Monthly Archives: June 2023

dry dock

dry dock

Finding our boat in need of some attention from an engineer, we booked into a Dry Dock.

We took the opportunity to freshen up the paintwork. Over the last year, on the advice of the previous owner, I had dabbed grey undercoat on every new scratch to prevent too much rust forming, resulting in a very pock marked boat that looked, to my eyes, a mess!

Roping in friends to help, day one and two went like clockwork although on day one I did get stranded on the boat as the water emptied from the dock and I realised my legs were not long enough to reach the ground. Balancing some nearby logs one on top of the other, my other half managed to make a step that allowed me off the boat, albeit rather precariously! At 6ft 3” he didn’t have a problem! I was also grateful for my mobility and agility in being able to hop on and off the boat reasonably easily. Little did I know what was around the corner.

Rising from a sitting position on the ground, I thoughtlessly stood up and twisted my leg, pulling a thigh muscle that led to me being incapacitated, for how long I had no idea. The boat half painted, 28 locks ahead of us on exiting the dry dock and a house move imminent, I retired to bed feeling myself to be in a dry dock mentally, notwithstanding a four hour stint in A&E to assess the damage and obtain some much needed crutches.

Overnight I struggled with both immobility and pain when twice needing to go to the bathroom, but surprisingly slept well on my front, as my leg seemed more comfortable when fully extended. I knew a couple of family members were praying for me and all I can say is their prayers were heard because at 8am I got out of bed, no need of crutches and the ability to walk around unhindered and no pain relief required.

Coping with the unexpected is something we all at times have to navigate. How we respond determines how we cope and how we eventually feel about life and ourselves.

dry dock Mary Haines

depressed man

Our boat is usually floating along in the water, giving us joy and refuge. Yet when it goes into dry dock, the tiller removed, it is little more than a large tin can unable to fulfil its function. A boat needs water just as we do to live and thrive. When we are physically dehydrated our bodies start to give us problems, such as headaches, fuzziness, an inability to concentrate.

When we are spiritually dry we may lose a zest for life and a purpose of being. There may be an emptiness inside that cannot be filled by retail therapy, alcohol or other addictive substances. Tapping into our spiritual nature can release a side of us that is unseen and unfathomable but when activated leads to untold joy and purpose.

So if today you feel like you are in a dry dock, try and remedy the situation by tapping into your spiritual side, perhaps by doing something creative, or going for a long walk or by asking God to reveal himself to you in some small way, to show that he is there, he does care and he wants to fill you with the water of life.

tiller girl

tiller girl canal holidays

My name is Melanie and I operate Tiller Girl Canal Holidays at Aquavista Sawley Marina and Waterside in Nottinghamshire.

Tiller Girl is our beautiful 57 foot cruiser stern narrow boat, built in 2014 by JD Narrow Boats in Shardlow. The reverse layout, which means the galley is at the back of the boat, makes it convenient for making snacks and drinks for the skipper whilst cruising!

People who visit us on the Marina often ask us how we keep warm and do we have a toilet and bath! Apart from a Morso multi fuel stove and full central heating we have a full size shower with hot water and a toilet too!

There is ample room for up to 4 people (and dogs are very welcome too) to enjoy relaxed, home from home accommodation, requiring them to bring nothing but clothing and food on board for the holiday. We supply all the bed linen, towels and all those little extras such as hand wash condiments and the all important cling film! Holidays are meant to be stress free and relaxed and this is the experience we aim to provide. Our prices are straight forward and all inclusive apart from the refundable damage waiver to make booking more streamline and stress free.

tiller girl canal holidays

tiller girl canal holidays

tiller girl canal holidays

As a family, along with my parents and brothers, one of whom is a Marine engineer (handy!), growing up in the 60’s and 70’s we enjoyed numerous boating holidays along the British and French waterways and the British coast. This consequently has led to where we all are now, live boards, sailors, marine engineers, boat builders and boat hire operators.

Running a privately owned holiday boat is a world away from a long career with the NHS as a registered Nurse and Midwife. I have been incredibly fortunate to have had an exceptional job, meeting and working with people from all backgrounds and walks of life (childbirth is such a leveler!) For me, this is what makes life interesting and varied.

