A massive sigh of relief.

First I must say a big thank you to the two boats arriving yesterday wanting to moor in the basin. I had to explain about Pentland being lifted out of the compound and how we could'nt have any boats moored where it was all going to happen. They were brilliant about it and after winding headed off back down to moor below the lock. So this morning and the long-awaited day had arrived. Ian and I were up bright and early,  the crane had been ordered for 8.30 am. Glancing from the galley window at 7 am and...oh no... was that the bottom paddle raised?? It sure was as a boat wanted to come up. OMG, I'm going to have to turn them away as well. But again they fully understood, such nice people these boating visitors. Anyway, they did come up to wind, went back down and asked if they could come back up once Pentland was in the water. 

So here are the photos of Pentland, a workboat originally owned by BW then C&RT. Her final resting place would have been at Newark until rescued by ECP&DA. Full of holes when found she has been replated with the steels donated by Paul Barber at Sheetstores, welded by Ernie one of the society members, had the bitumen and paint donated by Dacrylate and many hours of hard work by this societies men and women at work party Fridays. A job well done!

Sheets off for the final time.

Linda Richardson from Towpath Talk came to record the event.

Crane arrives

In position

Gate removal for more manoeuvrability

Chains attached to hook

And then to Pentland

The lift starts

Out she comes

Any leaks??

Check the engine bay

A few Gongoozlers

Thumbs up ...no leaks

Oh, and the nice couple on their boat descending the lock earlier came back up in reverse.

Pentland is now nestled next to us for protection. I can now wash both side of the boat instead of only one.

Seems strange having an empty compound.

slight mishap

And it was all going so well! Starting before 7.30am and before the heat of the day, I painted the first coat on the tunnel bands. By 8 am Ian started rubbing down the gunwale on the port side. He dare not start earlier 'cos I don't think the neighbours would have appreciated a noisy awakening. By midday, I had completed the third coat of blacking all round. Then Ian decided the gunwales needed a tad more rubbing down and I was not best pleased to see my nicely glossed blacking going a mat colour due to the dust! I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to the look of the hull. It needs to look the business, well at least for the first week once we had left the dock. So out comes a wet cloth and a duster to dry and I goes around the whole hull cleaning the muck. Halfway through in comes Vickie (dock owner) and she burst out laughing saying I have never seen anyone polishing the blacking before! Trying to explain made it seem even more ludicrous and we both ended up having a good laugh. Anyway, it did look tons better when I'd finished. Ian then gets out the black gloss for the gunwales. Suddenly a loud expletive and "Irene I need a cloth".  Thinking he had painted the cabin side by mistake I was amazed to see him holding the paint tin with black gloss dripping from his hand and onto the floor.  He said his grip went but somehow managed to catch the tin before it hit the ground. Anyway, several cloths drenched in white spirit later and I managed to mop some of the paint from his hand and floor. And just when we thought it couldn't get any worse the weather turned from hot and sunny to overcast and rainy.  If it had only held off for another hour the paint would have dried. Now we fully expect splash marks in the nicely finished gunwale.

This taken moments before he dropped the tin. If only I had'nt put the camera down!

mopped most of it up.

We also are kept entertained by fish swimming along the gully that runs along all four sides of the dock. Every day we have to rescue fish that manage to get under the gate and lay flapping helplessly as water laps over them. There is now a healthy shoal of fish keeping us company.

A bit of hot weather.....

....... and all and sundry comes out. Most enjoying the good weather but there are those that in my opinion are complete idiots. Take for example the men jumping from Langley bridge into the canal below. Murky water disguises what is underneath. All manner of objects are thrown off the bridge and we should know having had many an unwieldy object caught on the prop. Those men did well not to come away with an injury of some sort. Then there was the BBQ placed on the lock beam and lit. Okay so this lock beam is not made of wood but can you imagine the mess a hot BBQ would do to the paint? It was mentioned and then hastily removed. Deposited on the grass instead so a lovely black burn mark will be seen tomorrow. We have had swimmers, sunbathers, drinkers and those with foul language coming out of their mouths and all within earshot of children. As for us we are well away from them all and got on with the task at hand. Two coats of blacking done thanks to the hot weather and Ian has rubbed down the gunwales and tunnel bands ready for painting. Too hot at present so he is going to wait until later this evening when hopefully it will have cooled down a bit.

They obviously don't know about the leeches!

BBQ on lock beam

Ian after using the grinder

Chalking the hull after the first coat of blacking. This makes sure I cover every bit when I apply the second coat.

Ta da....

Not the Jameison curse again.

