Moore to Marston

Moore on Bridgewater to

Saturday 18th July 2009

It took us just 2 ½ hours to cover the seven miles from Moore to Lymm this morning and, even though we arrived before 11 o/clock, we were lucky to find a mooring spot. This must be the most popular town on the Bridgewater because, even now at 7 pm the boats are still arriving with no hope of finding room. Last September we came through here from the opposite direction and had no problems mooring up. I suppose the problem this year is that some schools are already on their summer holidays, we’ve certainly seen enough kids on boats this past week.

Tomorrow lunchtime we’re going to try a pub lunch at The Golden Fleece, the garden to which we are moored just a few yards short of. For some reason we didn’t bother with the pubs last year, which is a good enough reason to rectify the oversight. On Monday we’ll be heading further up to a winding hole, mooring up at Dunham Town for the night then, on Tuesday, we’ll come back here for one night and top up with any necessary victuals. Wednesday we will make our way back to Moore and Thursday on to Anderton where we might take the Trip Boat down to the Weaver.

On the other hand, we might not do any of that on the days as stated, it just depends upon how we feel and, of course, the weather.

Sunday 19th July 2009

I am so glad we did not go down on the Anderton Lift before coming here to Lymm. Once again the day has started with torrential rain and I dread to think what the water level is on the Weaver. I will also be very glad to get to our new moorings. This morning, once again, the heater system wouldn’t run, which means the battery power level is down again. Not that it’s cold in the boat, far from it. Despite the rain I’m certainly warm enough. It’s just that the system needs to run a full cycle, which is about 30 minutes, if it’s to remain clear and not clog up, thus preventing it from working at all.

It is on just seven o/clock in the morning, but I got up a little earlier than usual in order to make a start on my recipe book. It’s a long job because it will have over 40 chapters and over 300 pages, but I think it will be worth it. Besides which it keeps me out of mischief and I quite enjoy having to use my, somewhat feeble brain. It’s a darn good job I don’t have to rely on my memory for it, otherwise it would never be completed. So far this morning I’ve simply added the chapters. Later on today, or perhaps tomorrow, I’ll insert the pages. Then there is the Front Cover, Introduction and Forward to write. All good fun, don’t you know.

Tuesday 21st July 2009

Left Lymm yesterday with the intention of filling up with water and going on to the next winding hole, then mooring overnight at Durham Town Bridge, which we did. The aim this morning was to return to Lymm for another night. Of course we hadn’t reckoned with the weather and, quite naturally, it’s chucking it down this morning with no sign of letting up. According to the nice weather man on Auntie Beeb it’s going to be mainly dry in the north. Are we not north?

Not that we mind staying in one place for two days when necessary but, since I’m still having problems getting the engine to start, this despite the wiring fix, I would like to at least get down into the engine bay and check other wiring. As my good Bruv suggested yesterday, it might be a poor earth connection rather then a faulty starter motor. Watch this space! Bashing the motor with a club hammer always works, but the bashing might be disturbing a poor connection. Who knows? And I won’t know until I check, now will I?

Wednesday 22nd July 2009

Here we are at Lymm once again.

We are still having trouble with the starter but, having checked the wiring yet again, and having found no problem and, still not convinced that the starter motor is at fault, we put our, not inconsiderable brain cells together and gave the problem some pondering. On several occasions now, especially since talking to Nick Bancroft and having him check our batteries, we have been hitched up to mains power. We had two nights at Nantwich, two nights at Llangollen and a night at Wincham where Sandra rewired the engine loom. On all of those occasions we have found that the engine starts without a fuss on the following morning and for two or three days after.

We now think that, since the engine starts easily for a few days after being on a landline, either the alternator is not charging the starter battery properly, or the starter battery is naff and is only holding a charge for a short time after being on mains power. Or both! Whatever, we don’t believe the starter motor is at fault, because it is only about 2 ½ years old. We’ve been told that it is very unusual for starter motors to fail and certainly not two in such a short space of time.