Using many transferable skills from my NHS background, I now enjoy working in hospitality, people and project management and health and safety. All of which are incredibly important in running Tiller Girl Canal Holidays.

springer spaniels on pontoon

tiller girl

tiller girl canal holidays

Starting from our home mooring at Aquavista Sawley marina and Waterside, there are routes along the historic Trent and Mersey Canal where you can find Shardlow the oldest inland port in Britain and the Potteries, enjoy the River soar through Leicestershire and the Grand Union canal or the |River Trent through Nottingham City to Newark and its beautiful Castle. Long or short breaks of 3 – 14 nights are available as well as the new offer of skippered days out along the canal with lunch and or afternoon tea!

Every day will be another experience, another view and another adventure.

If it is the first time skippering a narrow boat, don’t worry, we will look after you from the moment you arrive on board with personalized boat handling guidance, 24 hour help and support throughout the holiday and giving a warm welcome back on dry land.

We offer a safe and comfortable holiday experience having sound relationships with reliable, marine based companies who support us 24 hours a day 7 days a week

Now in our 5th year of service, having beaten 2 years of Covid -19 lockdown and the current financial difficulties that many of us are facing today, we (not the 'royal we' as we are a team along with all our service crew and affiliated companies!) are enjoying another successful season with many more wonderful guests being welcomed on board, new friendships being made and lots of new adventures ahead for Tiller Girl.

tiller girl canal holidays

tiller girl canal holidays

tiller girl canal holidays

Testimonials

*what an amazing experience!

*We had the best week on board a beautiful boat: every little detail thought of.

*Tiller Girl is well maintained and handles beautifully.

*We would recommend hiring Tiller Girl from Melanie, its so much nicer and more personal than a large hire company.

* A real home from home on the water’

melanie franklin pryceMelanie Franklin-Pryce is the owner of Luxury Narrowboat Hire Company 'Tiller Girl Canal Holidays'.

Tiller Girl is based in Sawley Marina on the Trent and Mersey canal.

07739 709 242
ask@tillergirl.com
https://www.tillergirl.com

bumble hole visitor centre

bumble hole visitor centre

a welcoming ditty

We are a small charity all made up of volunteers called “Bumble Hole Conservation Group” sitting at the side of the canal in Windmill End, Dudley.

Bumble Hole Conservation Group"Bumble Hole" is at the heart of the industrial Black Country. Located in Netherton in the borough of Dudley. It is an area of natural beauty, nature reserves, waterways wildlife havens and history.

In addition to working outside on the reserve, maintaining the beauty of all of this and keeping it litter free and easily accessible, the volunteers have also taken over the running of the Bumble Hole visitor centre. Inside there is a lot of educational information relating to the area and its rich history. There is also a book shelf for people to swap or leave a donation, and a small shop where we sell hot and cold drinks and snacks

To welcome visitors to the Bumble Hole Visitor Centre, one of the volunteers has written a welcoming ditty:

Friends and members, new and old
Here's a story to behold.

25 years since opening the centre
One and all come in! Please enter!
July 22nd we celebrate
We open at 10, so don't be late!

Free squash, coffee and tea
That's pretty good - I'm sure you'll agree.
There's raffles and games for you and your kid
Come along and support us - donate a few quid!

The volunteers work hard, all year through
We love what we do, and we do it for you!
So do come along and get ready to rumble,
There is only one visitor centre at the bumble!

the three rivers race 2023

the three rivers race 2023

The internationally famous Three Rivers Race, organised by Horning Sailing Club, takes place on the Norfolk Broads, usually during the first week-end of June.

Background
The Three Rivers Race is one of the oldest remaining on the Broads sailing calendar. Running every year since 1961, it is also one of the largest inland yachting races in Europe, encompassing three rivers and two lakes or broads in rural Norfolk. Originally, the plan was to have boats crossing the estuary at Breydon Water with the three rivers being the Bure, Yare and Waveney. However, from a safety and tide aspect this proved impractical, so the northern Broadland Rivers of the Bure, Thurne and Ant were used instead, and remain the Three Rivers of the Race to this day.

The current challenge sees helms negotiate a course in the order of 45-50 miles, depending on conditions, rounding four buoys located at Ludham Bridge on the Ant, on South Walsham Broad or Fleet Dyke, on Hickling Broad at the top end of the River Thurne and downstream on the River Bure somewhere between Stokesby and Six Mile House heading towards Great Yarmouth, starting and finishing at Horning Sailing Club on the upper Bure.

