Gracie Update

Remiss of me, we now have a State of Gracie Facebook page and so this tends to be updated rather than the blog. So much has and hasn't happened since last posting.

Gracie has now been out of the water, in dry dock; we have to have some welding done; painting the exterior has started and interior is starting to take shape.

We blacked her ourselves at Portland Basin Marina at the end of the Peak Forest Canal. It was reopened in 2000 as part of the Huddersfield Canal reopening. Lovely people, can recommend it as an excellent place to have work done.

The gas locker floor needs replacing, combination of water underneath in the water tank, a slight lip where the water should drain and gas bottles grinding into metal meant a small hole developed. So we are getting a new floor welded in, the lip removed and some hardwood strips to rest the bottles on. The welder says it has happened previously, so a design fault.

The dogs continue to love this life. We are travelling along the entire Peak Forest Canal and going down into Manchester, via Stalybridge, or StalyVegas, as it is known locally!

We are slowly getting to know boaters and organisations, we have joined the National Association of Boat Owners and Stella has attended the boater's meeting in Birmingham and the Manchester and Peninne  AGM. We have also put our money where our mouth is and become Friends of CRT; meaning that we are sponsoring CRT as well as paying a licence.

Have a good summer everyone

Three Month Anniversary

Yesterday marked three months since we moved aboard Gracie - it seems much longer in some ways and in others a short time. We have learnt a lot and are now moving into late autumn - we haven't experienced a true frost yet, although there was one when we moored in Furness Vale on the Peak Forest canal.

Originally, we had planned on a marina life but this felt too much like a horizontal towerblock and they didn't like dogs - moral of story - if you have a dog don't moor at Macclesfield Marina (next to Hovis Mill). 

We have had an invertor fitted to generate 240 volt electricity and if you want work done; we can certainly recommend that marina. We will get solar panels fitted early next year; which will mean we don't have to run the engine when we run the washing machine (finally purchased last week - a twin tub). We have had a cratch cover out on the bow and a dodger and tonneau on the stern; which gives us a dining room/porch and a storage area when not cruising. 

We get coal, diesel and pretty much everything else from the coal boat, NB Alton, fortnightly and although during the winter we will use a lot of coal; next summer we hope to be able to get some wood and this will save that cost. We have to get Gracie blacked and get a licence. We are joining the association of Continuous Cruisers as well as the National Boat Owners Association. 

We are now meeting other liveaboards that live on these canals; old travellers - canals now being the only place left you can legally travel and stop for 14 days before moving on. Some are, like us, relatively new to canal life; but others have lived and worked on here for years. The canals are pretty empty now and peaceful - it is the start of the long winter nights and we are going to enjoy our first winter aboard.

It should be interesting over the coming weeks as it appears we might experience our first ice and snow - bring it on! 

As we are moored in Marple; I took a walk up to Marple Ridge today - what a lovely view - if you get a chance - walk up to the church from the Brick Bridge just past Marple Marina and walk the Apprentices Walk through and up to the church

Bollington on the Macclesfield Canal

Since moving onto Gracie, we have made a conscious effort to buy locally and use the shops and services "on the cut" - we came up to Bollington last night because there is a Fish & Chip restaurant /takeaway - The Plaice, which comes highly recommended - if you get the chance to go = do try the Bollington Pudding - it is divine. Anyway, as I said we are trying to shop locally and therefore I went into Bollington and bought meat & veg from the butchers and then went into the bakery. The smell of freshly made vanilla/custard slices meant I had to purchase some - they were divine. However, no-one;s tills were working, so no chip & pin for those with cards. Then this afternoon, NB Alton (coal boat) came down the canal, sp we bought coal and her chip & pin wouldn't work properly either - it did the second time as I held it over my head - however, is Bollington in a dead spot? (it's an extremely pretty town with lovely shops though)
[URL=http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/Stella_Ridgway/media/DSC_0029_zps48ba43a9.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o589/Stella_Ridgway/DSC_0029_zps48ba43a9.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Well G-minus 20 days - we are hoping to complete the house sale on the 16th August and we went to the marina yesterday - got off to a bad start as dogs have to be on leads when not on the boat - they were quite confused by the slipway,although Shiva went in for a paddle. We looked around and then went off to find Riverside Park, next to the Bollin - the dogs really enjoyed "splashing around on the river" and there is 70 acres to explore. Chris wasn't sure about the marina, but as I said to him; if we were CC (Continuously Cruising), you wouldn't let the dogs out off the boat without being with them, especially with the amount of dogs being stolen these days. We can only see how we like it. I think we may be better at the far side of the marina, where you can get straight in and out of the canal to leave, rather then from the actual basin. We shall see.

