I wanted to make a batch of dough before we set off this morning, so that we'd have bread to eat at lunchtime, so made an early-ish start. The dough was mixed and set to rise by half seven and I walked down to the lock as Sheila set off in Sanity Again. It was empty, not unexpectedly as we'd been passed by an Andersen hire boat heading south quite late yesterday.
We found them tied above Star Lock, below which we stopped to water. They set off and overtook us there but we caught up with them again at Aston. This was a bit surprising as we thought they'd be long gone, but the traffic had got busy early today and we had to queue for a bit with boats arriving to come up each time one locked down. The Andersen boat contained six "mature" men, clearly having a good time. They planned to be in Penkridge tonight, but that didn't stop them from tying below the lock for a belated breakfast at ten o'clock.
On we chugged. I'd got the dough knocked back and shaped before Aston and was able to get the buns baked before we decided to stop for the day at Burston. We had planned to go on to Weston, but the rain was setting in and it was getting a bit late in the morning for us. It's such a good mooring here, quiet but with adequate phone signals.
We've had a peaceful afternoon. We got the clothes swapped round, winter woollies for summer cotton, and spent the rest of the time reading, doing puzzles and last Saturday's GK crossword. Braidbar 61, Shiraz, has just gone by with her new owners. She's on her way back home to moor at Victoria Pit, so we might well see her again next September.
Tomorrow, we'll press on to the pig farm or Taft Wharf as it calls itself now. We may well get some diesel and a bag of coal while we're there.
Showing posts with label Aston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aston. Show all posts
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Thursday, 13 August 2015
Stone me, a mooring space!
First off, the Perseid meteors. We normally go to bed quite early, around half nine so as to be tucked up by ten, and when we looked out before doing so last night, it was still too bright for meteor spotting. So we got ready for bed, popped our dressing gowns on and went out into the well deck in the balmy evening. It was still a bit light, but we waited patiently and gradually things got darker.
Finally, I saw my first streaking flash, then another. There was a pause before both of us spotted the next one. All in all, we probably saw five or six altogether, enough to say that we'd seen them. I can understand how such showers took on prognostic significance for earlier cultures. We are used to moving lights in the sky, from planes and satellites, but previous peoples must have thought it very strange that the apparently immutable stars were suddenly charging about.
We had a good night's kip and a lazy start, with only a couple of hours boating to do to get to Stone. The weather was quite dull and threatening, not to say boding. In fact, it's still boding pretty meaningfully now, warm and humid. It will be a relief when the rain does come. Sheila steered today, in difficult conditions of gusty wind, especially along the open fields between Burston and Aston Lock, which was a bit slow to work as a result of one of the gate paddles being jammed closed.
According to the lockwheeler of the Aston based boat that arrived as we were locking up, this is getting all too common. She said that the lock was refurbished 18 months ago and hasn't been right since.
When we got to Stone, there was no space on the moorings below Star Lock, so we went onto the water point with the intention of working up the flight and mooring at the top after we'd filled up. However, when we got up Star, lo and behold, there was a space on the 48 hour moorings just above, where the restaurant/trip boat used to moor before they relocated to outside Stone Canal Cruising.
As we were getting sorted, Andrew and Gina from La Suvera turned up on their way to do some shopping. They've moored up at the top; they are going to leave the boat at Poynton whilst they go back home and then return for the Owners' Weekend. So it was our turn to put the kettle on and provide coffee whilst we had another catch up session. The clans are gathering, hooray.
After lunch, we had a successful trip into town, shopping and making a hair appointment for tomorrow for Sheila. We'll stay here while this storm blows through and set off for Barlaston on Saturday.
Finally, I saw my first streaking flash, then another. There was a pause before both of us spotted the next one. All in all, we probably saw five or six altogether, enough to say that we'd seen them. I can understand how such showers took on prognostic significance for earlier cultures. We are used to moving lights in the sky, from planes and satellites, but previous peoples must have thought it very strange that the apparently immutable stars were suddenly charging about.
We had a good night's kip and a lazy start, with only a couple of hours boating to do to get to Stone. The weather was quite dull and threatening, not to say boding. In fact, it's still boding pretty meaningfully now, warm and humid. It will be a relief when the rain does come. Sheila steered today, in difficult conditions of gusty wind, especially along the open fields between Burston and Aston Lock, which was a bit slow to work as a result of one of the gate paddles being jammed closed.
According to the lockwheeler of the Aston based boat that arrived as we were locking up, this is getting all too common. She said that the lock was refurbished 18 months ago and hasn't been right since.
