Storms & Wind & Piss

Three weeks of January gone and it has been a whirlwind month so far ... figuratively and literally ... Henk followed by Isha, then Jocyln, 10th named storm this winter.  I weather out most on board although I was landside for H I J.  Ciaran, Fergus and Gerrit are stored memories.  F. came down the Leicester Arm with me.  G. made the descent of Watford  memorable.  I can't even remember Ciaran ...

The last Active Storm Season, (2015&16) sandwiched itself between two glorious Summers on the Darenth in Kent.  Previously, I was on-board for most of the 2012&13 session and got a fair pasting from which I learned a lot. 

Met Eireann christened Jocyln and the name caught me out when I remembered our alphabet did not inherit J from the Romans. J is for Jocyln Bell, born in Lurgan and worth looking up if for no other reason than she was NOT credited in 1967 with discovering pulsars because she was 'only a woman' and worse still was "only a slip of a girl"!!! This was and still is Norn Iron ...  I am pleased to see that Wikipedia now recognises her in full for the brilliant person she is.
 23rd Jan.  Christmas hols over I am reuniting with boats after 'visiting' on three occasions to bale water out of the bilges after repeated torrents blamed on Henk and Isha.  The 10.45 X4 from OrtonWaterville put me on a squelchy towpath about 14.30 after five weeks 'ashore'.
 24th Jan... Laptop dead.  WiFi no credit.  Boat freezing.  But the cabins were dry and aired and the bilges were not flooded.  Weedon missed the worst of last week's rain.  My planner said I was on my 14th day and I should move on, top up the water and diesel and acquaint myself with Nether Heyford.  I left Weedon at midday and tied up at the water point for a siesta a cuppa and a leisurely top up to Spring Tide (200L)
25th Jan.  Due to arriving at the diesel pump 10mins after they closed for the evening I tied up opposite last night and in the morning got 40Litres for £48 before moving on to fetch up at Furness Lane Br32 about 10oc.  After tying up I walked down to the village shop (10mins) and worked out the lie of the land.   D3 bus passes through once an hour in either direction.  Takes about 25mins to Daventry and about the same the other way to Northampton.  10minutes from a pint of milk and a bus and I get solar if the sun shines.
Fri 26th
Sat 27   Breakfast at Daventry and D3 wanderings to get bearings
Sun 28   Move boat away from Bridge 32 and tie up opposite Heather
Mon 29 Leave boat at 8.15 to travel to flat arriving at 1.30pm ...
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