argy-bargy with a sales assistant. I would have preferred not to have had the slight problem but the offer of credit was a pleasant surprise.
I realise my bargaining power is limited because I only want it for general browsing and phoning but if I added more options my leverage would obviously increase. BT was aware of this - bless 'em - and were not too bothered to lose me but TT was keen to enroll a new convert. Good on them. Time will tell.
Thursday 19 February 2015
New side hatch window
Last time I was in Ely, I bought a leaded window that just happened to be the exact shape of the side hatch, just smaller by about 80 mil in each direction. Perfect, I thought, to bring some more light in while keeping the security and traditional look of the boat.
I spent Monday and Tuesday at home building a sturdy frame, priming and undercoating it and fitting the glass. Yesterday, I fitted it into the hatch and today, I finished off the painting. I stood back and felt pleased with the result.
It means I can keep the hatch tight shut, with added security, open the outer hatch doors for more light during the cold months or open them both up for more light and air when conditions allow. I should have done it sooner.
While on board I took a snap of my new tv aerial; just for the record. OK, I know it looks like a surveyors pole (which it is), but its higher than my other pole and it's red and white. When I have five minutes I may paint green bands between the red and white bits to match the tiller.
That reminds me - the other night when I was moored near the Cutter, some bright spark decided to hop onto the roof; I guessed this athletic act was undertaken with a view to impress the young lady he was with. It soon became obvious what was happening; I felt the boat sway a bit, heard a couple of foot steps on the roof and then I heard a stumble and an expletive or two - you know, the sort of thing Jim Davidson would say if he got his finger shut in a door or somewhere else. Anyway, I dragged myself away from Alex Jones, I put on my shoes and poked my head out to see the couple (older than I expected) walking down the riverside path towards the Cutter itself. I glanced up at the aerial to see if there was any damage and fortunately there wasn't any but I could see footprints in the wet surface, a few hand prints and a couple of skid marks presumably from his knees. I guessed in the dim light, he'd not noticed the green para-cord I use to steady the pole against any high wind. Obviously it has another use as well. So that's it. Not very exciting really. When I got back to Alex I found she had been replaced with Matt Baker; He's a nice enough bloke but he's not as good as Alex IMHO. Anyway as I reflected on the evening's excitement, I thought it would have been good if the jolly old boarder had slipped across the roof and fallen over the side into the river because it would have illustrated the moral to this story much better. I have to content myself with the thought that he probably will think twice about doing it again.
On my way home, yet another fender found its way on the top of Skylark. I'll soon have enough of every shape, size and colour to open a secondhand fender shop.
I spent Monday and Tuesday at home building a sturdy frame, priming and undercoating it and fitting the glass. Yesterday, I fitted it into the hatch and today, I finished off the painting. I stood back and felt pleased with the result.
It means I can keep the hatch tight shut, with added security, open the outer hatch doors for more light during the cold months or open them both up for more light and air when conditions allow. I should have done it sooner.
While on board I took a snap of my new tv aerial; just for the record. OK, I know it looks like a surveyors pole (which it is), but its higher than my other pole and it's red and white. When I have five minutes I may paint green bands between the red and white bits to match the tiller.
That reminds me - the other night when I was moored near the Cutter, some bright spark decided to hop onto the roof; I guessed this athletic act was undertaken with a view to impress the young lady he was with. It soon became obvious what was happening; I felt the boat sway a bit, heard a couple of foot steps on the roof and then I heard a stumble and an expletive or two - you know, the sort of thing Jim Davidson would say if he got his finger shut in a door or somewhere else. Anyway, I dragged myself away from Alex Jones, I put on my shoes and poked my head out to see the couple (older than I expected) walking down the riverside path towards the Cutter itself. I glanced up at the aerial to see if there was any damage and fortunately there wasn't any but I could see footprints in the wet surface, a few hand prints and a couple of skid marks presumably from his knees. I guessed in the dim light, he'd not noticed the green para-cord I use to steady the pole against any high wind. Obviously it has another use as well. So that's it. Not very exciting really. When I got back to Alex I found she had been replaced with Matt Baker; He's a nice enough bloke but he's not as good as Alex IMHO. Anyway as I reflected on the evening's excitement, I thought it would have been good if the jolly old boarder had slipped across the roof and fallen over the side into the river because it would have illustrated the moral to this story much better. I have to content myself with the thought that he probably will think twice about doing it again.
