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Sunday 3 March 2013

Sunday 3 March 2013 Whittlesey

Yesterday afternoon I treated Harnser to a new air cleaner, well she was still on the original and we have owned the engine for about 16 years and done over 8000 hrs. so I don’t think it was before time. I use to blow the old one out every now and again but it was quite black. I know it was the original as you can see where it was spray painted.

Last night we crossed the river and walked a short way along the road opposite to the Kashmir Balti House for a very enjoyable meal. When we returned to the boat the temperature had fallen to about 1.5°C and as I had turned the heating down before we left the boat was a bit chilly.

When I looked out this morning the river was running at a fair pace and the level had dropped about 3” over night, by the time we pushed off at 10-30 AM the flow had stopped. We had to carry on to the outskirts of March before the river was wide enough for us to turn. We can just get round by the phone mast where the land owner is installing so new moorings, looking at the latest one ether the bank has slipped or he hasn’t quite got the hang of pilling yet.a smallDSCF0996

It was about 11-15AM when we passed where we were mooed last night and the weather was warming nicely but quite overcast. The temperature didn’t quite get up to double figures unless you include the decimals.

The Middle Level Commissioners have extended their quay heading along the front of their crane pad, this seems counter productive to me as it means they have to lift boats out into the river another 3’ before they can lower them into the water, but I expect they know what they are doing.a smallDSCF1010 

We had a quiet run back as far as our moorings where we encountered a fishing match on the offside bank, added to this was people fishing from the marina so we just had to go straight down the centre.a smallDSCF1015

Last time we came this way they had just started to construct a Solar Farm at Turves, this now looks as if its complete and in the flat landscape is quite difficult to spot.a smallDSCF1030

Once we passed Angle corner things started to slow down a lot and we were stirring up quite a lot of mud and the speed of water flowing passed the hull has speeded up quite a bit, we could see from the sides as we passed under this bridge that the water was well down on its normal level.a smallDSCF1035

It wasn’t long after this that we reached or destination for the night. Ashline lock was empty with the gates open which makes a change. You are instructed to leave the lock in this mode but a lot of people don’t bother. Once above the lock the water level was back to normal with a good flow over the weir. It is only a couple of hundred yards above the lock that you come to the town moorings at the back of the sport centre. There is room for about 3 Narrowboats here singled out if you overhang the pontoons, but today the moorings were empty so we have the full length to our selves.

I shall now go and treat Harnser to an oil and filter change as her 250 hrs are just about up.

1 comment:

Anne / Olly said...

Is that Mr Moore's attempt at a pontoon? Poor otters, they had a holt in that bank.