There and back again, to see how far it is.

[matty40s]

[Athy]

Blimey, does she steer herself?

[Captain Fizz]

Looks like Stowe Hill so steady progress being made then.

[Mike Tee]

Apparantly not,poor old Junior is stuck in the bottom lock at Buckby - see 'General'

[matty40s]

[Keeping Up]

Well that's one way to avoid doing Buckby in the afternoon rain

[junior]

Yes, Buckby flight done on one cylinder in the dark with the engine revving a banshee.

 

I will attempt to make Braunton in the morning and break down properly there.

 

I was going to update this thread properly this evening but have spent the evening in the New Inn instead.

 

I bought a bike today and the pedal fell off this evening. Does anyone see a trend developing?

[Captain Fizz]

Buddy, you ain't safe to let out on your own!

See you in the morning with my toolbox.

[Rob-M]

Just left the pub, see you tomorrow wherever that may be...!

[Mike Tee]

Always look on the bright side, it could have been worse. A mate of mine was pumping along on his bike, standing on the peddles going up hill, and didn't notice his seat had bounced out - well he noticed when he sat down.

[junior]

Update time!

 

I arrived back at the boat last week at 4am after a week working in France and i was pleased to find the boat exactly how I left it. I don't suppose I'll ever stop worrying about it when it's left on the towpath, but each time I come back and find it in one peice I get a little more confident in my ability to pick safe mooring spots.

 

Having finished a shift in France and then travelled straight back I had been up by now for almost 24hrs, but there was to be no going to bed as I had forum member 'Keeping Up' coming round to show me how to tune the satellite system I'd bought off a work colleague for £20. It was a bit nippy so the stove was lit and I settled down to catch up with goings on on the forum. About 7.30am I realised I'd left some supplies in the car so I walked back to the car which was parked in the car park by the Cosgrove facilities block. I was amazed to find that in the short time since I left the car, I had got a parking ticket! Closer inspection revealed it had been issued by by Cosgrove Marina. After a bit of digging on the forum (http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=63667&hl=%2Bcosgrove+%2Bparking) it seemed they had no right to be slapping these on cars. Later in the morning i went back and had words in the marina office and told them i would be leaving the car exactly where it was for another 5 days and they had better not put another ticket on it.

 

Having got the satellite system firing on all cylinders Alan left me to it and I got on with some boating. I quite liked Cosgrove and have it as a 'possible' for returning to for a winter mooring in November.

 

WEDNESDAY 26TH MARCH Cosgrove - Stoke Bruerne. Bad weather was forecast for the afternoon so I was keen to get going and set off around lunchtime. After an uneventful few miles I arrived at the bottom of the Stoke Bruerne locks. I took the opportunity to empty the toilet cassette at the elsan point as I had visitors coming over the next few days and didn't want them looking at 2 week old floaters. I also put the kettle on for a cup of tea and made some sandwiches to set myself up for a run up the locks. After my short pit-stop and looking like nobody was going to arrive to share the locks with, I took the boat into the bottom lock. At this point the heavens opened and it CHUCKED it down. I dived back onto the boat and dressed myself in full waterproofs and my Wellington boots.

 

Just as I pulled the bottom gate shut I looked up to see another boat coming round the corner. I quickly re-opened it and stood on the bridge beckoning them into the lock. My heart sank as they pulled into the lock landing/facilities, but I concluded their need for water was obviously more important than my not wanting to do the locks on my own in the rain. I closed the lock gate again which was quickly greeted with horn tooting and arm waving. It seems they had pulled into the lock landing to let a crew member off which hadn't been obvious to me and wasn't really nessasary as the lock was ready for their arrival. Anyway, they came in and we exchanged pleasantries. I could go in depth now about how they kept trying to keep their boat away from mine in the locks and how they (husband and wife) bikered with each other all the way up the locks, but I'll spare you!

