Pages

Coal, Diesel, Pumpout, Ropes , Fenders, and Other Boating Consumables to Boats & Canalside Business & Properties. E-mail :nbalton102@yahoo.co.uk or Mobile: 07791345004 or 07976811073

Saturday, January 01, 2011

Happy New Year 2011

Here's wishing all our friends, family & customers a healthy, happy and prosperous 2011.

As many of you know 2010 was perhaps not one of the best years for us. Just to say a huge thank you to all those people who have helped us through it. We really couldn't have done it without you, we are so lucky to know such lovely people. We are hoping for a fresh start for 2011, just enjoying what we do and making the most of our lives.

We spent New Years Eve with our friends Rupert, Alison & Peter down on the Caldon Canal near Leek. We had a very pleasant evening celebrating. Then today it was back to work with a vengeance!

This afternoon we have done our deliveries with Alton around Whaley Bridge & Furness Vale. We have also driven over to Strines (where we admtted defeat on the ice breaking a fortnight ago). We knocked some holes in the ice & measured it as 3" in places. We are going to try ice breaking to Marple again with Alton tomorrow and see how it goes.

Our very approximate schedule is as follows.

Sat 1st Jan: Whaley Bridge to Furness Vale
Sun 2nd Jan: Furness Vale to Marple
Mon 3rd Jan: Marple to Bollington
Tues 4th Jan: Bollington to Oakgrove

Please be patient with us if we do not make the plan above, suffice to say we will deliver to all customers from Whaley Bridge to Oakgrove by hook or by crook this week.

Best Wishes,

From Brian & Ann Marie
Renaissance Canal Carrying - keeping carrying on the canals

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Merry Christmas

Firstly apologies for not updating the blog sooner, but the last couple of weeks have been hectic to say the least. We loaded Alton at Furness Vale on Thursday 16th of December and the ice was finally begining to thaw. However that night we had another hard frost and woke to a very frost morning. We decided to have another go at ice breaking and made slow but steady progress through to New Mills. Here we were held up with the pumpout pump and pipe work, which despite being left empty, as soon as we refilled them ice started to form in the pipework and valves. After a couple of hours attempting to get the pumpout up and running we had to admit defeat.




In Photo: Ann Marie trying to defrost Carr Swing Bridge (or giving it the kiss of life!)

By this time George Boyle had caught us up and was running in front of Alton breaking the ice for us. He made good progress as far as Disley Lift Bridge as can be seen in the video below.


However a few hundred yards further on we were now breaking ice that was unbroken for over 3 weeks and over 4" thick. Our progress slowed considerably and by 2.30pm we were only  breaking 10' to 20' at each run at the ice. At this point we decided that progress was just too slow, so we began to make our way back in reverse from whence we came.


We finally made it back to Whaley Bridge Basin about 6.30pm having winded Alton with the help of Sandbach at Nat's Hole.  Thanks for your help George it was very much appreciated.

Then over the next few days we returned to road deliveries, back and forth we went in out trusty green nissan van. We drove down all sorts of lanes and tracks and found access points to the canal that we never knew existed. Thanks again to all those who helped.

Finally we have had a lovely few days off over Christmas with family and friends. Thanks for all your cards and presents, we really don 't expect, you really are are the most kind and caring customers. We hope you are all enjoying your Christmas break.

Best wishes from Brian & Ann Marie