Hopwas to Fazeley

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

Streethay Wharf to Hopwas

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

Streethay Wharf

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 

Streethay Wharf

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

Streethay Wharf

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

South Fradley to Streethay Wharf

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 

South Fradley

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

South Fradley

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. 

South Fradley

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

South Fradley

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. 

South Fradley to Fradley Junction and back

 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

Streethay Wharf to South Fradley

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.

Tamhorn Farm Bridge to Streethay Wharf

 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

Fazeley to Tamhorn Farm Bridge

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.

Coventry Canal, Bridge 49 to Fazeley

Cloudy day, but only a few, occasional spots of rain. Came down the Glascote locks with help from a boater who helped us yesterday, and had decided to turn volunteer for a day. Tied up on Fazeley visitor mooring just beyond the junction.

Noted that the thermostat is behaving itself admirably.

Finished the primer on the front right locker.

7.6 miles, 2 locks, 3.8 hours

Atherstone to Bridge 49

Met Office website promised serious rain. But around noon it looked as though it could be worthwhile going down the bottom 6 locks of the Atherstone flight, so we did. Picked up water at the service point at Bradley Green. Then the rain returned so we tied up by Grendon dock, just after Bridge 49.

2.3 miles, 6 locks, 3 hours engine

Ashby Canal Bridge 5 to Atherstone

Had to wait for a conversation with Streethay before setting out. Nigel confirmed they could do the radiator system early next week, so we turned right at the end of the Ashby.

Mixed sun and cloud, no rain, quite strong winds at times. Had a lot of help going down the Atherstone locks.

Wanted to use the moorings above lock 1, but they were full, so went down and tied up in the 48 hour moorings below lock 5.

10.4 miles, 5 locks, 4.9 engine hours 

Hinckley to Ashby Canal, Bridge 5

The weather forecast had not looked good, so a heavy shower at 9 a.m. did not bode well. But it soon cleared up and we went across to the Trinity Marina wharf for a pump-out (DIY @ £20). The warning light had not come on (16 days in) but it felt as though it was due so we took the opportunity.

Tied up on the 2-day mooring just after Bridge 5. They have a rather broken, concrete block edging, but the rings are good. Arrived about 1 and had lunch on the towpath in the sun. Then it became a bit showery. Enough of a gap to get some more primer on the locker, the latter part sheltering beneath a tarpaulin.

5 miles, 0 locks, 2.6 engine hours

Stoke Golding to Hinckley

Had to stop at Hinckley again, to pick up parcels from the Amazon locker. Also got Amazon to send me a QR code for returning via the Post Office the Lepy amplifier whose loudspeaker terminals had broken within a week of installation. That was easy – a good solution. 

Then I went into Hinkley on the bus to do a Sainsbury's shop. In the evening we went over to the Brewer's Fayre restaurant for one of their before-6 p.m specials.

3.4 miles, 0 locks, 1.8 engine hours

Congerstone to Stoke Golding

Wanted to tie up at Sutton Wharf, but all the spaces were taken, one length with a couple of day boats. Came on to the moorings at Stoke Golding between bridges 28 and 27. 

On the way got grounded in the shallow section around Shenton, trying to stop so I could get down to the farm shop. Needed a lot of work to get off.

Ran a wash load. Water from the services outside Bosworth marina.

7.6 miles, 0 locks, 4.3 engine hours