The time limit for this is 24 hours from each boat's start time. There are also 4 mast lowerings required on the course to negotiate the pair of bridges at Potter Heigham and also the bridge at Acle both ways.

Despite all of these obstacles and sometimes complex rigs, the fastest boats such as Norfolk Punts and visiting Thames A Raters can complete the race in as little as 7 hours given favourable conditions. For those boats which cannot get back in time for a swift pint in the Swan, a cooked breakfast is provided at the finish in the clubhouse to revive weary sailors.

All the boats are tracked at Horning Sailing Club for safety purposes. A team of 10 fixed motor cruiser guardships plus a range of other safety vessels keep an eye out for any problems and report back to base via radio. The efficiency of this system was underlined in 2001 when, for the only time so far in the race's history, strong winds caused abandonment of the race. Having issued the command from base at 6pm, all crews and the vast majority of boats were either at their home moorings or back at Horning Sailing Club by 11pm, despite being up to 15 miles away by river, thanks to the safety network.

Progress around the course is tracked using computer software which allows the Race Controller to see in an instant on which stretch of water each competitor was last reported by a guardship.

Three Rivers Race 2023

three rivers race 2023

three rivers race 2023

The start of the race is the time for spectators to view the fleet in one concentrated mass, waiting to be started in groups of around 10 boats upstream of the start line at Horning Sailing Club. The first start is usually at 11am and it takes over an hour to get the whole fleet started.

Once the fleet has reached Thurne Mouth, yachts can usually be seen heading off in both directions, and this decision is probably the most critical one of the whole race, dependent as it is on wind, tide and boat performance. The Three Rivers Race really is a test of seamanship over a long period and covering a wide variety of areas from close-quarters boat handling at the start to light airs sailing overnight and control at the bridge zones. Crews have travelled to Horning from all over the World to take part in a variety of craft, including the impressive Thames A Raters, Norfolk Punts, Half-Deckers, Yeomans, Yare and Bure ODs (White Boats), Reedlings, Rebels, Wayfarers, Enterprises and other dinghies, traditional Broads River Cruisers and Production Cruisers. No single-handed craft are allowed.

Leaving from Horning, competitors make their way through the street at Horning, before sailing on the more open waters of the Bure once out of the trees. Then it becomes a matter of tactics - ensuring that the tides and winds work in their favour, choosing which order to sail the remainder of the route, which includes Fleet Dyke to South Walsham Broad, the River Ant to Ludham Bridge, under Acle Bridge to Stokesby (or further, dependent on wind conditions on the day) and under Potter Heigham Bridge to Hickling Broad.

As part of this course, it requires the raising and lowering of masts to get under the bridges - always a great spectator sport, with popular viewing points including Potter Heigham and Acle, where the crowds can enjoy the excitement.

Today safety is at the forefront of the race organisers' minds, and the Three Rivers Committee, headed up by Kevin Saunders, has been planning the 2023 race since last year.

three rivers race 2023

three rivers race 2023

three rivers race 2023

2023 Race

Hosted by Horning Sailing Club, in the heart of the Norfolk Broads, the race is a true spectacle not to be missed, as the myriad of boats set sail - where small dinghies such as the Norfolk Dinghy and Wayfarer can be seen sailing against the visiting Thames A Raters, with their tall masts standing at over 40 foot high!

This year a total of 103 boats took part, starting from Horning Sailing Club from 11.00 am on Saturday 3rd June. They set sail in groups of around 10 boats at a time, starting with the Yeoman fleet. These were followed by the Wayfarer dinghies, then traditional Broads boats including Yares & Bures, Waveney One Designs and mixed dinghies. More traditional Broads boats including Reedlings, Rebels and Broads One Designs followed, then halfdeckers and production cruisers. The faster dinghies, including Norfolk Punts and the Thames A Raters, started after a short gap.

With a fair wind behind them they all made their way down the River Bure before making their individual decision as to which route to take in order to visit all the ten marks, each of which is watched over by a “guardship” with a rescue boat alongside able to respond to any emergency or search for any missing or long-overdue competitor.

Other marks which had to be rounded were those at Ludham Bridge on the River Ant, near Stokesby on the River Bure, the Stracey Arms Windpump and in Hickling Broad above Potter Heigham bridges.

