Monday 24 October 2011

New Hobby

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. We've been enjoying the tranquility, and spectacular sunsets of the Sonning to Shiplake reach; where unfortunately, our modem and phone signal is very weak.

Overstayed slightly on moorings belonging to The French Horn Inn, but the owner was sympathetic when he discovered we had Sumo to hoist off the boat. And he was quite relieved to hear that we wouldn't be stuck on his mooring all winter. So he didn't come out and hassle us again. Thanks for that, Mr. French Horn. Appreciated.

We've also got ourselves a new hobby.
Peering down holes...

Hole of the PumpUnbeknown to us, the seal on our circulation pump had failed, and dumped gallons upon gallons of water into our bilge. The first we knew about it, was when we started listing slightly, and the floorboards started curling up at the edges. Oh Dear. Chas helped me fix the pump, because the first time I tried to put it back together, the leak was worse. All it needed was a new rubber O-ring, which thankfully, we had onboard.

Hole of ExtractionOnce we'd stopped the water piddling onto the underfloor lining (cheap chipboard), mushing it up, and dribbling down through the length of boat, we needed to drill a small hole to see what was going on and extract the water. There was about three inches sloshing about down there. I forget how much we removed with Chas's siphon pump, and our wet/dry hoover. But it was a lot.

Now we are ventilating the boat. And waging war on mold, with bleach. Thankfully, it has hardly rained at all, and we are well on the way to becoming dry again. The floorboards are also returning to their original shape. Flat. Which is a relief.

On our way back down the river again, soon. Because we have to be behind Marlow lock, for the 30th of October, when the lock closure and mainatainence program starts.

4 comments:

  1. Hello Ken, Sheena!

    sorry to hear about the flood! This happened to Tom recently too on his narrowboat, same problem - a pump had failed.

    Cheers
    graham

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  2. hi son is your email address still the same as I have sent a few and not sure if you got them ? also is this site still having problems as I posted a few comments it said they would be seen after approval then nothing, dad & lesleyann

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  3. >>This happened to Tom recently too on his narrowboat, same problem - a pump had failed.

    ack, sorry to hear that Graham. My own fault, i got complacent, because it had always been dry down there. Inspection of the pump hole is a part of regular maintainence routine now. How is Tom getting on with his life afloat? Regrettably, we won't be able to knock on his roof this year, but on our way up the Oxford next season, we'll definitely give him a ring and meet up.


    >> I posted a few comments it said they would be seen after approval then nothing, dad & lesleyann

    Hi Dad. If i don't have a modem signal, blog, email, and comments can't be read, updated, or seen. Now we're out of Sonning valley, updates should be more frequent, and my email more visible. some times though, the technology just doesn't work.

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  4. ok son I see what you mean, will keep reading blog and contact you when signals permit have fun dad & lesleyann.

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