Anderton

Here I am Rune

Distance 10.1 miles

Total 2922 Locks  136 Tunnels

Running total mileage 4165.3 miles

After several days of dithering around with the alternator, we are finally mobile again. It seems that the problem (not identified by the marine engineer) was that the regulator/brushes on the original alternator were faulty/worn. The replacement alternator that I fitted is a dud! I found this out whilst waiting for the boatyard’s electrician to become available. The replacement alternator did not light up any of the warning lights on the dashboard whilst the problem with the original alternator was that it did light up the warning lights, so there is obviously nothing wrong with that circuit. I replaced the original alternator and once again the lights came on when the ignition was turned on, and even better, they went out when the engine was started. We reversed back to a mooring for the night and the lights remained out until the batteries were almost charged, when they both came back on again and it stopped charging altogether. My original plan was going to be to take the regulator off the replacement alternator and fit it to the old one, this plan unravelled when I found I didn’t have a 5.5mm socket spanner and there was nowhere that I could source one. In a local Jewson shop a member of staff recommended a guy in Sandbach who repairs alternators. Duly biked off to his place and for £20 the alternator has been fixed (apparently). 

We have cruised up here to Anderton and so far there has been no further lighting of warning lights, let’s hope it stays that way!

Just to help matters, when we woke up this morning the canal had frozen so we have had a bit of ice-breaking to get here to Anderton although it was a very thin layer of ice and 90% was clear. I’m hoping that it doesn’t substantially re-freeze before we get ourselves back to Nantwich.