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
Dressed for the part
It was 2012 when Cleddau made it through the Pennines (via the Standedge Tunnel1) to Marsden in West Yorkshire (population 3692, March ’21 census)......
Encountered
Cleddau had turned back northbound after Slapton Lock – and credit must be given to the Monday team of volunteer lock keepers.....
‘Elderly ducks’ on a nostalgia cruise
Stoke Bruerne to Slapton “So you’re obviously retired,” said an elderly gentleman on the towpath outside Leighton Buzzard’s Globe Inn....
The honeypot and a pavilion pair
Stoke Bruerne is one of those ‘honeypot’ locations that attracts boaters and visitors alike. Boaters passing through will arrive from the north....
What next…?
Was the Crick Boat Show the wettest, muddiest ever? Some marina residents believed that to be the case. Three days....
Fenced in…
Boaters with a serious interest in what the Crick Boat Show 2024 offered will find reports in Waterways World and other publications....
Anyone remember wearing a liberty bodice...?
Crick to Market Harborough, 12.9 miles as a crow flies Dates and deadlines seem to be ruling this year’s cruising programme....
Exercised!
“So you’re exercising your boat then?” a fellow boater concluded. This remark followed a summary of the Crick-Welford trip....
Double trouble
Welford – North Kilworth – Crick There was Cleddau, comfortably tied up at Welford on a 2 day mooring, comfortably that is until things went wrong…
Meanwhile…
In recent weeks Boatwif has been more of a ‘Housewif’ than a narrowboat crew member. There’s been no windlass wielding...
A Boatwif in search of a boat
In the six weeks or so since New Year there have been but few boat sightings. Early in January a plot was uncovered....
Midwinter…
After the hugely successful November visit to family in Southern California (note: no Covid or other bugs either imported or exported) time...
For the record
“Thank you for the adventure,” Cal Guy Jnr said after a walk in a wild place one day. Was that before or after the accidental chocolate cake lunch…? An exact memory eludes…