Anyway, I phoned Nick this morning, after yet another failed start and after checking the wiring, and asked him about starter motor prices. Now, when we were at Anderton and he came to see us about this problem, he said, and I quote, “Don’t go to one of the marina based engineers, because they’ll charge you the earth. These starter motors are as common as muck and are fitted to loads of different cars and boats. You can pick them up for about 50 quid each.” When I asked him this morning he said, and again I quote, “They’re pretty expensive you know, I’ll have to phone Izuzu and they’ll want an exchange unit before they will supply a new one” The, when I mentioned our previous conversation about ’50 quid each’, he denied all knowledge.

I don’t think I’ll be asking him to check this out again, do you? I have to say that, after the good work he’s done for us, both with servicing our heater last September, and not charging us for checking our batteries a few weeks ago, I’m a bit disappointed at his bare faced lie about the cost of a starter motor.

Anyway, we’re now going to arrange a three night stay at Anderton Marina, that’s if they phone me back today as I’ve asked them to do, or somewhere else, and see just how long afterwards the engine starts without protest. This will, we hope, prove one way or the other, whether it’s the battery or alternator at fault.

Thursday 23rd July 2009

After about three hours cruising, quite a bit of which was through pouring rain, we finally covered the seven miles to our previous moorings at Moore and settled down to a cup of tea and a read of the paper. About 12.30 or so a young lady came by and asked if she could borrow our boathook, so off went Wifey to see what the fuss was all about.

It transpired that this young lady’s friend, who hadn’t ridden a bike in about 30 years, had just taken it up again and was practising on the towpath. A few years ago my dearly beloved and I purchased a couple of bikes, with the intention of trying to improve our fitness. After at least 30 years the old saw about, ‘it’s just like riding a bike, you never forget how’, somehow didn’t ring true. Despite still know how, the actual doing is not so easy after such a space of time. The cycle lanes of Harlow are one thing, a towpath is quite another.

Anyway, it seems the lady in question had taken a dive into the canal, complete with bike and bag, which contained all her worldly possessions, including purse and credit cards and, quite probably her mobile phone. After fisher her and her bicycle out the bag, having drifted towards the opposite bank before sinking, was quite another matter. Hence the request for our boathook.

Unfortunately, and despite the assistance of other boaters, who had slowed to a stop to help, no bag was found. The two ladies, one of which was soaking wet, finally gave up and made their way home. Some time in the future, and it could be many years, some lucky fisherman is going to make a most unusual catch. If he’s honest he’ll try to return it to it’s owner, if not he’ll probably spend any cash, if it’s still in circulation and he might even try using the credit cards.

I managed to get a message to Nick regarding our starter problems. He texted me back with the information that a new motor from Isuzu would set us back £485 plus postage. That, plus Nick’s time to fit it, will probably cost around £600. Who said living on a boat is cheap? Obviously we’ll have to think about it, but we’ll probably try to get to our moorings first. Then, whilst we’re connected to mains electricity, remove the offending item and see if it can be repaired, rather than spend all that money. It does seem odd that, over the period we’ve had the boat, two starter motors have failed. We’re more inclined to think it is either a wiring problem, or a lack of power in the starter battery. Nick will check the battery on Saturday and we’ll take it from there.

Saturday 25th July 2009

The continuing saga of the dodgy starter motor……

I spoke to Nick again yesterday and he said he would be along later that evening. He then phoned again to say that his early Saturday job had been cancelled and he would be along Saturday morning.

I had hoped he would be with us early-ish but, just as I was giving up hope, having phoned and sent a text, with no reply from either, he turned up at about 10.30. Bad news, the battery checked out OK, so we almost certainly have a starter motor fault. After telling him we were not prepared to cough up about £600 – with his labour costs – he suggested he take it to a repair centre, which would cost about 1/3 rd, which we agreed to.

Now, the only problem with that idea is that we need to be on mains power for the couple of days without being able to run the engine. “No problem”, he says, “I know a bloke at Broken Cross who moors his boat at the bottom of his garden, and he’s away right now, I’ll give him a call”.

The upshot of all that is that we’ll go down to Broken Cross on Sunday afternoon, he’ll come along and remove the offending article, connect us up to the mains, get the motor repaired and have it back within a couple of days. The beauty of this idea is that there’s a Spar shop opposite the house and there’s a pub a few minutes walk away.

Watch this space for further, exciting developments. Meanwhile I’ll post this and give you, my avid readers, something to do over the weekend.

All abreast for now.

Dave, Sheila and Rusty our trusty mutt.