Christmas and New Year was all good - and best wishes to you all - although plenty of time was spent at work but did have a few days before & christmas day off . However it seems winter hasn't really arrived and in it's place we have windter which for me is way more problematical. 65mph winds in the new year (when scotland nearly blew away), and 55mph again last weekend. I've lost another Chimney Hat (now wired to chimney - and I have a big magnet to retrieve anything else I may lose overboard!) , worn away part of the cratch cover with ropes and snapped a fairlead due to the Wind. On the leisure moorings a pontoon was damaged and subsequently removed - and our resident submarine had their Aerial snapped in half!
Merrion Gardens besides St John's Centre early on Boxing Day:
As well as the windy weather we've also had a couple of weeks locked into Clarence Dock with the Aire being high. Highest I've seen it since arriving last April, over the footpath at Crown Point Bridge and almost over Leeds Lock and back into the Aire
Terrible picture but note the water spilling over the left back into the river.
Aire in flood just below Leeds Lock
Finally managed to visit the Royal Armouries at Clarence Dock. It is worth a visit, but doesn't really create the same atmosphere as the Tower of London. Still need to visit again to take a look round the upper floors.
Aerial View of Annie on Visitor mooring from Armouries:
As you can see I never made it back to my official mooring - at least until last Tuesday. Thought i'd try and get back incase everything froze over. Of course after arranging to have the footbridge opened to get back in, I woke up to a few centimetres of ice on the side of the boat, and a quite sturdy sheet of ice across the dock! Beautiful calm morning but SUPER cold. I had fun reversing slowly through the ice into my spot. The crackling, gurgles and popping noises from the breaking ice was really quite fun - but did make getting past Lyra (hard not to call it lycra) sticking out on the pontoon an interesting maneouvre as I can't steer in reverse and the ice pushed me off course!
The scene of devastation following my manoeuvres through the ice. (Lyra to the right)
Back under the footbridge into the residential arm
Annie back on my official mooring - Frozen Cratch (ouch!)
Mines the water level flat!
So far no alien objects on the roof (been back in 1.5 weeks) - just a bit of noise as expected friday/saturday night.
I have a new neighbour due to arrive soon too which should nice - no details yet but hope we're talking about a narrowboat rather than something huge!
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