Entry from the log book by Daniela: Easter Sunday and Monday felt like mid-August this year! Bright blue skies, 26 degrees C or more, everything blooming, it’s simply unbelievable.Global warming? Or will we have to pay the price for this premature summer bliss in April by months of grey-brown sky in mid-July and August? |
Spent the day at mooring fitting a ‘polyvee’ kit to the engine.
The old single v-belt kicked up a hell of a lot of dust and was forever losing tension. I had to remove the alternator and take it home before I could remove the drive. Nut had seized. Anyway, here is a picture of the new rig. Seems to work a treat. The smaller picture here, shows the old single v-belt setup. Skipper bused to Eynsham and after fiddling about with fenders and ropes, fuelled and watered and headed downstream. Speedometer works a treat. New paddle wheel must be spinning. Job well done earlier in the year. 3.5knots. Tied up very soon though. Needed to swap down the decks. After Eynsham lock, pushed the throttle a bit to test the speedometer. Kings Lock and then tied up alongside Godstow Nunnery, for a bite to eat and tea. Back at mooring at Bossoms around 4.15. AViVA hoisted off the trailer and put back into the water. My job was to check that the new speed paddle wheel fitting was not leaking. It wasn’t but a small leak was noticed near to the cooling water intake. Seems that a screw had corroded in situ.
Boat was lifted out and repaired while she dangled. AViVA was hoisted out of the water and onto her trailer.
I must say, I always find this operation very nerve racking:
Also: Hull pressure washed. Fenders are off and ready for a scrub. Batteries now at home, ready for a maintenance charge. Anti-freeze in the waterways... so, all set for the winter. We took our Australian friends (the Bean family) up river for a little bit of show and tell.
On reaching Godstow lock, we were informed by the good lock keeper that a ‘large Dutch barge’ was on its way downstream and we might meet it on the dangerous bends below Kings Lock. We duly paid attention to this, and kept a sharp look out - after all - we wouldn’t want to get swamped by such a monster! Two of us took ourselves up to Eynsham. On the way back we took a detour up to Dukes Cut - the entrance to the Oxford Canal. Removed the starter motor with difficulty. Having a look in the workshop to see if anything wrong. Connected to battery and works fine.... so I wonder what is preventing working in the boat. Seems to be a Kubota 1kw. Next job to check the wiring. Seems to be a wiring fault, because it all works on the bench and now back in the boat. Went for a trial run and starting no problem. |
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