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
Rocking on …
Routines during the past months have been largely repetitive (and we all know why), so when something new...
While plastered…
In mid-July Boatwif’s fractured right wrist brought Cleddau-cruising to an abrupt halt. Incarcerated back in Bedfordshire in...
High Cirrus over the High Peak
Permission to visit and stay overnight on boats took effect from 4th July. For months the large blue IKEA bags (handy for...
Thank you for the space…
“Thank you for the space,” an approaching walker said one day on one of the footpaths through a Marston Vale...
Foot cruises across field and fold...
This time last year (16th May, 2019) Cleddau and crew were at Tarleton preparing for the adventure that was the tidal...
Lock gates by proxy...
Though you can take a man away from his boat, you cannot take a boat out of the man… In these strange times...
High and dry...
Boatwif caught the Captain looking back at the last blog entry a couple of days ago. It had been posted on January 18th...
Bad habits, traditions and celebrations
When does a bad habit become a tradition? And when does a tradition give cause for celebration? To answer the first...
Joyeux Noël
Can a Boatwif report on a totally boat-free trip…? It had been the idea of Godmanchester Friend 2. “Lille,” he’d...
Bands, bells and the elf on a shelf...
On the morning of December 1st Charlie was spotted – he’d arrived overnight from the North Pole. Charlie...
Are you SURE you want to do this?
Thanksgiving in Southern California was marked by rain, rain and more rain, by the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade...
Miscellany
These Thanksgiving trips to far south California encompass school runs and retail opportunities, leisure jaunts and visits...
Have you ever seen the Queen?
This week in Southern California it’s been a school week, though next week schools, colleges and the local university will...
Hurdling through November
After the October trip to Scotland there was the pear harvest to attend to: The pears added a certain piquancy to a pork-based...
Sea, Sheep and Space
Sea, sheep and space – after a few days on and around the Black Isle those are the abiding impressions...