WASP

After only two years I have finally removed, cleaned and replaced the

Water and Sediment (Particle?) Filter.

It was lovely and clean really but cleaner when I put it back.  Hopefully the seals are fine and it wont leak and also that I have put enough clean diesel back in the cup so that there are little or no air bubbles to worry about when I next run the engine.  I believe the BETA is self priming and that it will only hiccup.  Not sure I am up to do anything clever if I have to bleed it.

Dreams

I find them fascinating.

Last night I dreamt I had gone to a singing festival with a friend of mine on the narrowboat.  There were lots of narrowboats and the site was very busy.  I spotted a gap that just fitted my boat and stepped off holding the long centre rope and promptly got distracted talking to someone before I heard a shout and realised my long line was very long indeed.  So while I was standing by the gap the boat had carried on around the corner and before we could haul it back had got involved in a bit of a fracas with at least two other boats.

Going out onto the water (as you do) so we could see around the corner my boat was nowhere to be seen and then it arose from the depths.  Oh dear.

Initially it didn't appear to have taken on too much water but then it became apparent that the front above the bedroom had been stove in by one of the boats as it had passed over the top (again I hadn't realised up to that point that my boat had a wooden top but hey ho).  It was no longer water tight and I would have to have it completely gutted and an opportunity to redesign the internal layout.  Hope the insurance pays out.

Unfortunately at this point I woke up.

Poor old thing

I called to the boat today to insert new licence doo hickeys and she is so besplattered she looks dreadful.  I have left her like that as there is no point whatsoever in removing it as the next car to drive past will just cover her again.  I appear to be the only boat moored next to potholes!  Ho hum.

Will definitely be giving up that mooring come springtime let me tell you.  Will not be wanting that to happen to my new paint job next winter.

We have obviously been having some sunshine in October as the smartgauge was again showing the E03 error which it only does when supposed input into the batteries exceeds 15v  We know as we have tested it that it isn't really 15v and it also only does this once the batteries are showing at 100%.

Getting the hang of it now.

We rushed out the door this after and skedaddled down to the resevoir.  Quick change and out to the boat.  Rigging up was the hardest we have ever had to do as whoever put the boat away last time must have been a right numpty.  Still we were up and away clean as a whistle.  I attempted to do a triangular course around the bouys but they weren't in quite the right place for the wind direction.  Did an imaginary course instead trying to use the safety boat but he went and moved!  I included gybing and feel that I have got my confidence back a bit.  Rob mainly wanted to crew to rest his leg so he only had a go right at the end of day and brought the boat back in perfick.  We done two hove to 's one each and think we have got it sussed.

So I may yet put a sail on Bobcat!!!

sailing and wind

I know I know you can't sail without the damn stuff but I think you can have too much of a good thing.

On the plus side we have got capsizing out of the way.

Wimp alert - I chickened out of helming in the really nasty stuff but I did at least stay on as crew.

I think I redeemed myself in the afternoon by taking over again and completing the alongside manouvre ok.

I have practised my reef knot so I can do it with my eyes closed.  Hopefully granny will never rear her ugly head again.

Yeah right I hear you cry.

Sailing

A change of pace.  On Saturday we had the first of our learning to sail days on the resevoir.  Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Dearly beloved thinks that we should go down one afternoon this week (he will take time off work) so we can practice on our own.  Hmmm we can do beam reaches and tacking.  Not sure we can do the leaving and returning to shore.  Could be interesting.

Second almost solo engine service

Slight hiccup in the procedings when the oil sump pump gave up the ghost after only removing half of the oil.  I called RCR and they took it away with them and tried to fix it at home last night but ended up having to get me a brand new one.  Looks much better made than the old one, to check all was okay he finished off emptying the oil but I did everything else so almost counts as a solo effort.  The RCR man had a lady with him in his van today -  turned out he had forgotten it was his day off hope he didn't get too much of a hard time for finishing off the job he had started yesterday.