Leg two

[Yamanx]

During the first leg my parents had covered 52.25 miles and 43 locks.

 

Second leg.

 

I went down to the boat and met my Dad there with the spare key. We managed to get the broken piece of key out and she started up fine and seemed to be charging OK. I made sure the lights worked as we were going through Braunston Tunnel today and I didn’t fancy the experience they had had at Blisworth. The moorings were ok and there were quite a few boats around. I had bought some cushions from Ebay that came from a caravan so we could do away with the infaltable beds.

 

This next leg was going to be carried out by me and my Dad and we set off at first light on 3rd December. We had met at the bottom of Stockton locks at around 5.30am so we could leave a car there and when we got this far on the Sunday evening we would be able to return to Weedon to collect the other car left behind.

 

So the plan was to get as far as Stockton locks by the Sunday night, we were starting early on Saturday. Easy, a mere 16 miles or so and 16 locks.

 

Beautiful winters morning it was too, see photos in the galllery section. I was a bit concerned about fuel as I wasn’t sure how the boat was performing but we happened upon a marina selling diesel almost straight away so filled up. Took Thirty seven litres, I think the tank is only Thirty eight so a close call.

 

We had a superb trip throughout the day with only one incident that could have turned out nasty. Upon entering the first set of locks we met a boater coming up. Nice chap with a big white beard, looked like Father Christmas I commented on the fact he was going to be busy over the next few weeks. He found it quite funny. Anyway, this meant that the locks were against us. Not to worry, I would relay backwards and forwards to get the next lock set each time.

 

After the second lock I had lifted the paddles to empty and ran on to the next one and set it, about half way towards it I heard shouting back at the lock I had just started to empty. I ran back and the boat was sitting on the cill. The front of the boat was about four inches before it went under and my Dad was hanging on the back for dear life the boat was at about thiry degrees! I shut the paddles and gradually let the water back in. It floated ok and we seemed to have survived it with no damaged to the boat. Phew!

 

We made Stockton locks by Saturday evening without further trouble. Went into The Boat for a slap up dinner, live music and a shed load of Guiness, excellent!

 

Because we had made our finishing point in the first day we decided to keep going all day Sunday and get a taxi back to the car.

 

Sunday morning start, no problems and straight into Stockton locks. We waited a short while for another boat that was coming up behind us so that we could go through together speeding things up with more hands and saving water. In hindsight this was not such a good idea as the boat had some elderly people on board that were on a hire boat and very slow at operating the locks. Still no matter we did just fine.

 

After a lot of locks there was a gap of a few miles until the next set and we set off in front, but the boat engine started to play up. It was slowing and reving higher by itself, kept on going but the revs were erratic. I thought at that time it was running low on diesel. But my Dad said this was impossible as thirty seven litres should last for ages yet and we had only done about twenty miles or so. But I was convinced. We still had the other boat following.

 

After another few locks one of which was a double step thing that was interesting, the engine stopped. We pulled it through and I started to investigate. Now there is no gauge on my tank and there is no sure way to check whether there is enough diesel on board. I couldnt get any out of the bleed screw so I was convinced this was the problem my Dad said no way. But I won, hmmm.

 

We had foolishly let the other boat go saying we could cope and on looking at the map and having a gps unit with us we seemd to be in the middle of absolutely nowhere, and I mean nowhere, the nearest fuel station was about three miles walk, six mile round trip. So, like an idiot I started off with my jerry can on the trolley. If this wasn’t the mudiest tow path in existance I don’t know what. After about a mile I saw a chap living on what can only be described as a wreck of a wooden boat, see photo gallery. He had some diesel he let me have and I started back.

 

I poured in the diesel but only to find after about five litres it overflowed. Bugger, my Dad had been right, of course hadnt he always been over the years. I’ll never learn.

 

This was not good news as this meant another fault which I hadnt anticipated and we were still in the middle of nowheresville. We estimated about a mile or so to the next road. We couldn’t leave it where it was so I started to pull. This was not easy I can tell you, the bank was so overgrown that the boat had to be practically in the centre of the canal and when you’re pulling it, it tends to come into the bank no matter how you steer it. After a very tiring couple of hours I had managed to pull it as far as Welsh Road and this is where she stayed until leg three.

 

I returned to the boat the following week and removed the fuel pump, lift pump, filter and all the injectors. I then returned on the 23rd December with all refurbed or new parts, I had to fix it as we intended spending some of our Christmas holidays moving the boat.

 

On returning to fix it I discovered that some idiot had fitted the on/off tap on the return line to the diesel tank and all thirty eight litres of diesel were lying in the bilge. I had a Vax machine which I used to suck it out, I couldn’t tip it back in the tank and I clearly couldn’t tip it in the canal or anywhere near so I brought it home, my car still stinks of diesel!

 

I fitted all the new parts and she started up fine. It was still smoking too much for my liking so I decided to advance the pump timing. On doing this, as it was hard to move, I must have knocked the fitting that goes to the oil pressure gauge pipe. Without knowing I started the engine and covered myself, the boat and the towpath in thick black engine oil. It came out like a gusher!

 

By the end of the day I had, sort of, cleaned up the mess, fixed the engine, put in more diesel and oil checked everything I could think of and she was ready for leg three. Or so I thought………………….

 

Leg two 21.72 miles 31 locks.

[DHutch]

Wow, you are having fun with her.

 

- im sure your on learning loads, and you seam to be having fun while doing it.

 

cant wait for leg3

 

daniel

[Big COL]

Yamanx

 

Only a masochist would call this the joys of boating. You seem to be getting a lifetimes boating problems in one trip. The up side of all this must be that you will have trouble free boating in the future, you certainly deserve to. Look forward to the next instalment, its far better than Dead Enders.

[Big COL]

Yamanx

 

Have you broken your arm? an age thing, writer's block, or just drumming up the suspense, come on now, you can't leave us hanging on in suspense for the next instalment. Some action please.

[DHutch]

Yeah, we want another leg!!

 

- Please?

[Yamanx]

I have posted leg three. I'm sure Bernie will put it up when he comes online.

[Bernie]

Leg 3 can be viewed now.