Tuesday 17 April 2012

Preparation ...

 06:59 yesterday (Sunday) into the rising sun ...
... and looking forward.
An early start for us today - up two locks wind (turn), moor and prepare the side of RnR for repainting when we get to Stone next week.
 Wharf House on the way into Weston has always fascinated me with its old working boats
Providence guards one side of the property and work area ...
 ... and Toucan guards the other end.
 Contentment ...
 ... and hard work keeping them all together!
 Looking up the hill to the right of Weston Hall
Salt Bridge 82 - very pretty ...
 ... and the lock house at Sandon is getting a makeover - inside and out
 Lapwings were displaying their acrobatic skills on the newly ploughed field where we were moored just above Sandon Lock whilst George sanded and rustproofed.
The RSPB have Lapwings listed as Red Status which means - 

Red list criteria

  • Globally threatened
  • Historical population decline in UK during 1800–1995
  • Severe (at least 50%) decline in UK breeding population over last 25 years, or longer-term period (the entire period used for assessments since the first BoCC review, starting in 1969).
  • Severe (at least 50%) contraction of UK breeding range over last 25 years, or the longer-term period

Once George was happy with his work we winded again and continued just a mile or so up the canal ...
... and are currently moored midway between bridges 84 and 85 ...
 ... a truly lovely mooring ...
... with wonderful views out of the side hatch of the Staffordshire countryside.
 This is a photo of Rock n Roll taken in May 2008 - we had been living aboard and continuously cruising for 5 weeks.  Two months later after an unfortunate incident with the bole of a tree at Milton Keynes the glass window had to be replaced and has not been re-leaded and stained since ...
... to match the inner doors.

Today George has made a start to rectify this by mapping out a template ready to start.  We hope that whilst in dry dock for 5 days we will have time to put a coat of Comastic on the bottom of Rock n Roll on each of the first 3 mornings; in the afternoons undercoat and gloss (black) above the top strafing line and in the evenings remove the cratch, sand and give the wooden surround several coats of Danish Oil, decorate the cratch glass and reassemble it.  That's the plan anyway - watch this space!

4 comments:

  1. Hi Both

    The bird in flight picture looks very much like a Red kite with the fingered wing feathers and the fan shaped tail. If so I envy you being close enough to get a picture of it no matter what type

    I might be wrong though

    bwp

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    1. Hi bwp - it was definately a Lapwing I could hear its call and checked it on the RSPB website too - click on the link on the blog to see. For a picture I took of a Red Kite - copy one of these links into your search engine.

      http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lWgeqhK4D5E/TgScCcgbPmI/AAAAAAAAIR8/0W_Wyx2oaSw/s1600/DSCN8812.JPG

      http://nbrocknroll.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/birds-galore-on-way-to-bourne-end.html

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  2. Who's going to be busy little bees, then!
    Don't forget to do the tunnel bands, and black the inside of the weed hatch...
    I didn't realise that the cratch was originally decorated like the doors, it looked really smart. It'll be good to get it back like that.
    Thanks very much for the donation, much appreciated. Will speak to you soon. Have fun.

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    1. That'll be us Geoff! We plan to do everything below the gunwale whilst in dock - everything/anything else is going to be a big bonus!! It will be good to get the boat looking again as she did when she was new. best wishes xx

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