Just can’t keep away!

Today, after packing a few bits and pieces into the car yesterday, we made an early start to get up to ‘Chance’.  We’d arranged to meet Mark from MGM (our boat builders), and electrician Stuart, at the marina to solve the problem of our “sick” bow thruster battery.  They arrived before us, having travelled from Burton on Trent, but Doug was soon plying them with bacon and eggs, toast and hot tea!

This is ‘Chance’ in it’s winter state.  The wooden Taff Rail has been taken off as James is going to renovate and re-varnish it back at home ready for next years’ cruising.  Actually, it might be done before Christmas as we’re planning to use ‘Chance’ over the yuletide season.  The windbreak has also been taken away for cleaning so the ‘back end’ looks a little bare at the moment.  

The front well deck has been cleared of all our ‘clobber’ – fold-up bike and chairs etc.  Returning to the bow thruster battery problem – the solution was soon found – there was a fault with a relay which was causing normal charging to stop (rather than start) when the engine was running.

This is ‘Chance’ with our other “bedfellows” on the pontoon – nb ‘Cressida’ is a very well kept boat with a fairly recent repaint and the lovely old Springer narrow boat behind us is being completed refitted by its’ owners.

After the repairs had been done, and we got a few more jobs out of the way, we were visited by friends Janet and Gerald (nb ‘Toulouse’ – our showboat neighbours at Crick last year) who knew we were at the marina and who popped in from their home nearby to have a cup of tea and freshly baked sponge cake which Doug had somehow conjured up.  We also had an impromptu visit by Sue and John from nb ‘Islay’, who we met at the Crick Show this year, who just happen to be based in the marina and were checking on their boat today.  So it was business as usual – welcome visitors and something to eat and drink!

As the sun went down on a very warm and pleasant day we packed up and headed back south – arriving home after just an hour and ten minutes on the road.