Been a bit busy lately

First there was Southwold


followed by the This Adventure

and a cruise.


Next came Festiwool

Gosmore Ladies' Christmas Fair

with a sequel in Gosmore.

Heading back to the Marina

Yesterday, it was back to the boat for  a 40 minute walk

Nature Reserve

on the Stanwick Lakes Nature Reserve trail.

lunch, and a spot of work,

Work was interrupted at times by the demands of the resident swans

View from the front deck

and other water fowl.

I took Ron for a walk around the lake to the river entrance to the Marina.

It's densely wooded with just one break in the trees with a view across the lake to the boats.









It really is a lovely location, close to home - an ideal alternative to our previous mooring.

Next up is an away-weekend with Hitchin Stitchin'. We're returning to Belstead Brook Hotel for a weekend of knitting and nattering.

Photo Blog

of the final phase of boat repatriation.

From Oundle Marina

to Blackthorn Lake Marina









took six cruising hours 

I found it much less stressful than cruising the French Waterways but an eight-hour day was taxing on both me and MWNN.

The next project towards which I'm frantically working,  is Festiwool on Sunday 2nd November.

Phase 3 of the boat repatriation is now complete

Despite a major hold-up this morning at the first lock out of Oundle Marina (Lower Barnwell), we made good time cruising upstream between Oundle Marina and Blackthorn Marina.

The two Environment Agency engineers, who responded to our call for assistance, hand-wound the lock for us because there was a power-cut in the area. They assured us that there was full power at the next lock - and so there was.

There was another slight hold up as we were kept waiting for the fuel barge that was coming downstream with Ad Lib.

The trip took us just over five hours (MWNN had planned on seven). We turned into Blackthorn Marina at about 4.30 pm and moored at our new berth.

Across the lane from the marina entrance, is the path through Stanwick Lakes.

Ron decided he like this new mooring a lot.










Phase 2 of boat renovation can now begin.