Well here we are back on board. Herbie seems to have survived that long wet wet wet winter and we're reasonably shipshape. We may even venture out down the canal later this week although we've abandoned any ideas of taking her through the Straits of Hormuz. And just like HMS Dragon, now at last bound for Cyprus, we need a day or two to get victualed up and test all the equipment first.
I always suffer from some trepidation at this point, all of this equipment isn't really meant to lie dormant for some months, so I go through it all with fingers crossed and mentally prepared for disappointment.
So far the electrics, gas and plumbing all seem hunky dory as does the Eberspacher heater. I feared to open the door of the coal stove because one casualty of the winter has been the chinese hat on the chimney which we found lying on the bank minus its legs and with a gert big hole in the middle. Lots of rain must have got down the chimney, but probably because our grandson Jacob left the stove full of ashes, they soaked it up nicely and no harm was done.
Just hang on for a couple of minutes and I'll go and attempt to start the engine . . . . (Yes I'm typing this in real time folks!)
I'm back.
Oooh it very nearly didn't start. It took along time on the starter key and the old battery was struggling but it finally rattled into life. I dare say the fuel took some time to make its way back to the injectors, a bit like when yo have to bleed the engine after some jobs. I've left it running for half an hour now while it gets its breath back and get a nice bit of hot oil flowing through its veins.. You'd take a while to wake me up if I'd been asleep for several months. There's a bit of rainwater in the old engine 'ole bilge but not too much. The domestic batteries were of course fine thanks to Bright Phoebe or Helios or whatever you call the sun. Solar panels rule!
Next job, waking up the dear old Morco gas water heater. Wait there . .
Well I got it going, and hot water came out of the tap, but the Morco gave me a hard time as it often does. The Morco and I have a fractious relationship at best. When it works it's a boon, but it does like to play up after a long rest. The best treatment seems to be to use an old toothbrush to clean the gas jets but that means taking of the outer cover.
If anybody has a good trick for getting these covers back on again without twenty minutes of cursing and swearing I'd be eternally grateful for their input. Anyway it's done now and it seems to be working.
And outside the boat the paint I put on the roof last summer seems to be holding up despite it only being a couple of coats of rust beater primer undercoat. Quite impressive after all the rain we had. I need to finish the job this spring.
So not a bad afternoon's work.
Meanwhile Gertie the ship's cat is tentatively refamiliarising herself with the surroundings. Actually she likes it here in the marina and goes off exploring for hours. She's not so fond of Herbie's engine noise though. We might have another day in the marina tomorrow then for sea trials we can pootle down the four locks to Banbury on Thursday. If that goes OK we can declare Herbie fir for service for another year.
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