R has a runny nose so the first thing I made him do this morning was a LFT. We are meant to be going to his aunt’s funeral in Northern Ireland next week and I need to know if I need to start cancelling parking, flights, taxis, hotels. Gone are the days when a bit of a cold didn’t mean much. Most of the aunt’s family caught covid recently at a family wedding yet somehow she herself managed to avoid it. We don’t want to reintroduce more covid into the family!
Also my step brother was coming to the boat for the day to learn the ropes for when he is taking on the boat without us. The day started wet and windy so it was certainly a baptism of fire controlling the boat, which was leaning a lot to the left due, I suspect, to the full waste tank. Our destination was the nearest marina with a pumpout and it necessitated rising up through four locks. So good practice for Ro who not only had to guide the boat along the canal, he also had to squeeze it through the lock gates. Once he had mastered the helm I took over so that he could work the lock gates and paddles of the remaining two locks. We all then learnt how a pumpout operated, filled up with water and it was recommended we top the boat up with diesel because there is talk of a supply chain problem. It’s good practice to keep the tank full to prevent condensation forming, that can then lead to a condition called diesel bug. That in turn clogs up the engine’s fuel injectors causing yet more problems. So to be avoided if possible. We also took the opportunity to run a check on the state of our three leisure batteries, essential for the smooth running of the boat pumps, fridge, lights and sockets. We were led to believe that the batteries we had on board were of a very good quality, had been replaced in 2020 and should last at least three years. However the battery charge seemed low even after running the engine for a few hours and R was suspicious that all was not well. I think you could say they were another covid casualty. These batteries do not like to sit around in the cold unused for extended periods. Nor do they take kindly to only being partially recharged. The lockdowns have meant the boat received minimal use for many months and the batteries are the casualty. The engineer recommended we fit a new inverter/charger along with the new batteries as this should extend the battery life to the expected three years. I see another big bill coming my way but it’s not really sustainable to have dud batteries. Not only do you have to run the engine when not cruising just to get some charge into them but also your fridge fails to work enough to freeze the ice for the gin! And the boat pumps cease to work so you can’t flush the lou, wash your hands with running water or empty the shower tray.
I realise how much knowledge we have actually obtained when imparting all the details of running the boat to a newby. There really is a lot to learn especially about the idiosyncrasies of boating life. An example is ones attitude to water. Ironic when you think we are surrounded by do much of it! Yet it is such a precious commodity as water taps are sometimes spread quite thinly on the canals. You learn how not to overfill a washing up bowl; to turn off the tap whilst soaping your hands and never to leave it running whilst brushing your teeth. You can do these things but you might live to regret it!
Ro was keen to do more steering once we had finished our trip to the marina so we looked at the map to see if we could turn around further along the cut. We wanted to eventually leave the boat where we were so that daughter C who will be on the boat for the next few days, can be in a pleasant and safe spot. She and a friend are using it like a stationary floating bnb. As it is her first visit I am shy of letting her loose on the cut without some prior guidance. Even without them moving anywhere I have had to leave a long list of comprehensive boat instructions!
One of the worst jobs on the boat is checking the weed hatch. Once the hatch is removed it is vital to replace securely or your risk of sinking the boat is heightened. The weed hatch gives you access to the propeller and enables you to release anything that has got tangled around it. You can usually tell this has happened by the sluggish response of the tiller so R suggested to Ro that he check it out. Sure enough, Ro untangled an agricultural seed bag wrapped around the shaft and Ro did mention that he had noticed a slight lack of power and pull on the engine. R was apologetic to Ro for this unpleasant task (even wearing a pond glove the water is bitingly cold at this time of year) but Ro was grateful to be able to increase his skill set before taking the boat out without us.
We travelled along until we found a suitable place to turn the boat. It also gave us the opportunity to walk further along the towpath to assess our mooring next week. A great spot with parking and a pub is now earmarked! As we journeyed along the cut back to where we came from I took the opportunity to prepare the boat for our departure. Ro very kindly told us he would drive us all the way home so we decided to leave today rather than tomorrow as originally planned. That way Ro could sleep in a bed (he thought he was sleeping in his van) and I would be more guaranteed to get to my hair appointment. I don’t go often so when I do it is usually long overdue and I don’t want to let the side down as mother of the bridegroom by arriving with hair that hasn’t had a trim in six months!
The final manoeuvre for Ro was turning the boat once again, in a conveniently placed turning circle, so that we will be facing in the right direction for our onward journey next week. This meant the boat had to be pulled back bodily to the planned mooring spot.
It was nearly 7pm by the time we were ready to leave, so Ro suggested calling in at the first service station en route home. The supper choices were limited and we found ourselves for the first time in over a decade sharing a large bucket of KFC, with our fingers. Took years off us and I have to admit the chicken was delicious (the chips less so!).
NarrowboatTLC 