Retirement with No Problem

Moored Bedwyn, Kennet & Avon Canal

I had decided after tea not to have a rant on the blog… Oh I so wanted to I’ll tell you. After that things looked up!

But hey, hey, hey.. tois points pour moi! You couldn’t get Wassat? number 9 on Sunday! Done you all in one!

There you go, it is the mat on the back deck!  Une point for Charlie who was close…ish! “Don’t know what it is, but it needs a clean me thinks!!”.. Yes Charlie for sure in this weather!

I have managed to put the Olympia Jumping pictures in the Album this evening for the family or anyone else to have a look at.

The weather is much warmer now thank goodness, but the ice has caused one boat a problem.  Jill and Graham were not happy bunnys the other night on their blog, and the comments they have received are unbelievable, almost abusive, but Jill is dealing with it and has allowed them all.. well done you Jill! 

I was on a mission today, had lots to do in the office as you do just before Christmas.. must clear the mind you know of all those things ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’ type and with that done I put all my efforts in trying to get this boat moved from here.

A long phone call first to BW at Devizes. That was bad news “No movement of boats until we have substantial rainfall”  I questioned what if there was no significant rainfall.. “Well then the canal will remain closed”.  “What even all of next year?” “Yes if that is the case”… Gordon Bennett! 

OK, so next an email to BWs top man Robin Evans (Chief Executive of BW) copying in any department that I thought would listen.  It was a long email asking for him to consider my request to move as the resevoir at Crofton was full.  I said it wouldn’t take much to get out of here, and I asked for the first week of January..

“..I am asking for one lock of water to take me to Newbury, that is all I
need.  There is plenty of water flowing past my boat at the moment.
If the bottom gates of the next lock down are closed then that lock
would fill itself withough opening a paddle!

Once through that lock then all I would take to Newbury with me is the
same amount of water…”

I then made some enquiries about craning NP out of here, but there was some doubt as to whether being 67ft she would actually make the turn onto the road out of the wharf.

Just after tea a knock on the boat..”Do you have a car on the wharf, only we are craning a boat in the canal in the morning and we need the cars moved”  That was interesting, I started chatting about getting NP out.  Apparently they have been contracted by BW to crane out a boat at Foxfield, just 5 or so locks and a couple of miles to the east of us, and put it in here all paid for by BW.

Now that was really very bad news.  If BW were happy to pay 3 grand or so to do that rather than let the boat up through the locks to here then there is no hope for us.

Then around 7 this evening an email arrived from Waterscape.. “Blar de blar” then..

“..In order to provide an opportunity for boats to travel east from the summit, stoppage works at Beech Grove (Lock 63) have been deferred by a week to start on 9 January 2012.  Beech Grove lock will be closed for one week.

Note that stoppage work at Hungerford Marsh Lock will commence, as planned, on 9th January 2012.

The on-going water related closure of the canal from Crofton to Copse Lock will be reviewed in January with a view to re-opening the canal in the sections between planned stoppages.”

Now that sounds much more optimistic and really did cheer me somewhat.  I wondered if my long email to Robin Evans& Co had made him or somebody somewhere re-look at the situation.. Well I am going to smile to think it has, but whatever it looks like we might get out of here the first week of January.. that is if the canal doesn’t freeze!  Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain tra la!

Wassat number 10 coming up.. this one is difficult for non boaters, there you go a clue for you!

Wassat? It’s on the boat!

Tomorrow I want to go chat to the guys with the lorry and crane and see if I can get a costing.. I can’t stay here for a year..