Some 50 river cruisers and hire cruisers make up the remainder of the fleet, from the highly competitive to those who just want the achievement of finishing the race. This is one of the things that makes the Three Rivers Race so special - it means something different to each entrant. It's fantastic that after over 60 years the race is still going strong and attracting competitors from all over the country (and even some from abroad) to take part.
This year, the race included both previous winners and a number of sailors participating for the first time.

The MNA Boat Club Guardship “ELSA II” and her accompanying rescue dory were crewed by Club members Clive & Lois Edwards, RNLI Lifeboat crew members Malcolm & Jill Wright and Steven (Rocky) Woolford. They were stationed in South Walsham Broad at the end of the Fleet Dyke alongside the Marine Tech fuelling jetty who’s owners were very supportive and allowed us to use their facilities throughout the whole 24 hours. Thank you Rod and Nina!

The overall winner was a Yare & Bure One Design “Dinghy Skipper” which completed the course in 8 hours 24 minutes followed by a Yeoman “Firefly” and a Wayfarer “Compleat Fiasco”.

three rivers race

three rivers race 2023

three rivers race ©Holly Hancock

As regards our contribution of “ELSA ll” as a Guardship we had a fairly frantic 18 hour period even before the race started because, on our way south down the River Ant from our mooring at Barton Turf, we suddenly started to experience a weird “surging” of our engine which we thought might be a fuel filter. However, when checked, it was in fact perfectly clear. We were then led to believe it might be weed round our prop and/or rudder resulting in us spending £200 on a diver, only to find that there was no significant amount of weed affecting us!

So at 22.00 hours on 2nd June, less than 12 hours before we were due to lay our mark at South Walsham we had an engineer, Rob Fearson, from Sutton Staithe Boatyard who very kindly turned out and finally diagnosed the problem which was a wholly unexpected lack of oil in the gearbox – the cause being a leak in the gearbox cooler allowing all the oil to mix with the cooling water and them pumped out through the exhaust!

Re-filling the gearbox enabled us at least to get to our mark at South Walsham, on time the following morning, and to get most of the way home on the morning after the race had finished without further trouble – needless to say a new gearbox cooler is now being installed!

Very fortunately we had some much appreciated support from Richard and Rachel Card in their handsome motor cruise “Ness Nomad” who escorted us down the Bure and Fleet Dyke to lay our mark on the Saturday morning and then remained anchored in South Walsham Broad throughout the day in order to ferry Jill and Nikki back to Horning before we commenced our “night watch” Having “Ness Nomad” and Richard and Rachel’s sailing dinghy available on
stand-by to relieve us if we had any further trouble during the race was a huge relief in addition to which they were great company and help with recording the bunches of competitors rounding the mark so a huge “thank you” to them is due.

(Editor's note: The header photo is from the 2022 Three Rivers Race)

fire safety tips from rcr

fire safety tips

River Canal Rescue is calling upon boaters to be aware of the fire risks on their vessels after finding more and more cases of poor electrical wiring, including under-sized wiring, overloaded circuits, and sub-standard connections and cable routing, which can rapidly turn into a loom meltdown or a fire.

Managing director, Stephanie Horton, says with BSS certification failing many boaters, RCR is having to report regularly on boats that are dangerous or at risk.

She comments: “By undertaking the following checks and actions, you can hopefully, reduce the likelihood of a fire occurring:

“If you are leaving your vessel for a period of time, it’s important to isolate the batteries and disconnect your shore power if you have it. If leaving your shore power connected, in order to charge your batteries, check the connections to the battery are secure, isolate them and set the charger to ‘trickle’ charge.

“Inspect your shore power cable for any loose connections or wires and ensure the cable is routed properly so if water levels change or the wind picks up, it’s not too tight, or equally loose so that it dangles in the water.

burnt out boat

“Never leave fires on or stoves unattended when you leave the boat. If you have no choice, then remove items near the fire, clear the area of anything that could get ‘hot’ and keep your time away from the boat to a minimum. Last year one boater nipped to the shops and a hot coal escaped from his stove; the boat was gone before he returned.  It’s worth noting insurers can refuse to cover these incidents.

“One of the biggest issues is circuit overload and the failure of undersized cables, causing a short circuit which can quickly develop and cause a fire. Always investigate spurious ‘trips’ or loss of power to the boat as this could be an indication a fault is developing. It’s easy to ignore these and simply reset circuit breakers or replace fuses, but these protection devices rarely ‘trip’ without cause.

