Broadband

We've used Three's mobile broadband very successfully since we bought Erin Mae, together with a mobile broadband router from ZoomTel.

This creates a WiFi hotspot for connecting computers, phone, iPad, etc, and links to the internet via a dongle which can also be connected directly to the computer if need be.

It's the one on the right, a Huawei E3256. Brilliant little 3G device, with a folding USB plug so you don't need a cap, among other advantages. Normally it nestles in the boat licence holder in Erin Mae's window, attached by a cable to the Zoom.

Until a few weeks ago, when it accidentally got washed along with a pair of shorts. Condition was terminal, I'm afraid. The dongle was an ex-dongle. The SIM card inside, however (and amazingly), survived the wet, warm, detergent-laden washing cycle – I just didn't have a working device to use it with. So I checked on the Three website, saw which dongle they are currently selling for mobile broadband users, and found one on eBay – a ZTE MF730F, pictured on the left. Supposed to be slightly better technology than the Huawei but, annoyingly, with a cap and a fixed USB plug. It seems nobody is making rotating plugs any more.

Well, the ZTE worked fine when connected directly to my computer, but the Zoom went into a sulk and completely refused to talk to it. Unfortunately we didn't discover this until we were back on Erin Mae last weekend. The immediate result was that my best beloved was dropped into an internet-free existence – her devices all connect via the Zoom. I checked ZoomTel's website, and found that this particular ZTE is not listed among the zillion that are supported, and their support department confirmed that, if it's not on the list, there's no way to get it working.

So it was back onto eBay and, wonder of wonders, there was a second-hand E3256 going for £7, including postage. It certainly wasn't there when I first checked some weeks ago. So we got it sent to some friends at Fazeley, where we are holed up for the weekend. It arrived yesterday, I inserted the SIM card, connected it to the Zoom, and my best beloved's enforced fast has come to an end.

I'll just have to be extra careful the next time we've been out and about and I want to wash my trousers. And anyone want a ZTE MF730F, going cheap?

Bridge holes

Calculate the overall distance you travelled (11.2 miles today). Now calculate how much of that was in bridge holes – 34 bridges x a guestimated average bridge hole width of 10 yards (to be generous, I think) = 340 yards. If my maths is correct, the bridge holes comprise 0.017248377 (340/1760/11.2) of the overall distance. In other words, we spent about 1.7% of today's cruising under bridges.

Now, how many boats did we encounter coming the other way? I confess I did not count them at the time, but I'm sure there weren't more than 20 (being generous again). But 3 of those were in difficult encounters at bridges. That's 15% !

You might argue that I haven't allowed for the length of the boats – making a notional, virtual bridge width considerably larger. But I counter than the three bridges were also on blind corners (any boater knows that it's always on a blind corner bridge that you encounter someone coming the other way). These two factors perhaps cancel out.

So – nominal chance of encountering a boat under these conditions – 1.7%. Today's actual experience of encountering such a boat – 15%. A small sample, I know, with little statistical validity – but why does it always happen this way!

Apart from that, we had a good run from Fradley to Fazeley. More of the sunshine and cloud recipe. When the sun was out the Coventry Canal was pretty,

graced with the occasional early 19th century cottages,

while the sky offered its own drama.

At Fazeley junction we turned right under the bridge (no incoming this time), and have moored up ready for the BCF weekend, behind Peter and Fran's NB Sonflower, and with David and Mary's NB Kew in the background.

Since I took that photo, others have also arrived. Promises to be a good weekend.

After the storm

Storm Aileen left us unscathed. We were moored towards the southern edge of the amber warning area, and the winds were less strong than a little further north. Whatever we had, I slept through it. This morning we needed a quick trip to Rugeley's excellent fruit and veg shop before getting under way in the sun – that was not to last. Sunshine and showers was what they promised, and sunshine and showers was what we got, some of them heavy.

There was more traffic on the move than we'd expected, and we had an interesting moment under a bridge on a blind corner when the canal was so shallow that both Erin Mae and the boat coming the other way found it hard to stop in time, and even harder to manoeuvre back into position afterwards. You can never get a photo of situations like that, because you're so busy avoiding calamity.

At Wood End lock we found ourselves in a queue of four boats. It was drizzling, so we thought about tying up for some lunch. But we thought again, because we were bound to still be in a queue when we were ready to move again, so we just waited our turn and it wasn't long before the sun came out again. Then it was down the lock and round the corner to Fradley junction, followed by others who'd been also been queuing.

Fradley's helpful volunteers were helpfully volunteering, as usual.

Fradley itself wasn't exactly buzzing – blame it on the weather.

We turned right through the little swing bridge and, by the time we'd filled the water tank, decided we'd come far enough for the day. We found a spot at the end of the visitor moorings.

One of my mooring hooks is squeaking on the armco, so I shall sort it in a minute.

And then, I think, I'll light a fire.

