MIXED EMOTIONS

WEDNESDAY 13TH APRIL 2011

I had the colonoscopy last Friday and yesterday evening the doctor says all was fine and GO! but here is a prescription for another capsule you must take for a couple of months, but hey, good news indeed.

We have had a couple of shake down cruises to Haddersley Lock and back which is where the Selby Canal joins the River Aire. It is a delightful spot and the first cruise back at the end of March was with friend Sylvia and her Danish chum Anne-Marie, whose lap Duggie spent most of the time sitting on.

Last Sunday we joined Pete and Doreen of N.B. KEB with a friend and four really lovely young people. The first BBQ of the year and super weather and fortunately I could still steer SKYY in a straight line. Today the journey would be one way, Yippee!! the adventures of SKYY and her crew were about to start again, but real sadness as we were saying au revoir to some lovely people, many who had become real friends, but they have all been so kind to us over the last, almost, nine months.

On the way to being refueled and pumped out Steve and Nikki from the newly launched N.B. Wayward Spinner piped us on our way and after Dave did his business with the various hoses and settling our bill with Marge in the chandlery, with a promise that we would return, we prepared to set off. Pete and Doreen were providing us with an escort to Haddersley and just as we were casting off Sylvia and her little dog arrived; with a promise from Pete that he would bring Sylvia back to the Boat Centre, Sylvia jumped on board for one last cruise.

The weather wasn’t as warm as last Sunday and the wind was brisk, but it was dry, well it was until we exited the Haddersley flood lock and after final hugs on the pontoon there were a few tears, of course it was the wind making our eyes water. We set of in convoy with N.B. Sunset Song, along the wide expanse of the River Aire, retracing our route of last July. We shared the work at the two locks before we stopped for the night just before the Ferrybridge flood lock. We might have carried on as the lock was open at both ends, but the warning light was on red and as we were tying up at the secure visitor mooring two huge gravel barges surged through the lock and then the warning light switched to amber, now we know that red definitely means stop.

The owners of Sunset Song decided to push on the Castleford, but as Jacquie was still suffering from a bad cold we decided to call it a day, light the stove and have an early night. Tomorrow we would, for us, be churning new water as we headed for The City of Leeds.

WATERWAYS MUSEUM

TUESDAY 29TH MARCH 2011

I am getting bored, SKYY is ready to go and so are we, but I am awaiting a phone call for hopefully my last hospital appointment. Recent blood test have shown a decreasing iron level and my doctor wants this investigated before we leave, I have already had a gastro endoscopy, which was inconclusive and an ‘up periscope’ examination is now required, ho hum. In the meantime I decide to visit The Yorkshire Waterways Museum at Goole WWW.waterwaysmuseum.org.uk Admission is free, which surprised me, but it isn’t a large museum and it is funded by the charity that runs the Sobriety Project. The internal display is all about how and why Goole Docks were built by The Aire and Calder Navigation Company and how the town of Goole was created to support the docks. Models of the various types of vessel that used this, the furthest inland dock in the country, are displayed along with many other interesting artefacts.

One of the many boats moored outside is Sobriety, a converted Humber Keel, now used for educational trips, Chris who skippered Ouse Patrol down to Goole in January, see blog OUSE CRUISE was doing some welding on her. Another craft is the tug Wheldale, Chris’s dad for many years skippered her, towing Tom Pudding to and from the coal mines, and he totally restored her when she was given to the Museum. Attached to the front of the tug is a ‘Jebus, this is a false bow that was fastened to the first of the heavily loaded Tom Pudding compartments to provide a more stream line front end to stop water slopping into the front tub and sinking it. When the tubs were being towed back empty of coal the Jebus was attached to the front of the tug, as it is now.

Alongside the tug is a square rigged keel, in full working trim, this is owned and sailed by Chris who restored and maintains her in excellent condition. I spent an interesting few hours here supported by a ploughman’s baguette from the well priced cafeteria. The other good news is that within minutes of getting back to SKYY my phone rang and an appointment was made with the hospital, that all being well, will enable us to get on our way only a few days later than originally intended.

