Charging all the Time

I reconnected the warning lamp on the domestic alternator and now have a charge being supplied to the batteries whenever the engine is running. As expected, the Victron multiplus tends to run through a very short charging cycle as it now detects the voltage being supplied by the domestic alternator and assumes the batteries are at full charge. On balance it's probably the arrangement that is most likely to ensure the batteries are adequately charged because the 240 v supply to the Victron is only likely to be present for about 50% of the time the engine is running.

Party Flood

We threw a floating party for Siobhan's eighth birthday. We made our way up the cut from our mooring at Blisworth to the winding point at the top of Rothersthorpe locks turned there and went back to Blisworth. We stopped at Gayton Junction for a Pinata.



Here I am with the chinese dragon pinata suspended from the boat hook on the tow path. The greatest danger during the exercise is from young children swinging a stick. It is much worse if the child is wearing a blindfold - something we just had to try.

Alas, as we approached Blisworth again and after running three bowls of washing up water the cover on the freshwater pump cracked again, just like last summer. We're quite practised in the leaking pump drill now and the situation was under control in about 30 seconds. I think I'll be returning the whole pump under guarantee rather than just the cover this time.

Total distance is 3 miles, 6¼ flg and 0 locks.