Boatwif
The occasional adventures of the Cleddau crew
About Us
We are ‘The Captain’ and ‘Boatwif’, owners of nb Cleddau.
Cleddau was a five year old youngster when we took her on in 1994. She was built for cruising on the River Trent. Over time Cleddau has had internal and external adjustments but she retains her original hull, propeller, anchor and portholes.
When asked (frequently) “What does Cleddau mean?” our response is usually “In Welsh it means swords but Cleddau is the name of the river that flows into the Milford Haven deep water estuary in Pembrokeshire…”
We both grew up in Pembrokeshire; for some years we have kept a record of what we call ‘Monkton Moments’, those exchanges with boaters and non-boaters who recognise our Pembrokeshire connections.
This blog below is a record of our mainly boating adventures.
RECENT KEN & SUE LOCATION
Day 13: Sunday 27th June: Lost down the Drain...
It has taken much research to ascertain the navigable route from Macclesfield to Bedford and the Stanground...
Day 12: Saturday 26th June: From Shire to City
Ken tells me we drew away from the Fotheringhay mooring at 0640. Each night he sets his alarm clock for whatever time decreed...
Day 11, Friday 25th June: Beer and bikinis, a beatbox and a bloodbath...
Cruised today from Denford to Fotheringhay, a shorter day than usual, mooring up at about 1400. The mooring last night was canine...
Day 10: Thursday 24th June - Bottoms Up
From Cogenhoe Lock to Denford: some fifteen locks, involving a great deal of hard work, and various attacks from nettles...
Day 9: Wednesday 23rd June: Regulation and Calculation
Moored up late afternoon at Cogenhoe Lock, on the River Nene, east of Northampton. The engine roared into life early (again)...
Six Locks before Breakfast ... and the Mystery of the Missing Boat
0640 departure from Braunston Turn to maximise travelling in the cool of the day (that was the theory!). It was...
Day 7: Mad boaters and Welsh folk...
Yes, mad boaters and Welsh folk Go out in the midday sun… We set off from Hawkesbury Junction (near Coventry) at...
Day 6, Sunday 20th June
A busy morning followed by a chugging sort of afternoon: 11 locks in the Atherstone flight, generally...
Day 5, Saturday 19th June
Moored up mid-afternoon about two miles from Atherstone Bottom Lock (so we have the flight of 11 to look forward to tomorrow...
Day 4, Friday 18th June
From sunhats to rainhats, from sunscreen to waterproof gloves: the planning and packing for waterways “climate...
Day 3, Thursday 17th June
An early (0735) departure so as to get ahead and keep ahead of the queue-jumping convoy and to get some miles south...
Day 2, Wednesday 16th June
How fresh the air smelt this morning. Our start at about 0830 was rewarded by masses of sweet birdsong (and one...
Day 1: Tuesday June 15th
Our departure from Lyme View coincided with sharp north easterly winds, which meant that it took four attempts to...
Submissions from a non-submissive “boatwif”
So Part 2 of the 2010 Project has been reached! Bang on the Target Day, 15th June, narrowboat (nb) Cleddau drew out of...