Sign up to get updates from us
There's an old and trustworthy adage on the canals: when two or more boaters meet up it is only a matter of time before the conversation will turn to the subject of toilets. So guess what the topic of this week's episode is?!
Journal entry:
3rd October, Tuesday
“Light fades.
Dew Falls.
Maggie follows a rabbit’s scent-trail
Through the long, wet grass.
Two rooks head east into darkness.
I struggle in the half-light
With the padlock on the gate
So we head upwards over the hill
Then down to the line of boats
With their windows shining into the night.”
Episode Information:
In this episode I answer the following questions from listeners:
11:33 - What are the pros & cons of pump-out toilets?
22:55 - Can boaters use compost toilets?
29:39 - Is drinking tap water safe & how do you know when the water tank needs filling?
To watch the episode when Maggie meets Zephyr on The Mindful Narrowboat: Come Here For A Narrowboating Break.
With special thanks to our lock-wheelers for supporting this podcast.
Derek and Pauline Watts
Anna V.
Sean James Cameron
Orange Cookie
Donna Kelly
Mary Keane.
Tony Rutherford.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory with MJ and Kayla.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mike and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
All other audio recorded on site.
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
For pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message using the voicemail facility by clicking on the microphone icon.
3rd October, Tuesday
“Light fades.
Dew Falls.
Maggie follows a rabbit’s scent-trail
Through the long, wet grass.
Two rooks head east into darkness.
I struggle in the half-light
With the padlock on the gate
So we head upwards over the hill
Then down to the line of boats
With their windows shining into the night.”
[MUSIC]
There's a wind blowing in from the south-west and banks of clouds are rolling across the sky. The boat rocks very gently on wind-sculpted waters.
This is the narrowboat Erica narrowcasting into the dark October night to you wherever you are.
You have managed to make it! I'm so pleased you coud come. It's a blowy old night and there's a feel of rain in the air, so come inside, the kettle is on the stove, the biscuit barrel is full, so welcome aboard.
[MUSIC]
The moon is in its third and final quarter. Of all the moons, how much is this one loved and celebrated? The moon of the harvest, and dancing, and rest. And there she is, climbing low in the east, a smeared perfect half-circle of light, slipping serenely along her path of starlight. The last strains of music from the harvest festivals celebrated across the centuries still distantly ring out, if you listen carefully with your imagination as well as your ears. Old music, as rough as scrumpied cider but mellowed on the winds of the years, carried on bat song, vixen cry and the call of the owl. Nights like this have an enchantment all of their own.
The canal has become a little busier of late. It always does around now. The autumn is a great time to be out and about, taking advantage of the gentle drift from summer into winter. Although, some blustery winds and fairly fierce – though short-lived – thunderstorms have tempered it a bit this year! At this time of year, you can also add to the holiday traffic, boaters heading for their home moorings or positioning themselves for when the winter moorings come into play. It’s been good to see old faces as well as some new ones around here too.
Roe deer have been fairly regular visitors recently. Their crow-like, scalding bark – half heron, half pheasant – carries with the dawn mists across the fields to the west. The other morning, just before first light, the call of deer and owl created a perfect antiphony for a creaturely matins.
Now along the bankside, traveller’s joy is crowned golden with the wispy, hop-like globes of old man’s beard and the banks of ivy hum and thrum with busyness of bees and the scarlet flash of red admirals. Late flowering buttercups and the odd dandelion cling to the coat-tails of summer and, often, so do we!
[MUSIC]
[MUSIC]
What are the pros and cons of pump-out toilets?
How do boaters with compost toilets dispose solid and liquid waste?
Can we drink water from the tap and how do we know when the water tank needs filling?
This is the narrowboat Erica signing off for the night and wishing you a very restful and peaceful night. Good night.
