narrowboat – Pickingupducks

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas from all of us aboard nb Preaux

Feather-brained queuing

Farewell October 2025, month of queues! The drought and hot weather of the past two years has led to an historic shortage of water in Britain’s canals and the reservoirs that feed them. It was the driest spring since 1893 according to the Met Office, and much of the country was steadily declared in droughtContinue reading “Feather-brained queuing”

Living Jenga = excitement & chaos

Older boats are like older houses. You start one job and another 6 make an appearance. They also demand because of their dimensions that doing work anywhere affects another area because everything has to move to produce working space. This week is a major milestone aboard Preaux, a week when we are making another massiveContinue reading “Living Jenga = excitement & chaos”

Our new super power!

This week has seen the single biggest revolution in our off grid life. Our 50ft floating home/office/workshop, since we bought her 7 years ago, has been powered by 3 lead acid Albion leisure batteries. Initially, they were charged by running the engine, and they in turn powered the items we need – lights, laptop, mobileContinue reading “Our new super power!”

Time flies when you’re busy (and watching water levels)

Several times this week, boating friends have anxiously asked if I’m suffering from withdrawal symptoms or the dreaded itchy tiller syndrome, as we enter our third week moored in one place. When you’ve been used to moving the location for your home and office regularly, seeing new signs and new sights almost every day, stayingContinue reading “Time flies when you’re busy (and watching water levels)”

Diverse perspectives are invaluable to keep us all afloat

We have been on our first winter mooring for near a fortnight now, and strangely, it doesn’t seem anywhere near that long. There has been much to do for work and family as well as the many additional tasks that Storms Bert and Conall have created for boat dwellers and many others. How time fliesContinue reading “Diverse perspectives are invaluable to keep us all afloat”

Tenterhooks, astonishment and unbelievable fortune

Setting a goal and being thwarted can be a challenge. We’ve been thwarted many times in our aim to reach our first ever winter mooring, but last Saturday was the first chance for us to try and make the trip across and up a river to reach our spot – and we went for it.Continue reading “Tenterhooks, astonishment and unbelievable fortune”

How do you wait?

How do you wait – patiently, productively or frustratedly? By the time you read this we hope the enforced hebetude of the past weeks will have left us and we will be on the move, making our way at last in the chill morning air across the misty River Trent onto the River Soar. EveryContinue reading “How do you wait?”

Celebrations, challenges and meeting Winston

We made it up to Langley Mill and through the first lock on the Cromford Canal, gaining our 10th IWA Silver Propellor Challenge location on my birthday to acquire the delightful present of a rather unique location plaque! Getting here up the Erewash was a challenge itself, to be honest, but one worth undertaking. ItContinue reading “Celebrations, challenges and meeting Winston”

Fraud, dripping and fraught navigation

Ey up mi duck – we made it! If you read last week’s update we’ve completed the first part of Plan C. We’ve donned our life jackets (all 3 of us) and hurtled down the Trent before Storm Ashley sends it back into flood, and executed a sharp left turn from the river onto theContinue reading “Fraud, dripping and fraught navigation”