CRANE DAY

TUESDAY 15TH MARCH 2011

Something interesting to blog about at last. February and March have been used to get SKYY smartened up ready to start cruising, painting out last years battle scars etc, but nothing worth photographing or blogging about, until Tuesday.

N.B. Wayward Spinner has been inside a poly tunnel since we arrived at the Selby Boat Centre and was being fitted out by Neil, a professional boat fitter and a superb job he has been doing. The owners, Steve and Nikki, were due to move on board and be launched at the end of last month, well they did move on board, but the cranes hire company had problems, it seems that the modern lorry mounted crane is a marvel of computer and electronic wizardry, but when it goes wrong you can’t just call the RAC or even RCR. Eventually on the 15th of March a 100 ton crane arrived on site promptly at 9 o’clock, albeit over two weeks late.

The poly tunnel had been dismantled some while back, leaving Wayward Spinner exposed, sitting on its sleepers. The first lift was to swing her to a position adjacent to the canal side, and lot of adjusting of the strops took place before she was lifted and gently lowered into the correct position. The strops and chains were released, but it took some while before the crane was reversed alongside the boat, during the interval the jib was fully extended which I think was to run the lifting cable off the winding drum and then retracted allowing the cable to be rewound, there had been several loud ‘boings’ on this lift which fortunately came from he crane rather than Wayward Spinner clonking against anything and I imagine the crane driver was ensuring the cable was positioned correctly on the drum. Naturally there were calls across the canal to Steve who was on the far side to get the best view, that the crane had broken down, fortunately he quickly realised it was just his leg that was being pulled.

The final lift, swing and lowering into the canal was accomplished very smoothly and Wayward Spinner settled down into the water looking well trimmed. Almost immediately Steve disappeared inside to put ‘t’ kettle on for a cup of tea, to warm their chums on this chilly misty morning, at this, the start of the next stage of their adventure and tonight for the first time they would be rocked to sleep.

Another boat was to take advantage of the crane; this is as yet, unnamed shell had very recently been blacked and painted and was immediately adjacent to the other side of the crane, but before being lifted the crane drive delicately lowered a new engine into the engine bay where its rested on the bearers, to be bolted down at a later date. The main lift was spectacularly much higher this time, to clear a small tree, but as before the boats first wetting went very smoothly, but it would obviously need a lot of ballast and trimming and for this boat, the hard work of fitting out was about to begin for the owner.

Not long before we start off, we have booked our passage into the centre of Liverpool docks for the middle of May. This promises to be quite an exciting passage, BW staff will escort us in from just east of Aintree and we will pass through all of the main docks, through tunnels and passed the Royal Liver Building before mooring in Salterhouse Dock. This has only been possible since construction of the Liverpool Canal Link in 2009 and the booking was very straightforward, following a phone call to BW at Wigan on 01942 405700. The very helpful Denise Bradshaw emailed me the Information and Skippers Guide plus application forms. The two completed forms have to signed and returned and within a couple of days my Booking Confirmation and mooring plan had been emailed onto me. Hopefully this year there will be enough water in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to get us there, but watch out for when my blogging starts in earnest.

OUSE CRUISE

FRIDAY 21ST JANUARY 2011

Today is another blogging exception, except the cruising wasn’t on SKYY but on Ouse Patrol, this was the vessel that for years up until 2004 had daily plotted the deep water channel from Goole to Trent falls

Back last year on November the 11th Ouse Patrol slipped its mooring from just astern of SKYY at the Selby Boat Centre and headed off towards Goole, sadly it never made it beyond the swing bridge to Selby Basin, stopped by a overheating port engine and there it stayed, frozen in until a few days ago when on just the starboard engine it was eased into the relative safety of the basin. Fortunately the only damage from vandalism amounted to one broken and one cracked window, with nothing stolen or damaged.

A couple of days later Brian & John who had been looking after her called on me to say Hi and that the water cooler had been repaired and she was ready to head off on Friday, I asked if I could join them for the voyage to Goole Docks and at 9 o’clock on an icy cold Friday morning I was met by Brian, John and Chris who would be the skipper. The two six cylinder Lister engines were coaxed into life by Brian amidst clouds of white smoke and the good news was that there did appear to be sufficient water coming outboard from the port engine. John set about organising the ropes, Chris got the feel of the engine controls and my job was to scrape the ice off the out and insides of all the windows.