On my way home, yet another fender found its way on the top of Skylark. I'll soon have enough of every shape, size and colour to open a secondhand fender shop.
Friday 13 February 2015
Ely Library
Another few days away and I'm ensconced in the Ely Library huddling over a public computer in the warm.
Visiting a library is a new thing for me. Since leaving (what they called) college many years ago, I haven't walked even near one let alone stepped into one. Never felt the need really. Anyway, last time I was in the city I popped in to see if I could access my emails and Ebay, and I could. It was very easy registering at the desk and logging on was simplicity itself, and it has turned out to be a 'must-vist' place while I'm in town centre.
It's got me thinking (that's a good thing I hear you say). I've heard libraries are under constant threat of closure or, worse still, are being handed over the community in order for local councils to concentrate on more important things like painting white lines on the roads or making lists of their favourite potholes and broken street lights so I think I'm doing my bit to support them especially as they have been kind enough to let me in out of the cold.
Fortunately, most of the people they let in are normal, quite well-to-do kind of folk who sit silently or chat quietly and just get on with their reading or research or whatever. On the other hand, I have come across a few people who seem to be just treading water at the shallow end of the gene pool and have been advised by their Social Services Support Assistant and/or their Probation Officer to think of a library as a kind of drop in centre. You know the kind of thing; they eat peanuts and crisps at the computers, use the free papers to practice their reading-out-loud skills and paper aeroplane designs or let their noisey offspring burn off some energy by running around the islands of shelves or jumping up and down on the chill-out chairs. At least they aren't smoking or singing football songs so I should feel grateful I suppose.
Anyway, as you know, I have been trying to develop my patience skills recently but there are times when I just have to say (to myself) 'enough is enough', and find somewhere else to finish my banana sandwich.
So, I'm off now to find a nice park bench to sit on.
Visiting a library is a new thing for me. Since leaving (what they called) college many years ago, I haven't walked even near one let alone stepped into one. Never felt the need really. Anyway, last time I was in the city I popped in to see if I could access my emails and Ebay, and I could. It was very easy registering at the desk and logging on was simplicity itself, and it has turned out to be a 'must-vist' place while I'm in town centre.
It's got me thinking (that's a good thing I hear you say). I've heard libraries are under constant threat of closure or, worse still, are being handed over the community in order for local councils to concentrate on more important things like painting white lines on the roads or making lists of their favourite potholes and broken street lights so I think I'm doing my bit to support them especially as they have been kind enough to let me in out of the cold.
Fortunately, most of the people they let in are normal, quite well-to-do kind of folk who sit silently or chat quietly and just get on with their reading or research or whatever. On the other hand, I have come across a few people who seem to be just treading water at the shallow end of the gene pool and have been advised by their Social Services Support Assistant and/or their Probation Officer to think of a library as a kind of drop in centre. You know the kind of thing; they eat peanuts and crisps at the computers, use the free papers to practice their reading-out-loud skills and paper aeroplane designs or let their noisey offspring burn off some energy by running around the islands of shelves or jumping up and down on the chill-out chairs. At least they aren't smoking or singing football songs so I should feel grateful I suppose.
Anyway, as you know, I have been trying to develop my patience skills recently but there are times when I just have to say (to myself) 'enough is enough', and find somewhere else to finish my banana sandwich.
So, I'm off now to find a nice park bench to sit on.
Saturday 7 February 2015
Some odd photos...
During my last few days on Skylark, I only took a few photos. After all, how many views can I take of Skylark from the stern?
Well, perhaps one more...while most things were frozen last week, at least the river and cold water tap were still running.
I usually visit the Scott Polar Institute when I'm in Cambridge, just to pay my respects. A couple of things are worth recording. Moving stuff taken from Scott's diary...
And Scott's last written words...
And finally, just because I liked its rusty battered appearance, a sign found on a wall next to the Kings Lynn Custom House...
I wonder if any of our more recent signs will look this good after 80 years?
Well, perhaps one more...while most things were frozen last week, at least the river and cold water tap were still running.
I usually visit the Scott Polar Institute when I'm in Cambridge, just to pay my respects. A couple of things are worth recording. Moving stuff taken from Scott's diary...
And Scott's last written words...
