A little welding job

I didn't blog about Tuesdays events because I felt it more important to get my views across about taking  the pike out of the canal! So here is yesterdays and today's contribution.

When we replaced the stern button last year, we couldn't keep the thing from moving from side to side. As a temporary measure Ian attached the chain from the fender button, to the upright post of the seat.  Not ideal if we wanted to keep any paint on the post! He surrounded the post with hard plastic, which did the job nicely. We just needed someone to weld a plate to the steel but, like everything else, it was one of those jobs that get pushed to the back of the queue. Then at the Pie & Pea Paul Barber turned up. He has the workshop at Sheetstores, a small Basin on the Erewash. Sure enough Paul told Ian to bring the boat in when we were passing. Yesterday was that day. Paul guided us in as its not the easiest place to get into, especially when reversing, and who should also be with him, Barry Argent owner of Nb Perch. It was Barry that made the plate and welded it on for us. Took him all of 15 minutes and only charged us a tenner. Now that's what I call service!




Reversing into Sheetstores.



 

 There were only three locks to negotiate  before we arrived back to our home mooring. This time I set all the locks for Ian. It made quite a change for me to do all the work. I had forgotten how stiff some of the paddle gear was and I must be very out of condition because I struggled to get them closed.


Dockholm Lock


Thankfully the camouflage boat was nowhere to be seen which made a refreshing change, and all the signs of his previous and permanent moorings were also gone. Hopefully he will have left the Erewash for good.

We got moored up by the bungalow before the showers started but unloading the wood took longer than anticipated due, in part, to us having to unload only when there was a lull in the downpours The wood shed is now filled to capacity and Ian jokingly said he hoped the end wall wouldn't collapse due to the weight.



The sacks are full of cut wood



Enough to last us for at least another winter.

Today the weather has changed to wet and windy. Rain arrived in the early hours of the morning and quickly turned to snow. Its quite bazaar that this time last week we were in a mini heat wave! What is happening to our weather?? Can it really be due to Global warming and Solar flares?  We desperately need this though, so although I'm complaining of being cold again,  it can rain as long as it likes.  Also, today, we await a delivery of a single cube chair bed from Argos.

I mentioned in a previous post how we called on a company called CCU to see if they could make a sofa bed for us. Well he never turned up, so our assumption is that he obviously doesn't want or need our business!! His lose no ours!!!  Anyway, the time of delivery from the man in a van, is any time between 7am and 6pm. To make sure we see the van arrive over the bridge we are having to leave the back doors wide open and even with the fire lit and the wood being piled high, it still feels like an iceberg in here! I do hope he arrives soon.         



Huddled on it's nest is a Coot. Cant be pleasant for them either.