Braunston to just North of Braunston.

An interesting and varied day today. We set off from our overnight mooring at Butcher’s Bridge in Braunston, to Tony Redshaw’s mooring. Having discussed the matter yesterday of the failure of our domestic alternator and both Tony and Paul agreeing that from the smell of the alternator it had burnt out. I had, since the failure back in the summer, thought that overheating may have been the cause of the failure.

If you think about it, an alternator fitted to a car engine has cooling air passing it whilst moving, or forced past it by the fan when stationary, which helps to cool the alternator. However in a boat there is no such air flow. With Hadar this is made worse by the protective guard we had built to stop us from accidentally getting caught up in the fan belts driving the alternators. This guard restricts the natural air flow. Consequently I had been considering putting some ventilation grilles in the guard to allow the air to move around the alternators more freely. Yesterday both Tony and Paul agreed it could help the situation, so I asked if they could cut some holes in the guard and fit some grilles which they agreed they could do. So this morning we pulled into their mooring and took them the guard. I had to walk back to Wharf House Narrowboats to get a third grille to complete the job. The task was completed by lunchtime, and after picking up some new engine oil from them, we reversed back to the Boathouse moorings, and went and had plaice and chips for lunch.

Will full tummies we set off again, heading up the North Oxford Canal. Just as we were approaching Bridge 89, a boating friend who we had not seen for over 5 years, called out to us form her boat. We moored up just after Bridge 88, and walked back to see her and catch up with how she was doing. She has started a company selling LED lighting called Baddie The Pirate, and she showed us a bus bulb as a demonstration.

We are in the gradual process of changing all our bulbs to LED one’s. This bus bulb is ideal for the oil lamp in our boatman’s cabin, and the first time I have seen one with this fitting, and a glass globe covering the LED’s, so I bought one of the pearl ones from her.

All this and it has been a warm and glorious afternoon, one which makes us to glad to be alive.

Keith.