Starship Enterprise

The last week has been very cool but with a few black coals glowing in the Epping stove it is toasty warm inside FL.

After moving into the marina and plugging into shore power we found the Mastervolt inverters shore side of the unit wasn't working. On this system it means the battery charger didn't work along with the 230v power sockets on the boat.

As usual I'll always try to work out the problem myself with the help of (manuals,friends and interweb). I tested the power coming in to the RCD  between shore and inverter - this was OK but I changed the RCD for a new one anyway - a multimeter showed 230v on the load side of the RCD and at the inverter.

Must be the inverter then, the unit has a thermal breaker but that hadn't tripped. I took the front cover off to see if another fuse or breaker was on show and was met with more circuitry and electronics than on the dash of the Starship Enterprise I quickly put the cover back and called in an expert.

Upshot is the unit is now on it's way to Holland for repair/overhaul.

We also had an alternator repaired at Cox's.  Close to the canal at Atherstone and with a 24hour turn around it is handy for visiting boaters. This one is now on board as a spare.

Apart from some shopping and socialising with friends not a lot else has happened this week.

Right got to be off, we are lock wheeling for our mates up heartbreak hill.

Slowly..

...made our way to Stone in Staffordshire.

A favourite mooring spot between Sandford & Burston

Secluded

It's rare that we see herons actually catching anything.

Great Haywood

We have continued northwards along familiar but fantastic countryside, we have moored at Great Haywood insight of Shugborough Hall. A very pleasant Sunday lunch was enjoyed at the nearby Clifford Arms where we met up with Roly, Bev, Cathy & Martin. 

Watch the birdie

Colourful working boats

Sails in the landscape

Serene scene.

Inquisitive youngster.

Famous grouse

I have been suspecting for some time that the leisure battery alternator I fitted last year has not been performing well. I put a meter on it today and found that the output is low at tick over and disappears to nil when the engine is revved. So a dud then ... unfortunately, although it's only been fitted to the engine for less than a year, I purchased it as a spare two years ago so out of manufactures warranty. No matter I will take it for repair at first opportunity I get. The solar panels will keep the battery's in good charge till then.

Moved a short distance today onto the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, to moor at Tixall.

Aqueduct over the river Trent

Tixall mooring.

Fitted one of these double sockets with USB chargers in the saloon today, will come in handy for phones and tablets.

Hopwas

Been a grey day, coats and wooly hats were this crews boating attire today along with the majority of other boaters. There was one skipper who heralds from Cape Town wearing shorts, I did notice that she had especially hairy lower limbs though. 

Nine locks in the Atherstone flight were descended slowly, not much in the way of traffic today but I would expect that to change tomorrow.

Sheep mutation

It's that time of year

One of the Atherstone locks

A popular early crop for farmers

A long day at the tiller got us to Hopwas, this will allow a short cruise tomorrow.

Hawkesbury Junction

Untied FL from the bank at 08:30 a bright day with less nip in the air than yesterday.  

Only one boat was on the popular Brownsover moorings when we passed, at the aqueduct after Masters bridge C&RT are doing a good job of bank repairs. 

Rugby's urbanisation is left behind as we pop out the other side of Newbold tunnel. From here to Hawkesbury Junction we cruise through quiet farmland and along high embankments. Stretton Stop swing bridge being our only obstacle to the journey.

Although not a lot of traffic seen on this trip Hawkesbury is very busy and we managed to squeeze into a mooring once we had taken the turn on to the Coventry canal.

Looking back from Sutton Stop lock.

We popped into the Greyhound just for a pre dinner drink, but ended ordering our evening meal there as well.... very good it was too.

Rugby

Sunday was a glorious 20C - we had a great afternoon which included Sunday lunch in  Neil Morrissey's pub The Plume of Feathers in Barlaston, with good friends Gordon, Dot, Bev & Roly.  Afterwards Roly gave us a lift back to our boat 56 miles away ....what a star.

Monday was dry but cool as we headed out of Braunston, it was good to be back on the tiller. 

Passing the new Dunchurch Pools marina on the  North Oxford, note the entrance is wide beam sized.

A wide opening into the marina.!

Hillmorton's flight of 3 locks are twin or parallel locks. These locks are the busiest on the network, they have a volunteer crew of lockeepers who have their own website here.

Locklines carved into lock gates beams.

Locklines commemorate the birth of Canal & River Trust in 2012.

Spring 

We have moored for the night at Rugby Golf club.

Festina Lente clock in Rugby town.

Back on board

All was well with FL when we climbed aboard, only a few cobwebs to deal with and a winters worth of dust and dirt to wash of the roof.

The battery bank was showing 100% charged thanks to the solar equipment, the Vetus engine burst into life first turn of the key. Not bad after being deserted for five months rafted in between other boats without shore power.

Stoked the Epping to warm the boat through, checked the bilges were dry and reconnected the water pump and filled the water tank.

We stayed in the marina for two nights and both had the best nights sleep we have had since we left the boat last October. FL is an anti stress machine.

Stocked the galley from the nearest supermarket - Tesco's at Daventry. The exterior steel got a wash down, put the new cratch cover back on and after topping the water tank we were good to go.

Midland Chandlers have their spring Freaky Friday (20% discount day) this week, we went along to get 20L of 'Intertuf 16' it was marked up as £149, with the 20% discount it brings the product down to £119 the same as advertised on their web site which is still a couple of quid more expensive than other chandlers -  Canal Cruisers in Stone sell for £117.  No wonder they are known as Midland Chandlers Swindlers.

Hailed Jules Fuels to pull alongside and drop a couple of bags of coal.

Sunset in Braunston