Settled in

Here we are back on the Marina our boat is NB CONVEYANCER she is a nice 58 footer very comfortable, neat and full of charm we have got her on our own mooring so everything is very much the same. I have not yet been back up to Castleford to see Buggerlugs I am thinking of heading up there one day next week as we need to collect some stuff from her and I need to repair the cooker, also have a quick look to see how its all progressing.
Its been quite busy her I have started on the roof of Conveyancer I am just rubbing it down and doing a bit of a paint job. I am also getting ready to do John stern tube (thats sounds like a medical complaint) its the tube that the prop shaft runs through it needs re packing, John is laid up with a repaired foot he has now got more metal and plastic than bone so whilst I have time on my hands I said I would do it
I have had time to get some fishing in picture attached that was Sunday what a great day  caught loads of fish then I had two pike the same size most unusual to get two of this size in the same swim.

I hope Buggerlugs is completed soon I am getting itchy feet again

God Bless

sign sealed and delivered

Hi everyone
Not long after I posted the last instalment I received a phone call to tell us that the lock and the navigation was now open, however that was about 16.00hrs so there was no point in moving as it would soon be getting dark. So 07.00 the following morning both boats were ready to go I must admit this next few miles filled me with great trepidation having been told all the horror stories of the floods I really was expecting trouble.
On leaving Leeds the first lock takes you down onto the river this is were the devastation caused by the floods starts to show, the trees lining the banks show debris up to 12ft/15ft. waals along the tow path had been washed away many boats were left high and dry and others left to a worse fate approaching Knostrop lock were the dredgers were still hard at it all my frustration from the past two weeks ebbed from me and I was left with admiration for the guys (and Gals) who were really doing there best to get things back to normal "what ever that is" I may have had a rough and frustrating trip but we are still alive and the boat is still in one piece.
We reached Castleford by lunch sorted out all we were taking off the boat walked up the road got the hire car (van) loaded all our gear for the next six weeks, had a good few hours talking over the work to be done. with Shane and his crew, I feel confident in leaving Buggerlugs in their capable hands. We left early the next morning sad to be leaving our home behind but I shall be going up every week to keep an eye on things

Thanks for listening to my rants it has been frustrating at times

But here we are now on our surrogate boat we are settled in and will be very comfortable on her

God Bless all 

So Near yet so Far

Saturday 19th March

Last night whilst mooring up we were informed that passage beyond Leeds would not be possible until at Wends next week. This morning I awoke with a very heart knowing after all the stoppages beak downs and irritations even through all the effort put in by all we were not going to get there on time.
However from here in Leeds we are only 4 hours away from our objective, if we would have been allowed to continue we would have made it. So even though we will not make it I consider conquering everything that was thrown at us with stoppages, fouling props, water shortages, and the ineptitude of the CRT to keep us informed of what's going on then I consider we have wonderfully well.
Arriving here at 12.00 gave Kath and John enough time to pack bags and catch a train back to Lancashire John is having an op on his foot and we wish him all the best with that job and our thanks go out again to both of them for the gracious help in getting up here.
Mike and his are staying here in Leeds with us and waiting to travel down to Castleford with us were we will split they then go south to Doncaster.
So Folks that's it we won the Battle but not the war we will now wait until Wednesday for the opening of knolstrop lock this because of dredging and repair work from the Boxing day floods when a number of boats were lost, so we cannot complain we are still afloat and the damage has to be repaired.
As I have said CRT knew this work was going on and according to the work gangs we have spoken to say that CRT were informed and if CRT had passed the correct info to us we could have saved ourselves a great deal of heart ache and returned to our home mooring until the route was clear. However they didn't and here we are only hours away from our goal at lease we now get a few days off.

