Batteries

I brought the four domestic batteries home from Syncopation at the weekend. On our last voyage the batteries were flattened when we lost the Travelpower and then tried to bake a cake in the electric oven. I've run the engine for only a few hours since then and have been concerned about the batteries' state of charge.
I discovered that it's rather difficult to remove the batteries from thebox
they are housed in because it was installed before the frame that supports the engine room floor. To make life easier I think I'll have to make a door in the side of the box that I can remove the batteries through. It will need to be strong enough to stop the batteries falling out as well. I suspect I also need a new charger at home because the one I have takes more than 24 hours to charge a 110 Ah battery. At this rate it will take most of the week to charge all these batteries.

Travelpower Fixed

I spent most of today at the boat. I went to Syncopation with two drive belts (one spare). I had to remove the domestic alternator belt to get the new belt on the Travelpower alternator. While I was in there I retensioned the engine alternator belt also. Once it was all back together again I took her for a spin up to Gayton marina and back to put some charge into the batteries.

While I was beavering away in the engine 'ole I was passed by to coal boats in the space of 30 minutes. First was Jubilee going north, then it was Bletchley, going south.

Fish 4 Parts

The quest for a new Travelpower drive belt has come to a close at last with the internet supplier Fish4Parts coming up with the right part. After trying numerous on-line suppliers and three different chandlers unsuccessfully I hit upon Fish 4 Parts. When I couldn't find a 6PK1280 poly-vee belt on their web site I rang their contact number and their sales staff have found what I need. I just have to wait for it to arrive now.

Unfortunately we completely flattened Syncopation's domestic battery bank on the way home on Saturday and I'm not convinced the domestic alternator is supplying a charge so they batteries will stay flat until I can fit the new Travelpower belt and charge the batteries that way.

Return to Blisworth

The night on the shore power at Wilton marina left our batteries fully charged while allowing us to cook. We had to be careful not to exceed the maximum 16 amps available at the supply so only one ring on the hob was available at a time.
We travelled back to Blisworth this afternoon having shuffled the cars again. We arrived at about 3:30 PM and made it home to our cold house at 5:30 PM after unloading and tidying up the boat.

Total distance is 11 miles, 7½ flg and 0 locks.

Day Trip to Wales

I've been driving the car for the best part of seven hours today. I drove to Aberdovey to collect Dominic from the first UK Tourettes Camp, arranged by Tourettes Action. This event was inspired by the US version, made known in this country by the ITV documentary in 2006. In the meantime Cathy brought Syncopation down the Buckby flight to Wilton Marina single handed. We are spending the night on a mooring in the marina - with shore power. Our batteries are nicely charged now.

Wilton Marina chandlery are the third in two days to match the power transmission belt that broke yesterday. Looks like it will have to wait until we get home and I can visit a motor factors.

All week I've posted no photos in this blog because although I'm taking pictures I forgot to bring a cable to connect camera to computer and I've got no card reader. When we get back home I'll download the pictures and add them to the blog.

Total distance is 3 miles, 1¼ flg and 7 locks.

Moored at Wilton Marina.

Generator Woes

We returned to Braunston today with the intention of pushing on until we reached the bottom of the Buckby flight on the Grand Union. Just past the Admiral Nelson pub on the Braunston flight of locks and there were ominous noises from the engine 'ole. Flappy noises like a broken drive belt. 30 minutes dismantling revealed the drive belt for the Travelpower generator had started to shred and was down to about 60% of its normal width.
I cut the belt and took it to Braunston chandlers at the bottom lock but they didn't have the right one in stock. We are going to complete our week away without the Travelpower. We'll have to be very careful cooking - the inverter can run the oven by itself and with the engine running the domestic alternator can supply the power required so we won't flatten the batteries but we can't use the hob at the same time.

Near Napton junction we passed Moore 2 Life again.

Total distance is 9 miles, 4 flg and 6 locks.

Moored at Welton Wharf.

Windmill and the Pill Boxes

I set off up the hill with Arrow to the excellent Napton post office and stores to post some letters and packages for Cathy and buy some milk and bread.

We made our way up to the Old Engine Arm to turn at lunch time then made our way back to yesterday's mooring at Napton.

