log

Sun - Cosgrove to Globe, Linslade. Mon night - back at Cowroast.

Engine starting - loose bleed screw on fuel filter (also changed). Overheating on Mon - clump of junk at t-piece just before filter, cleared now.

NB Smithy

I don't think I've ever been that good at names and details, which may be a good thing, as I may not be getting worse with age, and may have always been this bad.

Anyway, in July 2008 I bought a brazier made from a gas bottle from a guy who was turning a wee 26' boat into a floating workshop; at that poiont very much a work in progress. Just above the Globe I passed him again; no-one was around, but he's done up the boat nicely, and has lots of nice things to buy (most of which probably not much use on a boat, but there you go). The tiny boat - I think that was called Jasper - is now simply 'Smithy', and despite racking my brain I can't remember his name at all. There's no contact info on the side of the boat, either, so I just left him a note. Anyway, mobile welding, custom jobs, all that; see the nice man on Smithy (and accompanying longer liveaboard).

Slow Progress

There's an old saying that goes along the lines of it you want to give god a laugh, tell him your plans... personally I think if she did exist she'd be too busy swigging gin with her girlfriend to care. Anyway... the main features of July & August this year will be work, rather than boating, although I'm hoping that I do actually get a bit of a trip, slow as it goes.

Plans for occasional gentle wanders up the GU have turned into grabbing time away from work when I can. We managed a couple of lovely days Cowroast-Leighton with Neil, Kath & Peter on Herbie blogged here so I don't have to... any references to jetskis are due to using doing locks on one gate, and the smaller boat doing all the acrobatics that generally involves. All made all the more exciting by the string pull to the left I get from the prop in reverse; that's the best excuse I've come up with so far, anyway. Also made my first trip up the Wendover Arm, which was very sweet, a back lane to the GU's A road mood.

We also managed a quick visit to Braunston; very pleasant (and doable by public transport as a day trip, thankfully). It may be heresy (ignore the deity stuff, this is the real deal) - but old working boats are all very nice, but I don't find myself quite as excited about them as some. But I'm happy that their owners love them. ;-)

Then today, a quick contractual obligation run from Leighton up to Fenny Stratford. I did try to do this yesterday but there was a conspiracy against me on Sunday to not run any trains from anywhere in west London, which I wasn't overjoyed about.

I do have a picture & a story to go with it, but that will have to wait until I'm not struggling with a poor internet connection in a fading hotel in Worcestershire...