“Where possible, ensure 12V cables are routed separately to 240V systems. If cables are hot this is a clear indication of an overload or undersized cable – do not ignore it.”

Stephanie concludes: “If you are concerned over the certification you have received, you can report it directly to the BSS.”

hemsby independent lifeboat station

hemsby independent lifeboat station

The Hemsby Independent Lifeboat Service came fully into service in 1977 following the formation of the Hemsby Volunteer Inshore Rescue Club in 1976 as a result of their having been nine fatalities as a result of drowning in the previous four years along the popular local North Sea beaches.

The Hemsby Lifeboat Service is especially notable as a result of it role in covering a very significant area of the Norfolk Broads as well as the nearby Norfolk beaches; in fact well over 50% of the call-outs for the Hemsby boats are in response to incidents on The Broads rather than to those at sea and one of the two (soon to be three) Hemsby Lifeboats is designated as “The Broads Lifeboat” and this well-equipped Dory style lifeboat can be towed by a dedicated Hemsby Lifeboat Station vehicle to no less than thirty-two launching sites around the Broads.

hemsby lifeboat station

Hemsby Lifeboat Station

Hemsby lifeboat station

It is this towing vehicle, which is virtually identical to those used by the Coastguard Rescue Teams, which has recently become a “cause celebre” for those of us involved in maritime Search & Rescue because as a result of a complaint by a member of the public, the Hemsby Lifeboat Station has been informed by the Police that because the Hemsby Lifeboat is independent of the RNLI they are NOT authorised to tow their boat to call-outs using a blue light and/or two-tone horns (known to most of us a “blues ‘n' twos”).

As things stand, the Police are quite correct as regards stating that under current regulations only lifeboats belonging to the RNLI are allowed to use “blues ‘n' twos” so the Norfolk & Suffolk Boating Association, of which the MNA Boat Club is an affiliated member have written to the Minister of Transport to seek a change to the regulations that would enable independent lifeboat stations to use “blues ‘n' twos” in the same way that RNLI lifeboat stations are authorised to.

Support for this initiative by the NSBA, the MNA Boat Club and the Institute of Seamanship has been forthcoming from various organisations involved in maritime safety including from the Broads Authority and the National Independent Lifeboat Association, and the response from the Ministry of Transport has been positive at least as far as saying that they “have the question under review and that a decision is likely to be made by September this year”.

Hemsby lifeboat station

Hemsby Lifeboat station emergency vehicle

Hemsby Lifeboat

Before recommending to the NSBA management committee (as their rep on the Broads Authority Boat Safety Management Group) that the NSBA Chairman should make representation to the Minister about this restriction imposed on Hemsby and other independent lifeboat stations, I took the opportunity to make two visits to the Hemsby station. During these visits, I was made very welcome by both Daniel Hurd their cox’n and by their chairman Chris Batten. They took a lot of trouble to show me around their station and their lifeboats, vehicles and other SAR assets which were as impressive as any I’ve seen elsewhere in literally dozens of visits to (mainly RNLI) lifeboat stations. Indeed, on my second visit, I was accompanied by the former Lifeboat Operations Manager of an RNLI station on the south coast who said he wishes his local lifeboat station was as modern and well equipped as Hemsby!

So on behalf of our Club I wish the Hemsby Station well, not only with their quest to be treated the same as RNLI stations as regards the use of “blues ‘n' twos” but also because, as many of you will have seen on TV, during last winter Hemsby village, and the lifeboat station, suffered huge storm damage: several properties ended up being washed into the sea, and whilst the lifeboat station itself was safe, the slipway was largely washed away and their 7.5m ILB could no longer be launched from the station!

summer survival kit

summer survival kit

The summer of 2022 saw record temperatures across the UK. What could be pleasanter than a sunny day afloat? Nothing, as long as you can cope with the heat and the flies. Here, Fiona Burt shares her tips for dealing with both.

Heat
We were on the Coventry canal, in the Tamworth area, and quickly realised the big advantage of a narrowboat; you can move it to remain in the shade. We became adept at selecting an overnight mooring which would provide shade as the sun rose, then cruising with parasol (AKA golf umbrella) to find afternoon shelter.

The lack of double glazing proved a benefit as we merely removed the panes on both sides to capture a draught. One especially stifling night, I took the dinette cushions and slept under the stars. Early morning dog walkers were somewhat surprised to be greeted by my bedhead!

