Royal canal opening

Apparently the Royal canal is due to be opened at Richmond harbour today. I'm away to see if it's actually true. Great move that, waiting until the end of the season to open! Photos later (maybe). Here's hoping.


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A welly!

A lovely welly!


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Moving!

Been a bit quiet. No time for the poor ol' boat with school runs etc. Got a ticket slapped on "Bird on the wire" yesterday in Boyle so thought I better move back to the mooring. That damn winter seems to be coming in awfully fast, yeugh!
So I braved the torrential rain on my own( no one would come with me despite the offer of a nice warm cabin and hot coffee and away I went. 2 pairs of socks in the wellies and I'm ready for anything. More later.


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Rehearsing. Hmmm!

Rehearsed for the "Three Amigos" tour today. Good fun this. No boating these days. Boo hoo!
Apparently the sun is going to shine this weekend. I wait.


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Frustration

Isn't it always the way. The day school ends it rains and the day it starts again, the weather takes up. Boat moored up, me doing school runs, Bummer! Ah well, there's always tomorrow. Watch this space.


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Location:Athlone

Crom castle and the storm

Abandoned the broad lough Monday morning as the reeds were blowing flat as the wind rose. Couldn't believe it, the boat was moving sideways more than it was going ahead so time to retreat! Stopped in Enniskillen for supplies and so to meet the dreaded weeds in upper Lough Erne. Carla drove most of the way across the lake stopping a lot to clear the ever increasing plume of weeds from the rudder. At this stage it was getting on so we decided to shelter at the mooring at Crom castle for the night where we met our friends Nicki and Joe on Winter Solstice. The morning brought great excitement as the steam boats were starting to gather for their rally this coming weekend. These guys build every bit of the boat themselves including the actual steam engines. You have to see the timberwork on these boats, it would put most cabinet makers to shame!


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On the "Road?" again!

Another showery Sunday afternoon and heading for the broad lough with my daughters Louise and Carla this time. The engine always sounds much louder with the canopy up but I can't chance taking it down because these fiercely heavy showers attack us with no warning. I'm talking monsoon type downpours here.
The girls wanted to go to Devenish and climb the round tower. Hope it's not locked tomorrow! Cooked chicken korma for them and then we settled in to watch the "Clash of the Titans" while the generator churned away outside.









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Relax

Some people have the life of it!


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Location:Enniskillen

The Round O

The wind fairly got up last night and we found ourselves being hit with a beam swell at about 01.00 ish. So out of the sack, clothes on (for decency), head torch strapped on and into the elements to turn the boat head to wind. The wind did most of the work and back to bed again. This morning the sun was shining as we feasted on boiled egg and Ryvita washed down by very strong coffee.
And so Bach to Enniskillen yet again to moor at the Round O. A strange name but a grand spot even if the floating jetties are a little bouncy when boats go past!


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Location:Enniskillen

The Broad lough, again

Woke up this morning to a grand sunny day and then it all went horribly wrong. Rain and lots of it! Ran out of water and no tap on Devenish that I could find anyway, so back up to Enniskillen for water and supplies. Happy days, they have "Old speckled hen" in Asda. Ooh aar! Off down the lake again to a wee island with a jetty near Rossigh where we bumped into ( not literally) a couple from Yorkshire on a lovely Dutch barge that we seem to meet at every mooring. Still raining and the poor man was sent out with his fishing rod to catch the dinner! Hatches battened down for a rainy night but apparently it's going to be sunny tomorrow!



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Enniskillen and beyond

Not sure about this location thing. At Devenish island now. All set to climb the round tower tomorrow. Came from Knockninny today through the weeds (slowly) and eventually into the Erne river towards Enniskillen. No weed problem here and a lovely day to boot. Roof down, hatch open, cushions and carpets out to dry! Didn't stop long in Enniskillen but went through the sometimes scary Portora lock and went on to historic Devenish island where we stopped for the night. I am cooking again, is there something wrong with this picture or is my cooking ok perhaps!


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Location:United Kingdom

Rain!

Woke up Monday morning to the lovely pitter patter of rain. Fantastic. Just what we need and locks to be tackled. It never stopped all day. Seriously! Everything is damp at this stage but that's Irish boating for you and so we soldier on towards Lough Erne (upper) stopping in Ballyconnell for supplies (still raining) where we saw our old boat "Moonstone" and had a chat with her new owners Tommy and Linda . Shes in great nick well to wear chaps and so into the Woodford river and the lake we go to be greeted by "WEEDS". I tell no lies. Upper Lough Erne is a weedbed at the moment. Spent the next while going forward, slower and slower. Stop. Reverse. Clear the weeds. Off again and eventually we reached Knockninny. Happiness. Whereupon I cooked a mean herby chicken thingy with corn mash. Bed by 11.


Zzzzzzzzzzzz


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Still Sunday

Keshcarrigan is the summit of the canal and is just after the 3 locks at Kilclare and the tricky Lough Scur. We ran aground here some years ago when yours truly decided it would be ok to cross the lake as it was getting dark. Not a good idea. Despite protests I went anyway and just as we reached the narrow channel at the end, the light went! Bang,Bang, squelch.
Stuck in the mud and no shifting her. A cold November evening with no food on board and worse still, no booze!
Nothing for it but to go to bed and wait to be pulled off the mud by the very kind waterways patrollers.
Won't be doing that again.
Guess who's saying "I told you so".


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Location:Keshcarrigan

Sunday

Beautiful day to tackle the Shannon-Erne canal. The canopy is down, the shirt is off & the kettle's on. I love this canal but the first stage to the summit at Keshcarrigan has loads of locks so patience is needed. The canal is busy today so more waiting time than usual but there's plenty of coffee!


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Location:Leitrim village

Just testing

Just making sure this thing works ok!


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Off to Lough Erne

Here we go. All the kids away so Claire and myself are heading for lovely Lough Erne on Sunday in Bird on the wire, our Freeman 28. Really looking forward to the trip. Will post as we go along, signal permitting of course.
Look forward to hopefully meeting up with our friends on Winter Solstice somewhere along the way.