My Canal Boat Trip 2015

[JOhnGw]

Wednesday


Beautiful sunny morning but I couldn't enjoy it to the full because I had to get my treasurer's report emailed for tonight's meeting of the Swansea Canal Society. This meant that I didn't get out in the really quiet early morning.
When I eventually emerged to water the herbs I got a friendly good morning from the first passing cyclist and when I was polishing the brass I had to shut the stern doors when the first moving boat of the morning came round the bend.


The cyclist disappearing down the towpath.


Watering the herbs


Closing the stern doors


Greeting the passing boater.


Polishing the brass.

We stopped for lunch just north of Kidderminster when I took the opportunity to re-do the engine mounts after which we travelled on as far as Kinver where we found the visitor moorings almost empty.
Overnight I lay awake for some time thinking through the engine alignment process. I intend to have another go at it in the morning while M and grandson go shopping in Kinver.

[nuduke]

Spiffing reports JOhn!

The great thing is that last year we did a lump of the journey you describe and so I recognised your mention of locations and we had a meal at the Kings Head in Worcester on our way home!

I look forward to the next instalment!

When I eventually emerged to water the herbs

  Is this a euphemism!

John

[eyesup]

Spiffing reports JOhn!
. . . .

When I eventually emerged to water the herbs

  Is this a euphemism!

John

If they ARE herbs for cooking, I would hope not!

Duane

[JOhnGw]

Spiffing reports JOhn!
. . . .

When I eventually emerged to water the herbs

  Is this a euphemism!

John

If they ARE herbs for cooking, I would hope not!

Duane

Getting the water - poured onto the compost, not on the plants.

[JOhnGw]

An almost totally off-forum post:

Friday

After a naked hour or so doing the usual boat chores, sorting out some Canal Society administration and cleaning the outside brass I dressed to cycle up to the village for some more supplies and the morning paper.
The rest of the daywas regular textile boating, terminated with a meal in the Round Oak pub at the Bratch.
On the way I took a few pictures to illustrate the day.


Masses of Himalayan Balsam beside the canal.
This is a plant introduced into Britain in Victorian times and is now regarded as an invasive species because of the way in which it smothers all the native plants in its path. It is particularly bad for rivers and canals because it kills off all the vegetation which normally holds the banks together and, having no substantial root structure itself and dying back in the winter, it allows the banks to erode.
Unlike Japanese Knotweed it is safe to eliminate as it does not require special disposal measures so many canal societies hold an annual "Balsam Bash" at the beginning of the flowering season when it is easy to identify and has not yet started to spread seeds for next year's invasion.


Meeting another boat with yet more Himilayan Balsam visible by the towpath.


M chatting with the waiting boaters while the lock fills. Grandson is standing by the offside paddle gear ready to close the sluice when the gate opens.


Entering a bridge hole. The bridge style varies from canal to canal.

I hope to have some more free range naturism to report tomorrow.

[JOhnGw]

Saturday Morning

So much for my hope of free-range naturism.
I had moored up in a suitable quiet location for nudity around the boat and noticed a hedge gap into a field close by. However on the way to the pub last night I saw that suburbia had invaded the rural space. As I knew that we are moored in a very short quiet stretch nudity is confined to the environs of the boat.
As soon as the rain stops I'll be out naked polishing the brass but the rest of the day will be textile boating.


Our mooring with the garden of the next house in the distant background.


The gap in the towpath hedge.


The view from where I am standing in the previous picture.
Yet more Himalayan Balsam is visible.

[JOhnGw]

Needless to say on Saturday morning the rain did not stop in time for me to polish the brass while naked.
Also in response to a post in another topic here is a composite picture of Ernest's interior.




Sunday

Saturday evening we stopped in what looked like an ideal FRN location and for once I was not disappointed, getting in three hours of naturist activity before it was time to set off.
In detail:
I made the morning tea and the dough for the rolls and croissants and then occupied myself outside while the rolls proved and the croissant dough chilled.
Outside I cleaned the brass, put the cockpit cushions out after drying the locker tops and then decided to trim my beard in the towpath sunshine. Unfortunately I was so engrossed in the task that I fell down on my FRN alertness and failed to see the early dog walker approaching me from behind. My attention had also been distracted by seeing a heron alight in the cattle field opposite and I was setting up the video camera ready to get some footage when he wished me good morning as he passed.
It was then time to finish making the croissants, baking the rolls and preparing the breakfast which I enjoyed naked before dressing to set off.


The dog walker approaching me from behind.


