Last Post

We are on our Autumn cruise. The title is slow and steady. So far living up to the billing. We are pottering on Lower Lough Erne. Saying our 2017 farewells to the broad lough. It seems angry at saying goodbye.

Speaking of goodbyes, this is going to be my last blog.  We are settled in our cruising area. No new adventures for a while.  Winter is coming etc etc.


Thank you for travelling with us.

Feeling at home

No doubt about it. Upper Lough Erne feels like home. We took advantage of some fine weather to bi bimble about on Upper Lough Erne with no destination in mind. 

Still extremely quiet. Which always suits us. More of the same for the next few weeks.

Our new home

After 15 months moored on the Woodford River and with some sadness, we decided to move QISMA's mooring to Lough Erne. Last winter we could have continued to cruise on the Lough but the flow on the river was too fast to get off our mooring. We couldn't have been treated better at Killynick and our arrival in Fermanagh was made so easy by the Kilkynick squad but it just makes sense. The mooring on the Lough also gives stunning views.

LJ and I moved the car whilst the boat made the 60 minute journey to its new home. 

LJ spots it as it cruises by.

 So down the lane.

And here it is.

 The views are magic.  This from the hob!

And here she is. All labelled up! 

                                             

The current plan is to spend the rest of the season and hopefully beyond  bimbling on the Upper and Lower Lough Erne.

3 locks from home

Going to let the pics do most of my talking on the Drumshambo to Ballynamore cruise.  We had perfect weather and it could not be prettier. Lovely Leitrim,.

Great lock crew!

Almost at the top of the flight.

This section just lovely

Memo to self

PBP .... Proofread Before Publishing

And a very productive hour it was!

We said goodbye to Lough Key in glorious sunshine. Such a great spot. Especially good early morning and in the evening! 

A great cruise up to Battlebridge and the furst of the 3 UK style lock that take you to Lough Allen. All operated by lockies. 

Always a few gongoozlers (boat admirers) here. Busy at the moment as there is a festival of music this week in Drumshambo. We already knew the moorings there were full but we planned to stop before we got there. 

A cruiser already going up and a small barge to come down. Eva, our Lockkeeper, phone ahead so the next lock would be ready for the cruiser. We thought we might just make it before LLH (Lockkeeper Lunch Hour). 

The cruiser decided to stop after coming out of the lock to offer advice to some gongoozling prospective boat owners. 

Of course, he then pulled out in front of us as we came out so that he could keep 'his' lock. Hmmm ..we weren't so sure.

 Arriving at said lock at 1259 gates open....in he goes. We moor on lock landing. We spend the next hour having lunch, walking LJ, taking on water, doing laundry, having showers, washing LJ.  They spend same  hour sitting on boat waiting for Lockkeeper to return from lunch!

Resupplied ar Drumshambo. Enough for us not to have to worry about weather on Lough Allen Nd now are here. There were five of us earlier but looks as if not enough on the lough to keep them overnight. Weather forecast is pretty dreadful but moorings on way back are in very short supply.

Naturally, we don't mind not sharing!

Happy Birthday QISMA

Seven years today since the launch of  QISMA.  I wish I could tell you how many miles and,locks she's done since then ...but I can't. Despite what appears to me to be a compulsive recording if useless information!  She's travelled a fair few though! 

She seems to like her current cruising area.... Good news for us as so do we. 

300,170 ... just slipped on by!

Thanks to everyone for the blog notching up 300,170! And I even met a blog follower today! Anjela, who has been following since we were cruising in England and Wales. The 300,000 just cruised by me.

The last few days have seen us in Ballyleague/Lanesborough...with predictable weather.

 At Kilglass where our neighbour kindly shared fresh mackerel with us....well me really . Caught early that morning and it showed. It was delicious.

The sunset last night

And dawn...0415 this morning. I did go back to bed.

'

Now happily in Drumsna. Such a pretty village. Feels as if it has a French influence in the architecture. 

Busy as you'd expec. Weekend and sunshine. A QISMA size mooring was available when we arrived at lunchtime. 

Not pushing ourselves!

50 minutes to one of our favourite spots ever on any waterway. Last time we were here about 80 people were camping. This time just us and some lovely local visitors. Margaret and Cormack...was lovely to welcome you onboard!

R&R

with winds of 50kph or higher forecast for the end of the week we didn't want to hang round in Athlone. So, with ourselves comfortably outside of another fab pizza from Pizzeria il Basilico, we headed up to the very top corner of Lough Ree, to Portrunny. A few walkers and visitors to the swim,park, two boats and a rather angry swan was the tally for the rest of the week. 

As we approached, with all the lough to manoeuvre in, this hire boat chose to cross right in front of us. Their waves turning to less friendly gesticulations as they went by. 

Photos of storms never turn out well. They don't do justice to the waves.  So I'm offering the post storm views. 

The swan was such a nuisance. Attacking LJ each time we walked down the pontoon. I'm retaliating by not posting a photo! 

                                      

This little chap had quite a few of pals. There for the small flying insects attracted by the heat from our log burner. Yes, I know it's July!

So a very lazy few days which we really needed. We seem to have been on the go almost constantly since we set off.