Simon took me into Southam for a Tesco shop. Then we headed up to the Calcutt locks and filled the water tank.
Went down the locks with the Irish family and their 3-month old boat Grá. Winded and stopped for lunch. Back up in the afternoon, and turned right at the junction, tying up at Bridge 109, in the same spot as before. Simon & Co left after tea to return to London.
Counter: 454.1
2 miles, 6 locks, 2.9 engine hours
Came up to Bridge 109 to wait for Simon, Sarah and the boys. Then, with them on board, went back towards Braunston, winded at Bridge 107, came back and tied up on the private mooring outside their B&B at Napton Junction. Late afternoon we all walked up to the Calcutt locks.
Counter: 451.2
3 miles, 0 locks, 2.4 engine hours
Got going about 9.30. Ran into Mark, Cheryl and Amelia Gibson – they'd come down hoping to meet us. They came on board and we ticked over back to their parking spot.
Early sun turned to cloud. Passed Napton Junction and winded at Bridge 111. Not much mooring at Bridge 109, so tied up on the rings at 111.
Counter: 448.8
5.2 miles, 0 locks, 2.9 engine hours
Early start (8.30) to avoid traffic at Hillmorton Locks. Two volunteers at the middle of the three. Beautifully balanced beams on the top lock. As day progressed, traffic got very heavy. Cloud and sun, sometimes quite hot.
Pump-out (£18) @ Barby Moorings to make sure, although the warning light was not yet on, in view of the next few days travel and events.
Turned right at Braunston – new territory. Decided against possible stake mooring in the run out from Braunston. No armco until Bridge 98.
Counter: 445.9
9.4 miles, 3 locks, 5 hours engine.
Wayne the electrician came and together we resolved the wiring. All done and paid up: Pump + 1.5 hours + a £1 box of firelighters: £221.59
Water @ Stretton Stop before leaving. Quicker than expected to Newbold Tunnel. Came through to Rugby and stopped after Bridge 58 for a Tesco shop. Dodgy for an overnight mooring, so came on to Clifton upon Dunsmore, between bridges 66 and 68 – the numbering of the bridges on this stretch is bizarre, with a couple of aqueducts on the approach to Rugby numbered as bridges, and some numbers missing all together.
Counter: 440.9
7.3 miles, 0 locks, 1 swing bridge, 3.7 Engine hours
Pump came late afternoon. Jamie ran into problems working out the electrics, and had to leave it for someone else in the morning.
Ran engine after inverter was left on overnight: SOC 54%.
Counter 437.2
0 miles, 1.2 engine hours
Jamie determined that the shower pump's motor is the problem. New one ordered.
Getting cold, so lit the stove around midday. Ran engine at 6.
Counter: 436.0
0 miles, 1.4 engine hours
Shower pump failed again last night, so 8.30 start, intending to get to Rose Narrowboats quite early, for them to look at it. Phone call at 9.15 elicited that they had insufficient personnel to look at it today, but would do so in the morning.
Dull day, and generally dull countryside, with occasional horseflies.
Tied up at Stretton Stop after filling the water tank. Needed a spring because of the quality of the mooring.
Counter: 434.6
6 miles, 0 locks, 2.8 engine hours
Up to Hawkesbury Junction and turned right on to the Oxford Canal. Increasing sun, though our mooring spot is a bit too much in the shade for good solar. On round the corners from Bridge 4 (Tusses Bridge).
Water at Coventry Basin as we left. Ran a wash load while travelling. Tightened the Jubilee clip on the shower outlet, to avoid having to remove the hose to replace the clip.
Counter: 431.8
6.5 miles, 1 lock, 3.5 engine hours.
Rakshabandhan festival in the basin – lively and noisy. Lunch was Sunday roast at the café. Afternoon we went to choral evensong at the cathedral
Latter part of the day saw a fair bit of sunshine, so we didn't run the engine.
0 miles, 0 engine hours
Dull day, with rain. Coffee in the basin café, and then mostly indoors. Gave a polish to Erin Mae's RH side – it came up better than expected.
Needed to run the engine late afternoon.
Counter: 428.3
0 miles, 2.1 hours engine
Walked into the city centre to see the sights.
Counter: 426.2
0 miles, 1.4 hours engine
Grey day. Patches of both sunshine and drizzle. Taps at Hawkesbury Junction very slow.
Tied on on pre-booked mooring, Jetty C. Bollards just about the right distance.
Counter: 424.8
8.5 miles, 0 locks, 4.4 hours
Only a short trip, as we needed to stop at Marston Junction to pick up an Amazon delivery from a shop up the road. Nuneaton water continues to be a lot cleaner than it was the first time we came through here.
Counter: 420.4
3.5 miles, 0 locks, 1.4 engine hours
Did a bedding wash in an Atherstone launderette, and completed the shopping in Co-op and Aldi. Got under way by 11.30, and had good help up the 5 locks from volunteers and boaters coming down. Cloudy and damp with some moisture in the air.
Stopped briefly at Springwood Haven Marina to get a 25A fuse and a Jubilee clip. Tied up after Bridge 23 in order to walk to Midland Chandlers HQ at Century Park, to pick up the items I ordered over the phone yesterday. Shower pump working again with replacement fuse.
Counter: 419.0
5.5 miles, 5 locks, 3.2 engine hours
Dull, cold day, with some precipitation. On our own for most of the journey, but got in a queue when we came to the Atherstone flight. Good to have some help, but we had to hang around a bit.
