Vital Maintenance

Quidditch returned yesterday September 28th to our home base at Wigram's with our Summer Tour 06 all but complete. She's spent the last 5 days in dry dock having the hull blacked.

This process is undertaken every 3 years to prevent corrosion. However, with new boats like Quiiditch I would suggest every 2 years at first to build up a nice coat of bitumen. We also added 4 extra anodes to prevent even further oxidation. We discovered that one of the original anodes was also missing, probably dislodged over the previous 2 years sailing. While in dock I also took the opportunity to repair the many scrapes and scratches to the bodywork which she has endured this summer. Well they do say that narrowboating is a contact sport!

Autumn Tour Scuppered!

Well we had hoped to depart yesterday (Tues 20th) on our short Autumn Tour but when we drove to Leamington to drop Dave off at the rail station after his visit we ended up buying a new car!

We needed a new car as our current motor was nearing 100 thou. Dee and I had already decided last year to buy another 4x4 this winter for our regular jaunts up to Scotland camping in the spring but didn't think we'd find one this quick! Anyway while driving home from the station there it was and we just had to buy it!!! Anyway to cut a long story short were delayed leaving because of the paperwork and pick up etc. This of course means that our short Autumn Tour is even shorter. We now have to depart on Friday and make the Welford Arm (Grand Union Canal) by Sunday evening as we've booked a dry dock for 3 days for hull blacking from Monday. Then, after departing, it's straight back to Wigram's to prepare for our departure to Dubai and our Wadi camping expedition in Oman. It's all go isn't it!!!

Back at Base

Yes were back at base, but only for 7 days!
We arrived back at Wigram's Turn yesterday (Sunday 3rd) in extremely blustery conditions which made navigation fun!

So that's our main Summer 06 Tour complete, 107 days out, completing 10 canals and 3 rivers. You can view our Travel Log by clicking HERE and also stay tuned for more Tour Updates.
Well what about Summer 06? Chatting with Dee last night over dinner and champagne, (as a tradition we always have champagne before setting off on tour and on our return), we were undecided as to what the main highlight was. It was all great fun but I suppose our visit down to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal in June was just as enjoyable this year as was the last. The only exception being that we met our dear friends Johhny and Pat on this stretch last year (NB-Hoddydod) but this year there off gallivanting on the French waterways so we were on our own. Once again we've met some nice people. Graham and Jennifer on NB-Best-O-Mates (River Avon) and Mel and Trish on NB-Chardonnay (Shropshire Union) to name 2. The Caldon Canal was a pleasant surprise with some spectacular unspoilt scenery and having steam trains run right next to the canal gives you a taste of what life was like in the late 1800's. The River Weaver, accessed via the Anderston Boatlift, was memorable by it's extremes. Massive chemical plants and estuaries to the the north and quiet unspoil countryside to the south. The wildlife was exceptional once again but unfortunately we saw less Barn Owl and Kingfishers this year. Song Thrushes and Skylarks are definately on the comeback.
So once more our main tour was a success and the summer weather for the most part was superb, July being the highlight.
Since leaving in May our site has been accessed by 2,618 people from 59 country's, so not just by family and friends! A big thank you to everyone who emailed us on our tour saying the'd spotted us around, particularly several holiday boats. Also a big 'HI' to everyone we met at locks and moorings over the summer who are amazingly regular visitors to our site....
Roll on next week when we can get back out onto the system and start exploring the autumnal countryside and meet more nice people....