Monday 23 June 2014

Spring Summer Cruise 2014 ❸❶

Beeston Lock VM to Castle Marina

Overnight weather was quite warm and from first light the sunshine was warm.

Morning: Up early, quick breakfast, walk dogs, say goodbye to friends. We were off by 7:30 and the first job was to wind the boat in the lock approach. A steady plod along the Beeston canal. There were plenty of people biking the towpath at high speed and even a few joggers getting in a few miles before the day really warmed up. On the one tight bend with boats moored we met a boat coming the other way. Soon we arrived at Castle Marina where Rosie is to have her bottom blacked. The slipway buggy soon had us on dry land and the process started with a scrape to remove any deposits. This was then followed by a power wash before moving Rosie onto a hard standing.

Afternoon: I tackled a tiller bearing problem that had needed some attention for a while. As the boat dried off in the hot sun I was pleased that the signs of any deterioration of the previous blacking were minimal. The buildup of canal crud and weed on the waterline make things look much worse than they are. Tomorrow, its a rub down with a wire brush to remove any loose flakes that the power wash might not have loosened. Two other boats have joined us, for t
he same process to be carried out. 


Evening: A quiet night watching some tennis and world cup football.

Wildlife:

Birds: House Sparrow, Wren, Carrion Crow, Rook, Magpie, Jackdaw, Starling, Blackbird, Mallard, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Grey Lag Goose, Canadian Goose, Coot, Waterhen, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Wood Pigeon, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Sedge Warbler, Swallow, House Martin, Swift and Oyster Catcher.

Butterflies: Meadow Brown
Bats: Pipistrelle,
Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle,Common Demoiselle.
 
Today's Total.
Miles: 4.9
Locks: 0
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 0
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 1.6
Solar Panels: 220 Ah
 
Accumulated Total.
Miles: 1870.8
Locks: 1141
Swing / Lift Bridges: 295
Tunnels: 26
Pump Outs: 20
Engine Hours: 2860.4

Solar Panels: 15306 Ah 




No comments:

Post a Comment

Please put your name to your comment. Comments without a name may automatically be treated as spam and might not be included.

If you do not wish your comment to be published say so in your comment. If you have a tip or sensitive information you’d prefer to share anonymously, you may do so. I will delete the comment after reading.