Making Hannah Our Own - Building & Painting

Boats always need stuff doing to them and Hannah was no exception to the rule. With that in mind we decided to have a real blitz and do some of the stuff that was irritating us such as the awful brown sink! This post is pretty much a 'picture says it all' kind of post.

First up was that sink (there is a shower tray too but we will get around to that another time as it's not so bad!)

I wanted to add some traditionally painted roses to the stern, just above the engine vents. Although I am a graphic designer this was not my usual thing so I brushed up (pun intended) on how it was done in the old days and gave it a shot! I usually paint 'virtually' with a graphics tablet which allows me to simply erase mistakes with no mess - this was different!

While I was busy painting the roses Lee was painting the roof and attaching some lovely new shiny 'mushrooms' which are basically safety air vents.

We needed more storage so I thought it would be a good idea to make a top box in the style of the boat. As I am writing this retrospectively (although the publish date is when this was actually carried out) I would strongly advise that you do not buy B&Q pretreated timber if you want it to last in the hands of the elements! The top flaps are already warped and the ply separating so we will have to refit new lids soon!

The bow decoration was looking a bit rusty so that was next on Lee's to do list!

The Grand Adventure - Day 8

It's raining again

 Sadly today is our last day of this adventure as our final destination is just a few hours away at Gayton Marina. We pulled out of our mooring and headed for the Buckby Locks. It began to rain again but this time I found a fully waterproof jacket. It was not at all cold which was a bonus but I must admit it is not the best of fun cruising along on an open deck of a narrowboat in the rain. However, I was in high spirits and happy to be chugging along.

Beer o'clock

Looks like Buddie has been on the beer too!

 It took around an hour and a half to get down the Buckby locks which I don't hugely enjoy but we now had a nice 10 odd mile lock free stretch back to the marina. There is some lovely countryside on this stretch of the Grand Union Canal and plenty of wildlife to see. It's not the most tranquil stretch by any means as you are never too far away from the railway but you find that the noise blends in to the background after a while.

Being a Sunday it was quite busy as we passed through Weedon Bec. Lots of pleasure cruisers and hire boats about, in fact it's wonderfully buzzing with activity - a far cry from the quiet Oxford Canal on a weekday. From here the canal meanders along idyllic countryside, kissing the edges of quaint little tradition English villages and onwards towards the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union Canal where our home marina lies.

Canadian geese join us for the final stretch

As we pulled in to our mooring I had mixed feelings. I was a little sad that our cruise had been cut in half but also very happy that we got Lee back safe and sound so that she could go and visit our Son's newborn baby Luke Junior. We have had a splendid time and I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that we have our very own Narrowboat called Hannah.

The Grand Adventure - Day 7

Rather moist

 We awoke to the sound of rain. This was not just a few spots of rain but the full on deal. Anyone who has been camping before will know just how loud rain is when it's hitting the roof, this was almost deafening - well perhaps I exaggerate a bit. I am going to get wet today but I thought it best just to wait for a bit to see if it calms down a little as this was bordering on torrential.

When the rain eased a little I slipped on what I thought was a waterproof hoodie type thing that my mum got me at a car boot sale. It was not. Almost as soon as we had cast off the heavens opened again and I just thought to myself, well I am wet anyway so lets crack on. We were getting a bit full in the toilet department again so we needed to get that sorted so looking at the canal guide we spotted an elsian (a place to empty porta potties etc) at the first lock of the Braunston flight. After around an hour of cruising we were on the approach to the locks and it looked like mayhem ahead. There were boats everywhere as weekend cruisers queued for the locks.

Braunston

Hannah can be a temperamental old bird sometimes and is not too keen on ticking over in neutral for too long. I am not quite sure why because more often than not she behaves herself but today she just wanted to stall so I had to be a bit creative to keep her in line. Bit of back throttle, bit of front, repeat and she stayed pretty much in place. I did not want her to stall as we seemed to have a bit of a battery or alternator issue which was rearing it's ugly head. She seemed to be getting a little more lazy with every start. Luckily I had a nice new Honda E20 generator aboard which we can use to get a charge in to the batteries if required but that's no good if you are floating in the middle of the canal!

