I had no idea what Noel was working on when he said, ‘I need to buy some timber.’ Noel loves timber, he picks it up off the side of the road, he rummages in bins for it… we always have a good timber supply on board.
He cycled back carrying a long plank of cheap-ish wood (there, that shows my knowledge of wood!). I heard the drill and saw, and poked my head out to see these….
From the boat
From the bank
To increase our range of mooring opportunities and protect our expensive underwater paint, Noel came up with this idea. I am sure old hands have done something similar/better already, but I think these are pretty great and wanted to share them with you.
Noel setting up the planks (and our OLD paintwork!)
The different holes give us a different range. Currently we are about one metre away from the bank. Our adopted cat likes them too – they are her personal-boarding platform!
Well the ‘you-beaut-fan-dangled’- cleaning wotsit BROKE! – on its first use! After saying some rather naughty words I sat, and had another drink . . . I mean think.
Where I had ‘made’ the thread, the handle snapped!
I needed:
to get the brush into the pipe
a brush small enough to go around corners
a way to move the brush up and down to clean the inside of the pipe
So, I cut the handle off the brush and trimmed the brush down (a new one). Then I drilled a hole through the middle and plaited some string (for strength) and threaded that through the hole. Then, to that string, I tied some strong cord. Ha Ha! That should do it!
Small brush
Until I realised it was impossible to get the cord to thread down the down-pipe. After much uhhming and arrhing – I dismantled the gate-chain on the boat and tied that to the cord. This slinky chain slipped down the pipe dragging the cord with it.
Cord and chain
The top of the roof
What followed was a rather awkward tug-of-war on the cord, each end, to clean the pipes, but it worked! Success. Now I have to get sanding and painting!
Anyone would think we were planning an ocean voyage. While we had use of a car for an extra day, we stocked up with bulky/heavy shopping for the boat. You know the kind of things, items that won’t go off in the near future.
Yesterday’s shopping
I re-arranged the galley, and started to wonder, ‘just how does everyone else pack their gear?’ I tend to keep sauces together, tins together, dried stuff together and potatoes and onions in a cool dark spot (they can last for weeks and weeks).
More food means more ideas and yummy dinners!
I am quite the ‘stower’ on board. On Mariah (our first boat which was a 33 ft sail boat), we’d fill the floor with bags of food, prior to an ocean crossing. Noel could never understand where I had put it all.
My positive?, the car is expensive but down the line, we will have saved our backs carrying heavy shopping, and I feel a real sense of satisfaction when we are fully ‘stocked up’.
By the by, please remember to always cut the plastic rings (the ones used on cans) – we dispose of our rubbish very carefully. Even if these rings go in a plastic bag then a rubbish bin, we still cut them – just in case . . . . they can be very harmful to wildlife.
WOB is a new FB group, which could have been called BOOBS! . . . but we’ll get to that.
I use Facebook for marketing my books Cruisers’ AA and Of Foreign Build, and keeping in touch with friends and family. It is only recently that I’ve been joining groups AND I have become an administrator of one such group. (I use the word administrator lightly as my fellow administrator is being far more, uhm, administrative than I am!)
Noel and Jackie’s Journeys
I do not join groups lightly. I want to be a member of groups that are friendly, contain quality information, are fun and, very importantly, are safe.
One of my favourite groups is WWSA (Women Who Sail Australia), an off-shoot of WWS (Women Who Sail). These are closed groups. In both I find love, respect, friendship, help and a safe haven for any help and support that I may need. These groups also contain a wealth of incredible experience and advice.
Women who sail – that’s me!
I got to know Carole Eardman Grant via WWS a few months ago and we met when we were in the same town. It really is remarkable how these groups (and FB) bring people together. Carole is Canadian and is currently renovating a barge in Kent, (UK), with her husband Barrie. I am from the UK, but live in Australia and was in the UK when we met.
Boats, canals & all that goes with it!
Carole helped me with lots of information while Noel and I were looking for our barge. Our relationship has grown quickly into a marvellous friendship. We chat a lot on FB, mostly about boats! We support each other and we are very open and honest. Carole always has a positive word when I slip into negativity.
