Saturday 15th February 2020



The air in the morning felt damp, and as the day wore on the weather became cold and drizzly, a miserable day.

While awaiting the arrival of Halsall, the fuel boat, I took the opportunity to do a few jobs outside. The vent restrictors were finished and the starboard hull side sanded down and primed in preparation for a touch-up of the blackening.

Halsall arrived and we took on 32ltrs diesel, a gas cylinder, 5 x 20kg bags Excel coal and 3 bags logs. Possibly this coal may see us through to the end of the winter. 
There are a number of fuel boats on the canal system, the sole remaining commercial trading boats. They ply their trade on a certain stretch of canal, to some kind of schedule. Not only do they provide a service, selling fuel, coal, gas, fenders and other boat related items, but they are also a value resource of news from the cut. They may also be said to provide a welcome presence to those customers living alone on their boats, a valuable link.   
We then battened down and stayed on the boat, warm and snug, Brenda reading and myself on family history.

And awaited Storm Dennis.

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