Breaking Ice and Deliveries.

Hi Friends.

With yet another sharp overnight frost the canal was frozen again this morning, which was not what the doctor called for, because we wanted to move on towards Welford. Having done all the usual morning jobs, which I do everyday we fired up the engine and left our weekend mooring. The ice was about ¼" thick when we set off, but it soon thickened to about 1" for most of the journey. In all the journey took us 6 hours and 10 minutes which normally takes us about 3½ hours, but at least we did sell a few bags of coal along the way, which made it all worth while. We sold our first coal of the day at Crick to a couple of customers, we then stopped at Yelvertoft and supplied coal to two new customers. I think everyone is stocking up, just in case the bad weather comes back again. Breaking ice is a lot of fun but it is not good for the blacking on the hull. I think we have pretty much taken all of our blacking off now, but thankfully we are blacking it again in May and needs must, because our customers are important to us. When you take on an area to deliver coal in, your customers expect and hope that you will be regular or at least let them know if you cannot make it on time. Even though it was a cold day, with the sun out the cold did not reach my bones for a change. We moored up at Welford Junction and NB Roehaise with Jackie and Ray onboard came in behind us, they had been moored behind us at Crick as well. Yesterday Jackie and I had a lovely walk with the dogs Paddy and her dog Tess.

I am now waiting for my Sausage Stew and Dimplings to cook, so we can settle in for the evening with a warming dinner. I have a feeling I will be in bed early tonight, because it has been a long and busy day.

Chat soon xx