Well, we nearly got out of Newark…

After two days of lifting Meg on and off the boat we were both fed up, so decided to move on today come what may. I’m glad we didn’t make the same decision yesterday, though. It was pretty miserable, wet and windy. It did clear up later, although still breezy.

Looking downstream from the footbridge near Town Lock last night.
It’s a shame it wasn’t a still night, the castle, reflected in the water, would have looked amazing. But the breeze has ruffled the surface, making it a blur. That’s us, near left.

It was just a little damp when Meg and I took our morning amble, but by the time we were ready to go it had brightened considerably. We were intending to head to Cromwell Lock and moor there, or even head off down the tideway a day early if we felt the urge.
I let the flow from The Gore carry the fore-end around before loosing off the stern and finishing the turn back downstream.

A rather better day than Friday as we pass the castle.


I’m glad we’re not moored behind this chappie!

You don’t expect that from these smart, white, motor boats, but their engines are subject to the same problems as ours.

Coming up to the pontoon moorings – my word, there’s a space!
 
A quick change of plan and we were in like a rat down a drainpipe! Just enough room for me to ferry-glide in sideways, using the wind and the current. Result!

With most of the now-fine day stretching ahead, I decided to remove the glass from the old cratch board while it was still mounted, fit it into the new board then swap them over. To fit the glass I’m using car windscreen rubber, and it would have been a lot easier on the bank than perched on the pointy bit!

I say would have…

I carefully removed the glass panels from the old frame, gingerly cutting the sealant and easing them away. Scraping off the old sealant and giving them a good clean took a little while, then while they were drying I made up the sections of windscreen rubber, cutting them with mitred corners and glueing the mitres together with superglue.

All good so far, until I tried to get the rubber onto the glass. I’d guessed at it’s thickness – poorly. I thought it was 4mm at most, so I’d ordered up the rubber as 3mm x 3mm, the panel thickness being 3mm and the glass not much more. The glass is actually 6mm and wouldn’t even consider fitting into the rubber.

3mm x 3mm Claytonrite windscreen rubber

The vee notch at the top takes a wedge-shaped rubber filler strip. At least that’s the same size.

I know, I should have taken a window out to check. Hindsight is a wonderful thing…

So now the glass is back in the old board, which never did get taken down, I’ve junked 5m of window rubber and ordered another 5m of the right size. Ah well.

So tomorrow we’re off down to and through Cromwell Lock, riding the ebb tide to an overnight stop at Torksey.

Locks 0, miles, only a little bit…