Fine Weather

Hasn’t it been pleasant! Misty mornings clearing to sunny, warm days. We’re supposed to have a few more yet as well.

We’ve just been pottering. I’ve tidied up the foredeck hatch. It was looking a bit shabby, the paint having gone dull and odd chips around the edges from gas bottles.

Work in progress.
I’ve also been getting in my last runs before the Sheffield 10k on Sunday. There’re a lot of runners around here, taking advantage of the good surface on the towpath through Loughborough.

Of course, the university here has always had a good reputation for athletics.
Previous alumni include Seb Coe, David Moorcroft and Paula Radcliffe.

Yesterday we motored into Loughborough to the junction and back. Ostensibly to get turned around, but we could have done that at TS Venomous, the Sea Cadet centre just up the canal. I just needed to have a bit of a cruise.

Back through Chain Bridge after turning around
Today we were due to arrive for a week’s stay at Pillings Lock Marina. Not our usual scene, I know, but at least we can leave the boat with no worries while visiting family, on shore power we don’t need to run the engine for hot water and power, and there’s somewhere safe to leave our hire car.

Cruising back towards Pillings.
The marina is fairly new, and located about a mile from both Barrow Upon Soar and Quorn. It’s pleasant and open, nice in this calm sunny weather but tricky when there’s a wind blowing.

Into Pillings Lock Marina.
The pylon is behind the building!

Tied up, plugged in and the washing out!
As I said, we’re here for a week. I’m picking up a hire car from Enterprise tomorrow, brother Andy and family are visiting tomorrow evening, then we’re off up to Sheffield for my run on Sunday.
Monday is recovery day, with lunch with my Dad and stepmum, then Tuesday Seyella is booked on the slipway here. I’ve decided to bite the bullet and replace the prop shaft and stern tube in a final attempt to lose our transmission noise.
Grinding an anti-singing edge on the prop, replacing same, adjusting the shaft in and out, fitting a Centreflex coupling to the shaft all have had no long term effect on noise that occurs between 800 and 900 RPM. Overtightening the gland packing does quieten it for a while, but it comes back as the seal wears in.
At one point the engine had been badly aligned, and I’m hoping this has caused excessive wear in the tube and on the shaft, allowing a vibration to be transmitted to the hull.
Keeping our fingers crossed……

Thanks Peter, dog walker of Barnton, for your donation at justgiving. I would have sent you a personal email, but you didn’t leave your address. We’ll be up there towards the back end of the year, keep an eye on the blog and give us a knock. And if anyone else out there feels like doing the same, just follow this link….

Locks 0, miles 5½