Where Were We?
Regular readers will recall that we had made our way down the Grand Union to a company called BLS based alongside Heyford Fields Marina near Nether Heyford. Expectations that they would fit a new heater to finally resolve the issue with our central heating system were foiled, firstly by the failure of the necessary parts to materialise and finally by the declaration of a nationwide Coronavirus lockdown. We were forced to abandon the boat on the quayside at the yard and retreat by taxi to join the great "Stay Home, Protect The NHS, Save Lives" campaign. As the restrictions are easing at last I thought it might be time to bring things up to date.
The Benefits Of Boredom
Although technically closed for the lockdown period it was less than three weeks before we had a phone call from BLS. The parts had eventually arrived and as the engineer was a) bored and b) able to just get on with it on his own, they had completed the installation. This was good news but there wasn't much we could do about it at the moment as we weren't allowed to leave the house, much less visit the boat.
As they seemed to be at a loose end we did also ask them to look at installing a changeover valve for the gas cylinders. The connection we had was a piece of rubber tubing with a gas regulator on the end. When a cylinder runs out it is usually after dark, almost certainly pouring with rain and always half way through cooking a meal so it can't just wait. Having to find the gas spanner and mess about unscrewing the regulator from one cylinder and screwing it back on to the full one isn't that big a deal. How much nicer to just turn a valve to connect the full cylinder and deal with the empty at one's convenience, once the sun is shining.
It was another few weeks, at which point they were working out how to open up properly again, when they came back with a price to make your eyes water. However, since we hadn't been asked to contribute anything towards either the new heater or any of the labour to install it we decided to go ahead, especially as, with a temporarily reduced order book, they could complete the work within a week.
A Question Of Interpretation
With the first easing of restrictions, announced by Boris Johnson on 11th May, the Canal & River Trust advised us that their restrictions were also lifting. Leisure boaters, as we are classed, could at last visit their boats and even take them out on the canal. However, presumably by dint of being lumped in with owners of second homes and caravans, they were not permitted to stay on board overnight and should avoid using fixed infrastructure assets, such as locks, if at all possible and should return to their home mooring. Obviously, these restrictions meant that one couldn't get very far, although longer journeys would be permitted for essential purposes.
Mulling over this latest information we concluded that we were permitted to visit and move the boat, that we should be moving it to its home mooring and that, as it was impossible to do this otherwise, we could not avoid using the sixteen locks in between. As it would take several days to complete the move, however, we would need to drive to the boat in the morning, move it some distance and then drive home to avoid staying on board overnight.
We didn't want to waste anybody's time by asking for permission, like everybody CRT were very busy and short-staffed. We would adopt our interpretation and seek forgiveness if we proved to be mistaken. There seemed little likelihood that anyone would take the slightest interest in us in any case. Accordingly, we visited BLS on the Tuesday and went over the work with them - at an appropriate distance. They did ensure that they were close enough to explain what they had done and how tricky it all was. They also regaled us with the usual catalogue of things they wouldn't have done that way and had had to put right in order to complete the work 'properly'. This is standard banter when one tradesman works on something previously delivered by another but in fairness a number of the points they identified were clearly very valid and the word 'cowboy' never passed their lips. The heating was fired up and the radiators heated up quickly but as the steel boat was in the full glare of the sun on a very hot day (25.8°C) it wasn't the ideal time to try and run a definitive test. We settled up for the work on the gas and got the boat ready to leave.
Leapfrogging Our Way Home
We had a day off for Sue's birthday and Bracken's appointment at the hairdressers but on Thursday 21st May we travelled back over to the yard and set off on our rather disjointed journey home. One of us would drive the car and leave it somewhere up ahead on our route. Then, using the folding bicycle or shanks' pony, head back and re-join the boat. Having passed the current parking spot we would then walk or cycle back to get the car again. On Thursday we stopped short of the last couple of locks on the Buckby flight, where it was convenient to access the road and headed home for the night. Friday got us through the last couple of locks, Braunston Tunnel and down the six Braunston Locks to moor on the towpath outside Braunston Marina. Returning to set off again on Saturday morning gave us the opportunity to get breakfast from the newly re-opened Gongoozler's Rest narrowboat café (takeaway only). A pleasant, gentle cruise through the beautiful scenery around Flecknoe saw us safely moored up just above Calcutt Locks, immediately before the entrance to our current home mooring at Calcutt Boats on Saturday afternoon.
The weather, despite some periods of heavy cloud, had mainly been hot, dry and sunny. Nearly, but not quite, perfect. Strong winds that they had been predicting all week arrived as expected and by the time we reached Calcutt they were gusting at 30-40 m.p.h. Far better to moor above the locks and leave the tight manoeuvring in the marina until the winds had abated on Monday. Besides, we wanted to top up with diesel and the marina wharf had gone onto Covid-19 hours, only opening Monday to Friday for limited hours.
The forecast was correct and when we returned on Monday morning the wharf was open and the wind had dropped, so all was well. That is until we arrived back at our berth to find it occupied by "Our Bijou"! The next berth was empty, though, so we just popped it in there for the time being. A quick check with the office established the other boat was just there for the day before going in to be painted tomorrow.
What Now Then?
