BOATS AND CANALS

All I can say without being envious is continue to enjoy.

Hope that two poorly boats are soon feeling better, after a visit to the GRP, general repair practitioner.

_________________
Maurice

Please click to go to our associate sites

Foxshaw Gardens Online & Boats and Canals

It has been a good day, we found a mooring just next to the path to Rugby and had coffee and a cake in the park.

Back on the boat we saw a boat come through the bridge that bumped into a boat coming the other way, they sorted themselves out and bumped into us and another boat going the other way. It was clear that the steerer had little idea how to control the boat. We then had to follow them at idle for the next mile or so before they stopped. It was obvious from the hand gesture of the steerer that she was not enjoying this.

We went up Hillmorton locks and are now moored for the night.

Cheers Graham

We woke this morning to the gentle sound of an inverter alarm. The boats household batteries were low. We were a bit puzzled as we don't normally use much power. I checked the wiring and started the engine everything sprang into life properly. A possible cause is that it is possible to drive without enough revs to kick in the alternator. A brief increase in revs when starting stops this. So perhaps we made a mistake yesterday? We are back now at Calcutt. Tonight we will leave shore power off to check tomorrow. I will also look up how old the batteries are.

Cheers Graham

When we woke up this morning the batteries were absolutely dead. I got three from Calcutt and changed them. We are home now.

It was a very pleasant trip. It felt good to be out and about after all this time. We did 60 lock miles which is twice as much as last year's total!

I have a few snaps to share.

This pair of boats appear to use one to push the other. There is also a motorbike on the front deck complete with crane to get it on to the bank. The choice of windows is interesting.







This is the site of a wreck I went over in 1972. We hit it so hard that the fridge jumped in the air and a coke can wedged under it.



And the obligatory sunset - at Hillmorton



Cheers Graham

Your batteries were flat this morning. I had noticed that you had visited, glad that you got new ones. With regards to the others to the others not sure what happened, They must have all decided to have a day off, Hope it was nothing I said.

I was thinking of you when I posted the Oxford canal restriction on Tuesday.

That boat is interesting with the groove in the back and also the windows. All photographs ended with the sunset.

_________________
Maurice

Please click to go to our associate sites

Foxshaw Gardens Online & Boats and Canals

I have been thinking of getting a mobile internet connection for the boat and I have now concluded my experiment with the 4 different phone networks. EE have always been good here, it was a coincidence that we happened to have EE and the signal strength at the boat. I have tested it and we have a fast internet connection. The three other suppliers Vodafone, O2 and 3 can only manage a slow connection.

I now need a discussion with EE to get a reasonable deal on a dat SIM for a router.

Previously I tried Plusnet as they were cheaper than EE and use the EE network but it turns out that one frequency that EE use is not available to piggy back networks so that was no good either.
Cheers Graham

Continuing the mobile broadband research. I had a look at our data requirements and as long as we stick to mobile devices such as tablets and mobiles it shouldn't be too bad.

So I bought a chrome cast dongle for the TV and now have the O2 card in an old mobile acting as a hotspot and my phone running Netflix cast to the TV. This should satisfy the grandkids! I wil also top up the pay as you go O2 contract to give them IT access.

It is interesting that the O2 download speed is much lower than EE but fast enough to stream movies.

Cheers Graham

I have fitted 2 USB sockets in the rear cabin so our guests can easily charge their phones or tablets. I though about including a photo but decided it would be too boring.

We visited the Boat House pub in Braunston today to see if we are comfortable taking our grandkids there. We had a great meal and could order and pay using our phones.

The boat is nearly ready for its trip with the grandkids next week.

Cheers Graham

I am glad that you are progressing with the works needed. If this heavy rain continues I might be asking you if I can borrow the boat.

_________________
Maurice

Please click to go to our associate sites

Foxshaw Gardens Online & Boats and Canals

Despite the rain the reservoir level has dropped and the Calcutt back pumps are running.



We went for a stroll around the marina tonight. It was nice.



Cheers Graham

I am sure you followed our recent trip on the daily chat but here is the summary and the happy snaps.

Wednesday 18th August

We picked the girls up in the afternoon and we all settled in the boat for dinner and TV. The girls were pleased with my mods to the boat to give them USB power and an internet connection.

