Taking on Water

No, it's not what you're thinking....we aren't sinking! I got you're attention though didn't I?

The one thing about being a liveaboard is that you are always having to consider what you use and what you waste you produce. Our water tank last two weeks of normal use and our waste tank around five. Today was the water tank's turn. Rather than seeing a problem, we see an opportunity. Any opportunity to spend time at the helm is welcome but this time we had extra crew who wouldn't let go of the tiller! Dev was captain,  Mr F was demoted and I was afforded me more time with the camera off the boat. I managed to get some great shots of the boat being winded (turned) in the bridge at the junction of the Rufford Branch and with the added bonus of a village and beer festival weekend to greet us on our return, we all agreed that it didn't really get much better than this. 

A promising day with blue skies as we set off with the bow high out of the water

(owing to the empty water tank)

Spencer's Swing Bridge

Mr F at the wrong end of the boat

There is room on both sides to moor before and after this swing bridge - handy for single handers

The water point is just after the bridge hole, so once the tank had filled (this took about half an hour as it was almost empty) Dev reversed back to turn into the branch. The canal here is closed due to the breach further down so we took advantage of the lack of use to moor up here and pop into the Ship Inn for a pint and a bite to eat. (Well two pints for the official photographer and second in command and one for the captain!) From here Dev could reverse out and use the full width of the canal to turn the boat ready to head back.

The funny thing about the tiller is that when you are in forward or reverse gear you turn it to the opposite direction to the way you want the front end to go. 

This doesn't seem to make sense but the tiller is controlling what the back end does not the front, even though this also has an effect on the pointy end too!

There is less control in reverse gear (most boaters will say it goes where it wants to in reverse) but by using both forward and reverse to shunt the boat it can be turned in a tight space 

Using every inch of the canal

Final shunt and we're round

Like a pro

Great shot of the boat approaching the first swing bridge of the return journey

Interesting garden feature!

A little more progress seems to have been made on the historic Liverpool short  boat that has recently appeared on this stretch

Lovely sunset as we moor back up before heading off to the beer festival. All the pubs in the village took part with music and entertainment throughout the weekend as part of the Parbold Street Festival.

Sunday saw the Parbold Grand Duck Race, the ducks were given a helping hand by the local Fire Brigade (an orange one won it in case you were wondering...)

It was a really good atmosphere all weekend with a procession through the town of puppets and banners made by the local children in workshops during the summer holidays, brass band, beer and cider festivals at the local pubs, music, bands and boats. There was only a couple of boats decorated this year, but having just bought some lights to decorate Mervyn for the Crooke Beer, Boat and Music Festival next weekend, I can hopefully make more of an effort at the next one.