Fine Fettle

Last weekend seems so very long ago now, with the new bank holiday weekend snapping at our heels.

Last weekend however we did manage to get most of the stuff we wanted sorted out on Naughty-Cal.

As the weather was forecast to be rubbish anyway we headed back to the marina on Saturday morning early, after a morning shop in Lincoln Markets, and arrived on the fueling berth just as the office opened. With it being the weekend before a bank holiday we knew that lots of people would be wanting fuel so we beat the queue to ensure that we had a full tank. We also knew that the wind was due to get up before long and getting on that fuel berth in  the wind is no laughing matter.

So with a full tank we headed back to our own berth and settled in for a weekend of being rocked around. Liams next job was fitting the new element to the hot water tank. As you probably saw at the weekend to gain access to this he had to take the fridge out and get himself through the hole and into the engine bay. He was comfy enough sat on a battery box and managed to install the element and get it working in double quick time.

The manual bilge pump was another matter altogether. We had assumed that it was the rubber diaphragm that had perished, however upon closer inspection it was actually the plastic clamping ring that holds the pump together that was broken allowing the pump to suck in air. So the replacement clamp has now been ordered and is awaiting fitting. But that won't be a job for this weekend. It will wait a few days until we get back from the Easter break.

Unfortunately the weather didn't allow us to clean the canopies or give the outside of the boat a good scrub but never mind, these are not vital jobs.

So tomorrow evening after Liam has finished work we will drive the 50 miles to the marina, unload the car, dump the gear and the boat and set sail along the Witham until we have had enough for the evening. We are still not sure where we will end up on Friday night, we have no rush to get to Boston this time as we don't lock out of the Grand Sluice until 4pm on Saturday at the earliest. So for once we can have a nice relaxing cruise down river.