Home alone: Day 3

Another busy day.  The last few times we’ve got a gas bottle, I’ve been a bit concerned about the state of the gas locker floor.  There are vents at floor level to allow any escaped gas to get out, but this means that if you’re going up in locks, water gets inside.  So this morning first thing I got the gas bottles out, and set about trying to get the loose rust out.  The hatch is too small to get into, so I set up the plank so I could lay on it, with my head and arms inside the locker.

Using a wire brush and the coal shovel, I loosened and got out a load of rusty bits.  Then I got a roller out and applied Fertan to treat the rusty surface.  This takes at least 24 hours to dry and get to work, which is why I wanted to get it done first thing.

Then I thought I’d set off, heading back to Barbridge Junction and turning south.  The people who live by Bridge 100 were gardening when we came past a couple of weeks ago, and the whole place now looks really neat.

I’d planned to stop on the moorings just north of Hurleston Junction, but they were full and I know the bits at either end have an even worse shelf under the water than the moorings themselves.  So I carried on to the Henhull winding hole, turned around, and returned to moor just south of Hurleston, where we were the other day.  I’d have had to run the engine a bit longer for battery charging anyway, so a bit of extra travel was no issue.  There was loads of room, and the rings seem better spaced at the far end so I have properly reversed ropes which stops the boat swinging about so much.  There’s the shelf of course, so the tyres are deployed.  As it was coming in to moor, there was a bang and the tiller started juddering.  Of course the day after an oil change, I wondered if I’d forgotten to do something and the engine was complaining.  But once I’d moored up I checked the weedhatch, in case there was something round the prop.  It was clear — but then I noticed several bits of orange plastic floating about near the boat, which I fished out.  Had they once been a cone?  Anyway, I’m hoping that was on the prop and that’s all the problem was.

As the boat is the best part of a foot out from the bank, I thought this was the ideal time to touch up the gunwales, so I got the black paint and a roller out and did this side.  It looks pretty good (from a distance!)

After lunch, I walked down to Nantwich to pick up my parcel from a locker, so I’ve more than done my steps today.  It’s annoying not being able to put the kettle on!  I’ve had the gas locker lid open all day to try to help the drying process, but it’s not quick particularly at these temperatures.  I will have to put the gas bottles back in later though, because I do want to eat.

4 miles, 0 locks.  (10 miles, 0 locks)