Shower pump stopped working. Probably the fuse.
Tied up on the visitor moorings at Atherstone. Big shop at Aldi.
Counter: 415.8
4.3 miles, 6 locks, 4 hours engine
Water at Fazeley.
Not much traffic, just one boat queueing in front at Glascote locks. Dullish day, with some sun. Great to have the alternator stuff sorted and working.
Tied up on Polesworth visitor mooring rings. Added the Blue for yesterday's pump-out
Counter: 411.8
10.1 miles, 2 locks, 3.5 hours engine
Easy run down to Fazeley. Rain meant we stayed on the moorings there.
Fazeley Mill Marina: Pump-out @ £16.50. Diesel: 95.3 litres at 71p.
Counter: 408.3
3.5 miles, 0 locks, 2 engine hours
Nearly first thing, Robin, then Nick and Nigel came to discuss the warning light issue. Then Steve came to check the alternator, and then fit a new one. Ah well, it's 14 years old with never a stutter. Expensive, but too much hassle to source elsewhere, get a re-furb or get this one re-furbished.
That left the bill! We left about 2 p.m. – a wind day for travel but no mishaps. Tied up on the rings between the Hopwas bridges. Got clattered by a boat coming under the bridge. Probably the wind.
Warning light stayed off. Rev counter and engine hours counter seem to be working properly, so the rev counter intermittency had seemingly been due to the same alternator issue as the warning light. SmartGauge reading 100% by the time we tied up.
Counter: Start 404.0; Finish 406.3.
5.25 miles, 0 locks, 2.3 engine hours
Rob fixed the problem with the stove door not shutting by cleaning out rust from behind the sealing rope. But that's the last we saw of him. Nigel came by around 3.30 to say we weren't forgotten, but the alternator issue will clearly have to wait until tomorrow.
Midland Chandlers confirmed I can arrange for an order to be picked up at their HQ at Century Park in Nuneaton, with a day's notice.
Water tank filled. Engine for charging and hot water.
0 miles, 1 hour engine
Rob was here early to make a start on cleaning up the roof hole. In the end, the whole flue job got done. Too late to make a move, and I need to ask him about the alternator issue.
Ran a wash-load. Ran the engine in the evening as there was less sun today and some use of the inverter.
0 miles, 1.5 engine hours
Sunny day – solar panel did well. But no progress on the flue. Nigel was off sick, and no-one came near us all day. Checked with Nick later on, and he promised to deal with cleaning and treating the hole in the morning.
0 miles, 0 engine hours
Up at 6.30 to get down to Streethay for work on the flue. Weather mixed, but sunny enough in the afternoon for the solar panel to do a good job.
Rob started the work on the flue. Stove went to the workshop for a re-furb, so remainder of the work will be done tomorrow.
Rob said he could have a look at the voltmeter warning lamp affair. My current conclusion is that it's likely to be the regulator on the engine alternator.
Staying on the wharf's pontoon overnight. Filled the water tank.
2 miles, 0 locks, 1 hour engine
Still here, conserving water.
Tried to get my head back round all the stuff about alternator wiring that I researched when replacing the odometer.
0 miles, 1.5 hours engine
Gloomy day. Stayed at Fradley.
The engine battery charging warning light came on when I ran the engine. May be related to the fiddly wiring between the engine alternator and the control panel. Don't think it's actually a charging problem, because that is now handled by the Sterling AB12160.
0 miles, 2 hours engine.
Still waiting for the flue to arrive at Streethay, so took the bus into Lichfield for a visit. Stayed on the mooring, and ran the engine early evening.
0 miles, 2 hours engine
Parts for the flue did not arrive at Streethay Wharf, so we stayed put, and it will probably be Monday before the work can be done.
Ran the engine p.m., with the batteries down to 69 after using the inverter at lunch-time.
0 miles, 2 hours engine time.
Managed to water and wind at Fradley Junction and get back to the South Fradley mooring while there was still a space. Ran a wash load while travelling. Tap at the junction very slow.
Found the shops and a post box in South Fradley. About half a mile to both.
2.5 miles, 0 locks, 2 swing bridges, 2.3 engine hours
Successfully talks / action with Nigel and his crew. Antifreeze in the radiator system seems OK, and it all worked fine. Rob fitted a bracket to keep the Webasto exhaust away from two engine cooling hoses.
Agreed with Nigel to go ahead with the flue replacement. He ordered the kit and the top plate. Have to ring him on Thursday to check they've arrived.
Came up to Fradley, tying up on the moorings before Bridge 90. Solar panel doing a great job of keeping the batteries charged, in spite of the more limited travel time.
2 miles, 0 locks, 0.9 engine hours.
Set out at 9, but it took longer than expected to get to Streethay. Hoped to get the Webasto and radiators serviced today, but Nigel had a day off. So we were asked to tie up next to Swyfdon Spirit and wait till tomorrow.
Journey fine, but some rain once we were here.
Got the final coat of bilge paint on the locker at about 6 p.m.
3.3 miles, 0 locks, 1.4 hours
Heading for Streethay, but decided to tie up in a nice rural setting, rather than push on to Huddlesford.
Got the first coat of Bilge Paint on the front locker.
4.5 miles, 0 locks, 1.9 engine hours.