Thursday 19th August

We set off from Calcutt at around 10am and headed for a mooring at Braunston. Something odd was going on on the visitor moorings so we decided to moor just short. Well we all make mistakes as I disturbed a wasp nest. We all retreated to the pointy end whilst they swarmed round the stern. It all clamed down enough for us get back on the stern and move. The boat across the canal on the visitors mooring was now moored and we moored in front of them. We set off to walk to the Boat House pub and had a very nice meal.

Back on board we headed for the locks and shared them with a nice couple with a young daughter. Then it was through the tunnel ( we met about 3 boats) and we moored on a rough mooring before Norton Junction.



Friday 20th August

We set off and went down Buckby locks.

There is a very nice willow tree but it makes steering interesting.



We had an odd encounter. Lexi and I were waiting by the bottom gates having helped teh previous people through. There wwer two boats just below the lock heading in. A bossy woman said 'You have to leave the gates for the people coming up.' Yes! That was exactly what we were doing.

There are old side pounds on Buckby locks.



Later on down the flight we could fill the locks with gate and ground paddles as no boats were in them. Good fun.



We had been intending to go to a bookshop/cafe in the old barracks at Weedon but the weather forecast made us swop events and we went to the Heat of England for lunch instead. After lunch it was a quick trip to Weedon wharf to turn around and moor.

Saturday 21st August

It was raining. We went to the book shop/cafe.



It cleared up after a bit and we got going. We went past an odd place. It is some sort of boat business and has a crane to get them out. One boat appears to be abandoned in the field.





Going up the last lock the heavens opened and we all got soaked. The new radiator in the lounge proved its worth as we all dried out.

Sunday 2nd August

Back through the tunnel (another 3 boats) and down the locks.

Here is the obligatory going into lock shot.



Then it was an easy cruise back to Calcutt.


Cheers Graham

...and a good time was had by one and all.

Great pictures, but I particularly like number 4 'Rushing Waters',

_________________
Maurice

Please click to go to our associate sites

Foxshaw Gardens Online & Boats and Canals

On the last trip I noticed some water in the engine bilge - it had antifreeze in it. A check on coolant level revealed we had a slow leak. An inspection of all joints also revealed that the oil cooler had come loose and there seemed to be some resulting wear in the two rubber joiners at either end.

Now the oil cooler had come completely loose during the engine fire a few years ago and I had bought a new mount but used the same bolts. The bolts seemed to go into blind holes with little stopping them coming undone. They were done up against platic with a small allan key.

Anyway one bolt was missing - found in the bilge and the other wouldn't tighten or undo.

Time for an investigation. I bought new bolts and headed for the boat.

I removed the two couplings and took them to Calcutt's office to get new ones. They had them and recommended I fit a new radiator cap as both were showing signs of over pressure at some point.

New bits



I had to remove the mounting plate for the oil cooler to get the bolts undone. Here i discovered that they went into captive nuts. One nut was damaged and one nut was no longer captive so I removed them and fitted nuts with split washers and locktite for good measure.



Note the mounting bolt on the left, it has to be through the mounting plate prior to fitting the cooler. I found out this the hard way.

Of interest the cooler is a bit like a steam train boiler with many tubes.



It was extremely difficult to get the main hose to the swim tank fitted. There is little clearence so I removed the adaptor with a view to fitting that to the cooler first.

Tight Clearence



This is when I discovered the real leak. The hose had practicaly worn through.



So it was off to Braunston to get new hose. I replaced both main hoses and took care to reinforce any sections likely to rub against something.



And so in classic car manual style replacement was a simple reversal of the dismantaling process.



Oh and I ran out of antifreeze so had to get some more and tie wraps so had to get some more and washers so had to get some more.

It seems to work but time will tell. The next job is clean the engine bay.

Cheers Graham

Oh the joys of boating.

_________________
Maurice

Please click to go to our associate sites

Foxshaw Gardens Online & Boats and Canals

Up on the boat again. The wide beam boat that had decided to moor in the winding hole has gone. I was shocked. We decided to turn the boat round but there was a suspicious blue fluid in the engine bilge. I fired the engine up and we still have a leak. This one is from the pipe which conveys water to the oil cooler. Tomorrow I might change it.

In the meantime, we have a new aerial which is much smaller but gives a slightly stronger signal here. We are hoping it will improve signal strength when away from Calcutt.



I have also reattached the front fender after one of the weak links failed on the trip with the grandkids.

Cheers Graham