God Bless every one

Buggerlugs in Leeds

Clerk of Works

Friday 18th  March

After last night removing the Duvet from the prop we all had a good nights rest and set off this morning with the intent desire to get to Leeds it was going to be a push but something we all considered achievable. 07.30 was first parade then O745 POL 08.00hrs main parade all present and correct so off we set only to get as far as Shipply to discover that the Dock Lane Swing bridge was under construction having had the old one removed and a beautiful automatic one put in to replace. As I had checked all the web site for all the relevant  stoppages I was quite surprised to encounter this little lot I spoke to the foreman on site and was then rebuked by the rest of the crew for blaming this poor unfortunate British workman who'e sole intent that day was to tickle the brige to death by stroking it with a soft broom. hk would be having had words with them CRT office in Leeds and the same words with Wigan I was informed that the work would be completed and they would open the bridge for us as soon as possible Well my words of encouragement must have worked as the mad with the brush decided to start chastising the bridge with the brush and really kicking up a dust storm The foreman got another set of papers under his arm and a sharper pencil two others left the confines of the rest home (Cabin) still clutching their bacon butties and proceed granted with only one hand each (as the other was clutching the aforesaid butty. After 30mins we were informed that the bridge was now ready and everything was working BUT it had to pass the safety check and the Clerk of works was on his way. Now I do not know about your experiences with Clerk of works but those who have dealings with them will understand how much gloom this brought on the proceedings . Now he arrived in his spanking new HV jacket, super white hard hat, sparkly safety boots a wad of paper and the obligatory sharp pencil. Like a cock in the hen roost he strutted his stuff for a further 45 mins when he was sure that everyone in the surrounding area  had seen what a wonderful powerful man he was he walked over to me as I had stood their all the time making quite sure that he new that there was at least one person who was not impressed by his rig out, his wad of paper or his bloody sharp pencil, He said "Right sir I have done the inspection as laid down by reg ??and REG?? and I deem the bridge ready for purpose"  and what purpose would that be I ask " Well he said to allow ventricular and pedestrian traffic over the bridge and water traffic under the bridge" I said "Well woopy Bloody Doo Just the bloody thing and test your theory for untill a boat goes under it or a car over we will never bloody know this whole performance had now eaten 3hrs into our very tight time scale so we wrote of any aspirations of Leeds tonight  We decided on a secondary course of action that was to moor at Rodley were the mooring are along side the Rodley Arms good mooring Good ale Noreen had made a curry that was fantastic, a couple of red some good old crack and a good night sleep
That was friday Tomorrow we might just get to Leeds ?????????

almost there

Hi Folks

"Its been a funny old Day" I do not know where to start,  lets start with the weather its been a really grand day, The morning started bright but cold in fact not that far off freezing However as the day progressed the sun broke through and the heat transformed us. from Skipton to Bingley there are 17 swing bridges which we flew up John did advance party and had the bridges ready for us then the girls took over, As a crew they worked perfectly as a team and we were in Bingley in record time.
I will state some facts here, Any boater coming this far needs to invest in a wet suit. the water coming in over the cills of all the b
Bingley five rise and the three below are: without swearing awful they leak and shower the occupants of a 60 ft with a constant avalanche of water I have two bilge pumps that only just kept pace with the flow of water entering the through the decking plates, I had to close all doors and being a trad does not leave a lot of room for manoeuvres I was hit by a cascade  of water equivalent to 6 hose pipes. to make matters worse a 50ft cannot exit without having to back into the opposite corning causing an angle acute enough to get the bow out from the lock gate as you are performing this operation you are being subject to a maelstrom of water, I accept that locks are not the most technical of machines however I am sure that if the tradesmen of the 1800 could make a lock gate that does not leak WHY can,t we with today's technology do  the same?????

After leaving the bingley three rise we thought we were on a winner and we may get at least three hours in front of our schedule BUT entering the next lock Bugger lugs must have started to feel the cold and wrapped a DUVET around her prop maybe to protect her from the winter night as I do not agree with such frivolity It took three of us three hours to remove the bloody Duvet If I ever find the cretin who throughs whole king size duvets in the canal I swear they will alsobe keeping my prop dry.

As it is we are  still ahead of schedule but we could now be further, lets see what tomorrow will bring, that's one thing about boating you could never get boared ???

Big Al
Buggerlugs

Skipton

Weds 16 March


Awoke this morning to the distant call on the Curlew and pheasant what a nice way to wake up, However as I first stepped outside I realised why the were calling so loud the were shouting "stay in bed its bloody freezing"   and by Gum they were right coldest morning so far (we are now in Yorkshire it would be foolish to expect anything else. Arrived in Skipton at 13.00 we even found a decent mooring , Noreen and Kath managed to get to Morrisons. John arrived from his hospital appointment so we three lads shot off to the Narrowboat PUB for a few warmers into the bank then met the girls at Busy Lizzies for a fish super on the who quite a good day

Tomorrow we set off for Leeds should be there by sat and Castleford on Sunday that's the PLAN

God Bless everyone

Buggerlugs           

objective reached

Hi

Like every day so far we set off this morning with an objective in mind but unlike other days today we reach our objective we  also crossed over the boarder into Yorkshire as they are also in the EU we were allowed through without customs check but we were inspected for any illegal emigrants they tried to imprison Kath as she is from Westhoughton but I explained that she was our au pair and they were happy with that.
We are moored on the open moor just below Bank Newton locks as I was mooring the boat I was greeted by the call of a Curlew which I find most haunting it sounds so melancholy anyway we are now settled down for the night watching Casualty and then Happy Valley so as you can see we are well settled in for the night
As everything went well today and according to plan then I have little to report Tomorrow we will make Skipton were John will be joining us ready for the big push into Leeds as things stand that should sat so only one day behind which with all the delays we have had does not sound that bad
God Bless

Buggerlugs