Not the way we planned to start our cruising!

We arrived back at Petroc just over a week ago and exhausted ourselves unpacking a car that seemed to have everything but the kitchen sink in it!

Yes, we have probably brought far too much yet again.........

However a few days in the boatyard at Clifton and eventually everything was working....even the toilet which has been refurbished over the winter.   It had an initial hiccup which caused Geoff to have conniptions but was eventually sorted.   She has had her 4 yearly Boat Safety inspection and all is OK.

We abandoned her last Friday to go to an RAF reunion in Gloucester followed by a visit to friends, Fran and Keith. 

A excellent weekend at the reunion and good catch up with friends but life took a downward spiral on Monday afternoon with a phone call from the boatyard.

Dee from the yard spotted that Petroc was leaning at an alarming angle.  Closer investigation revealed that the water tank was spilling its guts into the boat.  Since Geoff had topped it up just before we left there was a lot of water.  Apparently it was over the floorboards and going well......

The short story is that they had to take up the floorboards to pump her out and then had 3 heaters on board to dry her out.    It could have been much worse but they found her in time.   We stayed away an extra day to give her time to dry out.  When we returned yesterday (Wednesday) she was sitting innocently in the water and if we hadn`t been told what had happened we may not have noticed.   The only bit still drying out is the floor in the wardrobe.  

This is the offending article.

My non technical brain is not too sure what this does but I gather it is a strainer connected to the water pump.

With that all sorted we decided to set off as we had done our shopping on the way back.

I was blithely promised we would just do the Hillmorton 3 locks and then probably stop at the Barby moorings......about an hour.....this didn't seem too bad for a late start.    However Geoff had an attack of pressonitis....a very nasty disease which some boat skippers get.    Consequently we carried on through Braunston with his goal of a rather nice mooring in the vicinity of bridge 100.

I busied myself washing the floor which was less than savoury after all the water.   In fact I was so involved on my hands and knees I didn`t even realise we had passed Braunston.   

A tone change in the engine as Geoff went into full reverse brought me scurrying aloft.   Due to his inattention whilst he chatted to a passing boat he had managed to drive into the offside bank and was trying to excavate himself........and they say women talk.......

Unfortunately in reversing he picked something up from around the prop and the noises coming from the engine were not good.  It was not easy to reach the the bank as there were sloping sides and it entailed a very athletic leap on my part to get ashore with a line.   There followed much cursing as Geoff went down the weed hatch.   The offending article was a slim rubber fender with attached line which he had to cut away.   He looked a picture when he had finished, covered in mud!  His temper was none too good either.

My athletic prowess was not sufficient to get back on the boat so he picked me up at the next bridge, by which time it was beginning to rain.... and of course when we reached his desired mooring we were too late to enjoy it!

All was not lost as we had purchased an excellent steak and kidney pie from Fran`s butcher