Recent log for B-Hive

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January 2002
Jan 1st-6th in Poole    visit to Corinne's    Red Cardinal
Monday 7th Drove back up from Poole - arrived about 3pm. B-Hive still there, much ice on canals - inch thick pieces. Put minimal stuff on board, lit stove!
PC started ok, collected email    The Return
Tuesday 8th PC dead... Took some time to start engine - no solenoid, and v cold - had to common all batteries to get enough turning speed.
Moved up to Henhull bridge, together with van. Offloaded all luggage.Motored up to Calveley for PO - ice thick in places.
Then up to Bunbury - had fun winding in a frozen winding hole - had to break ice with poles/boathooks - eventually turned, then back to Henhull bridge
Weds 9th At Henhull Rang Thorneycroft and ordered new solenoid I drove van to Oxford, left it at Barbara's, then caught train back to Nantwich - no taxis, so had to walk back to the boat
Thurs 10th Moved to Nantwich bank - collected solenoid - wrong one!! Thorneycroft promised correct one next day
Fri 11th Correct solenoid fitted - much easier to start now! s/h AT mb from local computer shop + AGP video card - email running by 9pm...
Sat 12th Finished off computer - all now working apart from Linux - needs reinstall I suspect. Moved up and moored above Hack Green 2 for a change of scenery!
Sun 13th Moved up above Audlem #3 - water/elsan/rubbish After lunch, moved above Audlem #4
Mon 14th Up the rest of Audlem flight - moored above top lock in the dry. Draught excluders on front doors - also new front blind
Tues 15th Moved to Market Drayton - raining at times
Weds 16th At moorings - market day Rewired mains in computer cabin, also anti-drip systems       Market Drayton pictures
Thurs 17th At moorings New power feed to microwave socket direct from large inverter, cleared out engine/bilge trays,
and emptied cabin bilge/moved some trim slabs about. Returned incorrect solenoid to Thorneycroft.
Fri 18th Moved, stopping for lunch at Goldstone bridge. The moved on and moored Norbury in the rain    Land of the Cuttings
Sat 19th Moved to Gnosall, collected Post
Sun 20th At moorings
Mon 21st Moved on to Brewood, very windy today  Last piccies of Shroppie
Tues 22nd Moved off the Shropshire Union, onto the Staffs and Worcs. Moored above Compton Lock - free logs
Weds 23rd Moored above Bratch 3, just before v heavy rain!
Thurs 24th Waited until the rain eased. Then motored down to below Swindon lock  - moored in the sun!
Fri 25th RAIN - moved down to below Kinver lock - tv reception bad...
Sat 26th Rain again. Down to winding hole below Debdale lock, then back up. Padded waistcoat around prop below the lock...
Moved to above Hyde lock, Pump Out at Kinver not working ;-(
Sun 27th Grey but dry to start. Moved to almost at the end of the Stourbridge town arm. Very quiet town on a Sunday...
Mon 28th Back down the Stourbridge arm, moored above Rocky Lock.Then on to above Greenforge
Tues 29th Motoring up the staffs and worcs, moored above Dimingsdale Lock for lunch, then on to above Compton, after boatyard Staffs and Worcs
Weds 30th 9.30 Up Wolverhampton flight, then on to south of Coseley tunnel - between Wolverhampton and Birmingham
Thurs 31st Windy and damp. Moved to Birmingham, moored on 14 day moorings by Sheepcote Bridge.
Didn't make concert in Symphony Hall - sold out ;-(

