The Big One (5-4)

Goole Marina to Went Aqueduct and back.

Good morning from a Sunny but soggy Goole upon sea. There is this bright thing hanging in the sky to dry. Either that or some one must have given the sun a hat to protect him from the rain.

I was up at 5:30, with a thirst that only a hot and spicy biriyani the night before can create. Several cups of coffee later I decide to tough it out and stay awake.

A few logs are thrown on to the fire and the dogs turn over in their beds to sleep a bit longer.

I have had this idea for a book.  

I have a working title for it "The British Waterways and the Management of Mystery!" 

It goes something like this....

In an uncertain world there is one organisation that stands shoulders and (small but perfectly flat) head above the rest. Whenever the planet is in danger – be it from floods in the middle of a drought or replacing round bollards with square ones. Only one group is guaranteed to answer the call. 

In a waterlogged land that time forgot, the dinosaurs of disaster have only one chance to save the fast silting world of the Inland Waterways. CaRT our super Nero's are fiddling the facts and already massaging their pensions. Aided by the parachuted in shock troops of the IWA and powered by the high-speed revolutions of Rolt and Aickman. 

For the first time we can see into their top secret training camp. Where the new recruits are shown not only how to save the canal but also how to manage their collecting box. Ninger like techniques are taught on how to blend in and infiltrate the human society that they alone can pester for pennies. 

Tonker Tales is a revenue raiser with a serious problem, but enough about that! After a good night out, some people wake up with a missing eyebrow or a tattoo on their arse. Tonker woke up clueless and with no memory of how, when or where it happened. His erstwhile companion Glenda is thick, morbid and usually out of her depth. Together they are the Jeeves and Booster of canal creek castle. AKA Ivory Towers.

I think it has all the makings...

Later we had a cruise to the top end of the new cut. The Memsahib did a bit of boat polishing and I did a bit of rust prevention. I also did a bit of touch up painting as well as splitting some logs. One side of the boat looks much better now. If the weather holds for tomorrow - the other side will get the same treatment.

The fields here are still well flooded and so it does not bode well for us going up the Trent or the Yorkshire Ouse over the weekend. The flood locks are closed on the Trent and the advice given is to keep off the river!

Wildlife: Quite a few Mallard chicks around now - so as the saying goes - rain is good weather for ducks. The Swallows have arrived in large numbers, a few House Martins, a single Sand Martin and a few Swifts mixed in as well.

Daily Total
Miles: 12.7
Locks: 0
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 0
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 4.0

Accumulated Totals

Miles: 641.5

Locks: 645

Swing / Lift Bridges: 104

Tunnels: 6

Pump Outs: 8

Engine Hours: 2092.8

Later....