We made it up to the moorings just before the locks where we could empty the facilities before we made our way down the flight of 7 locks. We paired up with an elderly couple for the locks which is always quite nice as you get to have a chat with new people and share stories.

It was not too long before we were at the entrance of Braunston Tunnel but at least this time I knew what to expect. It was quite busy so we met quite a few boats coming in the opposite direction. Breath in. It's quite strange sometimes because you are not sure if that pin of light is the exit of the tunnel or another boat - this tunnel is really long! I breathed a sigh of relief when we came back out in to bright sunlight. The rain had gone away and it was a pleasant evening.

Emma Winehouse

We moored up close to where we did on our outward journey and decided it was time for food, wine and fishing! We caught a massive fish as you can see from the picture below, much to the amusement of Emma and our dog Buddie! We were now on schedule to arrive back on the marina by mid afternoon tomorrow.

Six inches is a good size!

The Grand Adventure - Day 6

After a lovely evening last night it was now all about getting back to the Marina so that Lee could go see Luke and Dana and perhaps the baby! You can't really get anywhere fast on the canal you just have to put in the hours so with that in mind I wanted to try and get us near Braunston today, but not at any cost. I still wanted to take in the countryside and enjoy the next couple of days because you never know when we will be here again.

What a lovely garden

We waved goodbye to some fellow boaters that we had got chatting to last night and headed off along the Oxford Canal. It's quite strange because you would have thought that covering the ground we had only just been along in the opposite direction would be repetitive but it really is not. Yes, you remember some of the stuff you past but you see more of what you missed. There are some amazing canal side homes which make me a tad envious. Imaging having your own narrowboat parked at the end of your garden!

On our return through Stretton Stop the swing bridge was across the canal. I had never encountered on of these before so was not really sure what I was supposed to do. It was a very small pedestrian bridge that the boat yard workers use for crossing the canal so I was unsure whether I should just wait or send one of the girls to swing it open. I chose the later but was then unsure if we we supposed to swing it back over or not but chose to leave it open.

Lee takes control in the Newbold Tunnel

As we approached the Newbold Tunnel we had a bit more time to actually look and appreciate it. I don't know who is responsible for the lighting but it really is quite cool, colourful and quirky which is quite unusual for something as functional as a tunnel. I spotted a boat coming towards us but this was nowhere near as nerve racking as the Braunston Tunnel, partly because it is quite short and partly because its not as narrow! Lee was at the helm and although she was telling me to take control I refused with a big grin on my face. She has to just has to get on with it as she is more than capable rather than taking the wimps option hahaha.

Captain Woodgnome

Just after Newbold Upon Avon the canal starts to get a bit tight and windy as we pass through Rugby so I took the helm again. It's quite narrow and has lots of boats moored along the tow path which does not help as many of the corners are blind. We did meet a few boats coming the other way but managed to get through unscathed. It's quite an odd feeling chugging along the canal without a care in the world and then looking out and seeing the traffic and people buzzing around just a few yards from the canal, it's almost as if we are in a parallel world.

It was not long before we were back at the Hillmorton single locks, which were quite busy today. There was one hire boat that gave us a bit of entertainment. It was full of young lads on a stag cruise who really had no clue how to operate the locks. As they are in pairs we were going up alongside them but by the third lock they were nowhere to be seen - I think they were still stuck in the second lock. Of course my crew is like a well oiled machine and we simply chugged our way through with no drama. We could still hear them in the background shouting and laughing at each other which made us laugh too. They definitely seemed to be enjoying themselves so fair play to them.

Chugging along

After passing under the M45 just after the Barby Straight we were starting to get a bit tired as it was getting well in to the evening by now so decided to look for a place to moor up for the night. After dinner we were sitting in the bow and could hear music and some shouting. I thought we must be near a big pub or something like that but according to our maps we were pretty much in the middle of nowhere. It was actually a young offenders prison which must have been holding a party or something as it went on well in to the night, not that it bothered me as I love music!

