Hawne Basin

 

Here I am Rune

Distance 7.09 miles 

Total 5133 Locks  399 Tunnels

Running total mileage 7759.77 miles

 

So now have arrived back in the mooring basin after completing a cruise of about 70 miles and 77 locks. The weather has been ideal and most things seem to have gone pretty, except that is for the domestic alternator which still managed to illuminate it’s warning light today, even after all of the things I’ve tried to fix it.

We’ll be here for a week which will give us time to get our BSS certificate renewed, along with assisting with the Open Day this weekend. We’ll probably be back at home for about a month to enable me to get my teeth fixed, before we return for a summer cruise. 

Dudley, Merry Hill

 

Here I am Rune

Distance 2.92 miles 

Total 5132 Locks  398 Tunnels

Running total mileage 7752.68 miles

 

After 2 nights moored at Fens Arm on the Stourbridge Canal, we’ve moved on today to Merry Hill, Dudley for tonight before heading back into the basin tomorrow. The extra day on the Fens Arm gave me chance to refresh the wording ‘Rune’ on the boat side and have another go at fixing the alternator. This time I’ve managed to fit the new alternator but, disappointingly once again the warning light came on as we travelled along. Since I have now tried changing the regulator and now the alternator I’m coming around to thinking that the problem is with the Adverc, so I’ve now disconnected that to see if that fixes the problem. Truth be known I thought that the Adverc had been disconnected years ago, but today found that it isn’t.

 

Fens Branch

Here I am Rune

Distance 3.19 miles 

Total 5124 Locks  398 Tunnels

Running total mileage 7749.76 miles

 

Despite the forecast of rain showers we decided to head up the Stourbridge flight of locks and it seems it was a reasonable decision since we only had a couple of light showers, not even enough to bother putting a raincoat on. A helpful gent opened the gates of the locks ahead of us as they were all empty and set for us, so he saved us a few minutes. From Stourbridge to top of the flight took something like 3 1/2 hourse. We have moored for the night in the Leys Arm, and may well stay here for tomorrow as well to give me a chance to refresh the ‘Rune’ lettering on the side of the boat. I’m finding signwriting, even when overwriting previous lettering, is harder than it looks!