Calcutt (1)

Here I am Rune

Distance 0 miles

Total 953 Locks 56 Tunnels

Running total mileage 1351.8 miles

After saying how well RUNE steers in the wind, we took the decision today not to bother! When we looked out of the window (after a pretty windy night) and saw breaking waves on the canal we decided that today was a day for not moving. Call it wimping out if you like but there is no point in making  things unnecessarily difficult and today would have been quite ‘interesting’. A clue was that no boats at all passed where we were moored before about 11.30am and the first one that did had a bit of a problem getting around the corner about 200 yards ahead of us so I think it was probably a good move staying put.

I got the bike out to travel into Long Ichington, about 3 miles away, to get some milk and bread to ensure we don’t run out of the necessities. I also took the opportunity to check over the engine, particularly the gearbox. A little puzzle there since when I serviced the engine about 75 hours ago the gearbox was dry. Having checked it today it hasn’t lost a drop of oil so it does rather beg the question of where the gearbox oil had gone. There is no obvious sign of a leak and, since the transmission fluid in there is pink it would rather show if it had leaked out anywhere. Since the gearbox can’t burn the oil (unlike the engine oil in the sump) I can’t really figure out where it went. All I can say is that I hope it remains full now.

Calcutt

Here I am Rune

Distance 7.1 miles

Total 953 Locks 56 Tunnels

Running total mileage 1351.8 miles

After a particularly windy couple of days the wind abated a bit today for our passage from Braunston across here to Calcutt.We  stopped off at the locks to take on some fuel at Calcutt Boats, price quite reasonable at 72p per litre so we took on 104 litres. We decided not to continue on down Stockton Locks since the forecast was for rain moving in after 4pm, and the forecasters were right. Now pleasantly moored in the middle of nowhere really, not much in the way of buildings around us, a farmyard about a quarter of a mile north of us.

The forecast for tomorrow is little chance of rain but quite strong winds, fortunately RUNE handles quite well in the wind (tempting fate I suppose!)

Braunston (2)

Here I am Rune

Distance 0.7 miles

Total 950 Locks 56 Tunnels

Running total mileage 1344.7 miles

A minimum movement day today just down to the marina entrance to turn around then back to the water point and elsan to top up with water and empty the cassettes. Then we returned to more or less where we started from although now we are pretty much opposite the Boat House where we plan to take tomorrow’s lunch. We will then be ready to set off back up the canal on Monday morning heading back towards the eastern side of Birmingham then on up the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal to rejoin the Coventry Canal  en route to the Trent and Mersey. I’ve now stocked up on the boat bits that I wanted from the chandlery here and with the Eberspacher heating now working all is currently well.

Braunston (1)

Here I am Rune

Distance 0 miles

Total 950 Locks 56 Tunnels

Running total mileage 1344 miles

We may not have travelled anywhere today (other than across the canal to the marine engineer) but I would describe it as a very successful day. We now have the Eberspacher central heating restored so we have both solid fuel heating and diesel heating available again. It may have cost £50 but I look on it as an instruction course in how Eberspacher systems work. I now know how to bleed them when they become airlocked and am aware of keeping the header tank full with antifreeze solution. I also had brief instruction on how to replace the immersion tank element which seems to have failed as well.

After the traditional weekend shop tomorrow we will be stocked up and ready to move on whenever we choose (which will probably be Monday). I think we will go back to Calcutt boats to take on some fuel, and possibly coal, and then we will be heading back towards Warwick and Kingswood junction. Will have to work out where we hope to be at the end of the month to travel back home to register our vote in the forthcoming election.

Braunston

Here I am Rune

Distance 7.5 miles

Total 950 Locks 56 Tunnels

Running total mileage 1344 miles

At the start of the day it looked as though we may delay our passage into Braunston until Friday since it had been raining since the early hours of the morning. As the weather cleared about 11am we decided to press on although the forecast was for a bit of wind. RUNE actually handles quite well in the wind since it is quite deep draughted and also has quite a low profile so doesn’t catch the wind too badly. The secret of travelling in the wind is to keep up a reasonable momentum, something that the people in the boat in front of us needed to learn. On the one hand I can understand people being nervous handling a large boat when the wind is pushing you all over the place but on the other hand unless you keep up a decent speed you haven’t got much steerage which makes it all a lot worse. Anyway, wind or no wind, we have got to Braunston OK although the purpose of our arrival hasn’t been so good. 

We came to try to find someone to fix our diesel heating system and were recommended to a marine engineer. Having spoken with the guy in charge it appears that they are fully booked up until May, not what I wanted to hear! Have been given the name of another marine services here who may be able to help so will search them out tomorrow. May well be here until after the weekend.   

Stockton

Here I am Rune

Distance 4.8 miles

Total 947 Locks 56 Tunnels

Running total mileage 1336.5miles

Good progress today should mean that instead of reaching Braunston by the weekend we could probably reach there tomorrow (Thursday). We had the luck of doubling up with a boat called NORFOLK for the first of today’s locks and then doubled up with another boat AYLESTONE for the Stockton Flight so have pretty much zipped through them today. Had a conversation with the helm of the second boat which was a ‘share’ on which ownership is shared between 12 people so that each gets about 4 weeks per year on the boat. He stated he’d had the share for about 9 years but when he retires in a couple of years’ time he wants to get a boat of his own. It always seems a bit odd talking with people who are clearly a few years older than I am but still only in the planning stage for their retirement, it makes me feel a bit guilty but also extremely fortunate.

So tomorrow it will be 3 more locks then the final run into Braunston (weather permitting!).