Strange things in the night

During the night onboard, I often hear all sorts of unusual sounds. Talking to another boater we agreed that this just seems to be the way things are living on a boat. Last week I rose from a deep sleep to the rasping and vibrating of what sounded like an aeroplane overhead, but it couldn't have been. The unnerving noise continued for a good 10minutes as I lay with one ear pricked. Usually when a plane passes over you hear it's movement across the sky into a fade out. This couldn't have been a plane, what else it might have been however, I do not know.

Last night I woke to a raging man yelling out and lay awake listening to a repetitive bashing against a metal railing. This can be typical of a weekend night in a town and not such a great way to be woken.

Sometimes there will be a boat (or even a convoy) who are participating in night-time cruising. This can be at anytime of the night. You can hear their approach and sometimes see their headlight illuminating the whole canal. With time I have developed a skill of sensing an oncoming boat as our boat gently pulls towards them with the force of the water dispersing, the ropes groaning and pulling taught. Depending on the engine, whether it is an outboard and how well the insulation is, affects the level of sound. Some modern engines purr. Our Lister chudders and vibrates throughout. I have woken to the 'pop' 'pop' of old Gardener engines passing us by and at other times outboard cruisers revving and speeding past.

On Thursday night last week, after work, I said to Leigh that I'd like to move. I had had enough of the electricity pylons overshadowing us in Beeston and wanted to get a fresh perspective from the windows. We started up the engine, set the headlight and opened all the curtains to illuminate the canal as we cruised. It was very dark with the occasional floodlight from nearby football grounds shining at us. Leigh took her all the way into the thick of Nottingham with his expertise. As we passed moored boats, the owners would peer from the window; wondering who is passing at night, checking that they are going nice and slow and are not going to bash against them.

The mysterious nature of night-time is enchanting. Living partly outdoors, the earthy magic of moonlight, thin air and stillness flows within you and I find that my mood, thoughts and feelings are affected by this inert nature. I can't often stay awake very late and these day's as I sleep I hear the tinkering of beautiful and alluring music being forged and gilded by one half of "Bamboo Stilts".

I am spoilt by hearing the first makings of this exquisite music and eagerly await Leigh Flotel and Tui Orla Wren resolving their workings and delivering their first mutual release as "Bamboo Stilts".