Do you know what BOAT stands for? Bring Out Another Thousand!
Well, tomorrow we will know how many T’s we have to bring out. Not that it really matters. All the work so far really improved our life (and WRT’s life, read Oh, I feel like a princess and see some pictures she posted).
Starting from the bow, there is a new cratch and cratch cover. The well deck is water tight now, and feels like a conservatory. The diesel tank in the well deck (that was no longer in use because there is a solid fuel stove on the boat now) has been converted into storage space for coal, kindling, fire lighters etc. It has a new top, which is wider in the middle. Just wide enough for me to sit on, since the well deck acts as my designated smoking area. The cat flap in one of the front doors, has been removed, and both doors now have the same panel at the bottom. The doors still need a touch-up with varnish, but well deck and doors are ready for the winter.
In the saloon there is now an additional book shelf, so the mess on the floor (books) is no longer there. To me it makes the saloon feel and look even more spacious.
New bookshelf
We’ve got a new mixer faucet in the galley, because the old one was leaking. For readers who (like me) do not know what a faucet is: it’s another (Scottish?) word for tap.
The porthole in the cabin is now properly attached to the wall, so it’s a lot easier to get the bung out in the morning without removing the wooden ring around the porthole as well. (“Bung?“, you ask? Scottish for porthole stopper…)
At the stern, the doors now have proper door catches. And the engine and the gearbox have been serviced, for the first time in 1½ year.
On the way down from Scarisbrick Marina to Overwater Marina we found out that our batteries were flat, every morning. Or better, halfways through the night I would wake up because of the fridge trying to run continuously, due to flat batteries. So we had our batteries tested. The starter battery turned out to be OK. The state of health of the four leisure batteries was 35, 43, 71 and 100%, i.e. effectively dead. With our four new leisure batteries we should be able to watch TV for hours, heat our meals in the microwave, do the laundry in the washing machine (joking…).
And, as we promissed ourselves we would do, we did our course Get to know your boat by Mark from Cheshire Cat. Finally our electrics make sense. No, of course we won’t use the washing machine or the microwave directly off the inverter (and thus off the batteries). That’s what we have our Sterling for (we knew that already, from the couple that commissioned WRT). But now we also understand the changes made to the system when the owner-for-a-year had the inverter/charger installed. Why the switch for landline‑batteries doesn’t work as it should do, and why the Battery Management System doesn’t work as I thought it would (and should).
Yes, it will be well spent T’s (both Thousands and Time).
The Shroppie Fly
We spent a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in Audlem, sitting outside the Shroppie Fly with a drink, walk through the village and have a look at the nice church, which dates from the late 13th century with additions in the 19th century.
St James’ Church, Audlem
We had an excellent meal at the cafe in the marina during Bistro Night (Rhubarb Crumble, yummy), for the first time in our life did our shoppings online (You shop, we drop), and used the Audlem Lass ferry to get additional stuff from the Co-op in Audlem. We even had three visits from family/friends.
The only thing we need now, is a day with very strong wind, so we can (once again) make a fool of ourselves, trying to leave Overwater Marina. That will be next Tuesday, according to the weather forcast…