We lived off salad and quick-cook stir-fries to reduce the heat on board. Our fridge ice-box contained a big bag of ice. Handy for the G&T and, on one occasion, an iced foot-bath. We needed no excuse to stop for an ice-cream.

When conditions became unbearable, we treated ourselves to a meal in the local air-conditioned Wetherspoons (LIDL also had air-conditioning, but there's a limit to his long you can loiter in the freezer section without arousing suspicion).

And the extreme heat kept the flies away!

Fiona Burt with iced foot bath

fly killing kit

Flies
We should have guessed when we saw the plug-in Pest Reject, the electric fly swatter and the can of fly spray left by the previous owners of Lutra Lutra. Our floating summer idyll is attractive to all sorts of flying insects. So what really works.

Well, I can tell you how that the flies just walked straight across the sticky sunflowers that I placed on all the portholes. And they left a sticky outline which was impossible to remove (perhaps I stuck them on backwards?).

They were oblivious to the Pest Reject, which also require the inverter to be running. Now on ebay, free to a good home.

The fly spray required a certain hunting instinct, deadly aim and a willingness to breathe in the chemicals, which I have never possessed.

The electrified tennis racket was fun for the kids to use and highly effective against the larger flying insects, but the smell of singed wings does turn your stomach after a while.

All in all, we settled for the humane fly screens over the front doors and side hatch (oddly, the hot air rising from back hatch keeps them out of that end). Held in place with double sided sticky tape and magnetic closures, these halved the number of flies. And for those insects who evaded our defences, we maintained a goodly crew of spiders to welcome them aboard...

inspired by nature

inspired by nature

narrowboat life

I wake up early to listen to the amazing bird song of the dawn chorus. I watch the colour changing sky and rising sun over the hills of the peak district. I'm surrounded by new life! Ducklings and goslings. I take a walk into woodland and discover a rare native white albino bluebell! And there's jobs to be done as a boater, from washing up to getting dirty servicing my boat engine. Join me onboard my narrowboat floating home and watch the very best of canal boat life. This is my canal diary!

cooking on the cut – summer 23

cooking on the cut

with Lisa Munday

summer 2023

What a wonderful start to this summer boating season we are having. We have all enjoyed the arrival of the June sunshine and the settled weather set to continue. May certainly was “marvellous May” giving us stunning blossom displays all month and thanks to “no mow May” we enjoyed the pretty wildflower displays and sweet smells. Now the elderflower is coming into full bloom I’ll be starting my cordial in the next few days, perfect timing as I have only just used up last year’s batch.

We have recently enjoyed some steady cruising on the quieter Northern waterways and our eyes have been wide open to appreciate all that we have seen, one advantage has been some wider towpaths giving us plenty of space to cook outdoors and watch the sunset.

The boat roof garden and the herbs are doing well, giving the convenience of fresh mint, parsley, chives, oregano, thyme and rosemary on hand. I use lots of coriander and basil too which is potted up and in the cratch. This year I have lemon balm, which is considered to have health benefits and is refreshing in boiling water as a tea. I have also discovered lemon balm with peaches or any mixed fruit salad, as a pesto with fish, or with new potatoes as it is a member of the mint family.

PEACHES WITH HONEY, LEMON BALM AND CRÈME FRAICHE
Halve two peaches making a cut all the way round with a sharp knife, twist in opposite directions to separate the halves and remove the stones. Dot with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar, place cut side down in a foil parcel and pop in the oven or over the barbeque for about 15 minutes until tender, add a drizzle of honey, a few torn lemon balm or mint leaves and return to the heat for another 5 minutes. Serve with crème fraiche.

FENNEL BISCUITS
These are delicious served with those sweet honey peaches and crème fraiche.
135g wholemeal flour
115g rolled oats
55g dark brown sugar
110g butter
20g coconut oil
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt

Combine all the ingredients and turn onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a ball and wrap in cling then refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll out to 3mm thick between two sheets of greaseproof to avoid sticking. Cut into about 10cm rounds and bake on a lined tray, spaced well apart for 15 mins at 180 fan.

Why not try peaches or nectarines in a salad? They are delicious with lentils, a few greens, sliced red onion, feta and honey vinaigrette (see below) with the addition of a 1 tsp wholegrain mustard.

It's the dressing that really does make a salad interesting, be sure to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil, or sometimes I use cold pressed rapeseed oil.