 

I found a spot to moor in the long pound that was free from any trees or bushes as I wanted to have a go at tuning the satellite dish solo for the first time. The couple on the shiney boat went off arguing their way up the last 2 locks. I went for a stroll up to the tunnel to stretch my legs as it had stopped raining. On the way back I stopped in the pub for a pint and some pork scratchings which turned out to be dog treats. Back at the boat I was pleased to find that unexpectedly I had not only all terrestrial TV channels but full phone/internet signal. The last time I had moored in this pound during the Stoke Bruerne at War weekend I had had neither. Having been awake now for well over 36hrs I hit the sack at about 6.30pm.

 

I found these old narrow gauge tracks by the lock in Cosgrove. Does anyone know the history behind them?

 

THURSDAY 27TH MARCH Stoke Bruerne - Norton Junction.

I woke up raring to go having had 12hrs sleep. I walked up to set the lock and saw a boat moored with a bike on the roof and a sign attached saying 'For Sale £30'. As stated in a previous thread I am in the market for a bike, but as it was the end of the month funds were a bit tight and I decided a new water pump was more important after mine sprung a leak last week. While I was waiting for the lock to empty I changed my mind and decided that if I had to fork out £200 on monday (payday) for a bike I would be kicking myself I didn't buy this one. I knocked on the boat and told the guy I wanted his bike but only had £25. 10 mins later it was on the roof of my boat and i was feeling quite chuffed at owning my first bike since I was about 10 years old.

The journey through Blisworth tunnel was nothing to write home about, although made a little bit more interesting than normal by the fact I had found a 12v spot lamp in my Narnia cupboard and rigged it up pointing at the roof of the tunnel. As I entered the tunnel I could see a headlight coming towards me but couldn't judge the distance. This caused me to spend half an hour constantly slowing down then speeding up when i decided it must be further than I though. Then I came to the conclusion it must be stationary at the far end as it wasn't getting any closer. It was only when about 150m from the end that I realised it was in fact a boat in front of me going in the same direction with a bright white light on his stern. I felt a bit stupid but very pissed off that I'd spent the last 40 mins speeding up/slowing down all the way through the tunnel. Deep breath.

 

I got to Stowe Hill where I knew Matty40s was doing some work so stopped for a brew as I hadn't seen him since he helped me through the purchase of Albion and did lots of work for me installing my solar etc in the days afterwards. It was when I went to leave here that I noticed the engine was a bit sluggish to start, although it fired at the second attempt with some more revs on. This was a little warning that worse was to come.

I arrived at the bottom of the Buckby flight and prepared myself for my first ascent of a substantial flight single handed. As I went to leave the bottom lock the engine stalled when I selected forwards gear. I re-started the engine and it did the same thing. After a bit of head scratching and the though of bow hauling the boat single handed up the flight, I started a thread on the forum asking for suggestions. The first few told me to check the fuel filter so I settled down to fit about the 10th fuel filter in 6 months of having the boat. Halfway through this Matty 40s appeared at the side hatch telling me he'd seen my thread and come to help. He went on to check all the obvious things and concluded the engine was running on one cylinder but couldn't see why. He suggested I get up the flight on one cylinder and was kind enough stay and help me up the locks. I leant him my new bike and he managed about 10m before the pedal fell off. So the new bike was broken before I'd even ridden it, typical! We arrived at the top lock in the dark and managed to find a space to moor. Recovery was carried out in the form of food and beer in the New Inn. I decided that as the boat was plodding along ok on one cylinder I would persevere on to Braunston in the morning and break down properly there. I would have to wait until I got paid on Monday to get the engine fixed.

 

Leaving Stoke Bruerne early in the morning with my new bike pride of place on the roof

 

Is this the Infamous camouflage boat?

 

A couple on unusual towpath users

 

 

FRIDAY 28TH MARCH Norton Junction - Braunston

The plan today was to have a planning and strategy meeting for the BCN 24hr Challenge. I had arranged to meet Rob-M and his wife in Braunston along with Captain Fizz at the northern entrance to the tunnel where we could work down the locks together and then retire to the pub to plot our BCN route. I arrived early and rather than sit around for 3 hours decided to get cracking on the locks. Once we were all together we left the boat and went and sat in the pub with BCN maps and Nicholsons guides spread over the table. A few hours later and we had a route devised. We had planned to do a bit of boating together but due to the engine being poorly this was shelved and we said our goodbyes.

