Category: Continuous Cruising

Living on a continuous cruiser on the UK canal system under CRT rules.

Old Linslade to Stoke Hammond

I’m going to stick to moving every two weeks. I know on the Oxford most people make it 3, if they move at all. Most of the boaters I’ve talked to here tend to at least SAY they move every two weeks. There are people who just stay as long as they want, for whatever reason, but I’ve never been one of those. I used to drag it out a bit in the winter and when the weather was cold, simply because it was more convenient, and safer to stay put.

The weather isn’t that bad, and I don’t mind moving around.

The new place I’m in is called Stoke Hammond. It’s over the border from Bedfordshire. I’m now in Buckinghamshire! How exciting!

Mobile signal is slightly more consistent with 5G speeds. The village has a convience store, a post office, (in one shop), and a pub and church.

There’s a nice walk up a hill to a nearby village which commands view over the Vale of Aylesbury, which is where I am now, if you want to call it that.

This is what's know as the Vale of Aylesbury
This is what’s know as the Vale of Aylesbury

It’s called Brickhill. As you can see it’s got nice views.

Towpath and upkeep

Of the waterways.

Went to empty my waste and do some recycling as I went through the locks.

Overfilled bins
Is this all from boaters…. I don’t know….

I get the suspiscion that punters pull up in the pub car park, which adjoins, and dump their rubbish in these bins.

I know they used to do this at Long Buckby, on the Grand Union further up.

Pretty sure all this waste isn’t coming from boaters….

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Back on the towpath

Near Leighton Buzzard.

I’ve had to move down a bit. The boat was needing to be moved. I managed to stay in the town for about a month, but I sent the CRT an overstay request. I put ‘pet bereavement’ as my reason for overstay. It was the closest I could find. I believe that buys you a couple of extra weeks.

A tame heron - Leighton Buzzard
A tame heron – Leighton Buzzard

Before I moved down, I walked down to check it all out. This heron was sat on the towpath up by the locks just coming out of town…

You could got right up to it, it didn’t seem bothered. When you get real close, it flies around you and goes back to looking at fish!

I went past it today on the bike and it didn’t even move. Just sat there looking at me…

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Fitting flexible solar panels to a narrowboat

This is a short guide to installing flexible solar panels to a narrowboat.

How long do flexible solar panels last for?

No doubt, less long than their rigid counterparts. Rigid panels offer 35 year warranty.

2025 – After 7 years, the top laminate of the panels has started to peel off. This gave a bubbling effect to the surface of the panels where the laminate had come away from the main part of the flexible cell body.

With a knife, I peeled away this protective laminate in it’s entirety. The surface below was slightly gummy, but the working surface of the panels was still intact.

Both of those panels still generate electricity, and from my latest measurements, at the same rate as the new set of flexible panels I put on some years later.

I hadn’t made much difference.

I have to keep them cleaner, and the surface is slightly cracked.

So, how long do flexible panels last for? In their brand new and no different 7 years. For me

Background

I’ve lived on my boat for 2 years. When I first started, I was located in a Marina. Everything was laid on, showers, water, electrical hook-up.

It reminded me of a high-rise flat for boats. After my boat was painted, I took it up on a journey to the most Northern and Southern reaches of the UK canal system.

It was called Bonnie Journey, in the name of the boat. You can read about it here.

It included some cycling, which I had to postpone due to injury. Whilst I was waiting for my injuries to recover, I stationed myself on the Kennet and Avon.

Kennet and Avon

Burbage wharf
Near Burbage

As visitors to this waterway will know. Kennet and Avon Marinas are few and far between.

I decided to try continuous cruising. When you’re continuous cruising, all your energy has to be self generated.

You’re entirely ‘off grid’. In winter, generating power was a case of starting the engine.

As the sun began to shine, in the run up to spring, I began to think of the advantages of solar.

After my boat was fully painted, I decided that the next job to be done, was to fit some solar panels, and take advantage of the free energy!

I’m now in a position to do that.

Researching

Most people are going to find that this is the most lengthy part of the process.

Before you shell out large sums of money, you want to ensure you’re getting something which is fully compatible with your needs.

The first question you need to ask yourself before fitting solar is –

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Cowroast to Leighton Buzzard

A late start after my bank holiday weekend boozing.

Managed to get going for around 11am.

Tring, which is the pound up, is the summit pound for the Grand Union south. On the Oxford Canal, the summit pound is Napton. It’s been closed south from Napton for the last 2 months.

There was plenty of water in Tring.

Day of locks

Bonnie at the locks
Bonnie at the locks

No let up with the locks, probably about 12-15 individual locks for a 6 hour day.

The countryside is less urban. More rural. There’s livestock or arable farmland in the fields. Not sounds of traffic or airplanes, or motorways. It’s all quite and serene.

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Spiceball park, Cropredy and beyond

As June draws near, Bonnie needs to travel North.

This year, she’s going in for blacking. The last time I had this done was July 2022. Getting on for 3 years ago.

As I look at the hull, it looks kind of weedy…. The anodes, which prevent the hull from rusting are getting low, which is of more concern.

Hull blacking

Fitting Anodes at Calcutt Boats

Supposed to be every 2 years. I guess that’s a good timeframe.

Bonnie will be lifted out of the water, jetwashed and re-painted with bitumen paint.

They’ll put some more of these on….

It will take a week for which I won’t be allowed to stay on Bonnie due to insurance obligations.

Some boatyards do let you stay on your boat whilst it’s being blacked, although they may get you to sign an insurance disclaimer.

This time they won’t, so I will be leaving Bonnie and doing a bit of travelling around and about the country.

Weekend in Spiceball Park

Thought I’d spend Saturday and Sunday in the middle of Banbury, enjoy the bright lights.

Getting up there was more difficult

Blockage at Grant’s Lock

The first lock you reach between Twyford and Banbury is called ‘Grant’s Lock‘. It’s a deep lock. Maybe 20 ft deep. One of the features of Grant’s Lock is that it often gets debris stuck behind it’s rather tall gate.

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