When we got to Stone, there was no space on the moorings below Star Lock, so we went onto the water point with the intention of working up the flight and mooring at the top after we'd filled up. However, when we got up Star, lo and behold, there was a space on the 48 hour moorings just above, where the restaurant/trip boat used to moor before they relocated to outside Stone Canal Cruising.
As we were getting sorted, Andrew and Gina from La Suvera turned up on their way to do some shopping. They've moored up at the top; they are going to leave the boat at Poynton whilst they go back home and then return for the Owners' Weekend. So it was our turn to put the kettle on and provide coffee whilst we had another catch up session. The clans are gathering, hooray.
After lunch, we had a successful trip into town, shopping and making a hair appointment for tomorrow for Sheila. We'll stay here while this storm blows through and set off for Barlaston on Saturday.
Monday, 15 September 2014
Working on down
Today's plan: go shopping at half eight then start down the Stone locks, arriving at Aston Marina after the office opened at ten. Almost all of this was successful, I'm pleased to say. Admittedly, we didn't find another throw toy for Sally. The hardware store here had previously supplied one of her favourites, a mini tyre tire (it's American), but which we finally had to throw away as she'd managed to chew it up too much. They didn't have anything like that today, so it's back to the internet, I guess.
We worked down Stone, meeting several boats on the way, including one rather disgruntled one. They'd planned to get a pump out at Stone Boat Building, but that's not available on a Monday, so were now having to go all the way to Etruria for one. I'm not sure I wouldn't have reversed back to the wide bit above Yard Lock, winded and gone to Aston, rather than thrash all the way up Stoke with legs crossed.
Aston Marina was a salutary experience; gosh, we're glad we're in Mercia. Given that the whole thing was dug out to order, why on earth have they made such a pig's ear of the layout? Never mind that entrance is a pain for a full length boat, almost all new marina entrances are. There's nowhere to moor near the office and in order to use the pump out you have to tie with the boat in the mid-marina bridge hole.
Where there is a paucity of mooring rings.
I then trekked back to the office, several minutes walk, and paid the usual £15 for a token – it's a DIY pump out. I got back just as Sheila finished sorting out the pipe work. Final irritation: there's no pause button on the machine, so rinsing is a bit hit and miss.
Mind you, the pump is decently powerful and ran long enough to empty our very full tank. Once it was pulling mostly air we turned on the water hose and ran water through the tank, rocking merrily all the while. It's left us with a tank about as empty as Andy achieves at the Trading Post by rinsing with watering cans full of cut water.
It was handy to use today after being let down by Black Prince the other day, but I'd rather carry on to Great Haywood another time.
By the time we'd finished it was nearly lunchtime, so we left the marina and tied on the towpath just beyond. The afternoon has been spent catching up with IT jobs, mainly.
Tomorrow, a fairly long run to Tixall for the night and a chance to get some nice veg from the Farm Shop.
We worked down Stone, meeting several boats on the way, including one rather disgruntled one. They'd planned to get a pump out at Stone Boat Building, but that's not available on a Monday, so were now having to go all the way to Etruria for one. I'm not sure I wouldn't have reversed back to the wide bit above Yard Lock, winded and gone to Aston, rather than thrash all the way up Stoke with legs crossed.
Aston Marina was a salutary experience; gosh, we're glad we're in Mercia. Given that the whole thing was dug out to order, why on earth have they made such a pig's ear of the layout? Never mind that entrance is a pain for a full length boat, almost all new marina entrances are. There's nowhere to moor near the office and in order to use the pump out you have to tie with the boat in the mid-marina bridge hole.
Where there is a paucity of mooring rings.
I then trekked back to the office, several minutes walk, and paid the usual £15 for a token – it's a DIY pump out. I got back just as Sheila finished sorting out the pipe work. Final irritation: there's no pause button on the machine, so rinsing is a bit hit and miss.
Mind you, the pump is decently powerful and ran long enough to empty our very full tank. Once it was pulling mostly air we turned on the water hose and ran water through the tank, rocking merrily all the while. It's left us with a tank about as empty as Andy achieves at the Trading Post by rinsing with watering cans full of cut water.
It was handy to use today after being let down by Black Prince the other day, but I'd rather carry on to Great Haywood another time.
By the time we'd finished it was nearly lunchtime, so we left the marina and tied on the towpath just beyond. The afternoon has been spent catching up with IT jobs, mainly.
Tomorrow, a fairly long run to Tixall for the night and a chance to get some nice veg from the Farm Shop.
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