Together we have set up Women On Barges (WOB). Our group has, very quickly, become a place of friendship, respect, support and again, a safe place for women to share doubts, fears, accomplishments, hopes and dreams. It’s a marvellous resource of information as well.
If you like boats, live on one or just dream about doing so, WOB is for you (oh yes, you must be a woman too!)
These are my experiences of Facebook and groups. So far I have had not had a negative occurrence. But I’d love to hear how it’s changed your life. With a bit of time management on Facebook, it is always a positive event for me.
And just where does BOOBS fit into all this? Well of course, the group is for women . . . . but a name that has been whispered around decks and between friends (and I’ve stolen this from my mate Carole 🙂 ) is Babes On Old Barges = BOOBS! I, for one, think that is pretty neat! For now we’ll stick with Women On Barges (WOB) – come take a look, you’ll be made very welcome.
WOB info
Women on Barges! This group is a place for women on every shape and size of barge — or any other type of boat — to come together and connect. Some of us live on barges, some only holiday on barges and some of us want to. Some of us know a LOT about boats in general, some know not much at all. We are single; we are married; we have kids, grandkids, we are working or retired. Some of our barges are in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland or the UK or other countries. We are from a variety of countries which are as diverse as we are. No matter who we are, this is a place for women to share respectful, supportive discourse.
The flood rain meant we had to stop and enjoy Ranchot for a few days, which wasn’t very tough. Dad particularly loved the little village, ‘it was very pretty.’
Pretty scenery
Kieran (my nephew) stirred up his creative juices and turned a Lipton’s Yellow Label Tea bag into fishing equipment. Utilising the staple and string Kieran made a hook and line and attempted to capture a whale.
Kieran having a quick snooze
With rested crew we were all ready to tackle the swirling water and we pointed the bows towards Besancon. Gentle locks, eerie tunnels, cups of tea and a pleasantly cool day accompanied the intrepid crew who were ready for anything.
Into the black hole
Noel on the stern line
Mum became navigator and loved the team work of the crew while traversing the canals.
Our navigator
Dad working hard on the bow
In Besancon our lovely friends Linda and Bill met us with healthy grins and a fabulous few days have been spent talking boats, books, writing and wine.
Arriving into Besancon
Love lockets
The grey clouds are now starting their march across the sky. A serious card game is developing, and many satisfied yawns can be heard beneath the pitter-patter of rain.
We’ve ordered a marine toilet from Italy and solar panels from Germany. We’ve got a Dutch bank account and a Dutch built boat. All instructions, on the boat, are in French.
We’re ordering fuses from Holland, ‘they don’t exist anymore,’ insists the French chandlery.
My Dutch phone keeps texting me in Dutch. I can’t get my French phone to work – I have to back up the Sim first, in order to back up the Sim I have to activate the Sim, in order to activate the Sim I have to back up the Sim.
The French dongle (sounds like a poodle) is working just fine – phew!
Thank goodness for lovely places like Ranchot to calm my befuddled brain. And my lovely family from the UK (mum, dad & Kieran (my nephew)) – to help keep me sane!
The town of Dole is remarkable for several reasons. The three most pertinent reasons for me are because:
1) The scientist Louis Pasteur was born here (he was the guy who came up with the food preparing process known as pasteurization, and he also developed a vaccination for anthrax and rabies).
Louis Pasteur
2) It is a stunningly beautiful place, and
Dole Cathedral
3) It is our first stop on our first voyage on our first barge!
My nephew Kieran is great crew
After leaving our health Spar on the hard at St Jean de Losne dry dock, where the fumes supplied a healthy nose bore, emptying out all that crap that’s been sitting there; and where daily skin and teeth exfoliation were complimentary from the neighbouring sandblasting – we finally cast off and moved!
Before departure I confused (and scared) a few people as I decided to inflict a name change on Dole, I told everyone we were going to Dove!
Hidden delights in Dole
Family arrived, mum, dad and nephew Kieran, and they instantly felt at home. They easily fell into the boating way of life and before long we were on another voyage to Ranchot; which was interesting as we did not plan to stop there – until the floods. More on that soon – with some beautiful pictures of a splendid evening on our unplanned visit.
Jackie Parry - author 