I often chop or finely shred salad combinations, sometimes with beans and pulses, add the dressing and make a wrap out of warm breads or crispy large lettuce leaves. Or use up last of the bread, cut into crouton size chunks and toss in a hot frying pan with a little garlic oil and seasoning and add to a salad bowl.

summer salad idea

LEMON BALM VINAIGRETTE
Makes a zesty dressing for leafy greens and summer salads
8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp garlic paste, or crushed garlic clove
8 fresh lemon balm leaves
Salt and black pepper
Blitz all the ingredients together until finely blended. If you don’t have a mini chopper or stick blender, use a pestle and mortar or very finely chop and whisk together.

BEANS AND PULSES SALADS WITH HERBY DRESSING
Use any combination of tinned beans such as cannellini, black, chickpeas (otherwise known as garbanzo beans). Drain and rinse and then add finely chopped red onion, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, spinach etc. salt, pepper and garlic then toss with 3 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp cider or balsamic vinegar and chopped herbs such as parsley, mint, coriander or basil. Add a little finely chopped fresh chilli for an extra kick.

These hearty salads are also great with tinned fish such as tuna or sliced chorizo or pepperoni.

summer salad

AVOCADO AND LIME DIP Makes an ideal accompaniment to a bean salad or at the barbeque.
Blend the flesh of two ripe avocados with 1 tbsp lime juice, pinch chilli flakes or powder, finely grated garlic clove and plenty of salt and black pepper.

LEMON AND FETA VINIAGRETTE
A real Summery addition to salad
¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ crumbled feta
1 finely grated garlic clove
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp clear honey
1 tsp chopped oregano
2 tsp lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste

YOGHURT DRESSING Use with spiced meats, kebabs, flatbreads and salads
300ml natural yoghurt
2 finely grated or minced garlic cloves
1 tbsp fresh finely chopped herbs such as mint (or dried)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Add lemon juice, zest and chopped cucumber to become TZATZIKI.

bowls with dressings for summer salads

SWEET AND SOUR HONEY DRESSING Useful over fish, noodles and salads.
1 tsp clear honey
1 tbsp hot water to combine with the honey
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sweet wine or ½ tsp sugar
Add a few dried chilli flakes for heat (optional)

COCONUT DRESSING Great with fish such as prawns, noodles or curries.
Add a little lime zest and juice to tinned coconut milk with a pinch of sugar.

MANGO DRESSING For cold rice and chicken salads
4 tbsp mango chutney
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp medium curry powder
Juice of 1 - 2 lemons (depending on size)
I you don’t have lemons a good substitute would be cider or white or red wine vinegar.

HONEY VINAIGRETTE Perfect with summer salads
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar
1 tbsp clear honey
Salt and pepper to taste

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup or honey (use ½ tsp sugar if you don’t have these)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice ½ lemon

HALLOUMI Is another big summer favourite to cook over the barbeque. Simply marinate large cubes together with onions, peppers, mushrooms, courgettes etc. with oil, herbs, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice before assembling the skewers ready to grill.
Make it spicy by slicing it into oblongs and rubbing with cumin, salt, pepper and oil, add smoked paprika powder to make it smoky and serve with a yoghurt dressing.

halloumi kebabs

PIZZAS ON THE BBQ
I swear by my pizza stone on the Cobb.

If I don’t plan to make the dough in advance a quick no rise pizza dough is just as good using 1 ½ cups self raising flour, 1 cup plain yoghurt and ½ tsp salt, just combine the ingredients and knead for ten mins and the dough is ready to use. This will give two good sized bases. These can be cooked on the stove top by lightly oiling a large frying pan, start the bases off, add the tomato sauce and topping of your choice with cheese and finish under the grill for the last few minutes. Or if you really don’t have the time, use a ready bought flatbread and simply add your topping, just don’t cook for as long.

Sandwich two wraps together with cheese and your favourite filling along with Mexican spices and it becomes a quesadilla.

When the barbeque coals are still hot and cooking is finished, I often char-grill peppers by placing them over the hot grill, keep turning until the flesh is blackened, cover with cling in a small bowl or bag. When cool discard the skins and slice the flesh into thin pieces to keep in the fridge for a few days for adding to salads and pasta dishes etc.

