Cruisey kinda day with only four hours. Most of it was in rural areas which is always calming on the soul. We awoke to bright sunshine but cooler days now so got underway about 10.00am when the air was a touch warmer.
Domestic day on the boat as had another day of no locks which means it is a good opportunity to run the washing machine. A load takes about two hours so if you are lucky you can get it hanging out to dry by 11.00am. You need to have the engine running all the time as it draws a lot of power so timing is fairly important. Of course the other big factor in all of this is the weather. No point doing a load if it is just going to sit in the washing basket.
Marlene has a great drying system with a clothes horse you can put on the front of the boat along with hanging rods under the front hood and then if things are still a little damp a line across the inside roof of the boat where things can hang whilst you go to bed. So all in all, a great system. The place does look a little like a floating Chinese laundry.
Other domestics today included cleaning the bathroom and kitchen, vacuuming (once washing machine finished) shopping, water fill up, rubbish and pooh buckets. Who said this was a holiday!!! There is always lots to do on a narrowboat. After all, it is a floating mini house and like a caravan it gets untidy and dirty quickly due to stuff being dragged in from outside.
It’s always quite entertaining to see what some people do to amuse themselves on the canals.
Some things are just weird!!! Some of the conditions of the boats is pristine whilst others can only but be described as horrendous. Some you think are uninhabitable but out pops a head!!
Always find it fascinating to see what the underside of a canal boat looks like. A most peculiar shape indeed.
They also come in lots of shapes and sizes.
Early to moor up so did the shopping and then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening enjoying reading The Times and watching an Inspector Morse on DVD. Not good TV reception tonight which is often the case but there is more than enough to amuse ourselves with each evening. Fras is also attempting to learn sudoku which is causing him to pull his hair out.
Rowkin Rovings Blog 