On the move

We've to be in Fazeley by Friday, for a Boaters' Christian Fellowship event. It seemed the weather was going to be so appalling we seriously considered doing all the travelling by car, but we didn't want Erin Mae to feel left out. Anyway, driving from Tamworth to Great Haywood on Friday and Saturday just to sleep didn't really appeal. Interrogating the weather website in a bit more detail showed that there was some good cruising weather expected between the storms, so we decided to brave it. Yesterday we drove up in the pouring rain, which conveniently stopped as we arrived, to enable us to unpack the car in the dry.

This morning the sun shone, mostly, but the problem was always going to be getting Erin Mae out from her mooring, given what the wind was doing. Eventually I reversed up the first section, this being the only way not to be blown fatally on to other boats and pontoons. It took a while, but we managed it and emerged without a single scrape onto the Trent & Mersey.

The cruise down to Rugeley was pleasant and uneventful. There were a lot of parked boats on the run in, but there was a good space on the visitor moorings where we'd planned to stop. The forecast says Storm Aileen will run across us overnight, bringing winds of 65-75 mph in the early hours, so we wanted to be in a place where there is some shelter from buildings and trees – though not the sort likely to topple in the breeze. As I write the promised rain has started, but the wind will come later.

If I don't post tomorrow, you'll know we drownded or got torn to shreds.

Up, up and away

To celebrate my exceedingly advanced birthday last October, Nº1 Son gave me a gliding voucher. I tried to cash it in during our Exmoor family holiday, so that he could be there, but the gliding club cancelled at the last minute. So we re-scheduled, at a different club, for the end of July.

It was a beautiful day for taking your life in your hands, and the instructor Ian gave me a briefing…

and then ensured that I (and my parachute!) were well strapped in.

It's 52 years since I was last in a glider – when I was in the cadet force I got my "A and B certificates" on a week-long course that culminated in three solo flights. The glider I flew then had an open cockpit and we were launched by winch. This time we were towed up by a small powered aircraft.

This was not only much more civilised, but it meant we reached 2500 feet before releasing. Ian flew us around for a while, and even found some thermals to take us a little higher. Then he said "You have control", to which I responded in kind.

I'd expected to be a little nervous, but I really hadn't anticipated that it would take me to the edge of terror! I flew for a while, but never felt in control. Although it was a fine day, there was a lot of turbulence in the air, which seemed to give the glider a mind of its own. After we landed, Ian suggested that, because of the turbulence, we re-schedule the other two flights and hope for calmer conditions. So today we returned.

This time, Ian was piloting the towing aircraft, and I had a different instructor, Graham. Conditions were cloudier but less chaotic, I managed to stay on top of the panic, and it was an amazing experience. Graham was complimentary about my handing of the controls in the turns, and even in situations where the small amount of turbulence we did encounter demanded management. I put it down to 2-dimensional practice on Erin Mae's tiller. So, thank you to Nº1 son for the voucher – a fabulous treat.

At the end of this week we are hoping to get up to Erin Mae at last and have a few weeks on the waterways. So posts to this blog, singularly lacking this year, might even start appearing again.

Tour d'Avebury

What with all this time on the south coast away from Erin Mae, we were due a day out. We drove to Avebury in Wiltshire, a small village sitting within a stone circle.

The National Trust cares for the site and owns the manor house.

They have done a superb job of creating a visitor centre, making good use of some of the old barns.

The stone circle itself is far larger than Stonehenge,

and some of the stones have fascinating shapes.

There's an avenue between the main circle and an associated site, which we explored on our bikes.

Up hill and down dale – inspired by the TdF, my best beloved was daunted by nothing,

though she did need a bit of a rest at the end!

We picked the best day of the week for our visit. For anyone on the Kennet and Avon, it's perhaps within hiking rather than strolling distance, and thoroughly worth the effort.

Celebrations continue!

Since coming home from our European cruise we've spent only a few days on Erin Mae, what with one thing and another. Appointments and decorating, for a start, and now the second major part of our birthday celebrations – the family all gathering for the inside of a week at an AirBNB on the edge of Exmoor. I'd planned my birthday gliding "experience" for the Sunday before we were all due to meet up, but the airfield cancelled it the day before, on the grounds of the towing aircraft having a fault (very encouraging!). Still, we came down and stayed overnight in the guesthouse we'd booked and on Monday morning found ourselves strolling along the towpath of the Great Western Canal at Tiverton.

It's a nice enough walk, and there were different kinds of floating craft to catch the eye.

Then it was time to meet up and settle in at Haddon End – an absolutely brilliant place for an event like this. There are eleven of us – my best beloved and myself, three sons, two daughters-in-law and four grandchildren, some over especially from Norway.

The view from the front of the house, and therefore from most of the bedrooms, is stunning.

Yesterday it rained copiously, so we all went off to the 10-pin bowling alley in Taunton. Today it was dry and sunny, so we drove over to Simonsbath and went on a walk to Cow Castle.

An ideal spot for lunch and swimming!

It was a good, deep pool and we all got wet, in spite of the hypothermic shock provided by the river. Then it was home for a barbecue on the front terrace.

Some cooked.

And some enjoyed being played with.

It's been a brilliant day, and a fabulous family holiday so far. It's going to end too soon. I'm afraid Erin Mae is feeling rather left out.