Hooked!

So far, we have been lucky enough not to get anything wrapped round Chertsey's prop. As we are about to visit the BCN for the first time, this charmed state of affairs cannot be expected to last much longer. Naturally, Chertsey is not equipped with anything as wimpish as a weedhatch. I have had a practice go at poking about under the counter with the cabin shaft, and I have also attempted this on Tarporley (before going down, sorry, sending Maryam down, the weedhatch). It is very hard. At least, it is very hard if you are small and uncoordinated and have weak arms and no idea where you're meant to be pointing the thing. So I approach this inevitable task with some trepidation.

Discussing this with Blossom, he said, what you want is to get hold of a shunter's pole, and he described this as bearing a sort of spiral hook which you can work into whatever ails you, and twist it round and round and get a really good grip on it, more effectively than with the cabin shaft. Sounds marvellous I thought, but how esoteric... how much call can there be these days for an implement for manually decoupling railway carriages... I shall keep my eyes open, and if I am lucky, I might find one within the next decade or two.

Then lo and behold if the very subject didn't turn up on CWF, and someone named a supplier - Richard Carter of Huddersfield, established in seventeen forty-something, and purveyor of every agricultural and engineering implement your heart could ever desire, and many more it probably wouldn't. Who knew there were so many different sorts of spade? So we rang them up and spoke the the very obliging Michelle, and soon a shunter's hook on a hickory shaft was winging its way to us. I have just taken a really terrible photo of it, but hopefully you get the general gist. Now I'm torn between excitement at the prospect of trying it out, and hoping (no doubt vainly) that the need won't arise.

So farewell then boating boots

Bought for three pounds ninety nine in Help the Aged in Huddersfield
In 2006. Or it might have been 2007.
The best boots I have ever had
Unlike most Dr Martens, you had fantastic grip
And so were jolly good for boating
You had a good life
But now you are no more
A big crack in the sole letting the water in. I knew the end was coming by the way you flexed.
I have been to Eastbourne today and bought some new boots
Which are waterproof
But they'll never be as good as my boating boots.

with apologies to E.J. Thribb

Rain rain

It's been tipping it down here all day. Never have I watched the weather reports for the west Midlands with such morbid interest. However, the sort-out we had over the last couple of days unearthed a Rule bilge pump - with float switch! It's not as powerful as the pump we currently have installed, but would have the inestimable advantage of us not having to go up and switch it on every time it rained... The hold offers a large catchment area for rainwater, which then all collects in the back end and once above the level of the floor - four inches, which doesn't take long - it's lapping about the bottom of the paint tins etc, making them rusty.

Of course, the ideal situation is to minimise the collection of water by diverting it over the sides with some cloths, but I need to regroup the finances a bit first; the gunnels are going to set us back a round thousand pounds, and pretty much the same again for the cloths. So for this winter, I reckon it'll be a case of keep pumping.

Enough rope

It's spend, spend, spend now (well, until the money runs out). I've just taken delivery now of some ropes (sorry, lines) for Chertsey. Or some rope in the form of lines, perhaps.

I decided to get Hempex, as that is what we have on Warrior and I have been very pleased with it. It looks good, it's long lasting, and it's comfortable to hold and use. We bought Warrior's at Crick, three or four years ago, and we had it in our minds that it was 14mm, so that's what I ordered this time. Unfortunately, it turns out that what has come isn't quite 14mm, but 1/2 inch, and it looks quite a lot thinner than Warrior's - although I suppose it may get fatter looking with age. Anyway, I think I will stick with with it for now, especially as it is in lengths, already spliced (yes, I know, I really must learn to do it myself).

What lengths of rope you should have, for handling and tying up, seems to be a matter of some controversy. Based on my experience on Warrior and Tarporley, I've gone for four interchangeable 10m lengths; one for the front, one for tying up the stern, one for the back end and one for spare - which can be joined to one of the others if I ever need a longer one. 10m might seem a bit long for tying up, but I'm working on the basis that it's easier than faffing about with separate ropes for that, and sometimes I'm not going to be able to get close into the bank. Also it's good to be able to take the rope back to the boat after tying it off, and when using a ring I like to just put a loop through rather than the whole length of the rope as it makes casting off from the boat so much easier. Ideally, I'd probably even have liked them a bit longer, but that might just be me. Only experience will tell me if I've got it right.

By the way, a quick update and a good word for Trafalgar Marine, who we ordered it from. Jim rang them up about it and they were very helpful, including offering to take it back. The guy checked and agreed that it wasn't 14mm, and said that they would send the whole lot of their remaining stock back to their suppliers. Meanwhile I've decided that it looks fine from a distance, and as it was a special offer I'm sticking with it.