Wednesday
This morning we were on the move at 8 am, two boat between us and the lock had already gone and we heard at least one go by before we were up.
It was fine when set off but it wasn't long before the rain started, maybe it will stop soon. We passed the water point at Cropredy as there was one boat using it and another waiting, straight on to Cropredy lock and as we were about to leave another boat arrived above to save closing the gates. There were boats moored almost to where the long term moorings use to be at Broadmoor lock. Up through Elkington Lock and the boat ahead that we had just caught up with was attempting to wind at Clattercoat Wharf, Nicholson shows this as a winding hole, but I am not sure if it is, all the boats I have seen trying to wind there seam to have a lot of trouble. We gave the steerer a little advice, like back up more, push the tiller over, try a bit more revs. His wife, who by now was ashore at the wharf said "thank goodness some one has told him to give it some welly, he wont listen to me". When we arrived at the bottom of the Claydon flight 2 boats were waiting, but they were soon on there way and we stayed well singled out all the way up the flight, we met several boats in the flight and this helped rather than hindered us. As I entered the top lock, being watched by the instructor and pupils of Wildcat training, the engine coughed a few times after I put the power on to stop against the cill, glad it didn't happen as I entered. I diagnosed the problem to be dirty fuel filters, I had planned to clean them after filling with diesel, but as I couldn't fill up I had put it off, I only did them about 18 months and 1500 hrs ago. Driving gently things seemed fine so we continued on our way to Fenny to fill with water. There was a boat on the water point with his engine running, but I was told he had been there for 48 hours. The owner was talking to someone and from what I could catch of the conversation I think it was a BW enforcement officer. Once the conversation had ended the guy offered to pull his boat back a bit, which he did, this meant we could lay along side to fill with water, however it also meant that the exhaust fumes from the moored boat, which were quite excessive were now pumping into the boat on the 24 hr mooring, he complained that ended in a lot of F-ing and blinding from the chap shill on the water point. As soon as we had enough water we pushed off. Afterwards we remembered this was the same chap that we had seen on our way down Claydon, swearing at everyone in sight saying he was just out of prison and was heading for a fight with the chap who took his girl away. We carried on gently in the pouring rain to Wormleighton where we pulled in at 2 30 pm to moor for the night. I set about changing the fuel filters, the first one by the tank was quite black and was probably causing the problem, but I changed the one on the engine at the same time. I also changed the plug in the sedimentor bowl from plastic to metal, its done two BSC inspections but may just get picked up next time, needles to say the washer leaked and had to come out again. I thought I had bled the filters satisfactory but when I started the engine it ran for about 5 seconds and stopped, so I had bleed the injectors as well. Good job the starter battery is in good nick. The boat now smells of diesel, but that will go, eventually.
http://tinyurl.com/Harnser-s-route
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