Wednesday 18^th July 2018

Not a good day today.

Our trolley was damaged carrying a gas bottle when we were at Swanley Bridge. We had decided that one way of making shopping easier is to take the Next cabin luggage we had bought. These can be carried as a backpack, but would also fit on a trolley. So I duly took the bike to B&Qs and bought a new trolley amongst other things.

On the way back the front tyre developed a puncture a mile from the boat.

Later Brenda walked into town and bought, amongst other things, a puncture repair kit and a new inner tube. Both of these things, along with a saddle tool bag and tyre levers I used to have and disposed of before coming on the boat.

While Brenda was away I fitted a second pair of roof gangplank holders and started on fitting the rear door trims properly.

There was a woman paddling about in a rubber dingy taking measurements in the canal. Apparently she was researching for her degree in Geo-Physics and was measuring subsidence in the canal.

 Once Brenda had returned we set off on a slow cruise to Orchard Marina and the repairs with Sandra. Neither of us wanted to arrive back here. We never wanted to be stuck in marina’s and don’t find Orchard very pleasant. But needs must.

We moored alongside Sandra on a rickety pontoon with 4ins between us and the green, mossy boat on the other side.

Sandra discussed the changes she proposes, which involve having a new panel made and fitted in the electrical locker. Paul, one of the boat fitters here, who has a reputation second to none, came across to look into making this. After looking at the state of the electrics and the installation of the Morso stove, he recommended that before we went any further, we had a Boat Safety Survey done as he reckons the stove installation would not pass present day regulations and Sandra saying the same about the electrics.

How much worse can things get on a new build boat?

We have decided that Sandra go ahead regardless and sort the electrics and we call in a boat surveyor. Depending on what he says, we get the big jobs done here where there is the expertise and facilities and we attend to the smaller jobs over the next few years before the boat has to have a Boat Safety Certificate.

Any new boat has to have a Declaration of Conformity filled out by the boat builder, part of which states that the boat meets present day regulations. After this, every five years, a boat has to undergo a Safety Survey at which time a Boat Safety Certificate is issued.

However, Martin and Michelle are coming to stay with us the weekend after next, followed by the kids for a week and then Sarah for a week. We don’t want anybody disappointed, so will see what kind of a time frame Orchard will require and possibly have the work done after all the visits.

We were at a very low ebb after hearing all this, and to be quite frank, were both close to tears.

We walked up to the Broken Cross for our dinner as Brenda couldn’t face cooking and we both want to spend as little time here as possible.

While having our dinner the grass on the lime beds opposite the pub caught fire. Two fire engines, a police van and two police cars attended.

Why so many police cars?

Having a quiet evening and all out on a jolly was my guess.

Day Total: 0 locks; 3 miles; 0 Tunnels; engine running hours 1.3

Overall Total: 99 locks; 199 miles; 8 tunnels; engine running hours 114.8