And finally, just because I liked its rusty battered appearance, a sign found on a wall next to the Kings Lynn Custom House...
I wonder if any of our more recent signs will look this good after 80 years?
Friday 6 February 2015
All's snug on board
Another week spent on board to help keep things warm. In fact, at times, it got a little too hot - over 20 degrees, while outside the temperature barely reached zero.
The river was also very quite with hardly any boats moving about on the water. It meant a few more mooring spots on the Ely waterfront than in previous visits.
I took the train to Cambridge one day and Kings Lynn another day and even registered at the Ely Library so I could use their computers to check emails and Ebay. What a fun time time I've had!
And just to add to the heady mixture of fun and frolics, one evening, I went to see The Imitation Game with Benedict Cucumberpatch (to clarify, he was in the film, not actually with me).
What a fantastic film. Great acting by all concerned. Great production. Wonderful settings and of course an epic story that, if you didn't know better, you would think someone had just made up. At the end, the film got a ripple of applause - in my experience that's not happened since Sean Connery appeared as Richard the Lion Heart at the end of Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.
To be serious for a moment, apart from the obvious awesome story line, I suppose I should not have been surprised to learn how the strategic planners went about using some of the information gained and not others in order to trick the Germans into thinking their Enigma codes had not been broken. It must have been heartbreaking to make many of those decisions.
Now, back to things boating - Mick and I sorted out the Webasto heater. In fact there is a graphic instruction on the back of the guidance booklet but we both felt it only made sense once you'd worked out how to do it by trail and error. It turns out, if the thing fails to work after it's checked the battery and fuel supply, and that the air intake and exhaust are both free, you have to take out the main fuse for a few seconds to start the thing again, afresh. However, and this is vital, the system must be switched on before you do this otherwise this little trick just won't work. Once this was done, the boiler fired up and has worked perfectly since. I have found that the only thing that is most likely to trip the system is not having enough charge in the batteries early in the morning - usually the time when you want the central heating the most. For this reason, if I have not been anywhere to boost the batteries, I've found it's good to run the engine between say 5.00 and 8.00 pm. That usually does the trick.
Returned home this afternoon as the weather looks like it might warm up a bit this weekend. I can't justify spending all my time on board. On my way home, I found another floating fender in the river and picked up a straw bale for the two chickens who, incidentally, are still laying despite the cold weather.
The river was also very quite with hardly any boats moving about on the water. It meant a few more mooring spots on the Ely waterfront than in previous visits.
I took the train to Cambridge one day and Kings Lynn another day and even registered at the Ely Library so I could use their computers to check emails and Ebay. What a fun time time I've had!
And just to add to the heady mixture of fun and frolics, one evening, I went to see The Imitation Game with Benedict Cucumberpatch (to clarify, he was in the film, not actually with me).
What a fantastic film. Great acting by all concerned. Great production. Wonderful settings and of course an epic story that, if you didn't know better, you would think someone had just made up. At the end, the film got a ripple of applause - in my experience that's not happened since Sean Connery appeared as Richard the Lion Heart at the end of Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.
To be serious for a moment, apart from the obvious awesome story line, I suppose I should not have been surprised to learn how the strategic planners went about using some of the information gained and not others in order to trick the Germans into thinking their Enigma codes had not been broken. It must have been heartbreaking to make many of those decisions.
Now, back to things boating - Mick and I sorted out the Webasto heater. In fact there is a graphic instruction on the back of the guidance booklet but we both felt it only made sense once you'd worked out how to do it by trail and error. It turns out, if the thing fails to work after it's checked the battery and fuel supply, and that the air intake and exhaust are both free, you have to take out the main fuse for a few seconds to start the thing again, afresh. However, and this is vital, the system must be switched on before you do this otherwise this little trick just won't work. Once this was done, the boiler fired up and has worked perfectly since. I have found that the only thing that is most likely to trip the system is not having enough charge in the batteries early in the morning - usually the time when you want the central heating the most. For this reason, if I have not been anywhere to boost the batteries, I've found it's good to run the engine between say 5.00 and 8.00 pm. That usually does the trick.
Returned home this afternoon as the weather looks like it might warm up a bit this weekend. I can't justify spending all my time on board. On my way home, I found another floating fender in the river and picked up a straw bale for the two chickens who, incidentally, are still laying despite the cold weather.
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