Lived on-board Hadar

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Monday, June 13, 2011

High Onn to Compton (Staffs & Worcs)

A dry start always goes down well, especially after the day long rain yesterday. What a fantastic finish to the Canadian Grand Prix, once it got going.

Don't always expect marked 48 hour ringed moorings to be deep. Today as we headed south and were approaching Autherley junction the engine temperature gauge started to climb. Why does it always do this at the most inapproriate time? Just as we were approaching a narrow section with a boat coming the other way, and Hadar grovelling about in shallow water, so lots of engine revs to get us off the mud, not good with the temperature rising. I knew there was a marked 48 hour ringed mooring a short distance ahead so I carried on to it. Well when I say "mooring" I am talking figuratively, we were 2ft from the bank! Still it had to do, as I stripped down the pump, removed the broken impellor and the 2 broken bits, fitted the new one, and put the pump back together again. Am I glad it is easy to get to and simple to change. We have removed that mooring site from our map.

We carried on to Autherley junction, and turned right heading down the Staffs & Worcs and moored at Compton, between the lock and the road bridge, opposite Lime Kiln Narrow Boats. Marmite is sitting eyeing up the chickens on the other side of the canal. We have not stopped here before so we wandered around to find a large Spar store, and some other useful shops. The Chippy sounded good, so we had cod & chips twice. I must remember in future to order just one portion of chips between the two of us! No TV signal here, so a DVD, or 2, is on the cards tonight.

Keith.

4 comments:

Jim said...

I presume you mean the visitor moorings near bridge 4. Even Starcros, which floats on damp grass, can't get fully into the side there thanks to the infamous "Shroppie Shelf". I stopped there once, but gave up after a while after being banged about by every passing boat - however slowly they went by.
Jim
Starcross

Unknown said...

Keith, You sound like a regular skipper: able to fix anything onboard, no matter where or when. Hubby and I just got back from the Eastern Coast where he did the fish and chips thing almost every day. I loved the crab cakes. Seafood is so good when it's fresh!
Rosemary

Keith Lodge said...

Jim: That's the ones, Pendeford Bridge, still did us for what we needed.

Keith Lodge said...

Rosemary: Not many people realise but to live on a narrow boat you need to be a Jack-of-all-trades, otherwise it can cost you a fortune in engineer time, and that is when they can find you!