I have the frying pan accessory with the cobb so will often use it for a stir fry or curry and cook outside to keep the heat out of the boat.

pizza on a cobb bbq

HOME MADE TACO SEASONING
I make this in a batch to keep in a jar for use with those bean dishes, with minced beef for a taco meal or rubbed over a ready bought plain beef burger or chicken with a little oil before barbequing.
2 tbsp chilli powder
5 tsp paprika
4 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
1 ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 ¼ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

SHAWARMA MARINADE This is a type of middle eastern spice blend and goes well with chicken or lamb kebabs. Serve with flatbreads, salad and yoghurt dressing.
These quantities are plenty for a marinade for 2 to 4 chicken thighs or breasts.
I also use this for veg skewers with aubergine, onion, courgette and pepper, marinating first before threading on the skewer.
Whisk 1 tbsp olive oil with the juice of 1 lemon
Add 3 finely grated garlic cloves, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp curry powder, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, pinch red chilli flakes, 1 tsp salt and black pepper, tiny pinch ground cloves.

shawarma kebab

SHAWARMA BURGERS
Use the dry spice combination for the shawarma marinade recipe, but only half quantity, save the other half for next time.
Very finely chop or mince half an onion and 1 clove of garlic, add to the minced beef (enough for 4 small or 2 larger burgers) with the dry spices.
Work everything together with your hands adding a little oil, squeeze very firmly together and refrigerate for a half an hour. Squeeze together again forming into the burgers, brush with a little oil before cooking to avoid sticking. Note, they keep their shape better after refrigeration. Gently cook over the hot barbeque.

SUMMER SARDINE SALAD
This is a little like a niçoise salad but using tinned sardines, hard boiled egg and salad leaves with black olives, tomato and cucumber.
Finish with a tomato mayonnaise dressing simply by adding a little cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice and tomato puree to mayonnaise.

summer sardine salad

POTATO BACON AND BROCCOLI SALAD
Par boil the potatoes and then strain and dry before rubbing over a little smoked paprika, salt and oil. Finish over the barbeque grill or flash in the frying pan for a few minutes each side. Dress with the lemon and feta vinaigrette recipe above.

potato, bacon and broccoli salad

STICKY SAUSAGES
4 tbsp honey
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp soy sauce
Dash of oil
Mix everything together and coat the sausages well before cooking over the barbeque. This also works well roasted in the oven with sliced onions and potatoes.

BEAN BURGERS
1 tin mixed beans, strained and roughly mashed
1 small or ½ large onion very finely chopped
1 red chilli deseeded and very finely chopped
1 to 2 slices (depending on size) wholemeal breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
Blend everything together, ideally pulse in a processor, the finer the easier it will keep the burger together.
Form into shapes and then coat with flour and chill for 1 hour.
Brush well with oil before cooking over the barbeque for 5/6 minutes each side.
Delicious served with avocado and lime dip.

sticky sausage, burger and shawarma kebab

HOT DOG ONIONS
2 large onions thinly sliced
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar
1 tin tomatoes blitzed to a puree
½ tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
1 to 2 tbsp hot chilli dipping sauce (depending how much heat you like)
Sautee the onions in the oil for 5 to 10 minutes and then add the remaining ingredients, simmer for ten minutes.

CARAMELISED ONIONS
2 large onions thinly sliced
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp each of sugar, salt, paprika, cumin and oregano
Add the onions, sugar and salt to the oil in a frying pan and very slowly cook for at least 20 minutes stirring often until lightly caramelized. Remove from the heat and add the spices, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
These will reheat, wrapped in foil over the barbeque.

bouffant boating blues

the boating bard

bouffant boating blues

I've got boater's hair
And I think I know why
There's no power for my straighteners
Don't recall my last blow dry

I can't get a comb through it
With all my boater's knots
I'm unable to make a decision
Go shaven or get dreadlocks??

Too embarrassed to visit a salon
It's matted with leaves and hedge
I've no particular style
I'm hardly cutting edge

 

Mandy McDermott walking alon canal

I disguise it well with plaits
Or put it in a messy bun
With it piled high upon my head
I look all but sugar spun

I've overdosed on dry shampoo
I only wash it once a week
It resembles candy floss
With my Regency powder technique

The colour's 50 shades
But I can't put a dye upon it
For fear of polluting the cut
What I need is a hand maid's bonnet

I'm in desperate need of a trim
Splitting ends are running rife
But who cares what you look like?
Such is a boater's life