 

I had offered to lock wheel down the Buckby Flight for Captain Fizz in the afternoon so he set off on his boat and I set off on the bike (that had now been fixed) with the plan he would go through the tunnel and I'd cycle over the top. After about 100m the pedal fell off the bike again much to my annoyance. This meant that if I was to keep my offer of helping Simon down the locks I would have to walk back to Braunston afterwards. Oh well, in for a penny in for a pound. I abandoned the broken bike in a BW work boat and manged to catch Simon before he entered the tunnel so I jumped on board. By the time we got to the bottom of the Buckby flight it was about 6.30pm and the thought of walking all the way back to Braunston in the dark didn't really fill me with joy. At this point Matty40s made another lucky appearance and offered me a lift back to Braunston. RESULT! I got back to the boat and spent the evening thinking about my broken bike, broken engine, broken water pump, broken exhaust. .......the list goes on.

 

SATURDAY 29TH MARCH

I had friends from German visiting today so we had breakfast in the Gongoozlers Rest, lunch and all afternoon in the Admiral Nelson and dinner in the Boathouse. I also decided to give the bike one more chance so walked back to the BW boat and retrieved it.

 

SUNDAY 30TH MARCH

Today was car shuffle day and the sun was shining so I decided to get it done as early as possible so as not to waste a nice afternoon. I set off on foot from Braunston, over the tunnel and down the towpath to Buckby. I stopped at the New Inn for directions and it was here I found out the Buckby train station is nowhere near the canal and I had a couple more miles of country lanes to walk. On arriving at the station I found there was no trains running and that a rail replacement bus service was in place. I'll spare you the details but I had a coach tour round Northamptonshire lasting about 2 hours before finally getting dropped at Wolverton train station. A few more miles to walk back to Cosgrove and I was pleased to find my car where I left it and without a ticket on it this time. To get here had taken me 6.5hrs so I jumped in the car for the 20 min drive back to Braunston.

When itgot back to the boat there was still a bit of sunshine left so I sat on the roof polishing my brass for a couple of hours.

The only other thing of note that happened today was that the phone/internet signal completely dissappeared at about 6pm and didn't return.

 

 

MONDAY 31ST MARCH

Captain Fizz arrived back with me today from his Buckby jaunt. I had offered to help him down the Braunston locks but with the absence of a phone signal I had no idea when he would be there so he arrived at the boat having done it all on his own. He set to investigating the cause of my engine to be running on one cylinder. The injectors came out and went to Johnno at UCC who serviced them there and then. They were fitted back in the engine and after a blast down the Puddlebank's and back we found that they were not the cause of the fault. After checking numerous other things Simon concluded the only thing left to check was the fuel pump timing, but suggested we go and talk to the ever helpful Johnno first. He said we should go back and return with the boat for him to look at it properly. He also diagnosed it as the fuel pump timing, which pleased Simon as this was his diagnosis as well.

30 mins later and the boat was fixed and Johnno was even kind enough to reverse my boat all the way back down the cut to the marina entrance as I told him it doesn't reverse in a straight line. It did for him of course!

Sadly there was no time to take the boat for a blow out and see what it can do with 2 cylinders as I spotted a prime mooring where I could leave the boat for the next 10 days and I couldn't guarantee it would still be free if I went for a jaunt first.

 

Im looking forward to getting back to the boat in a few days time and taking her for a run. I've concluded that the boat had been running on once cylinder since the second fuel pump was replaced before Christmas. Captain Fizz has also fitted a new exhaust on the boat while I've been away as the old one had corroded and had been held together for 6 weeks by an exhaust bandage and a tube of Gun Gum.

