There's something of a cloud hanging over NB Kantara at the moment...

...and that's despite the bright sky (at last!)

The cloud is caused by my hernia. I had the telephone consultation last week, and the doctor booked me to see him in person next Wednesday. How long I'll have to wait for the surgery I don't know, but I do know that I'll have to be engaged in very little physical activity for at least six weeks after it's done. The bottom line is that we can fairly confidently say we won't be cruising this year -  the second year running.

(Real clouds drifted in as the day drew on.)

Many thanks go to the many previously herniated members of two boaters' groups on Facebook* for their helpful, sympathetic and often encouraging replies to my posts asking for their thoughts about the outlook for my boating life.

(*The Friendly Narrowboat and Waterways Group & Narrowboat and Canal Lovers Group)

Instead of cruising, then, Instead, we'll use the time getting all the outstanding jobs done so that Kantara is ready to go as soon as I'm ready. The jobs aren't too numerous, but some of them will be quite time-consuming.

• repaint the front cratch board (started yesterday)
• install the new horn and tunnel lamp
• pack the top of the flue jacket with rockwool
• paint the chimney inside the cabin
• strip and repaint the taffrail
• get the Thetford rinse pipe reconnected/replaced/repaired
• clean the cratch cover
• deal with paint damage on the port side of the hull.
• wash and wax the cabin (outside, of course).
• sandpaper the inside of the hand-grip along the length of both sides of the roof

That's all! Just those. (I was wrong. They are too numerous).

Today's sunset was phenomenal!

******

Narrowboats in the US?

I belong to three boaters' groups on Facebook, and have been astounded by the number people in the USA who are members. Many of them just love our canals and boats from afar. They've read books by UK boaters - lots have read mine - or they watch one or more of the very many vlogs on YouTube. Many have been over to the UK for a boating holiday, and loved it, of course!

One such American gentleman promoted his own vlog on one of the forums, and I went to have a look. I had a particular interest in this post because he talks about the history of the Erie Canal in the US, something I'd learned a bit about when I did some googling for a woman in the States who asked in a FB group if she could travel on the canal in a narrowboat.

It turns out that the answer is "yes". More than that, an American couple came to the UK some decades ago to experience our canals. They hired a boat and had a wonderful time. So much so that they went back to the States and started a business building and renting narrowboats similar to those we have here (except that theirs are all 43 foot long). Another similar company has started since.

A further link the Erie has with the UK is that it was designed here; engineers met with our famous canal-makers and learned the art from them.

I do recommend you watch the vlog. You'll find that YouTube has a lot of videos about the Erie https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=erie+canal

but this one's a good place to start. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV9BK0-gX9o

Picture from eriecanal.org