The Environment Agency guys pulled back the flood defence barrier in front of the lock, it had been a full moon two nights ago which can mean very high tides and Nigel the relief lock keep, open the lock gates crunching up the one inch thick ice that had formed overnight. The wash from the twin props broke up the ice behind us and Ouse Patrol was reversed back into the clear water before being nudged forward towards the lock entrance, the ice scrunched up all around us, but Chris got her in and Nigel went to work with his buttons and soon the boat was heading out and down stream and under the massive swing bridge that carries the Selby bypass over the river.

As the engines warmed up the smoke from the exhausts completely disappeared and all we left behind was a substantial bow wave, the generator was charging, both engines were running at the perfect temperature and oil pressure was fine, accepting that the port gauge in the wheelhouse was showing zero, but Brian said that the gauge in the engine room was fine.

Even though there was plenty of water in the river Chris kept the boat well away from the inside of the numerous bend as going aground on an ebb tide is not the thing to do. On our port side we passed the entrance to the River Derwent, which Chris said was now un-navigable, if you did manage to get up to the first lock which wasn’t operable there was no where to turn round. Shortly afterwards the cooling towers of Drax power station were on our right followed by the huge blades of dozen or so wind turbines.

Asselby Island was kept to our left; many boats have tried it the other way and have become stuck fast. Whilst traversing the island The River Aire joined us from the right, this river used to be navigable from West Haddersley, at the other end of The Selby Canal, but not now. We passed under the swinging part of Boothferry Swing Bridge of which Brian had a couple of interesting tales to tell and then under the central arch of the M62 Motorway. A few more twist and turns and under Goole Railway Swing Bridge and Goole harbour was in sight. If Victoria Lock was operational it would be a simple case of cruising straight in and just putting on the brakes before reaching the far end. As it is. Ocean lock is the one in use now and that faces down stream, Chris kept in tight to the harbour wall and slowed right down as he approached the jetty that jutted out in front of us, the other side of which the flow from the Dutch River joins the Ouse. Just before the jetty and side onto the entrance to the lock Chris put the helm over to port and just using the starboard engine swung the boat 250 deg so that it was now heading straight into this massive lock. John hooked to one of the locks ladders and up we went entering into the all most deserted port. We passed under a small bridge and on our left was the last three preserved Tom Puddings and their hydraulically operated lift and loading chute that used to pick up these tubs and empty the coal into waiting boats. The wooden water tower that provided the hydraulic pressure to operate it also looked very well preserved. There had been many of these towers dotted around port providing the pressure to operate the locks and cranes, but all gone now.

Ouse Patrol found a secure mooring close to the Waterways Museum into whose care she may find herself. The crew had all really enjoyed the trip especially as the boat had behaved so well. Chris ran us all back to Selby to collect the vehicle that they had arrived in and to drop me off, thanks guys for your friendship and a great morning on the river and good fortune to Ouse Patrol.

SCARBOROUGH

TUESDAY 19TH JANUARY 2011

As regular follows know I only generally blog about what we do when out cruising, but today was such a gorgeous one it seemed a shame not to share. We decided to drive to Scarborough, it took about an hour and at this time of year you can park free for three hours right on the sea front.

We drove into South Bay under a high pedestrian bridge and parked up and walked back under and over this bridge towards the Spa and concert hall before descending and letting Duggie join all the other dogs on the beach. Yep, between October and March dogs are allowed, providing you clean up after them.

The harbour is still a working one and a boat was unloading its catch as we walked around and up to the lighthouse. In the inner harbour boats of all descriptions lay tranquilly against their moorings and with the ancient castle as a backdrop the resulting photograph would be perfect for a jigsaw.

Coffee and cake in a harbour side café completes our three hour stay and we drove back heading into a splendid sunset, promising ourselves that we would return again.

