Bradford-on-Avon

Over the last week or so Constance moved from Hilperton to a point just east of the marina on the Trowbridge road (Widbrook). For some reason there is a 48 hour mooring pretty much in the middle of nowhere. The weather was good and with a good wooden edge to the canal I was able to treat, prime and undercoat the starboard gunwale/walkway. Eventually this will have some non-slip paint. Nearby there were a pair of swans who had built a beautiful nest, it was almost perfectly round. Let's hope they will soon be proud parents.

We are now moored up behind the Bradford-on-Avon Tithe Barn for a few days. We have been to BoA before and like it there. Just by the Tithe Barn there is an ice-cream van.

We walked from the Tithe Barn up to the weir at Avoncliff. You cannot see the aqueduct but it is just behind the trees.

On the way back we passed this bit if graffiti - it says it all really!

Let's hope we have some good weather for the forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend!

 



April showers - in May!

I was going to say that I had a bit of a wasted weekend on the boat due to April showers in May, but then I thought... A weekend on the boat is never a waste of time!
I really wanted to paint the roof with gloss to protect my grey undercoat, but rain was promised. So I decided to do other little indoor jobs - the shower drain tray and its float pump had stopped working some months ago and I had taken it home, cleaned it and now it was OK. So, whilst it was raining I fitted it back into the bilge under the loo. Would it work in-situ, would it hell. I replaced all the ageing wiring, still it would not work, so out it came again, back home.
A bit of sunshine - not looking promising enough for gloss paint so scraped rust off the gunwale and did the 'anti-rust' treatment. Just ready to add primer and it rained again.
Under the bow section (and to the aft of the forward water tank) is the paint locker, accessible from behind the steps. Decided to fill in time by emptying the paint locker, doing an inventory and then putting it all back in some semblance of order.
Read quite a bit of my current book too! At least it was a relaxing weekend. Let's hope the weather improves soon.

A Bank Holiday weekend and the sun shone!

Sells Green is a lovely spot to stop, or is it just that every time I have been to Sells Green the sun has shone brightly. Just the mention of the name brings forth a smile and the thought of lovely weather.
I have gently been preparing more of the roof top prior to painting, sanding, rubbing down, rust treatment etc. I have now got as far as the undercoat so you can see I have done something!

The middle section is now in grey primer

Moving on from Sells Green as we did, there are a couple of swing bridges on the way to Seend.

Down the Seend locks, empty the loos on the way. The bank is good between locks 17 & 18 so we stop again for the night. We are not in any hurry.
Sunday we moved on to Semington and were able to get a space on the 24 hour moorings. It looks as if the Semington Dry Dock is well patronised, it was full of boats and others were queuing to gain access. It is great to see canal-side businesses thriving.
Then, on Bank Holiday Monday in the glorious sunshine we move leisurely on to Hilperton, passing this swan's nest.