All the way around Napton you can see the windmill:

Also prominent are the WWII pill boxes by the canal side, part of the strategic defences against invasion in 1941:

On the way back I spotted nb Skyy, moored near the butty Betelgeuse, another picture here. The men from Canal and River Services were busy between locks 9 and 10 dredging the pound and remaking the towpath.

Total distance is 3 miles, 3 flg and 14 locks.

Napton in the Snow

We set off late from Braunston after finding they had no coal at Midland chandlers. It started snowing around an hour after we set off and continued until we stopped as the light failed at Napton. Siobhan started making a small snowman on the towpath.

The coal was running low and we found Midland chandlers at Braunston Turn don't stock it. Fortunately we encountered the coal boat Gosty Hill just after Napton Junction and bought a bag of smokeless fuel from them. We passed nb Moore 2 Life just after the junction.

Total distance is 6 miles, 7¾ flg and 0 locks.

Moored at bridge 112, Napton.

Single Handed to Braunston

Cathy took Dominic to his Tourettes Camp at Aberdovy Outward Bound centre. This left me with the other two children and Syncopation all to myself. We made our way up the remainder of the locks in the Buckby flight in the company of another narrowboat whose name I can't recall. Just in time to empty both cassettes from the toilet and fill up the fresh water tank. We passed the moored BW piling flats and workboats

at Norton junction

and turned west, passing through the Braunston tunnel, down the Braunston locks in the company of nb Pilipala. I dropped in to the chandlery at the bottom lock for paint to touch up the scratches on Syncopation's side and a pole to replace the pole that was stolen sometime in the last few weeks.

Total distance is 4 miles, 6¼ flg and 8 locks.

Moored at Braunston.

Long Buckby Wharf

After spending the night at Blisworth we've stopped short of Braunston as we ran out of daylight. We were aiming to be in Braunston this evening but had to tie up because we wasted too much time buying diesel at Whilton Marina (79 p per litre) and shuffling cars early on. We left one car at Braunston and the other at Bugbrooke wharf where we met Cathy.

At Long Buckby locks we met a lady walking along the towpath with a barn owl. The lady cares for injured owls. This one was too badly injured to be returned to the wild and is now kept as a pet.

Total distance is 12 miles, 7 flg and 5 locks

I had to cycle to Braunston to pick up the car, collect the other car from Bugbrooke wharf and take it back to Long Buckby Wharf. We then took the whole family back to Long Buckby for dinner at the Wharf pub. Finally we returned to the boat at Long Buckby in both cars.

At Gayton Junction

I took Syncopation up to Gayton Junction to top up her water tank. While filling up, the Maisibert passed by:

Then back top the moorings at Blisworth until next week.

Syncopation at Village at War

We took Syncopation south down the canal to Stoke Bruerne where the occupants have travelled back in time the the forties. The centre of the village around the canal museum was filled with people in forties dress, with a contingent of the home guard and various civilian and military vehicles from the period.



We made our turn outside at the museum where I nearly got soaked by the fire fighters testing their pump:

I nearly got Syncopation wedged across the canal just outside the museum. Knowing that the Stoke Bruerne trip boat Indian Chief turns there I assumed we'd make it and I started making our turn. We made it with about a foot to spare. I think Indian Chief may be shorter than Syncopation.

Another Repair

I've just repaired a leak in Syncopation's coolant system. The hose union fractured at the point where it joins the calorifier, allowing the engine coolant to leak out into the bilge.

Here's the bit that broke:

You can just see the crack going from one end almost to the other.

Boat Fixed

I decided to have a go at fixing the prop shaft coupling myself. With a little help from folks at the Canalworld Discussion Forum I found out what needed doing. I dug out my trusty torque wrench and set about undoing all the bolts that held the propshaft in the coupling. With a little persuasion the collet came out of the coupling and I could then slide the shaft back in with it and tighten everything up again. Job done. About an hour's work.

The coupling is the big round thing at the bottom of the picture. The eight bolts at the top end hold the shaft in. It's not very accessible because of the engine's soundproof cocoon but for once the cocoon made life easier because it was comfortable to lie on top of while I worked.

While I was at the boat I thought I'd check under the bed as there has been an unexplained coolant leak from the engine for the last couple of weeks. The puddle under the calorifier said it all. Looks like the boat's still not going anywhere until I've found some PTFE tape and clamps and remade one of the joints where the engine cooling system joins the calorifier.