Other SKYY news is that we did indeed spend Christmas on SKYY with a couple of local friend joining us. However the New Year was spent in the South of England, spreading ourselves out amongst as many chums as we could fit in over a fortnight, only returning to SKYY on the 13th of January.

Before Christmas we eventually bought a porta potti, but from the local Argus store as the couriers for the Ebay one couldn’t promise when they would be able to deliver, Our money was immediately refunded by the supplier. Fortunately the warmer weather at the beginning of this week did enable us to get a pumpout. Although the canal did refreeze Wednesday night the forecast until the end of January does not indicate another ice ages, so fingers crossed that February will be kind to us all.

BRRRRRR

MONDAY 1ST TO TUESDAY 30TH NOVEMBER 2010

What a difference in the weather from the beginning to the end of November, but we are very cosy and warm on Skyy and the electric blanket is lovely making Jacquie’s sexy!! fleece pyjamas almost superfluous. At the beginning of the month we had a delivery of ten 25k bags of Homefire Ovals from www.coals2u.co.uk, it burns hot and long and one bag lasts between four and five days, depending on how cold it is. We have just ordered another ten bags which road and snow permitting will hopefull reach us before we use the last bag.

Fortunately the water supply remains turned on and providing the day time temperature gets above freezing we are able to keep our water tank topped up. The only problem is that the needle on the gauge to the loo tank is now well into the red and SKYY is well and truly iced in. Even if we could break SKYY free of the ice, the pump out facilities are frozen and very often the basic on shore toilet is also frozen. To save us having to keep walk crossed leg to MacDonalds, Homebase, Sainsburys etc. we decided to order from an EBay supplier a Porta Potti, fortunately it will fit into our bathroom between the existing toilet and the shower and we can empty the cassette at the Sanitary Station at Selby Lock, unfortunately the new Porta Potti is frozen into the couriers depot in Hull, but hopefully it will arrive tomorrow.

Duggie loves the snow, all ten inched of it, but hates his coat and hides when it comes into view, but on these very cold days it’s essential. As it is his legs and face gets covered in snowballs that stick to his fur and depending as to how much is stuck he either goes into the shower or a bowl of hot water and a flannel will suffice to melt it.

Since the beginning of the month I have been attending the rehab sessions and ‘Romping through it’ was how my progress was described by one of the physios. I have one more week to go, this weeks session having been cancelled because of the bad weather. In between there have been numerous trips to the doctors for final cardiac assessment, blood tests, retinal photography, test results and dentist etc. and the good news is that I am absolutely fine.

Ever since SKYY came to Selby Boat Centre the Motor Vessel Ouse Patrol had been moored up behind us. This is a very sturdy business like boat but was starting to look rather tired and neglected, when a couple of chaps came along and said that the intention was to take her back to Goole Docks. Whilst they abortively attempted to start the twin six cylinder diesel engines, batteries were very dead, I had a long chat with them. Up to 2004 this vessel went out every day from Goole to plot the shipping channel along the Rivers Trent and Ouse, and each day the river pilots were given the daily plot. In October 2004 the Ouse Patrol and it’s regular crew all retired and the boat has unsuccessfully been up for sale ever since. Jeb, one of the crew lent me a DVD of a film of that last day at work and how different she looked with all her brass work gleaming and her shiny white paint. On the 11th November the crew returned and the batteries having been recharged the engines started in a cloud of exhaust smoke and slowly she eased out into the middle of the canal all the time scrapping the bottom. Her destination was Selby Lock and downstream to Goole, but I was surprised that evening to see that she had only got as far as the Selby Swing Bridge, just before the lock basin and there she still is and surprisingly vandal free, but for how long? Hopefully she will soon be on her way to a safer location.

In the middle of the month we drove south, stopping of at lots of different friend before staying nearly a week with Tor and her nine month little girl, Emily, what a delight, although I stayed well out of the way at feeding time and nappy changing events, Emily got on well with Duggie providing the stair guard was between them, saving Duggies, Dennis Healey eye brows from tugging and Emily’s fingers from a nip. We ended our trip at Kim and Johns, before heading back to Selby on Sunday.