After a long period of enforced inactivity it was great to be able to get afloat again for a few days and having decent weather for the trip made a nice change. Nonetheless, being back in the marina was a bit of an anti-climax. Now we were back on our home berth we couldn't go anywhere because we still weren't permitted to stay on board overnight. Our original plans for the summer, heading down the Kennet & Avon and back up the Severn had already been abandoned. With so much uncertainty about how and when things might change and what would be available even when we were allowed out we decided it would be best to save that for next year and keep to the midlands area for now. We also made the decision to keep our current mooring, which had only been booked until the end of May until September. That way we knew we had somewhere to keep the boat safely, could go out when we were able but would be free to come and go as events and our own whims dictated. Last year the marina hadn't wanted to talk about winter mooring until October. This year they clearly favoured the bird in hand and were happy to confirm that we could moor here from October to March as well.
All winter we had been looking for the opportunity to do some maintenance on the boat, in particular painting over the previous summer's battle scars. It had been so consistently wet, cold or wet and cold since we had returned in November that there hadn't been much chance to do anything. Almost from the moment the restrictions began to be imposed things had taken a turn for the better, with weeks of fine, dry, settled weather. Useless to us of course, since the boat had been thirty miles away and we had not been allowed to visit it in any case.
At least now, with the boat local to home at least we could do some work on her during the day. Rather surprisingly, the weather stayed fine for a while, though any painting needed to be done early in the day or it would now be too hot! We did get that done and gave the whole boat a good clean inside and out. We cleared out the stove and swept the chimney and put a fresh coat of varnish on the woodwork around the stern companionway, which is always exposed to the weather when we are moving with the hatch and stern doors open. We also talked to someone about fitting a pram cover that could be raised over the stern and provide some extra covered space while moored up. We arranged for him to do that some time in late July, although exactly when remains to be seen.
Every couple of weeks we would talk to Jamie at Aintree Boats, just to keep in touch and keep the ball rolling on his commitment to redo the paintwork for when some semblance of normal life restarted. We had thought that was the final task outstanding but while cleaning up the galley one morning, Sue noticed the worktop was sagging in one corner. Closer inspection showed that, right behind the gas oven under the top, there was no longer any support for it. Very difficult to see and impossible to get at without disconnecting and removing the oven (not something we are qualified for). More in hope than expectation, given that the warranty expired three months ago, we e-mailed Dave at Aintree about it that Sunday afternoon. Amazingly, the very next day, we had an e-mail back saying that he has us booked in for August 19th to come and fix it! Fingers crossed, this might be one more headache we don't have to deal with ourselves.
The latest announcement, lifting restrictions to allow the opening of pubs and restaurants from Independence Day, included letting people to stay away from their primary residence overnight. For us that is all we needed to be able to get out on the cut. Since hire fleets were also allowed to start operating and we know they have all had a surge of immediate bookings we chose to leave it a few days to let the first rush disperse but aimed to leave on Tuesday 7th July. Nothing fancy, a short local trip to start with but hopefully the summer will stay with us for while.
Warranty Continued
Every couple of weeks we would talk to Jamie at Aintree Boats, just to keep in touch and keep the ball rolling on his commitment to redo the paintwork for when some semblance of normal life restarted. We had thought that was the final task outstanding but while cleaning up the galley one morning, Sue noticed the worktop was sagging in one corner. Closer inspection showed that, right behind the gas oven under the top, there was no longer any support for it. Very difficult to see and impossible to get at without disconnecting and removing the oven (not something we are qualified for). More in hope than expectation, given that the warranty expired three months ago, we e-mailed Dave at Aintree about it that Sunday afternoon. Amazingly, the very next day, we had an e-mail back saying that he has us booked in for August 19th to come and fix it! Fingers crossed, this might be one more headache we don't have to deal with ourselves.
A Sting In the Tale
One item that was finally off the snagging list was the central heating, of course, although we hadn't had much call for it since the work had been completed.
Whilst up at the boat, on a day when the weather was a lot cooler than it had been, it seemed like a good opportunity to fire up the central heating and have a nice warm cabin to go down into when it was time for a break. We put the heater on and it started to roar into life. A few minutes later we suddenly realised we could no longer hear it and found that it had simply stopped. In addition, when we lifted the deck boards, there was quite a hot smell and a slight trace of fumes. We waited a few minutes and tried switching it on again, this time nothing happened at all.
An urgent phone call to our friends at BLS to find out what I could possibly have done wrong. The boss answered but was driving and asked me to ring Dave (another one!) who had done the work. We managed to get him straight away and he got us to look at the diagnostics on the controller. There weren't any, which seemed to give him pause. He said he would finish his current job and then come over to us. When he arrived he rummaged around at the back of the heater and came up with a blown fuse. Apparently, the manufacturer has been through a phase of fitting the wrong fuse rating, too low for the initial power required to heat the glow plugs for the diesel-fired heater during the start-up cycle. He fitted the correct fuse and the heater fired up straight away, a relief to us both we suspect.
Cutting the power completely, halfway through the start-up cycle, is one of the worst things you can do and effectively this fault had done exactly that. It doesn't cause permanent damage but the processor gets confused and things are out of sequence so, once power is restored, it then needs to be stopped and reset correctly to get everything back into sync. Fortunately, as Dave had had to come out, he was there to make sure that was done correctly and stayed for half an hour or so to ensure it was running smoothly. It was a bit disappointing to still have problems after all we had been through with this but to be fair from the time we rang them to when he left with the unit back up and running, including the time to drive over from the other side of Daventry, was about an hour and a half, so we can't really fault their service. It just leaves us slightly nervous about what might go wrong in the future. In the meantime, however, it did get the radiators very hot, very quickly.