Boatwif
The occasional adventures of the Cleddau crew
About Us
We are ‘The Captain’ and ‘Boatwif’, owners of nb Cleddau.
Cleddau was a five year old youngster when we took her on in 1994. She was built for cruising on the River Trent. Over time Cleddau has had internal and external adjustments but she retains her original hull, propeller, anchor and portholes.
When asked (frequently) “What does Cleddau mean?” our response is usually “In Welsh it means swords but Cleddau is the name of the river that flows into the Milford Haven deep water estuary in Pembrokeshire…”
We both grew up in Pembrokeshire; for some years we have kept a record of what we call ‘Monkton Moments’, those exchanges with boaters and non-boaters who recognise our Pembrokeshire connections.
This blog below is a record of our mainly boating adventures.
RECENT KEN & SUE LOCATION
No great expectations
Another blue, hot day with meteorologists and broadcasters on the radio excitedly anticipating and quoting record...
Things domestic
“Uuh?” you may say, if you are a keen canal route follower. “Aren’t you going the wrong way? Wasn’t...
What a beautiful day...
“We’re going on a bear hunt, we’re going on a bear hunt, what a beautiful day!” go the words of Michael Rosen’s...
We will remember them
The National Memorial Arboretum is on a 150 acre site, just north of Lichfield, Staffordshire. Boatwif had spotted...
Extra boaters at Branston
There was a phone call on Sunday evening: a polite suggestion was made, a plan was formulated. Hence after a night’s rest...
Birthdays on boats – and bye to big locks!
Some stats since last Saturday: 4 train journeys 4 taxi rides 4 social chit chats* (Boatwif) 5 meetings (the Captain)...
Safe anchorage
We crept along the canal into Willington and out this morning – this appears to be another honeypot site...
Branston Pickle
Eastwards this morning – all previous destinations on this cruise have been generally south (Marsworth)...
Hut Havens 02
“Better than yesterday!” remarked one boater after another. “Been tied up here for two days,” said one, in what was probably a Rhodesian accent. Celebrate!...
Downhill in Warwickshire 02
Though frequently breezy and sometimes squally the force of the wind has been nowhere near as fierce as yesterday...
Pylons, poles and pyramids...
Decades ago, long before concerns about energy consumption, a fellow teacher passed on a tip: when the winds are..
Neighbours and names
Thankfully today has been free both of adventure and misadventure. It’s been breezy, but we have known worse;...
Stalled at Stoke Bruerne...
No day is ever the same as the previous one; most days throw up something unusual or unexpected or...
A Long Farewell to Milton Keynes
Strictly speaking Cleddau is not out of Milton Keynes yet, despite a long day’s cruising. About a hundred...