Ready for dins

We love having a travelling balcony...

A Friday evening in the shade

Friday night brings another cruise. The weather stayed fine after this morning's thunderstorm, so we set out with Elizabeth at the tiller most of the time. Such fun! Profound apologies to our tillerwomen friends, but this is the first time Elizabeth both winded (turned Bella) and piloted the whole length of a tunnel. Just never winded, no real reason. Better eyes and no oncoming boat glare, so finally, the tunnel could be done. Her grin was notable!

We've been in Crick for the week, moored up in our usual place, just near the bridge after the tunnel. We loved it there last year, having such beautiful stark contrast from our previous home mooring. This year? Nice, but because it was so very shady, it was a dark contrast to our gorgeous home mooring. So we noticed things. Like very poor data coverage and only slightly better phone network. So really, we were glad to go!

A Weekend begins

That's all we can say, really, that the weekend has begun. And we're out of our home mooring. We had planned to set out much earlier this year, back in May we think, but our wonderful solarium took precedence. By the time our excited solar purchase fit in with the schedules of our brilliant tradespeople (which you read about earlier), and all of that fit in with our work (much of Elizabeth's away), this has been the first time this summer we could really get out and go.

We'll be back at home home for going to a certain wedding in August, but then set out again for a holiday cruise. And after the holiday, we might just stay out. And we might not. Who knows? Tonight is lovely. We'll stick with that.

Evening out the stern

This is our stunning post dinner vista. More lake than canal, it's heaven to us.

So, yes, we're at home home, otherwise known at Weltonhythe. We've been out, clearly, but somehow the schedule keeps getting ahead of us. And besides, E likes doing the gardening, as she did when returning from the studio today.

So we're here, enjoying the solar powered bread making.

Fully solared

Well we've done it. Solar panels. We went to Crick Show and came away with two panels of 175 watts each. We then took Bella to Braunston to have the panels secured to the roof.  Next, Pete did the interior wiring, getting two chuncky wires the whole inside length of Bella, underneath all the ceiling panels. This was needed as (of course) the panels are at one end and all the electricity connections the other.

Today, we pulled out of our mooring to Norton Junction where we nestled in next to Petra, a CRT dredger. Our fabulous electrician came to meet us to make the final connections at each end. Goodness. Within a few minutes of the final connection, our batteries were charged up to 100%. This will be amazing.

In the past when out of our home mooring, the engine had to run 2-3 hours a day to keep the batteries on charge. Therefore £2-£3 a day and diesel 'wasted'. Not any more! Wow.

Back Again

Elizabeth is away for a few days so Bella is back at Welton Hythe. Pete has been busy photographing a moth

Out again!

We left Weltonhythe around lunchtime, after Elizabeth's happy conversation that she can do gardening at the Marina whenever there. Excellent timing for the agreement! 

We're in Braunston again and very excitingly, for our solar panels. We brought two back from the Crick Show, having organised Stellar Electrician Simon to fit them. Roy will secure them to the roof tomorrow, Pete has already chased the wires halfway through the interior and Simon connects it all before the weekend. From then, we should never have to run the engine each day we're out in order to charge the batteries.  A whole new world!