Attempted to remove left-hand bedroom window. All but one of the screws came out. Called in at Springwood Haven Marina to see if they could get the last one out. Very helpful, but had to drill off the head of the screw. No charge!
Moored up just past Bridge 27, rather than risk tying up in Nuneaton with the window very obviously out. Covered it with the hardboard panel.
Engine: 565.5 – 566.2
Masked and re-primed previously primed sections on either side of the bows, and the section around the chimney.
Masked up a strip at the front of the roof, and another section near the chimney, where there had been some corrosion, and treated with Fertan. Partly to experiment with treating spots of rust. Best to do very small sections around each spot, or do larger sections incorporating several spots?
No engine. Batteries are doing OK.
Church on-line. P.m. we called in at Mancetter Marina to replenish the water tank, wash the duck poo from the stern counter and drop off some rubbish. Then down to Spring Wood to get ready for some paint jobs.
Engine: 564.2 – 565.5
Stayed put today. Got up quite late and it was hot. Felt like a day for not doing much.
Ran the engine for hot water for about 30 minutes.
Engine: 563.6 – 564.2
Went to Atherstone to pick up extra shopping. Winded above the flight and came back to the mooring just before Bridge 36.
Nice day for travelling. Very little traffic.
Engine: 562.0 - 563.6
First visit to Erin Mae since Ted & Mary had week at the end of June.
Their engine hours: 533.0 – 562.0
Sunny day for travelling. Washing dried well in the early sun. Came back to the Tomkinson Road Rec mooring in Nuneaton.
Engine: 529.6 – 531.2
3.5 miles, 0 locks, 1.6 engine hours
Bought a gas bottle at Trinity marina, and decided to simply head home, rather than go any further up the Ashby, especially since we managed to drop off a bag of rubbish at the marina. This meant going to Bridge 16, winding, back to Trinity for gas and rubbishy, winding again in the marina entrance We went past NB Brunel three times!
Some drizzle, but for the most part simply a bit cloudy.
Engine: 525.5 – 529.6
5.1 miles, 0 locks, 4.1 engine hours
Stayed in place through the weekend. Went to the Hinckley museum on Saturday. Solar panel provided all that was needed for the first two days. Ran the engine on Sunday for a couple of hours.
Engine: 523.3 – 525.5
0 miles, 2.2 engine hours
Set out early to get to Hinckley in time for the "Proms in the Park" event. Nice day, little traffic until the last mile or two.
Engine: 519.3 – 523.3
8.75 miles, 0 locks, 4 engine hours
Wanted to make a trip to Aldi, so pulled in opposite Tomkinson Road Rec. Caught the 10A as before. By the time I got back it was time for a late lunch, and no prospect of finding a better spot, so we stayed put. Largely dry, and weather set to be sunny for a couple of days.
Engine: 518.3 – 519.3
1.5 miles, 0 locks, 1 engine hour
Called in first thing at Springwood Haven to book a blacking – 31st October. Liz said we could stay on board while it is done, so that avoids travel complications.
In view of the weather forecast we decided to do minimal travel, pulling in just after Bridge 27. Just as well – between sunny spells there was fierce rain and even thunder at one point.
Engine: 517.6 – 517.3
0.5 miles, 0 locks, 0.7 engine hours
At last, starting out on our journey! But by easy stages. Back to the Spring Wood mooring for the night.
While we were having a cuppa on the towpath, Andy & Sue Smith came by, assisting NB 10,000 Reasons, followed by Chris Buck. They all stopped for a natter. The conversation suggested Springwood Haven's price for blacking was about par, so we decided to drop in and book it, if they still had slots this year.
Engine: 516.5 – 517.6
1.9 miles, 0 locks, 1.1 engine hours
Stayed in the marina for church on-line. Cleaned the roof in the afternoon. No need to run the engine.
Wanted to get some supplies, so went back to Atherstone and winded at the head of the flight. Tied up so I could walk down to the Aldi – no longer than the walk from the visitor moorings half way down. Then back to the marina for Kat's party in the evening.
Engine: 513.8 – 516.5
4.7 miles, 0 locks, 2.7 engine hours
Alarm for 7.30, and at Springwood Haven marina at 8.30. They agreed to get Rob to fix the leak on the calorifier. Basically, he screwed the fitting tight down, and constructed some pipework to bring everything together. Annoying to find that now gets in the way of where a folding chair has slotted down.
Strikes me that if we changed over the two exit units, they would be in the right position, and take away the need for the pipework. The main thing would be to get the emergency outlet pointing in the right direction.
Went back to the Spring Wood mooring for the night;
Engine: 513.1 – 513.8
0.5 miles, 0 locks, 0.7 engine hours
De-winterising – the calorifier junction was leaking slightly. Turning the junction piece down tight took it 180˚ past where the outlet and emergency pipes fitted. Not something with RCR's remit, and for their sister to come and do a repair was going to be very expensive. Rang Springwood Haven – she said to ring again at 9 a.m., though it was to be their hire-boat turnaround day.
Decided to simply turn up in the morning, so took Erin Mae down to the mooring spot just before the marina.
Engine: 512.1 – 513.1, 1 hour
1.9 miles, no locks
8.30 start to get to Mancetter to talk with Kathryn about our berth. All straightforward, and ran a wash as we moved. Decision to take a berth very straightforward – and it appeared to have been the last one she had. So both she and we were pleased.
Tied up on 15B, and will move across to 16A when NB Shadow moves out tomorrow. Neighbours will be Anthony and Emma.
Counter: 510.6
1.9 miles, 0 locks, 1.2 engine hours.
