The time has finally come, to say to goodbye

After 13 glorious years we have decided it is time to move onto pastures new, many miles and very many locks and much joy, it is time to say farewell to the canals and rivers, we have thoroughly enjoyed our ownership of Triskaideka, she has served us well and is a credit to both XR&D and Beacon Boats, even on our last days of cruising we were receiving compliments on the boat. She is up for sale with Rugby Boat Brokerage.

This year we have travelled from the Thames to the Avon, the Severn, to Llangollen, Chester, Stoke, Braunston, before our destination. The canals remain a joy but for us it is time to move on as we have covered all what we want to do many times, we hope Triskaideka finds a loving owner to enjoy her as much as we have!

We have spent the last couple of days emptying her out, its amazing how much you can get on a boat, she has risen out of the water at the bow by a good few inches and our garage floor has disappeared!

Thanks for sharing our journey with us, we have no idea what is next, we have a few ideas kicking around but who knows!

During our 13 years we have travelled 8839 miles and done 5849 locks! Give or take a few, probably undercalculated! We leave her with engine hours at 7254.

Rather apt (with the name of our boat) that our last lock was number 13!

Cleared out and ready for a new owner

Summer trip to Llangollen

 Our FB page is updated with this summers trip to Llangollen with lots more photos

Link to Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Blogger/NB-Triskaideka-110616697906927/

A short catch up

 We have become a little bit disenchanted with blogging, it takes up too much time, we still have Triskaideka, but our usage has changes somewhat, partly in response to the pandemic, but also because none boaty life gets in the way, and the small problem that Ali is still working full time in the job that she took for 5 months in autumn 2018!  We still go out for a longer trip at least once a year, and bob about when we can, but our days of continually cruising the summer months are on hold at the moment.

We still manage a few long cruises, last year we went up the Caldon Canal, and this year Ali decided that she wanted to do Tardebigge, so we decided to make it as rounded trip as we could and did an anticlockwise route, our original plan was out through Leicester, River Soar, but due to a stoppage in Leicester we had an immediate change of plan and headed up the North Oxford, via Braunston, to the Trent & Mersey, Staffs & Worcester, down the Severn to Worcester, up the Worcester & Birmingham to Kings Norton, GU to Warwick and back to Braunston, then onto our home mooring on the Leicester Line.  It was a lock heavy route and some of the paddles were extremely difficult, but despite the unseasonal weather (very cold for August) we enjoyed the trip, although Ali has now has a go windless!

After bimbling along the Leicester line we decided on a short trip out away from home waters and headed down the South Oxford to Banbury and are now on our way home, cold, windy at times, beautiful blue skies at others, but the storms and rain passed overnight.  We have been lucky with the weather.

We have even had out first dose of the new fuel available at the marina, HVO, the boat systems operated faultlessly on it, engine, heating and reflex stove.

Our trip to the Caldon Canal

Aug 2021 Cruise - the long way around Birmingham

Banbury & return Oct 2021