Back at Base.

Thursday/Friday, 14/15th October 2010.
Hopwas to Kings Bromley Marina.
10 Miles 3 Locks 1 Swing Bridge.

Thursday.   Last day of our cruise today, met a few boats coming in the opposite direction, weather was cloudy with no wind, we even went through Fradley Junction without the usual chaos.
We have been looking out for suitable wood to burn on the fire for the last month without much success however, as we left Shadehouse lock we noticed that all the trees and bushes that normally hang out over the Canal from the offside (opposite side to Towpath) had been cut back making a nice wide channel, but, the burning question was, where was the wood that had been cut, as we approached the 90 degree bend before the next lock, Woodend Lock, we spotted 2 British Waterways workboats, they were working on the offside but we spotted cut wood on the Towpath side so a quick reverse and we were moored up.
The wood was Willow, not the best firewood but OK went dried out, so out came the Stihl chainsaw and the wood was cut into lengths that I could lift onto the roof of No Direction.

Anymore Wood down here.

As we passed the workboats we asked if there were any wood going but they were keeping it for themselves, the logs piled up in their boat was Beech/Ash/Oak all good stuff.

We tied up on our pontoon at about 3 o,clock, Jaynes car was up on the carpark as the Marina staff ask that when people are out on their boats their cars are moved from the area by their boat onto the main carpark, I pushed the unlock button on the key and the doors unlocked, put the key in the ignition and turned, click, click, click, flat battery, Ian the groundsman drove the Marina tractor up and we jump started it, the logs were taken to our small shed on the Marina where they will dry out.

Friday.     Jayne went into Lichfield for a shopping fix while I washed the boat and touched up the paint, I  was also put in charge of defrosting the freezer.

So, that was our summer cruise, we will keep bloging when anything to do with boats happens, maybe once a week or fortnight.
I have a list of things that I want to do to the boat and it will get the hull blacked next March so we have plenty to keep us busy.