A Short Catch Up

Only a couple of quick visits to Trudy-Ann over the last few weeks, mainly to check that there was no damage after the high winds.

Replaced the stern line as that seems to have been chafing on the mooring shackle. Otherwise everything is OK bar a bit of water coming in at the wheelhouse doors ( Slap on the wrist for me because I started remaking the door tops last October and still haven’t got them completed.) Got side tracked and am now in the process of making shutters for the lounge at home to replace the curtains but still plenty to do there. Otherwise the rest of the boat is bone dry and in good order but in need of a clean. With that in mind I ordered a new pressure washer from Karcher, but it arrived with a broken case. Reported it straight away and was given a return address and a collection arranged for a day later with no fuss. Courier failed to show so collection has now had to be arranged for next Tuesday – Easter Bah Humbug!

On the gardening  front. All the plots have been rotovated  and all the potatoes are in and earthed up despite the dogs trying to knock it all flat again.

Karen has erected all the necessary runner bean wigwams and pea runs but has only been able to plant out the broad beans as of yet but has lots of stuff ready to go out in the greenhouse and cold frame.

Still plenty going on down at the Grantham canal we seem to be running work parties at least once a week and last week-end boat trips for discover Lincolnshire on Saturday and Sunday. Skipped off a work Party today as I’m helping out on Sunday and Monday doing our usual Boat trips over the bank holiday 10am to 4pm but running from Woolsthorpe this time rather than the usual trips from Harlaxton Wharf. Should be plenty of tea and home made cakes on offer if last week was anything to go by.

So Much Going On

Not so much happening on the boating front at the moment but on the restoration side things are getting very busy. The scrub and trees on both sides of lock 15 on the Grantham canal have had to be removed to allow access for plant to begin the restoration and it all had to be down before the start of spring and the nesting season. The volunteers set to with a will and it’s good to see how big the work parties are becoming these days. It would seem that the more people can see something happening the more there are who want to be part of it and it’s great to see. Just wish I could remember all their names.

In here somewhere.

 

 Slash and burn

 

You couldn’t see those farm buildings before.

 

Once the scrub was cleared WRG forestry section came in to drop the big stuff.

All down by February 28.

 

Never knew that gate was there.

 

Just leaves us to clear away with the very welcome help of local farmer John.

Now it’s all back at Woolsthorpe with the intention of selling it for firewood to raise funds for the society once it has been split and dried.

 

There are some lovely pieces of ash, willow and hawthorn I have purloined with the thought of turning out tiller handles with the different types of wood recovered during the restoration.

Otherwise on the GCS front. Osberton is now fully functional thanks to the efforts of Dave and Steve. Just needs to be blacked now before putting it back in the water, unfortunately it has taken a bit longer than hoped because of the deadline at lock 15.

Platform repaired and back in place.

 

And joy of joys the chains I remade didn’t break on the first operation.

 

Three Shires the trip boat has been serviced and the front seats braced and strengthened. The seats take an extra pounding because of all the people stepping on and off especially on the bank holiday trip days the society runs.

On the home front the trees have all been given a haircut and the rotavating has just been completed though the ground is still a bit on the soft side. They reckon it has been a sunny winter so why do we seem to be running later than usual? Karen has given the grass its first trim but the mower is playing up as it looks like the engine brake cable has frayed in the sleeve. New one ordered but it will take two weeks to be delivered.

In the workshop a new router table with elevator assembled and is up and running but I haven’t had a chance to play with it yet because the is so much going on.

Don’t know if I have been bored or countersunk at the moment. Hopefully I can catch up as the days get longer J

Time Off

Happy new year all!

 

Plenty doing on at the moment with the Grantham canal, which is where I think I may be for quite some time over this spring. The new weed boat is hoped to be up and running shortly so it can be used before the nesting season starts and plenty more self set trees and bushes to remove between towpath and canal.

Looks like the lottery funding has come through and there is over £800,000 in the pot to restore the next two locks from Woolsthorpe (14 & 15) and do some preparatory work on the next two needing restoration. As I understand it one of the provisos is that volunteers are encouraged to train on various aspects of the construction, so if you want to learn how to drive a dumper , work a digger or lay bricks etc. come along and join us.

 

Trudy-Ann is as ready as she will ever be. There will always be little tweaks or adjustments to be made, just like any home.

The initial reason for this blog was to celebrate the building of a new boat and our excitement as it developed.

Unfortunately it turned into a warning about the cowboy that fitted it out, but from then on it also turned into a record of the rebuild and the pleasure in seeing things come together.

I may use this blog as a record of our cruises but there will not be any major trips until Karen gets to retire which hopefully won’t be too far in the future but as it stands the main reason for this record is over so don’t expect too many entries in the near future.

 

Safe cruising folks.