Monday evening, just after I arrived back from rehab, Phil and Lynne plus Stanley the dog arrived for a visit. Duggie and Stanley had a quick spat before peace and eventual friendship took over. On the Wednesday Lynne brought her ninety year old Dad for a visit. He joined us back in the summer on the River Weaver and as then, we went for a little cruise, although the weather was dry and bright as it was last time, it was very cold, but we got the stove stoked up so that it was warm enough for him to sit under the cratch cover in the front well as we cruised up to Haddersley Lock. We turned and stopped for lunch here, arriving back at our mooring just before it got dark when Lynne ran her Pop back to Brighouse before returning to SKYY for supper. They left us early next morning for the start of their return trip to the West Country.

Our intention is to stay on SKYY for Christmas and at the moment it looks as if it will be a white one, it is all very pretty at the moment but warmer weather if it arrives won’t disappoint. In the meantime stay warm and our good wishes go out to all those brave continuous cruisers.

MAC'S IN REHAB

TUESDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER TO FRIDAY 29TH OCTOBER

I'm obviously feeling so much better that I feel the need to do a bit more blogging.
The sun is shinning and the stove is keeping us all cosy, I've had a little snooze and even my brain is feeling fit, so here goes.

Again thank you to everyone who has left a comment on the blog, saying nice things and wishing us well. I find it hard to understand that my blog 'followers' has doubled to 24. Obviously there is nothing like a good medical drama to increase interested concern and again thanks.

Our stay in Selby has not been lonely, we have had visits from Kim and John, Marilyn and Brian and Colin and Barbara and a very surprise visit from John of N.B Tangine Queen on his way up North to join chums for some serious walking.



We have also visited the lovely market town of Knaresborough with its unusual painted windows. I amazed both Jacquie and myself by being able to walk up from the river to the castle with just a short stop to catch my breath that would have been impossible before my operation; the angina would have meant stopping several times until the pain subsided, what a result!


We have also visited my hospital chum Bob and Christine, twice at their home, which is in a magnificent setting, once whilst he was waiting for his operation following his MRSA infection and happily again a week or so following his successful valve replacement. We also keep in touch by phone and he is progressing well.

Jacquie, Duggie and I are regularly walking between four to six miles a day and my bottom half is feeling very fit and although Jacquie does allow me to look after the ash and coal for the stove and other boat chores my upper body feels a bit weedy, excepting of course that I was never was a Charles Atlas. However I have now started the rehabilitation course at York hospital and the team know that I expect to look a little like Charlton Heston in Ben Hur when they have done with me, although I have been told not to hold my breath.

The course is for six weeks, two hours, two days a week. The first hour is carefully controlled and monitored exercise. A waist strap and wrist watch continually show my heart rate and before, during and after exercise my blood pressure is taken. I have also enrolled onto a research project to confirm whether additional strength exercises are beneficial in the long term for cardiac patients. This means that I get to use weights and some machines which most certainly will be beneficial for me when we start cruising again, but at the moment my back is a bit achy but by Monday I shall be ready for the next session. The second hour is for informal talks and discussions relating to every aspect of recovery and our future well being. Without doubt we made the right decision to stay the winter in Selby and make the most of this excellent programme and all the other follow up appointments with my cardiologist and for blood tests etc.

Life is full of surprises, our computer throws a wobbly a couple of weeks, and firstly we couldn't send or receive emails through Outlook. My mate Andy who initially set up our web page enabled us to access our emails through the internet, but then we suddenly also lost our internet connection and for us that is really like being up a creak without a paddle. Whilst idly chatting to boating neighbour Pete, I casually mentioned our computer problem, when he said "Before I retired I was an IT communications expert, maybe I can sort it for you" One hour and a cup of strong tea later, the problem was solved. Our virus checker Norton had somehow got mashed and was blocking everything. Pete had a Norton removal tool on his 34G stick, he removed Norton, replaced it with AVG, a free virus checker and now everything is hunky dory, what a star.

Off to a pub quiz tonight with Pete and his Wife so we will have an opportunity to say thank with more than just a cup of tea.

That's it for now, but will occasionally post a blog to keep all interested followers up to date. Stay warm and dry.