Boat Broken

Syncopation's propellor shaft has come adrift from the flexible coupling that connects it to the gear box. It was wrenched out in an accident. I was moving Syncopation back to the boat yard from our mooring, a journey of about 50 yards, to fill up the water tank. What I didn't know was that there was an old mooring rope lying under the water and it got wrapped around the propellor as I moved the boat forward. Normally this is not a problem as the rope can at worst stop the propeller. In this case the rope was still tied to the bank. As we moved forward , the boat was brought to an abrupt halt by the rope tangled around the propellor. 20 tons of boat caused the shaft to be pulled out of its mounting on the Centaflex coupling until it hit the rudder. Fortunately the boat was moving slowly so no more damage was done and the shaft was not pulled right out of the boat, which would have sunk Syncopation quite quickly.

On a brighter note, the shoe cupboard is fixed in the engine room now, so I won't have to move it every time I want to lift the deck boards.

Party in the Paddock

They're holding the third Party in the Paddock in the village and we can hear it all over the village. As you can see, nobody is very far away.


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I listened to Roger Daltry singing Pinball Wizard as I walked the dog.

Diesel in the Bilge

I went to Syncopation to change the engine oil today and a relatively easy job turned into another more difficult one. As usual it took me over half an hour to actually get to the engine as the engine room floor and the cocoon has to be dismantled before the engine itself is visible. While doing this I noticed what appeared to be water in the stern bilge below the stern gland. I started pumping it out but had to stop when I realised the brown foam-like stuff pouring into the canal was red diesel. Oh dear. There was four or five gallons of diesel in the bilge. It was just beginning to spill over into the inaccessible part of the bilge under the engine cocoon.

I put off dealing with this while I changed the oil and filter (50 hour service but nearer 110 hours) and failed to tighten the engine alternator drive belt due to its being inaccessible.

After some thought I made a temporary container for the diesel by cutting the top off a 6 pint milk container. I was able to place this under the bilge pump outlet and reach the switch for the pump. After the first container full I decided the diesel was clean enough to go back in the tank, so in it went. The leak was a loose fuel pipe union that I disturbed when I removed the filter when we ran out of diesel. Over the last week it has been dripping at a rate of about one drop every five seconds.

After I had cleaned up I left the cocoon and decking dismantled: I'll have to ask Mill Wharf boatyard to tighten my alternator belt and I'd hate to have to pay them to take all that apart again: they'd probably put it together for me as well, an expense I don't need.

Spent this evening finishing covering my port hole bungs.

Unlucky Dog

Arrow's visit to the vet last week has led to another this week. The seed lodged in his paw did not work loose and he had to go back yesterday to have it removed. He arrived home with a cast covering the stitches:

None of us is sure the pink with purple hearts is entirely appropriate for a boy dog.

Diesel Purchased

We walked Syncopation back through Calcutt top lock, passing nb Tackley, owned by Ron and Brenda Wilson of the boating Wilsons. Ron advised on handling an unpowered boat. Finally reached Calcutt boats diesel pump and put 116 litres of diesel in the tank. Five minutes to bleed the system and Sybcopation was back to her old self, engine providing power for cooking and propulsion again. It was particularly gratifying that the Calcutt dockard worker could not hear the engine being turned over when I tried it first time after filling up. All the inconvenience of the cocoon and decking has paid off in lowered sound emissions.

We passed through Braunston and the Admiral Nelson:
A fine pub that I have failed to eat at yet for various reasons.

We passed by Whilton Marina again and I exchanged the chimney I bought at the chandlery there last week for one that fitted our flue terminal properly. They are all six inches in diameter but our cast iron flue terminal is at the large end of the tolerance range and the funnel I bought was at the small end of the range.

We pushed on a little later than we have these past two weeks to arrive back at base at 8 PM.

Moored at Blisworth.

Out of Diesel

The days started well. We passed through Bascote locks which includes a staircase pair:

We planned to continue past Calcut locks for another hour but the engine began to lose power, the revs would drop and then pick up again. We got to the top of the locks and moored for the night and I dismantled the engine room floor to get at Syncopation's filters. Found very little debris or water in them. Spent a good 45 minutes trying to bleed the fuel system without success.

Moored above Calcut locks.