Boating Therapy begins again.

After a frenetic time at home we have now embarked on our therapy sessions by coming away on the boat for a couple of weeks. It was the usual 2 hours or so to get from home to the marina, and everything was fine at the boat. It didn't take us long to transfer the contents of the car to the boat. I wen to get my gate key fob reprogrammed on the way back from parking the car up. 

We were soon ready for the off and I started to disconnect the shore power, when I realised that I hadn't started the engine yet. I turned the key and it started with a satisfying roar and hardly any smoke so I got busy with coiling up and stowing the cable when the engine abruptly stopped. It sounded like fuel starvation when I remembered that I had changed the fuel filter before leaving last time. I had tested it afterwards but it seems that I hadn't left it running long enough as it was just using the fuel in the engine. It only took a few minutes to prime it and we were off and running. All the boats around us were away or have left so we felt a bit like Billy No Mates, but it did make it easier to vacate our pontoon.

 

We were soon out of the marina and heading north. Last trip out we hardly saw a fisherman at all and we encounter our first almost opposite the entrance, but he wasn't really in the way. We were pass another one before the end of the day. Is there a rough angling season?

The bright green colour has gone gone out of the tree leaves but they aren't really dropping yet. That is other than the horse chestnut trees. They seems to have particularly suffered this year from the shortage of water. The leaves went very brown and crispy quite a while ago and have been falling for a while now. The 'conkers' are nowhere as numerous as other years but it seems that those there are are of a larger size to compensate.

We didn't go very far as rain was forecast later. We found a spot at Handsacre. The bow was off a little bit, but that was as we were on a slight bend so bound the stern in for easy access. As soon as we got inside following securing up there was a shower of rain. I hope this is how our timing in such things is going to work this trip! We had a letter to post so no further excuse need to head off to the pub. The PO box was between the Old Peculiar and the Crown by the bridge. 

After popping the letter in the box we headed back to the Crown that was evidently open. Once inside we joined about half a dozen others, and as the time passed it filled up as folk finished work. I like to see a pub busy at this time as we don't very often visit a pub after 7pm. At one time is seemed that there were nearly as many dogs as people in there. Not my favourite ratio, but they were all pretty well behaved.

The other benefit of the Crown over the Old Peculiar is that the chip shop is next door. Helen had made a chilli to bring for the first night on the boat and she decided it would be nice to have half rice and half chips with it. So a bag of chips was purchased and there was enough to have some tomorrow as well.

It is so good to be back aboard and cut the umbilical cord to the rest of the world (in a small way, as we still need it!). It makes me nostalgic for when we used to stay on the boat for six months or so and just pop home when required. It is a good job I like the grand kids. Mind you I was very busy with Heritage Open Days where I live. It seems to have been quite successful and I'm sure I will do it all again next year. Did you lot out there visit any unusual places etc over the HOD's? (Heritage Open Days).

Good to be back.