Rebirth!

Here we go again! A Broom 30 this time called Puffin. Out of the water and in the shed for a complete restoration.
Got the trusty angle grinder out last week and removed the rotten timber rubbing strake and took off all the steelwork in preparation for masking and sanding.
She's going to have a red (yes red) hull and The original off white top.


























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Lough Derg

Can't believe it, Lough Derg was like a millpond (mostly) today.
Had a lovely trip to Portumna with the sun shining somewhat!
How I love non rain days. Off to Galway now to play in the Quays. Better shave!



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Time to brave Lough Derg again. Tomorrow is the day!


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Location:Scarriff hbr

Puffin

Bird on the wire is sold, sad but I had no more work to do on her so I have passed her on to someone who hopefully will take care of her as well as. Claire and I did.
So to the next restoration project. We have got ourselves a Broom Captain 30'. Slightly tatty but sound and has great potential, that's me busy for the winter!



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Hung up!

Woohoo! A bit of excitement at lock 40. As I was winding the sluices open on the tail gates I heard this creaking and as I looked round there was poor Claire hanging on for dear life.
The stern rope had got caught in the gap between two blocks and the boat was rapidly heading for the bottom of the lock.
Panic.... Me, never!
Close the sluices, open the top land rack at Olympic speed and all is well again.
Lesson to be learnt... Always have a knife beside you when descending a lock!


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Location:Unnamed Rd,,Ireland

Skellys

Discovered a gem of a place in Ballymahon, Skellys bar. Great spot for food and drink and they have a music festival in the back yard every summer.
The Canal is full of surprises!


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Nearly sunny!

It's not raining, quick get the canopy down!
Lovely day on the canal and it's nearly sunny.
We're in Ballybrannigan hbr. very well kept indeed.





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Location:Ireland

Abbeyshrule

In Abbeyshrule, still raining! Went over the Inny aqueduct and through the bog up to the Blackwater one. That's as far as we go on this trip.
I would have to recommend the Royal to anyone who hasn't been on it and Abbeyshrule is lovely but be warned....no shop and no bins!
We head back down the canal tomorrow but we will definitely be back to do the circular trip through Dublin and back down the Grand canal to Banagher.





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Location:Ireland

Popeye!

Woke up to the lovely sound of RAIN.
Ah well, things to be seen, rain or no rain.
The royal canal is stunning the further up you go but the locks are hard work. I'll have muscles like Popeye after this.





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Location:Ireland

Mosstown

Mosstown harbour A quiet little mooring on a bend in the canal near the village of Keenagh. Still raining and galing. Only one thing for it.....PUB!
Hopefully the sun will shine tomorrow. Ha! Chance would be a fine thing.














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Location:Unnamed Rd,,Ireland

Bridges galore

Through the 1st. lock with help from Phillip the lock keeper and we weave down ( or is it up?) the canal with a following wind, hard to steer going so slowly and through the bog railway bridge and on to the lifting road bridge at Begnagh.... Wait for the green light, I'm warned, hard when the gale is shoving us along but up she goes courtesy of Phillip...again and then grrrrr! Vibration in the prop shaft.... The weeds have attacked.
So now, who's getting in to the water to clear it..... Hmmmmm no takers. Let's try the boathook first.
It worked.....phew. Off we go again.

















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Location:Begnagh bog.

What bloody awful weather

Its like a winter's day.
This can't be July!
Set off (in the rain) from Richmond hbr. at lunchtime to a gale force wind and horizontal rain.


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Location:Cluain Na Sibhe,Killashee,Ireland

Richmond harbour

At last! We are moored up in Richmond harbour with our lock Handle and permit all set to tackle the Royal canal....well, some of it anyway.
We'll start in the morning and are hoping to meet our friends Nicky and Joe on Winter Solstice on the way. Can't wait.
And so to bed!




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Location:Ireland

Rain

I knew it was too good to be true. Il pleut, comme il pleut!


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Dark clouds

This is unreal. We have been tipping away down the canal with this incredible sheet of rain chasing us. Still hasn't caught us. Canopy still down.


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Bumpy

Yeehaw! Bumpy on Garadice lough today, it's day 2 on the B&B canal. Abandoned boat yesterday, rain 1- crew 0.
Heading for Haughton's shore ( on my own ) ..... sound Familiar?
Everytime I come to a lock it rains, glad to see nothing has changed but I did enjoy our summer on Friday!



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Sunday morning, Lough Key

A beautiful morning on the lake-even the teenagers are happy!


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The beasts are laid!

There they lie in their rightful places, I think it was worth the skinned knuckles!


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Location:Boyle's Harbour,Boyle,Ireland

Les objets terrible!

Here are the beasts that have caused me so much anguish and soreness. There they lie just waiting to be trimmed, as they would but they will look magnificent when installed.....maybe!


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Location:Ireland

Claire's birthday

Claire's birthday today. Have to pull out all the stops. Did the old Strawberries with Greek yoghurt and honey + Bubbly bit for the breakfast in bed (before the school run), now have to create the miracle dinner that no one will moan about! Now, where is that medal


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Location:Home

Bad move

Should I have started this! No,no and no again. Let me tell you. Decided to replace Lino that's been stuck down for 35 years in the boat. This won't take long says he..... Ha ha, funny man. 3 days later and I'm still at it. Have chisel will travel. Still 2 sections to go, bleeding hands, aching elbows etc. ah but the bits I have finished look mighty. It's red by the way!


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Location:Albert lock

Rock and roll

No sleep, straight to Dublin airport after last night's gig for the 06.00 to Stansted and on to Aarhus for the last Gilbert O'Sullivan concert in Viborg tonight. Anyone got a box of Maguire & Pattersons to prop open the poor ol' eyelids!
On the water again this weekend (hopefully). The kids are all keen anyway.


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Location:Ireland

Brrrrr!

Saturday so it must be Cootehall. Took the boat for our first overnight, she's running "Sweet as a nut". Had great intentions of visit Henrys drinking emporium but alas too much of the sav. bl. and I fell asleep. So much for that!
Wind got up Sunday morning and had a fairly bumpy ride back to Albert lock but most enjoyable. Saw only one other hardy boat person out!

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