Narrowboat Tacet

Silent Movement - Our gap year travelling the inland waterways



Saturday, 1 September 2012

Busy at Bosley

Over the last few days, once we have moored up, Ian has been busy with DIY.  Our stove was set on a hearth of ceramic tiles.  These had cracked and the edging tiles were all chipped, it was looking bad. As with lots of boat jobs is wasn't simple, he had to remove the chimney, and lift the stove out, chip the old tiles off and carefully measure up the area.  Of course there were no straight edges and no right angles, so it was all carefully drawn up on a piece of newspaper. Once we got to Macclesfield we were ready and having done some homework Ian knew there was a stonemasons nearby so we paid them a visit and with the bit of newspaper, a bit of persuasion for a job done quickly (we really couldn't wait 2 weeks!), a scrap piece of granite worktop was chosen and a price was agreed.
Yesterday evening we collected it and fitted it. It looks good, much better than the cracked tiles. This morning before we could move off. Ian finished putting the stove back together, the chimney had to be shortened too as the new hearth is rather thicker. It all looks so much tidier and cleaner, bet it doesn't stay that way!  Now we are ready for the cooler evenings when we shall be wanting to light the fire.

We even got some coal from the coal boat Renaissance as they passed by. So it was about half eleven when we pulled away from our Lyme Green mooring and we arrived at the top of the Bosley locks at half twelve.

For the first 5 locks it was swift work with good timing, meeting boats coming up the flight too.
One out, one in, then we were on our own, some locks had drained a bit, but it still only took us 11/2 hours to get to bottom of the 12 locks.

It was such a lovely warm sunny day, a great start to September, perhaps we shall get some summer weather yet!

Thursday
Marple - Macclesfield
10 miles

Friday
Macclesfield -Lyme Green
3 miles

Saturday
Lyme Green - Congleton
8 miles, 12 locks, 2 bridges



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12 comments:

  1. Halfie1 September 2012 at 21:46

    Looks like a fine green stove - and we like the tiled surround! Did that all come with the boat? Is Ian going to fix the stove to the hearth? Our surveyor picked up the fact that Jubuilee's stove wasn't so secured.

    Nice photos too.

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  2. Ian and Karen2 September 2012 at 16:02

    Thanks John, yes the stove and tiled surround came in situ. The hearth is a bit on the blue/grey side for the tiles but cost would have been prohibitive to be too choosy. Ian did fix stove down. It had been previously, and we thought it could move with the inevitable knocks in locks sometimes. Drilling the granite was slow, but went ok.

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  3. Anonymous3 September 2012 at 20:23

    Pretty stove, pretty tiles, pretty as a picture! E.

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  4. Ian and Helen3 September 2012 at 20:32

    We were pleased to meet you today as we passed on "Heartbreak Hill" on the Trent and Mersey. Our blog is at http://ianhelencanals.blogspot.co.uk/ if you want to find out what we have been up to. Our e mail is iankwright@hotmail.com

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    1. Ian and Karen4 September 2012 at 20:03

      Good to see you too. Will keep an eye on you whereabouts, and look out for you again.
      Karen

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  5. Halfie13 September 2012 at 12:06

    Another stove question: did you use ordinary right-angled steel brackets to fix the stove? Or are there special fixings?

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    1. Ian and Karen13 September 2012 at 17:38

      Hi John,
      There are holes in the feet!? (bottom of the legs anyway), of the stove and Ian fixed coach screws through these into the holes he drilled in the granite slab. There is a wooden platform underneath that too. There are no other fixings higher up as perhaps you imagined. Hope this helps,
      karen

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    2. Halfie13 September 2012 at 17:55

      Thanks Karen - we have a Morso Squirrel. I've had a good feel around the feet, and there don't seem to be any pre-drilled fixing holes. I'll have to visit a chandler's and see how it's done.

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  6. Unknown16 September 2012 at 17:23

    Hi,
    Great pictures of Bosley Flight - we know it well having been moored on the summit pound for many years.
    It's a great lock flight to work as well - as no doubt you found.
    Anton

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    1. Ian and Karen17 September 2012 at 23:19

      Yes we found it beautiful, but then the sun was shining! and as you say easy to work too. A lovely day.

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  7. H17 September 2012 at 16:26

    Your stove looks very neat. I imagine you stay warm indoors as it's a relatively small space to heat.

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    1. Ian and Karen17 September 2012 at 23:21

      Yes we have had it alight a couple of evenings since we finished putting everything back in place. We have central heating too, for the chilly mornings or late evenings as the stove takes a little time to get going.

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