Staffordshire Canopies get to work at Great Haywood

Moored Great Haywood, Trent and Mersey Canal

In complete contrast to the Thames, and in very calm conditions here on the Trent and Mersey Canal Tim arrived just after 9 to start putting on the stays for the stern pram cover.  Once again we have decided to have it as low as possible so that we can get under the majority of the bridges with the canopy up.  This worked really well with NP1, our old boat, in fact, with that particular canopy we managed to get under every bridge on the canal system with the exception of a couple on the middle levels.  I doubt it would have gone under a couple of the bridges on the Caldon though… It also did fine under all the lift bridges on the Oxford Canal with a little care.

As you can see, the sun was shining this morning and the towpath is once again dry.  Mind you we are very lucky here, a man made towpath not the mud bath that is just round the corner towards Tixall Wide.

Once the stays were up it was time to fetch Lisa for the job of paper pattern fitting..

Everything is made in paper first and marked.  It was a bit difficult this morning as although the sun was out it was a bit blowy, not the ideal conditions and once or twice Tim had to start again as the brown paper ripped .  But the two of them are very patient.  Next Tim will take the patterns and on his narrowboat will clear all the floor furnishings and lay out the cloth with the paper pattern and cut it all out.  Here the front cratch cover getting the same paper pattern treatment..

The weather by this time was just thinking about raining again as you can see.  Once the fabric has been cut out then out comes the sewing machine to actually make the covers.  Then it will be a final check before the holes for the twist buttons are marked out and the final adjustments made.

The cratch cover will be fitted on Friday, and the stern canopy some time next week.. Of course by then we will not get any more rain for the rest of the year!!  Ho hum!