The herons in the cattle field

In the afternoon it started raining heavily so I moored up in what looked like a perfect place for a bit of FRN including a perfect opportunity to get a classic picture for the “Bridges” topic. See http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4246695 and http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-1406777-high-bridge-bridge-no-39-shropshire-uni#.Vdq79iVViko
Unfortunately there was no telephone signal so we had to move on as soon as it stopped raining to M could sort out with daughter-in-law about collecting grandson.
The only mooring we found with signal seems to be highly unsuitable for morning FRN.


The mooring.

[jbeegoode]

Your FRN, your stealth seem to be taking your craft into an art.

It appears that there are plenty of sizable windows giving an open feel and air flow, more that I had imagined.
Jbee

[eyesup]

We have invasive species here also. Cheatgrass, native to Europe, Asia et al. It's sole purpose seems to be to reproduce and provide fuel for fires ignited by lightening strikes. Normally the desert just doesn't have that much to burn. Except for the cheatgrass.

There are others in wetlands areas also. It is a battle that is slowly being lost.

It certainly looks busy on the canal. I had an image of silent and secluded trips through rural areas with nary sound. That last photo looks like a street scene with all the boats lined up.

Duane

[JOhnGw]

Monday

In spite of the expected unsuitability for morning nudity the overnight mooring turned out to be quiet enough for me to do all the outside chores naked and take a couple of relevant pictures.


Running the bilge pump.


Goldstone Bridge No 55 on the Shropshire Union Canal

We set off at about 9 a.m. for Market Drayton where grandson's mother was going to collect him. After we moored up I cycled into the town to checkout the shopping and get a further supply of BEER tokens. While there I spotted the Red Lion micro-brewery which claims to brew Joule's BEER to the original recipe. The original brewery was taken over by the big multinational brewer and closed down.
After a very pleasant lunch with daughter-in-law in the Talbot Inn I stripped off, reverted the middle cabin from bunk mode to study mode and re-packed the stern gland wearing only my boiler suit.
In the evening we walked into town and dined at the Red Lion where I sampled a pint or two of their brew which was the same beer I enjoyed when I lived and worked in Stafford in the 1960's. After a very pleasant evening we had a taxi back to the boat as my knee was playing up.
Quick FRN moment
After we had undressed I felt the urgent need to dispose of a certain amount of excess fluid while M was occupying the bathroom so, the canal and towpath being very quiet, I went out on the bows and watered the towpath grass.


A re-enactment of the above moment the next morning (without the excess fluid problem).

Duane,
There are now more leisure boats on the canals than ever, considerable exceeding the number of working boats in their commercial heyday. Yesterday morning there were eight boats going up or down the flight of five locks when we were there which made it a very social experience. Obviously, the canals were built to link commercial centres and more communities sprang up around them.
The picture below is the view from where the above picture was taken.

[eyesup]

Love the 1st picture. A quiet morning with the fog laying down on the water.
Hopefully it's as quiet as it looks.

With early morning naked activity, how's the temps? You look comfortable.

Duane

[Greenbare Woods]

After we had undressed I felt the urgent need to dispose of a certain amount of excess fluid while M was occupying the bathroom so, the canal and towpath being very quiet, I went out on the bows and watered the towpath grass.

Its been said that there is nothing else as much fun as messing around with a boat.

I'm sure the towpath grass will be more green for getting additional "love" this morning. 

[JOhnGw]

Love the 1st picture. A quiet morning with the fog laying down on the water.
Hopefully it's as quiet as it looks.

With early morning naked activity, how's the temps? You look comfortable.

Duane

I can't find a record of the temperature Monday morning but I would guess that it was in the range of 12 to 15 degrees (that's somewhere in the 50's in old money).

[JOhnGw]

Tuesday

I woke up early for my usual naked time and took the last two pictures in the Monday post.
I then spent too much time on the net so by the time I got round to doing the brass there was too much activity to do it naked. The rest of the day was spent clothed except for a few minutes re-adjusting the stern gland where I has tightened down the new packing too much and had to loosen it off. I did this task naked as we were now in a suitable location.
We are now moored up for the night in a location which promises well for a little FRN tomorrow morning.

[nudewalker]

Tuesday

I then spent too much time on the net so by the time I got round to doing the brass there was too much activity to do it naked.

I have often got myself in that position where becoming involved in other things and miss out on outside naked time! Have you ever docked in what you thought would be a quiet spot able to be nude when another boat pulls up next to you? Often when camping I have a secluded spot only to have another camper pull in next to us even though there are another 200 spots open!