Everything full again at Great Haywood

Great Haywood to Tixall Wide, Staff and Worc Canal, 0.5 miles 0 locks

Lots of litres of diesel needed today, the last time we put diesel in was at Turners Garage at bridge 69 the Shropshire Union Canal.  That was two months ago to the day, and since then we have done 130 hours running the engine.  Not all actually moving of course, but the engine has to be run for at least one hour a day when moored to keep the batteries fully charged for all the electrical uses on No Problem.

As well as that, the engine heats the water.. our woodburning stove has no back boiler, so the only way to heat water is by running the engine or, in fact, by using our diesel powered boiler which lives in the engine bay.  But we have not had to use that this year.  The boiler also heats the radiators but the woodburner is managing adequately to keep the boat warm.

Anyway, as a matter of interest, we took 158 litres of diesel to fill the tank at 59p a litre, and with the two week break at Christmas that worked out at around £15 a week for all our electric and water heating.  Our actual heating for No Problem comes almost for free because we burn wood only, using coal only as a standby.  The only cost involved is a small amount of petrol and oil to run the chainsaw, plus pennies for the tools to keep it up together such as chain sharpening files.

We could not moor outside the boatyard today through the bridge in the picture.  It is the holiday base of the Anglowelsh Hire Fleet, and all their boats were moored there, I counted over 20 of them, so we moored where you see, on the Trent and Mersey Canal.  From there they can make their pipes reach from the yard and through the gap between the bridge and the building for filling up with diesel and pumping out.

While that was being done, I went off to the village butcher to put some dinners in the freezer, only to find that I had left my purse aboard No Problem.. so a return visit was needed.

Then a trip to the Farm Shop with an empty bag to fill right up with fresh fruit and veg.  The prices there are generally cheaper than the Spar in the village by the way. 

With water on board and the rubbish duly dumped, I reversed No Problem, and as I did the wind kindly took the back end over to the other side of the canal.. very handy, then it was just a matter of full forward throttle and turn into the Staff and Worcs Canal.

Tixall Wide was the destination.. and so many boats along the half mile to the wide open expanse, some look as if they have been here all winter….. Ummmmmmm

Oh, and I received an email today from British Waterways, Wales and Border Counties after I questioned why boats are mooring for more than 14 days..

“As we have two Patrol Officers to cover nearly five hundred kilometres of waterway regrettably the lengths do not get checked as often as we would like.”

*Sigh* Says it all really dunnit? …  Sheeeesh?