The Grand Adventure - Day 5

As we were just about to cast off we got the call. Dana had gone in to labour early! I could tell that Lee wanted to return home, you know what women are like, even though she said we should crack on with our holiday. I was not so sure as I knew it would be on Lee's mind throughout the journey so I came up with a compromise - we would spend today going to the Coventry Basin and from there we would start our journey back to Gayton Marina.

We were quite a lot closer to Hawkesbury Junction than I though so we would easily get to the basin and back to Hawkesbury today. Where the Oxford Canal and Coventry Canal meet is perhaps the smallest lock I have ever seen, it must have only been a couple of foot level change so we were through it very quickly. We turned left and on to our first urban canal.

The girls take control on the Coventry Canal

Urban canal have a beauty all of their own, one minute you are meandering along behind factories, shopping centers and football grounds with nobody even aware that you are passing and the next you are cruising right through the center of canal side building developments with people all around. Just before we got to the actual basin we were told by a boater coming in the opposite direction to be careful ahead as there were a few drunken Polish guys shouting and messing around. We passed without too much stress, they were just boisterous idiots with nothing better to do than shout at boats! I found it quite funny actually!

A tight entrance!

As we approached bridge No.1 I could not believe how low and narrow it was, barely enough to get Hannah through as you can see by the picture above. Once through it opened out in to a nice open area which was eerily deserted. How very strange, a lovey spot for the city folk to enjoy right on the water, nice little shops and residencies but nobody using them. We turned straight around and started the leg back to Hawkesbury Junction.

Turning Hannah around in Coventry Basin

I was really quite enjoying my urban experience but I must admit that I prefer the solitude of the countryside and it's characters, quaint villages and canal side pubs! Once we arrived back at Hawkesbury Junction we went back through the lock and moored up amongst all the other boats. No cooking tonight as we were treating ourselves to a pub meal and a few ales before setting off home tomorrow.

Moored up at Hawkesbury Junction

The Grand Adventure - Day 4

We left Newbold Upon Avon and headed through a small but funky lit short tunnel towards Hawkesbury Junction where the Oxford Canal meets the Coventry Canal. We were pretty low on water and gas and full on the toilet front so we needed to find somewhere along the way to get ourselves sorted out. I had spotted a likely point on the map but when we arrived I started to pull in to the right and we run aground! I was a bit shocked and not too sure what to do, and to make it worse the wharf was derelict! My first reaction was to open the throttle up and try and power off it but that was not the best move as we simple dug ourselves in to the silt! It dawned on me that the best way was to reverse off of the silt and it worked a treat!

Stretton Stop

The next likely place was Stretton Stop which turned out to be a lovely little spot on the canal. I filled Hannah up with water after pulling out the gas bottle for the girls to replace at the shop. We got a few snacks and once all sorted we headed off again.

The countryside was quite stunning and relatively free from human influence apart from the odd farm until we began to get closer to Coventry. We passed under the M6 which ran really quite high above us and alongside a busy railway line before tranquility was restored. It was actually beginning to get a little dark and we soon realised we were not going to get all the way to Hawkesbury Junction due to our extended stop (and running aground earlier) so we kept an eye out for a likely mooring point.

The Oxford Canal passes under the M6 Motorway

We ended up in quite an overgrown part of the canal and needed the gangplank for the first time. It was actually really quite nice as it was in the middle of nowhere with just ducks and moorhens for company.

The Dog never gets left out when it comes to beer!

We were all worn out so it was 'that' time of day - beer, food and then sleep.

The Grand Adventure - Day 3

Going through a major tunnel like Braunston tunnel  for the first time was quite odd to say the least. I was first very surprised at just how narrow the tunnel was, only just enough room for narrowboats to pass with just inches to spare! It was also completely dark, no light whatsoever apart from the headlight on the bow of our boat (which is not much better than a candle). The first 5 minutes are the worst as you have light from behind which messes a bit with your senses but once you are in to complete darkness it's a little easier.....

Exiting the very long Braunston tunnel

Easier until you see a headlight of a boat coming towards you! You really would not believe how tight it is inside the tunnel and I now understand why some boaters call it a contact sport! We made it through safely enough after around 45 minutes and I must admit I was very happy to see daylight again. However, there was now another 7 locks called Braunston locks to contend with before heading on to the Oxford Canal.

