Gralyn Travels

On the first of April Gralyn was taken out of the water on the slipway of the NCCC. The sides and under the swim were first scraped and then washed with a hot water pressure washer. The big supprise was the numbers of fresh water mussles that had accumulated under the swim

April 2nd, Now the hard work started the hull was cleaned off using an angle grinder fitted with a wire brush and one coat of bitumen was applied using just  brushes, rollers will be used on the next coats. This was to make sure that all the nooks and crannies were covered.  

April 3rd, The second coat of bitumen was put on with rollers today a much quicker job than yesterday.

Apil 4th.   No work today everything covered in frost and ice

April 5th.   Nic came and fitted new anodes at the rear and covers on the foreward locker drain holes, hopefully to stop water getting in.

April 6th.   Boat covered in Snow today good job there is a car boot sale at the club to keep us occupied.

April 7th.   Bitter cold day but managed to get the weed hatch cleaned scraped and a coat of bitumen on befor tackling the topsides of the hull. Managed to get a coat of black gloss on.

April 8th   Rain today so no work done had hoped to finish the topside yellow band but the forecast is for frost overnight so didnt bother.

Today, still raining but the forecast is for it to clear by afternoon, maybe I can get on with painting then.  Went to the boat at 2 pm and managed to get the final coat of bitumin on the hull and a top coat on the yellow band at the back, just hope it dosn’t rain before it is dry.

With the weather being so bad with bitterly cold winds we decided to stay at home and go to Bugsworth by car for the Hat and Tie competitions on Sunday. At least I have got some of the garage sorted out.

It was a very windy night. We went to the NCCC Fitting-out Supper/St Patrick’s night and stayed on the boat. Woke in a panic 1 hour before Chris and Mair our Guests for the Opening Cruise arrived. 11 am and we were off in convoy about 13 boats down the Macclesfield Cannal from Br 12 to Br 20 and return for a shepherds pie lunch in the club house. Then put the boat away and home– we were shattered.

Tomorrow we will spend the afternoon on the boat preparing for the NCCC Opening Cruise on Sunday and their Easter Cruise on the next weekend. Saturday night is the clubs Fitting-out Supper and we will stay on the boat on Saturday night. On Sunday we will be joined by our friends Chris & Mair for the cruise.

Went to the boat to do a bit more tidying up and unlike last weekend the boat was afloat. Managed to pull back from the bank and retied in deeper water. This should allow us to get off the mooring easier for the NCCC opening cruise on the 16th. A week later will be Easter when we go off to Bugsworth Basin for the Weekend.

To get from Stockport to the River Thames we are taking a convaluted route. We start off by going to Chester with our friend from the North Cheshire Cruising Club (NCCC) by traveling down the Macclesfield Canal to Kidsgrove then down the infamous Heartbreak Hill on the Trent and Mersey canal to Middlewich and cross over to the Shropshire Union canal at Barbridge. Then it is a run North down the wide locks of the ‘Shroppie’ into Chester, where we will spend a few days.

After our stay in Chester we set off for the Thames propper and head South to the end of the ‘Shroppie’ at Autherly near Wolverhampton. This is to be the location of this years IWA festival. We turn North onto the ‘Staffs and Worcester canal’ and head for the junction with the ‘Trent and Mersey’ at Great Haywood. We then head for Fradley junction and turn onto the Coventry canal to Sutton Stop where we join the Northern Oxford canal passing through Tamworth and Atherston on our way. We will stay on the Northern Oxford passing through Rugby untill we reach Braunston where we turn right and head for Napton Junction and the Southern Oxford canal. After the locks at Napton and Marston Doles the canal twists and turns untill you reach Fenny Compton and then it is through Cropready and into Banbury. After Banbury there are several deep heavy locks on the way down through Aynho and Thrupp to the junction with theDuke’s Cut and on to the Thames.

 Once on the river the locks are worked for you by lock keepers who use long poles to open and close the opposite gates on the wide locks. We will make our way up to the head of Navigation at Letchlade. From Letchlade the run down river is through Oxford, Abbingdon, Goring, Reading, Henley and Windsor where we may take a break to attend a wedding in Norfolk. Then it is on past Runymead and Shepperton to Hampton Court and Teddington. We will visit London and have a go on the London Eye from one of these locations before we set off back to Stockport. Route at the moment yet to be planned.

We thought that getting ready fo 3 weeks holiday was time consuming, this extended cruise is taking lots more planning. It started last November when the engine came out for a major overhaul (I wanted to be sure that everthing would be working OK). Thats been done now and a new “hospital silencer” fitted. The next thing is to sort out the boat licence renewal that happens in the middle of the trip. I have spoken to BW customer services and arranged to pay in advance.    We have also been creating space for all the things we need to take so lots of stuff that has not been used for several years or we have more than enough of on board has been taken off and put in the loft. In april the boat will be taken out of the water and have the hull cleaned and repainted.

I have set up this blog to record the trip to the River Thames in my narrowboat Gralyn. We will be making the trip after I have retired. I will start tonight with an account of the preperation for the journey.