Now to start seriously downsizing the kitchen - am doing a car boot tomorrow and next week and that will be our lot before we move (I have also mucho trips to the tip to get in!)

Chris has had a busy week - last week, he was in Norway

as you can see, it was a beautiful location and he had a lovely time! On Thursday, we had some good news - the kidney stone has disappeared, so now to concentrate on the pain; although it might be better to do that once we have moved GP's.

We are getting quite excited now - just want the next three weeks to be over and we are away to our new liife!.
Interesting story in the Daily mail yesterday (I don't normally read it, but there was a stroy about people moving aboard a narrowboat - not a good liveaboard IMHO, stove not in the middle of the boat and little storage - they also don't have solar panels and as for CC, I think they might have put themselves on the Canal and River Trust's radar! (You need to keep a log and be constantly moving in an onward direction to qualify - I wonder if they know that?)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2375836/Cash-strapped-family-save-fortune-selling-house-moving-NARROW-BOAT.html

and so the count down begins - Chris has flown to Norway today (photos WILL be posted!) to be at his youngest daughter's wedding tomorrow - I am off to see our moorings in Macclesfield tomorrow and I have the house buyers coming Saturday - so am hoping to get a provisional completion date from them. 
The weather is still hot and sunny - I am on leave today to dog-sit! We are going out again shortly to take the afternoon air and for the dogs to have a dip in the Bridgewater Canal
Chris is back Sunday and then it is one appointment after another with hospital, ATOS etc

I shall have to be more diligent about updating this - potted history from March 2013 - (and a moral) never sell to a footballer - they try and drive the price down ; which is what happened to us and then we had the most wonderful surprise from the fabulous savings scheme the banks have going - I am sure you have heard of it - called PPI! Anyway, they paid enough for us to completely redecorate, re-carpet and then have our own structural survey done

 We started with the hall, stairs & landing and re-carpeted and then realised that in fact the whole house needed repainting! It took us a month and then we put the house back on the market and it sold in 18 days for nearly our asking price.

Of  course, we thought Gracie would have sold in this time; although, I always felt she was waiting for us; however, we embarked on a reasonably fruitless search for a longer boat - going all the way to Northampton to scour a marina. There was one boat (which, when we thought about it) was a longer version of Gracie; but she needed work doing and they couldn't bring her out of the water until the end of August and we wouldn't have been able to move before the end of September. On the 2 hour drive back, I said, "I saw Gracie on Apollo Duck, she's still available" and Chris said "I know, we're going to buy her aren't we", so a phone call was made and that was that!

We cannot get her until the middle of August as her owners are away visiting family; but as we have signed the contract and the Deed of Title today; we feel as though it is moving apace and we are counting the weeks now - the light at the end of the tunnel isn't a train coming towards us anymore!

So, the next few weeks will be busy - Chris is off to his youngest daughter's  wedding in Norway next week; then he has the ATOS medical to see if they will continue to pay his stamp (no benefits, but still has to go for a medical - this Government is insane). Following that, he has three Lithotripsy appointments to go to; plus we have to unpack, take out half of our stuff, sell it and then repack - a bit like an extended holiday!