 

Apologies for the lack of pictures in this post, I'm having problems with uploading the photos to Photobucket on the crappy internet connection I have here at work. I will try and rectify this soon.

 

I plan to stay in Braunston for a few more days as I like it there, then I have a decision where to go next. I need to be in Birmingham for 24th of May but I'm not sure whether to start slowly making my way there now or whether to explore the North Oxford for a week before turning round and heading back on the GU to Birmingham. Watch this space........

Edited April 6, 2014 by junior

[Kendal]

Enjoying reading your exploits junior and looking forward to the next instalment. If you are still in the vicinity next week (Braunston or North Oxford area) I will keep an eye out for you

[nomad - tuttle hill]

hi

 

if in Nuneaton welcome to leave boat at my mooring, br 24 Coventry - no fee

[StarUKKiwi]

Enjoying your diary Junior - i hope our journey isn't as adventurous!

[junior]

I've decided that I'll spend the weekend in Braunston and then head off towards Warwick. Is there anywhere worth stopping between Braunston and Warwick?

 

Depending how good progress I make I may need to leave the boat for a few days somewhere between the two. Any areas to be avoided?

Edited April 6, 2014 by junior

[john6767]

We spotted Albion on Saturday on our way to/from Braunston. We are by bridge 100 at the moment, but will be back to Calcutt marina first thing in the morning.

 

On the way to Warwick, Long Itchington is worth a stop lots of pubs.

 

The only place I would say to avoid for leaving the boat is in Leamington Spa, for a very upmarket town the canal goes through a bit of a grotty area.

[Mendip-Locks]

Another great update to the thread really enjoying this diary.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Mendip-Locks

[FidoDido]

the camouflage boat (infamous one) was pulled from the water last year by C&RT for various offences.. As far as I know, it is no more.. (what do they do with removed boats - scrapyard? Auction them off?)..

[junior]

Start of update:

 

Head gasket has gone.

 

End of update.

 

Grrrrr

[Nightwatch]

Flippin eck! You're having right old time with Albion.

 

Martyn

[Athy]

Looks as if the previous owner knew what he was doing and sold her just in time. But she's a lovely boat with an interesting history, and when these niggles have been sorted out you'll have a boat to be proud of for years to come.

[matty40s]

I think the fact that the previous owner hardly moved the boat for years is a more telling factor.

Boats and engines of this age need and want to be used regularly.

[Nightwatch]

The positive to take from this is, as Athy has said, all these niggles will get sorted and you will end up with a boat you know inside out and intimately.

 

Once you find someone to repair the engine, I'd expect a little extra cost, relatively speaking, it may well be worth getting the mechanic to have a good look at the engine and do what needs doing whilst it's in more bits.

 

Sorry, I can't be more help than that.

 

Martyn

[Naughty Cal]

I think the fact that the previous owner hardly moved the boat for years is a more telling factor.

Boats and engines of this age need and want to be used regularly.

I think that goes for any boat. They are not built to be sat around doing nothing.

 

In fact it's usually the ones that are sat around for years that become problematic when used again.

[junior]

There is a possibility it isn't the head gasket due to the way the oil gets around my engine. Albion's Chief Mechanical Engineer attended today and took a look.

 

There's a chance it was the seal in the Jabsco water pump thingy that failed and allowed water into the oil. This has been removed, cleaned and had new seals fitted and been fitted back to the engine. We've done an oil change and run the engine back up to temperature and it's looking positive but not conclusive. Tomorrow we will take the boat for a decent run and then re-check the oil for water ingress. FINGERS CROSSED!!

 

Just to compound my current run of bad luck.....

 

Following on from the saga of the £20 bike with the pedal that kept falling off I bought a new bike today, a fold up mountain bike. I took it out for a test drive along the towpath and got a puncture after 100m. I have to go to Halfords tomorrow for a new inner tube.

 

On a more positive note, I'm 'broken down' on a lovely bit of the North Oxford between bridges 109 & 110. The Kings Head in Napton was very disappointing last night.