New leisure battery

Bought and fitted a new-ish leisure battery off ebay last night Numax CXV 100ah £45 bargain (three year guarantee) - had a suspicion that the old one was dying and sucking the life out of the starter battery - they are wired together at the moment - must get that sorted soon. Hopefully take a bit of pressure off the alternator which has been going at full rate since I installed it a month ago.

Might take the boat out to Branston tomorrow to meet Tim and Jane on their way back from Coventry - they ended up stuck in Barton all last week waiting for the Trent to open at Wychnor. 

Bath and Bradford on Avon 21.6.12

Managed to shoe-horn a canal fix on a weekend in Dorset and Wiltshire.
Bath is a very old and attractive city and we had a very pleasant afternoon walking around it.
The navigable Avon is blocked off at the town centre weir, but, there is a shallow draft trip boat that operates on the other side of the weir.

Downstream the Avon is navigable to Bristol or there is a junction with the Kennet and Avon canal which has some very challenging locks and flights.

 the Avon in Bath

 is this the best located travel lodge? overlooking the K & A

 200th anniversary sculptute

 the church as featured in springwatch with the falcon platform

 Kennet and Avon canal

 the non navigable avon at bradford on avon

 wharf and narrowboat hire base on the right

 the lock inn cafe - note the dining boat in the foreground

the barge inn - would be rude not to have a quick pint

the weir and trip boat in bath

We also had an hour in Bradford on Avon which is not as pretty as I imagined.

first solo trip 9/7/12

First solo trip on Evening Cloud ended in failure as I had to turn back at Wychnor due to the Trent being in flood. On a positive note my locking worked well on the single locks between Dallow Lane and Barton Turns (although conditions were favourable - low wind and rain). This has given me the confidence to try again soon - especially if my current 'between jobs' situation doesn't change. I will be annoyed if the Trent is opened again today, as the BW staff were saying Friday, however, I would be pleased for Tim and Jane on Buzzin Pub who are still waiting at Barton at the start of their holiday.
One other thing learned - I will be ok if the wife ever kicks me out!

The dove in flood

The dove - other side of the aqueduct

Canadian geese infestation in Branston - any poles about?

just thought this was funny

a nice mooring near barton turns marina