Oozells Street Loop Junction to Black Country Living Museum.

Nice run from Birmingham up Smethwick locks, old main line to Black Country Living Museum.

Smethwick top lock.

Engine Arm.

Black Country Living Museum.

Keith.

Merry Hill to Birmingham

Now moored Old Turn Junction end of Oozells Street loop in Birmingham.

Keith.

Black Country Living Museum to Merry Hill Embankment

Food shop at Aldi before setting off from Black Country Living Museum. Stopped briefly at Waterfront at Brierley Hill before reversing to the moorings on the embankment above Merry Hill Shopping Centre.

Keith.

Neptune Wharf to Black Country Museum

Now moored inside the Black Country Living Museum. In between 2 bigguns.

Keith.

Drawbridge Inn, Shirley to Neptune Wharf, Tipton

Early morning 6:00am start, got to Neptune Wharf, Tipton at 12:45pm.

Keith.

Kingswood Junction to Drawbridge Inn, Shirley

Lapworth flight done, check.

Bricks from Jacky loaded in hold, check.

Moored at Drawbridge Inn, Shirley, check.

Fish and chips twice and 2 pints of Golden Hen, check.

Think we deserved that!

Keith.

Saltisford Arm to Kingswood Junction

Set off for Birmingham this morning, our Yucca plant will flower whilst we are away .

A wet run up the Hatton locks, but we did complete them in 2hrs 45mins, now moored at Kingswood junction.

Keith.

Further Work on the Baseplate

Today we managed to complete work underneath the floor of the hold as far as the new model railway room will go. Lagging the main water pipe to stop the condensation, painting the baseplate with used engine oil, and refitting the shutts.

Keith.

Work in the Hold

Today we started preparatory work for building my model railway room in the hold. First we had to sort out the rubbish, which went in the bins, then moved everything as far forward as possible, which allowed us access to and removal of the first two shutts (floorboards) from the bulkhead at the saloon end of the hold.

It is in better condition than we thought it might be. Jo set about scraping and removing the loose bits, then painted the base of the walls. It is already for oiling tomorrow morning, then we can do under the next 2 shutts. We thought that whilst we had the shutts up it was lagging the main water pipe from the water tank in the bow with some pipe insulation, to stop the condensation which appears to be happening, so I popped to Screwfix to get some and have fitted the first lengths.

Keith.

Final Work on New Generator

The final piece, an anti-siphoning vent valve fitted and connected. As the raw water cooling water is ejected out of the exhaust, this valve is required, as the generator is mounted below water level, to stop the raw water siphoning back into the engine.

With the shelf fitted back in place.

It is now up and running, and so much quieter than the old one, both inside the engine room and outside from the exhaust.

Keith.

Hatton Dry Dock to Saltisford Arm

Yesterday afternoon, after Rob had finished fitting the raw water intake and stopcock, I refitted the engine room steps which conveniently hide and protect the stopcock from accidentally being opened.

I then fitted the strainer to the wall and connected the pipe from the generator and used a short length of pipe to connect the strainer to the stopcock, the blue device hanging above the strainer is the special spanner for undoing the strainer.

This morning the dry dock was refilled, fortunately there was no leaking from the new raw water intake, which is good news.

We then waited for our friends Mike and Lynn, who we shared the locks with on Sunday, to come back down and we re-joined with them for the remaining 18 locks back to our mooring in the Saltisford Arm. We moored the other way round so that Jo can do some repair work to the paintwork on the portside.

Keith.

Raw Water Intake for New Generator

Jo and I finished blacking this morning, just in time for Rob turned up to fit the raw water intake for our new generator. A hole had to be cut through the hull as viewed from outside.

The inlet fitting was fitted in this hole, again as viewed from outside.

Inside the engine room with the new inlet fitted.

The stop cock fitted to the inlet. All ready for leaving the dry dock tomorrow morning.

Keith.

1st Coat

Jo and I were up early this morning applying the 1st coat of blacking before the weather gets too hot!

Halfway there on my side.

All finished, now off to the Hatton Locks Café for lunch.

After lunch Jo applied the 1st gloss coat to the tunnel bands, followed by an ice cream each.

Keith.

Into Dry Dock

Hadar went into dry dock this morning, the stop planks went in and the paddle was drawn and she soon settled down.

The dock very quickly emptied.

Jet washing the grime off.

Jo and I alternated with the grinder to take the worst of the rust off, this is the first time we have have to use a grinder on the hull in 10 years.

Blacking first thing tomorrow morning before it gets too hot.

Keith.

Saltisford Arm to Hatton Dry Dock.

Moored in the dry dock near the top of the Hatton locks, ready for dry docking tomorrow for blacking over the next couple of days.

Keith.

Radford Semele to Saltisford Arm

Following a brief stop for some shopping  at Aldi (Jo likes their cheese) and Halfords (engine oil and antifreeze for the new generator) and an even briefer stop at Tesco’s we moored above Cape locks and had lunch and a pint each at the Cape of Good Hope.

After lunch we returned to our mooring in the Saltisford Arm.

Keith.

Blue Lias to Radford Semele

Now moored at Radford Semele.

Keith.