FEBRUARY 2002
Fri 1st. S's birthday At moorings. Very windy - debating whether to try and reach Dudley on Saturday
Lord of the Rings in the late afternoon - then Pizzaexpress for birthday meal. Very windy overnight
Sat 2nd. Decided against Dudley - not worth moving until Tuesday - shut until weds. Shopping in Brum in the morning - markets etc.
Sun 3rd Better weather. Went to Birmingham Science museum - now called Thinktank - ok but too many non_functional exhibits...
Mon 4th At moorings,Weather still bad.
Tues 5th Moved to Dudley - moored outside the Black Country museum
Weds 6th At moorings, weather cold but dry. Museum all day - not many people around  Black Country Living Museum
Thurs 7th Moved back to Brum, collected mail, pumpout/Gas/Coal from Sherborne Wharf services boat
Fri 8th At Moorings.Shopping etc. Found bike had puncture - market stall in St Martin's the only place to buy inner tubes etc in Birmingham centre
Shakespeare in Music in Symphony hall pm - very good
Sat 9th Rode to PCworld for 128M ram - installed. More work, shopping etc
S+N to James and the Giant Peach at Old Rep pm A to B Minor mass in Symphony hall - both good
Sun 10th Reset bow fender, mended spare inner tube for next time. N+S to Cathedral for morning service  Pictures of Birmingham
Mon 11th Moved to Bournville Station for CadburyWorld - S+N there in the afternoon
A on board - police notices saying 'Your property is at risk from thieves' stuck everywhere! Moved to just before Kings Norton Junction in the dark.
Tues 12th Motored on down the North Stratford, moored before Bridge 19 for lunch - lots of rubbish in the cut. Then moved to Hockley Heath Pancakes for tea!
Weds 13th Down Lapworth flight, picked up Diesel/gas/blue at Swallow Cruisers, then moored below lock14  Kings Norton to Lapworth
Thurs 14th Rest of Lapworth and on to the Grand Union at Kingswood junction. Moored at Tom'O'The Wood for beer and baguette at lunchtime
Then moved on to the top of Hatton flight - TV reception poor, but free logs!
Fri 15th Did Hatton flight - Paired up with another boat, Valkyrie. Very lucky to find another boat - very few moving, despite being halfterm
After lunch at the botton of Hatton, moved to above Cape Locks, having been told Saltisford arm was full
Sat 16th Kate boats for gas/pumpout/new bow rope ( old one fraying..) Then to Tescos for food, then moored between Warwick and Leamington
Sun 17th At Moorings  Lovely walk along the river Avon towards Warwick in sunshine.
Mon 18th Moved to Leamington for shopping, then onward and moored near the Fosse Way
Tues 19th Moved to Long Itchington for shopping, then moored next to Blue Lias garden. (This is a pub by the way - and it meant that we were able to go for a late night pint at the other end of the garden, leaving Nick on board with a video and the 2 way radio!! - Susan)
Weds 20th Moved on, moored above Calcutt flight. Did Stockton flight (8 wide locks) in one hour!
Thurs 21st Moved off the GU, and on to 10.10-11.50 moored at Braunston, on the North Oxford
Bought coal from Ivor Batchelor'2 boat, and the butcher is still there - hooray!
Fri 22nd Very windy. Moved on and moored below Hillmorton - too windy to continue
Helped rescue a boat form the far side - too much wind for hinm to get off Tied everything on the roof - was a bit rough for a while - white horses! Lots of Weather
Sat 23rd Still windy...Moved to Rugby for Tesco etc. on the picnic site - now has rings! Stayed at moorings for the rest of the day - washing day
Sun 24th Decided to move towards Hawkesbury - moored at Stretton in the rain for water and lunch then moved to Ansty - still raining!
Mon 25th Very windy! Moored Hawkesbury before the stop lock. Very windy overnight - lashed evrything to the roof
Tues 26th Still windy, lock keeper advising no movement and trees down on Coventry arm Moved anyway and moored Coventry Basin
Pumpout/gas/diesel at Clubline on the way, also had exhaust water pump drive disconnect itself...mended whilst Susan acted as a mooring bollard...
Basin much smarter than the last time we were here - 10 years ago ??
Weds 27th Nick's birthday - at moorings in Coventry - saw Monsters Inc
Thurs 28th At moorings
Fri 1st Ro arrived from London 12 noon, M+Gav arrived from Poole 7ish Roast beef etc for combined birthday tea...
Sat 2nd Gavin tillered part of the way to Hawkesbury - Greyhound for evening meal - (that's the name of the pub, not what was on the menu! - Susan)
Sun 3rd  Back to Coventry basin, R+M+Gav left for their various homes
Mon 4th Pumpout/water/shopping etc Back to Hawkesbury. Chopped wood/some TDSI work etc
Tues 5th Moved onto the Ashby canal - moored at the Limekilns Pub. Warm enough to sit outside with a pint (or two) of Pedi
Weds 6th Moved on to the (current) end at Snarestone.
Video camera now has dirty heads problem - not cured by headcleaner, so no video footage...
Thurs 7th Bosworth for water, then Battlefield moorings, then Dadlington turn - near Stoke Golding
Walked up to the village for minor shopping..Nice mooring - in the sunshine.
Fri 8th Trying to get to Rugby to try and mend the camcorder - so a long day
Weather ok to start. Moored Hawkesbury for lunch, Weather worsening - getting windy --Rugby by 5.45.
Sat 9th At moorings - no-one in Rugby to mend camcorder, so returned to Comet under warranty ... Washing day
Sun 10th Moved to Braunston - very windy - lost the buckets off the roof!
Mon 11th Water/rubbish and then up Braunston locks & tunnel to Buckby. Pint at the pub at lunchtime - and in the evening!
Tues 12th Fine sunny day Back through the tunnel,  moored below Braunston locks
Weds 13th To Marina - PO/Coal/Diesel -then on to the bottom of Napton. Mark and Corinne for pie evening at the Folly Pub
Thurs 14th Up Napton flight, water, moored between B29/30 . Very windy again - rain in the evening.
Fri 15th Wet and windy - gas at Fenny marina - then top of Claydon flight for lunch - met Cherus. Moored above Cropredy Lock later
Sat 16th Fine/sunny at times Moved toBanbury above the lock, by Castle Quay. Market/shoppng etc.Cherus appeared soon after!
Sun 17th At moorings, vaguely expecting Tom+Sandra en route from Scarborough In the event, they were running late so didn't stop
Mon 18th Wet'n'windy Moved down for water/rubbish, then moored below bridge 168 for Morrisons,Then moved to Kings Sutton
Tues 19th Sunny! Moved toAynho.Cherwell high - new warning boards at Aynho lock - ignored them! about 4inch clearance at Nell bridge
Dismantled and rebuilt pigeon box to stop water ingress - it's raining now so we'll see if it works!
Weds 20th Moved down to Lower Heyford past the liftbridge.Rain in afternoon/evening - Pigeon box better but not cured!
Thurs 21st Sunny! Moored at the quarry - now has mooring warden! Then on to moor opposite Rock of Gibraltar
Cherwell also has warning boards - currently red!
Fri 22nd Fine Down to above Duke's lock - Cherwell fast but passable. Then to below Wolvercote lock
Sat 23rd Fine again! Moored opposite Castlemill Boatyard - it's a bit full around here due to boats wainting for the Thames to drop ...
so we're on the 48 hour moorings until Monday Van retrieved - all ok apart from Windscreen Wipers

END OF VOYAGE