Should find out the date for completion soon - I just hope this wonderful weather holds out, so we get a few nice weeks to start our new life. 

The dogs love swimming in the Bridgewater - Shiva's favourite game is to to drop his ball in the canal and dive in to get it out! So, we have booked a company who will fit a cratch cover, fold-down table and pram hood and then we had an e-mail yesterday to say there is a 52 foot mooring coming up in Macclesfield (right near the train station) so with a bit if luck, we will be living in Macclesfield from September. 
Maybe, we will see you "on the cut"

  

G (gracie) minus 3

Monday morning - the bookcase went to its new home last night - we have packed a small box of books to take aboard - the rest are going into crates and will be stored - I hate getting rid of books; however, I will go through them today and earmark those that i will take to the charity shop. Clothes are going to the bin for Francis House and we are selling some. I have started to pack the kitchen up. Sold the wardrobe, but the person picking up didn't read the advert properly and wanted to pick up over Easter (answer, no; either today or tomorrow). 

Took the rugs and the wall hanging to a friend's last night - Washing machine, computer table, computer, double bed & dining table go tonight - house slowly emptying - trips to the tip today and youngest is coming round to help (how to tell I found more photos!)

So busy washing the last few things ahead of no washing machine. Will get a MiFi unit today and a new phone for Chris - then there is the rest of the clothes to clear and sort as well as the last of the books. Then the dining room cupboard plus the bedroom to finish packing - entire life now in boxes - will seem strange to leave this house after 30 years - all the children left home.

A new adventure beginning - the weather here is sunny and we haven't the snow, although I believe where Gracie is moored they have had quite a bit - that should make our first days interesting - there were lots of boats on the Bridgewater Canal yesterday - I think, hat, coat, gloves and scarves are going to be essential - the wind is a piercing lazy northerly, so bitterly cold although not frosty. Wind chill is about -6C - great for getting rest of washing dry!
 

The State of Gracie

This is our story – we have been led to this through both a desire to lead a more sustainable lifestyle and economic necessity.  One thing we have always believed is that the Lord provides what we need (not necessarily what we want) and that to have faith is all important – it seems as though this will be tested over the next week,

Living on a narrowboat – well, for Stella, this is going back to her roots, her maternal grandfather was born on a narrowboat and his father owned a fleet, travelling between Shropshire & Cheshire. We wanted to travel and our original plan was to go to New Zealand via rail. Unfortunately, Chris’s health took a nosedive and two kidney stones & three years later, we are still awaiting resolution

 We decided to sell the house due to economic neccesity and the fact that, although the house is an end terrace , it is like a tardis and goes on forever. It was simply too big. The decision by ATOS to declare Chris fit for work and then the DWP deciding that after 365 days his benefits would stop meant that our income dropped in half and our ability to pay the mortgage (taken out to buy Stella's first husband out of the house)stopped.. We tried, but it meant that we were existing; so this galvanised us; we put the house on the market and sought free legal advice and although the solicitor wasn't available, spoke to a housing officer and told him our plan - sell the house and buy a narrowboat outright. He did tell us that we would probably qualify for association housing as there was income, which surprised us. Fortunately, we didn't get the chance to find out if this was actually correct. 

Anyway, in the meantime we had numerous views; however, our real estate agent wasn't telling us the true picture and so when he phoned to tell us someone had made a cash offer (£13k below what we were asking) but that they could complete in a fortnight, our initial thought was no. However, we had seen a boat - Gracie- she had a licence and was sound and so we went to see her. 




Needless to say, 


we fell in love and the contract was sealed with a handshake and  Gracie was ours (subject to payment). We then agreed the price with the buyer and completed the sale pack.  


However, we said we needed to complete within two weeks (as per original offer) - the buyers solicitors said they couldn't omplete by Monday 25th; however, we know the buyer needs to complete and so am applying that pressure so we should be on board on Wednesday 27th March