A very difficult decision

Last year we managed just 18 days of boating. This year, we have opportunity for even less.

This is because of my new job, which needs me at work when everyone else in the family is on holiday.

Boating works when everyone's holidays coincide, but when they don't then the year round maintenance, licensing, insurance and mooring costs are too much for just a fortnight of holiday every year.

So we made the very difficult decision that the best thing to do is sell Honey.

As you can see from the pictures, Honey is a beautiful little boat and we always thought that she would be easy to sell - but even we were surprised by what happened next.

Michaela posted on an internet forum that we would be putting her in a brokerage, and linked to this blog, and almost immediately people were contacting us. By the following weekend she had been sold. On 18th January we will deliver her to her new home.

I will leave it to Honey's new owners to introduce themselves (they are taking over this blog as part of ownership) but Michaela and I are delighted that she is going to be loved as much as we did, and as much as Paul & Chrissie did before us. We will, of course, miss this happy little boat and continue to follow her future adventures.

So many photos, so little mobile data signal...

The Llangollen Canal is beautiful - but out of range of mobile data signal, so we have been unable to blog for a few days. 

To make it up to you, here are a few photos. 

The Anderton Boat Lift & River Weaver

After the hire boat traffic jams in Middlewich, the River Weaver feels luxurious: wide, deep water; manned locks; pretty moorings; and hire boats are not allowed down the Anderton Lift. 

As ever, Honey loved the river. A good hull can be appreciated so much more in the flowing meanders - and we loved our sunlit meals at remote moorings. 

As for the lift itself, go and visit. If you don't own a boat, jump aboard their trip boat. It's well worth it. 

Wandering Aimlessly

Because that's what you do with narrowboats. You chug along pretty bits of waterway, turning at junctions when they look interesting, stopping for tea when you feel like it, and investigating anything that looks a bit interesting. 

Cheshire is a bit Mock Tudor for my taste, but that's just my inverse snobbery: when it looks like you're trying too hard, I instinctively think you're missing the point. 

The point is that we are here to have fun, and to rejoice in the beauty around us. And there's a lot of beauty in rural Cheshire (and the local beers.)

Tomorrow, the Anderton Lift and the River Weaver. 

The weather and our boating plans...

After two weeks of Mediterranean weather, we clambered aboard Honey just in time for the downpours. 

Settling in was quick, but we haven't been able to give Honey the thorough wash she deserves; that will have to wait until the rain stops. 

We met the local branch of the IWA at Hurleston Locks, where they were doing all the hard work in exchange for donations, and they were so friendly and helpful despite the weather. 

Shropshire in the spring...

...is very, very pretty. 

The area provided essential raw materials for Birmingham's most important industry - Knighton Wharf was where the milk was loaded onto the fly boats to be taken to Cadbury's in Bourneville. 

Woodseaves Cutting is a spectacular feat of hand-dug early 18th century engineering: over a mile of designated Special Scientific Interest, the rock is so soft that has been crumbling for 180 years.

As we passed through in the late morning, the sun had yet to rise in the cutting - so we were wrapped up in our thermals, cuddling hot mugs of tea. 

After two very easy days, the shock of Tyrley and Adderley Locks (all eight of them) was too much for Hugh. This was before I told him we were about to reach the fifteen-lock Audlem Flight. 

But Audlem is always worth a visit. 

Honey is now safely moored in her new home on the Llangollen, and I have strict instructions to buy a replacement shower drain pump before our next trip out. 

A new season

We finally managed to collect Honey from the painter's yard this morning, after the previous two attempts were thwarted by gales and then a closed lock. 

As you can tell from my 'selfie' here, Honey's new coat is very fine indeed!

We're just having a short trip this time - too much work to do. But we're enjoying our short trip in the fine spring weather - and we saw some incredibly rare wildlife: a revising teenager!

The Bloody Weather

So we had to cancel our "brass monkeys" cruise during the Christmas break because of the bad weather.

This meant we had to overstay our welcome at the painter's wharf - a nuisance for everyone concerned, I am sure! However, I was not about to take a freshly painted narrowboat out into gales. The wharf owners were very understanding, though, and found us an out-of-the-way spot for a reasonable rate.

So we conscientiously arranged to move Honey back to the Llangollen during February half term... which, if current weather forecasts are to be believed, will be a week of hurricane-force storms.

I think not. The thought of destroying all of John's hard work is unbearable!

We will be boating again soon! I promise!

The painting is finished

John Sanderson and Kinver Canopies have done us proud.

Honey is looking gorgeous in her new colours and livery - and only a lack of space in the wharf (and time to do anything about it) prevented me from getting her into a position to take some proper photographs.

That will have to wait until after Christmas when we will have a short "Brass Monkeys Cruise" back to Swanley Marina.

Honey in her underwear (warning: adult only content)

Honey's repaint is now underway - and I have taken the opportunity to get some saucy snaps of her in her undies while John Sanderson touches her up. 

The End of the Season

Unusually for us, there will be no boating during the autumn of 2013 - so after the cancellation of our Spring trip due to a reluctance to suffer the cold, we've had a very short boating season.

Our final journey was a short sprint from the Llangollen to the painter at Dadford's Wharf where (if we can decide on the colour scheme) NB Honey will be repainted.

Next time you see her she will be dark blue & red. Or blue & grey. Or black & grey. Or turquoise & blue. Or (if John loses his patience with us) "Hammerite black with logs on the roof."

The Numbers

The closure of Barrowford Flight added 114 miles and 55 locks to our three week holiday - taking it to 226 miles and 230 locks in total.

NB Honey is now safely tucked up in her new home on the beautiful Llangollen Canal, where she can have a week of rest before she gets a thorough cleaning & servicing and then will be delivered to John Sanderson for her new frock.

Meanwhile, we are now back on dry land - which is nauseatingly solid and still.

Different Worlds

We were a bit disappointed with Manchester: unlike Leeds & Birmingham there were no Champagne bars with moorings. 

The Ashton & Rochdale Canals were also very urban, not always pretty to look at, and full of locks. 

Castlefield, in Manchester, is a fabulous place to moor, surrounded by some very nice places to eat (I recommend the barbecue bar next to the bottom lock on the Rochdale.)

But heading West out of Manchester involves the very pretty and completely lock-free Bridgewater Canal - the oldest on the network and easily one of the nicest. 

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal

Yes, we're back on our favourite waterway.

There are hazards here caused by low water levels, leaks and loads of silt - as you can see here.

But it is also surrounded by spectacularly beautiful countryside and lovely, easy-to-fill narrow locks.

27 Miles & 20 locks in ten hours.

According to Pearson & the waterways navigation software, it's a 13 hour journey - but that assumes 3mph on all waterways (who does 3mph on a river?) and every lock set against you. 

NB Honey loves rivers. In deep water, there is no bounce-back of her wake from canal walls & beds to slow her down, so a throttle setting that pulls 3mph on a canal results on 5mph on a river.

And we we met some very friendly, happy & helpful boaters at almost every lock. 

It's been a good day. This evening, nice wine, steak & chips and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.