Every year I keep a record of the number of days I've spent aboard Starcross, how many miles we've travelled and how many locks we've passed through. Here are 2009's results, with previous years for comparison
2009: Days on board 62; Miles 414.5; locks 230
2008: Days on board 64; Miles 396; locks 206
2007: Days on board 41; Miles 344; locks 181
2006: Days on board 60; Miles 514.5; locks 378
2005: Days on board 63; Miles 520.5; locks 777
I'm pleased to see that the amount of time I spend on Starcross has remained constant (apart from 2008 when she was without an engine for four months!) and that the novelty isn't waring off. It's obvious though that the way in which I spend that time aboard is changing as I no longer feel the need to put in the mileage - and the lockage - that I did in the early years. The number of locks - at 230 - is the highest since 2006, which surprises me given that I spend most of my time on the lock-free section of the Shroppie between Wheaton Aston and Tyrley and that I didn't pass through any locks at all in 2009 until April. I made up for it with a trip round the "four" counties ring and a visit to Stourport via the Black Country. I doubt if I'll ever match 2005's lockage of 777, but that was mainly due to being based at Lowsonford on the southern Stratford, where I had to pass through 14 locks just to wind!
If all goes to plan, the 2010 "season" will begin next weekend with a trip up to Norbury Junction to see what, if any, damage the freezing weather of the last two weeks has done to Starcross!
1 comment:
Good luck, its very chilly hear at the moment in London. I bet its even colder on the water!
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