Bottom washing and bitumening for FS today and by 9.30 the dock was ready and waiting for us. In we sails, gets into position, gate is shut by Dan and Vicky paddle lifted and water disappears fast and blast...FS ended up in the wrong place! Not intentionally as Dan admits that we are the guinea pigs to his new walkway. Unfortunately, FS was positioned about 2 foot further along and not in line with our stern deck. Nothing for it but for Dan to unscrew the railings and move it further along.

So now, one might think, all will be well from this point on. But no. No sooner had Ian started the power washing of the hull when the oil seal goes on the pressure washer and Dan has to head off to source another pressure washer. 50 minutes later he returns considerably poorer because of it and finally Ian gets underway. Almost finished and the new washer stops! Now what!!! But it was nothing more than running out of petrol. So now we are doing catch up. The first lot of Bitumen has gone on the water line and our only saving grace for the delay is the weather. We couldn't have wished for better as not only did the hull dry out very quickly, but also the bitumen. Might be a late night for us though as we only have four days on the dock and three coats of blacking to get on.

FS nestled nicely as the water disappeared

Before power washing and the hull looks in good shape. 

After power washing and for an 13-year-old boat she's doing okay.

New washer in need of a top up

 And landing on my arm,

Shell Bug

Bloggers and thickets.

Gosh, I can't believe Ian and I have reached our 45th wedding anniversary. I mentioned to him that wouldn't it be nice to renew our vows but I won't publish what he said back! Anyway, yesterday we had a lovely meeting with Jennie and Chris Nb Tentartrice They made it all the way up the Erewash and with their wonderful Granddaughter Evelyn arriving early evening we all made for the Great Northern for a meal that night. Evelyn is an absolute delight. For a 10-year-old, I was amazed at her excellent manners and inquisitive mind. Such a credit to her mum and dad.

  Before they set off in the morning Ian and I gave them a tour to the end of navigation and then to see the toll and pump house. I think they were suitably impressed with what they saw. Evelyns mum and dad arrived for a trip back to Gallows Inn and we decided to share the lock so Ian could check to see if boats attending the rally would be able to get right into the side now that all the reeds had been removed.

Farewell to Jennie, Chris and family

Waving farewell we began the task of manoeuvring FS towards the edge. Having thought reed removal would do the trick well it was a shock to find large boulders was now a bigger problem and one we could not resolve. All along the straight we only managed to get in by 2 foot. This is a real dilemma as far as the trades are concerned. They need to be right into the side for safety and serving the public.  Back to the drawing board once more for Ian. Then with the offside vegetation also being an issue, I took FS right into the heart of the thickets just so Ian could trim some of the branches. I'm beginning to wonder if the rally weekend will turn out okay. Nothing but problems at the moment and all to be resolved by the big day, fingers crossed. Please let it be okay on the day!

Marking the worst areas

hugging the offside bank to make sure boats can pass when we have boats moored three abreast.

Right a bit

Lichfield cruising club pays a visit

 May 1st

First thing and we decided to push across the basin for water.  Blooming good job we did because we forgot all about Litchfield cruising club coming up the Erewash today. With 12 boats expected there would have been no way of us getting to the facilities. Six of our ECP&DA members manned some of the locks from Cotmanhay to Langley Bridge which helped all the boats through and to show their appreciation they gave the society a sizable donation. It took roughly 2 hours from Cotmanhay for all 12 to reach the basin and get moored and yes we did have a few worries about the water levels which had been greatly reduced as lock after lock had been turned around. Ian rushed to lift a paddle on the feeder to allow for more water flow into the basin and that did the trick. So in a way having them turn up meant Ian had a rough idea if his festival mooring plan for the basin would work.There is but three weeks left until the big event and still so much to do. From Sunday we go on dry dock to black FS's bottom and next Friday another very exciting event when the crane arrives to lift Pentland back into the canal. Watch this space.

And all moored up

The Engine goes back in.

It's Friday and its raining, persistent and prolonged. Friday is also the work party day and of all days not a single task could be done indoors. On the agenda today was to continue with preparations of the rally site and also to get the Lister engine back in Pentland. It's a good job I decided to get the red oxide on the cabin sides yesterday instead of today. Got two coats on as well!

Engine hole ready for the engine (photo taken yesterday)

 So some of the work party headed for the field armed with shovels, wheelbarrows etc while the remainder made for the compound and to Pentland. JB drove up on the small fork lift with the engine dangling from a chain and with utmost precision, Dave and Ian guided the Lister into the engine hole, dropping it down with only a bit of manoeuvring needed to get it lined up. 

Still a lot of work to do but at least Pentland is almost watertight (prop to go in over the next few days) and then, hopefully, she can be craned back into the canal in the not too distant future.

And I think this blackbird must have some very hungry chicks.

So what does everyone think of this?

 New logo for C&RT.  Words doesent express what I think of this. Very disappointed is the politest I can manage.