Miles/Distance: Roughly 10 miles (I think!) Locks: 3 Tunnels: 0 Swing Bridges: 0
Day 52 – Thurs 7th Sept – On the move again.
I apologise if the format of this blog is a bit all over the place! My internet went weird, again and in a bid not to lose my mind and time, i’m not faffing with it anymore! You might need to imagine punctuation, spacing and ignore any errors ((Just a standard blog then Peachy!))
What an absolutely idyllic cruise. The
decision to get everything ready last night was a good one as at 7.30am..ish…
we head out as the hazy sunrise promises another searing hot day! Now, just in
case any other boaters are reading this. I know that strictly speaking the
proper etiquette is to not cruise from 8am but it’s going to be 28-29 degrees
later and it really isn’t nice to cruise in that weather and all we needed to
do this morning was to take the cratch cover off, start the engine and off we went.
I bet no-one even noticed we had gone. Our engine is quiet as boat engines go. ((More
like people were glad to see you go. Oh here comes another bloody narrowboar
vlogger!))
Anyway, what a beautiful, beautiful time to
leave and it was a sublime cruise. Our first stop was Derwent Mouth Lock and I
discover what awaits the early morning boater at the time of year… the whole of
the lock was covered in spiders. Now, let’s just get this straight if you’re
going to live on a boat they are going to be living on it with you, that is
just a fact. I am working on spider proofing the boat but I couldn’t believe
the amount which were on the locks. I opened the first paddle and then bravely and
very, very carefully walked across the gate trying to avoid them all.
Job done I managed to empty the lock and
Chris cruised in. There was a photographer taking picture the boat and locks
and I’m not surprised ((Oh think your boat is special now it’s been pained
do you?)) well actually I do but this had more to do with the amazing
sunlight. Simply stunning. I’m sure it must be the golden hour for pics. We are
soon through this lock where people where foraging.
I’m currently sitting on the stern ((There
is a surprise, your favourite pastime!)) writing this. It’s 13.11 and a
perfect temperature as we are moored under a canopy of trees. The internet is a
bit dodgy and I don’t think it’s strong enough to edit my vlog so I thought I
would attempt to finish the blogs. There is a very slight breeze, in the
distance I can hear the motorbikes at Donington Park, there are dragonflies
darting about and boats cruising past every so often. It really is a moment to
enjoy. ((There is also some muppet shouting in the distance but you block
them out Peachy. They haven’t reached your level of zen. Actually they have
just shut up – the power of Brackets! What would you do without me))
What with one thing and another life has been
stressful over the last few years and once you’ve hit a level of stress, even
when those problems are hopefully resolved and you can move on. I believe it
takes a good bit of time to lower those levels back to what they were. I’ve
often felt like my stress levels were so high the slightest thing would push it
right back up and that’s when you realise you’ve not really recovered fully. I
would say the last week or so the past stress has finally left me and what a
relief it is. Although to be fair, although this life can be physically tough
and challenging in other ways, if you cannot de-stress living this life then
it’s a trip to doctors and a prescription for anything they will give you. Just
being near water and canals has a healing effect.
Right, back in time to the next lock… just
had to share that moment 😊
Derwent mouth lock was also the first lock
and we are officially off the River Trent/Sawley cut and on the Trent and
Mersey canal. It feels good to be back on here and I’m looking forward to
tackling these locks again. Next we arrive at Shardlow Lock and I sadly miss
out as the pubs aren’t open. These gates seem so easy to open, maybe my muscles
are finally lock ready after their workout on the Erewash canal. ((or maybe
they have just had a year of being use and have been greased recently… just
saying))
Aston Lock soon comes along and it’s at this
point you really feel like you’re in the countryside ((well you can see
across fields from here Peachy so you know the clue is in the view and all
that)) I struggled with the locks before but although the ground paddles
are a little stiff I smash though them, well not actually smash them because
that would criminal damage – I mean I find them easier. Same when we come to
Weston Lock, last year I wasn’t feeling well and nearly had a disaster as I
stayed with the boat on the landing lock and chris did the lock but the
strength of the by-wash and from emptying the lock meant I couldn’t hold the
boat. ((I tell you, Peachy has the muscles of a mozi!))
Weston Lock is very deep and the gates are
really heavy so as luck would have it another boater is on route to the lock so
they come and help and between us we manage to close the gates and fill the
lock. I get chatting to a couple of women off the boat and as you do you talk
about the boating life and what’s you’re doing etc and I say the words which
make you want to run away and hide once they are said ((Oh god you didn’t
tell them about that time you went to prison did you? Or when you killed those
people???!)) Haha Brackets! That might happen in one of my books but not
me. No! when one of them asked what I did, I said, ‘’I’m an author” Even after
writing 13 books and now having a publisher those imposter syndrome feelings
come but they were so lovely saying they love reading and asked me my name and
about what I write so that was lovely. ((You better get better at promoting
yourself Peachy, I mean your mum is the best marketing manager you could ever
have. She never misses a chance to tell people and you need to do the same.))
I know, I know. I’m trying.
Soon after we find the perfect spot to moor
as I’ve already mentioned. We find a stretch with no other boats on it and low
and behold before we have even finished tying the ropes another boat turns up
which only turns out to be our neighbours from our old mooring in Kings Marina
at Newark! So lovely to see them. I think they left about May time to go for
their cruise and they have covered some distance and had many adventures and
are slowly making their way back to winter at the marina. Was great catching up
and so lovely when you see people you know. They were fitting out their boat as
we were renovating ours so it’s nice to hear they’ve had a great time and
managed to do a lot of the places they wanted to do.
I’m going to go and plug my laptop in now as
the battery is about to give up the ghost and then clean the shower room. Being
under these trees is bliss as we can at least get some jobs done as it’s much
cooler. We might even wash the roof which we have been threatening to do. The
rest of the afternoon will be faffing and hopefully we will find a mooring spot
with a better signal tomorrow so I can get my vlog edited and uploaded for
Sunday.
Until tomorrow. xxx
C.L. Peache 