The girls worked well as a team getting us up the locks and we were in Braunston before we knew it. Time passes quite quickly when you are working the locks. Bruanston is a major junction on the canal and very busy at the weekends. There were lots of boats moored either side of the canal which made navigating quite difficult, especially when a boat is coming the other way but we made it through and on to the Oxford Canal.

Navigating through Braunston aboard Hannah the Narrowboat

It was not long before I realised the Oxford Canal is quite a bit shallower than the Grand Union. Every now and then, when I wandered from the center line, I could just feel the hull hitting silt. It was a bit disconcerting to begin with but we were still moving so I stopped worrying and stayed as central as possible, only moving over when meeting oncoming boats.

It was quite a nice lock free cruise for the next few miles and we could see the countryside changing a little, a bit more open in places. When we got to Hillmorton we came across our first single locks. Basically most locks allow 2 boats side by side but these only allowed 1. To be honest they are much easier as you only have single lock gates and you fit in perfectly. They come in pairs so there is actually 2 locks side by side. I think the purpose is that in single locks you do not need as much water as you would if 1 boat went through a standard double lock on its own, so a big saving on water.

Lee takes control of Hannah the Narrowboat

We got through easily, and to be fair I really liked these locks. We were heading for Newbold on Avon to moor up for the night as we had seen on our canal guide that there was a pub! We found a mooring spot and heading down the towpath to a very good chip shop! I will remember to stop here again as what more does a boater need than a safe mooring, a chip shop and a pub!

Poor old Lee was suffering this evening with her hayfever. Luckily for me I seemed to be pretty OK this year but completely felt for Lee as she does get it quite bad - not great if you want to cruise the countryside!

Moored up at Newbold Upon Avon

The Grand Adventure - Day 2

How exciting, we are finally casting off and heading out for a grand adventure along the Grand Union Canal! Today we are aiming to get as far as the entrance of Braunston tunnel which is a relaxed cruise up 7 locks.

I am not going to give you a turn by turn account as I am sure you will get bored pretty quickly so I will keep it short. The first leg is a nice easy 10 mile stretch to Whilton Marina with no locks to contend with. We pass through Weedon Bec, which is actually a great place to stop as it has a canal side pub, chinese and indian takeaways and a few shops to replenish the fridge with! The canal meanders through some lovely countryside before it begins to run alongside the M1 motorway on the right and the railway on the left. Once we reached that point we had 7 locks to go up called, Buckby Locks which took us about an hour and a half. We were all getting pretty hungry now so we decided to moor up for the night just short of the massive Braunston Tunnel.

Our first day cruising was brilliant, all worn out but ready to eat and consume a well deserved glass (or 3) of wine.

Emma waiting for her lunch which is being prepared by the lovely Lee

Oh go on then, I'll have a Bud.

Going up Braunston Locks with the girls doing the hard work!

The Grand Adventure - Day 1

It had finally sunk in that we have a floating home that can take us all over the canal system! It was time for our first holiday aboard Hannah the Narrowboat and we were heading for Birmingham in the morning! It might not seem very glamorous when you tell people you are going to Birmingham for your holidays but most don't have a clue about how amazing navigating the canals is, or what we will encounter along the way. Canal side pubs, amazing scenery that you can't see from the road, wildlife, locks, fishing, mega tunnels and more!

Our daughter Emma was coming along too as was our mad Jack Russell 'Buddie Weiser Woodgnome the First'. There was a little niggle in the back of our minds as our son, Luke, was expecting a baby in the next few weeks (well obviously he was not actually having the baby, that was being left to Dana his girlfriend). Let's hope it does not come early!

The day was spent preparing Hannah for her journey, filling the larder and fridge with food and drink and basically having a bit of a giggle. It seemed fitting that we end today with a BBQ and a few drinks to get in to the holiday spirit!

Getting in to the spirit of things with a good old smoky BBQ!

 Oops, don't tell Lee, they will be fine - 5 second rule!

The girls doing what girls do?