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
High winds on the High Peak
So, after last year’s disruptions (the breach on the canal at Middlewich, the water shortages that closed Bosley locks)...
For the record…
So there Cleddau was, at the bottom of Bosley Locks on a Tuesday morning. A volunteer lock keeper was hovering...
Pottering on…
Onwards along and – up – the Trent and Mersey Canal. The four Meaford locks to the north of Stone are close together...
Swanning about in South Staffordshire
With Cleddau’s winter mooring period at Aston Marina coming to an end the exit had to be planned. First, what to do about the car…
Canals new to the Cleddau crew
Memories of early schooldays are at best patchy, perhaps disjointed. They do not necessarily follow a chronological sequence...
Boats Ancient and Modern
There was a day trip to London – the Cheshire One on half-term break wanted to see Cleopatra’s Needle. So, research done...
Miles and miles and miles
Miles, many miles, have passed under tyre wheels since the last Boatwif report. Back then, breathless and jet-lagged...
Final snapshots
When a good trip draws to an end the head fills with visual memories, each a reminder of more than the picture itself…
Shake, Rattle and Roll
On the Friday before Thanksgiving Break Cal Guy Jnr’s class went on a field trip to the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad...
Out and About
You can almost get confused out here as to which season it is – is it Thanksgiving? or Christmas? (Photos taken on the...
Home deliveries to 33N, 117W
There’s been a huge expansion in home deliveries in recent years, Tesco and Ocado and the like buzz about delivering to houses...
So that was October...
For the Cleddau crew there always seems to be a breathlessness about October. You see, November follows October and again...
Into winter hibernation
Little did Cleddau or her crew know in early October last year that she was leaving Victoria Pit on the upper level of the...
Do you want … Paradise?
Slowly onward, Hopwas to Tixall Wide, 21¼ miles, 5 locks During the recent crop of warm September days there have...