In Our Prime

It was raining behind us, raining in front of us, but we were dry in our painting tunnel under the M25. So it was out with the brushes and paint pots, and  we got on with the job of painting the roof.

1st coat of primer on the way,

Ian finishing off the 1st coat, I'd done the rest!

2nd coat of primer almost finished.

The gunwale (gunnell) stripped and ready to be primed too.

The back deck stripped down, we're getting there.









Up On The Roof

Haven't posted for a while as we haven't been moving much. We're still on the Wey waiting for the Thames to come off red boards.  It is slowly returning to better conditions, but we shall have to wait a few more days probably.
So what have we been doing? Tuesday we walked along the Wey and the Thames and into Weybridge to do the shopping and on Wednesday we took the train down to visit Ian's Mum.
Thursday we realised it was still going to be a while before we could get going again so we decided to start tackling the paintwork on the roof of Tacet. 

So we turned around and headed back along the Wey and have been moored under the M25 for the last 3 days, where we won't disturb anyone with the engine running and angle-grinder going and Tacet is sheltered from any rain showers there may be.

After 3 days of grinding, sanding, scraping, chiseling, sweating and swearing (silently!) the roof is now paintless and smooth, ready for the first layers of paint tomorrow.

This has meant that by the time we have stopped for the day we have both been so shattered and aching from head to toe, we have just crashed out for the evening.



Paintbrushes at the ready for tomorrow.



Still Weyting

We're still waiting for the Red Boards (Navigation not advisable), to come down on the River Thames. Slowly from Lechlade down the warning is changing to Yellow Boards (stream decreasing). However we have had a good weekend, despite the Bank Holiday weather!
At Guildford on Saturday afternoon our friend P and his 7 year old boy came and found us and had their first 'ride' and 'lock' experience.

Sunday morning we went to the service at Guildford Baptist Church close to the river at Millmead. A big lively church fellowship where we enjoyed the worship led by a gifted band and young 16 year old singer and were challenged by the Pastor Rob May.
We moved on down to Send in the afternoon and joined the Byfleet Boat Club's Boat Festival there.

As we moored up a brass band was playing in the pub gardens, and we wandered around the stalls, and enjoyed boaty chat. Then down in the chippy's workshop, at the Worsfold workshop site, there were some films showing, boaty ones of course; Painted Boats and The Bargee, which was fun with popcorn and sweeties being handed round. They had a brilliant fire going at the back of the workshop but it was still very cold in there, specially for May!

not quite the right building, but the site by Worsfold Flood Gates

During the evening, at the New Inn there was a Boaters Entertainment Night with Shanty Singers, and other talented Boat Club members with folk songs and funny monologues. A lovely evening and chance to make some new boating friends.

Guildford - Send
5 miles, 4 locks

Back in Guildford

This morning was wet and dreary, but the navigation is open and we decided to move down to Guildford where we shall meet up with a friend later. So into our waterproofs again and off we set at a fair old pace with the flow of the river. It was quite busy with the hire boats out and day trip boats too despite the rain, well it is a Bank Holiday what else can we expect!
Just a short trip, 3 locks, and fortunately the water level was about 25 cm lower than Thursday, so plenty of room under Broadford Bridge....

Loads of room!

4 miles, 3 locks

Come to a stop again

Godalming Wharf.

A quick look out of the window this morning and it was clear the flow of water was much faster than when we tied up yesterday. Uh oh, are we stuck again? We checked the River Wey website and the advice was Navigation closed from Unstead down.  So that's it then, we're here to stay.  Shame for the hire companies who are sending boats out for the weekend. 
A little later and the advice was that we could get down to Guildford, but as we had so little room under the bridge at Shalford yesterday, we thought not.
So it was a useful day for doing jobs. The other side of the boat has now been washed and polished, the oven is sparkling, and after a trip to Sainsbury's the cupboards are full.
In the last half hour 3 hire boats have come up to the wharf, one from Guildford the others just from Farncombe. The flow is slower so we may get back to Guildford tomorrow. Probably won't make the Weyside 2012 Festival at Send now.

On the move again

Yesterday morning we had just finished breakfast and were discussing backing up the navigation from Weybridge Town Lock to get water when the Lock Keeper from Thames Lock knocked on the cabin. Around his neck was slung the 'red board' and chain that had been securing the lock gate. Good News - the water levels had come down, the flow was calming and the navigation was now open again.

Mrs Swan still sitting tight on her enormous nest

It could still be a few days before the Thames is safe to travel on, so we went down through the lock, turned and back up so we could get up to Pyrford where we could make use of all the services. We then decided to keep going and moored up at Send for the night at a nice quiet spot we used before. It was lovely to be moving again. And to have a full water tank and empty loo!

Waking up we heard a Cuckoo calling, the first one we've heard this year. This morning was grey and wet, so it was a slow start doing a few cleaning jobs, a walk round the village with Jumble then we set off again, we decided to go back to Godalming.

Triggs Lock

The river is flowing faster than it was last week and we were going against the flow, so sometimes it was slow progress. 

Cherry blossom above Bower Lock

We only saw a couple of boats moving, they were making their way to The New Inn at Send ready for  Byfleet Boat Club's Weyside 2012 Festival this weekend.

Swifts lining up and swooping round. 1st ones I've seen this year.

Through Guildford once again, and at Shalford we just  squeezed under the road bridge, with only a mm to spare! Good thing we could creep along against the flow. Coming back we shall have to check level first - 14 bricks on bridge wall!



So now we are again moored at Godalming Wharf, the furthest South we can go on the Inland Waterways.

Weybridge - Godalming (2 days)

18.5 miles 14 locks

Going Visiting

The 'Red Boards' are up

Since we arrived here in Weybridge and found we could go no further, we have been out visiting......
First, on Sunday, our old good friend, K came and picked us up after church and took us back to Aldershot where we had a lovely day, spoilt with dinner, tea and a long hot soak in the bath!  Lovely.

River Wey close to junction with Thames

On Monday, we took ourselves off, on a train journey to visit Ian's Mum.
And this morning we got in touch with fellow members of the BCF (Boaters Christian Fellowship) who live in Weybridge. 
J & H came and found us about an hour later and invited us to their home by the river for dinner this evening. We hadn't met them before, so it has been good to make new friends too.

Below Weybridge Town Lock

Weir Below Shepperton Lock (can you spot the canoeist?)

A walk along the Wey down to the Thames earlier on today, showed that the flow on both rivers is still very fast and we expect the red boards to be up all week.