Monday 26^th November 2018

Brenda took the bus into Daventry for town shopping and to collect her prescriptions from Boots. The return fare was £3.50. She enjoyed the break from the boat and time on her own. People, on hearing she was going into Daventry, had been saying “oh, you won’t be long then”, and that it was full of homeless people but she didn’t see any and was away most of the day.

I called in to Braunston Marina office to see if anybody could look at the sliding hatch and was surprised to hear that they would do it straight away. I had to take the boat to their workshops, it was a very tricky move with all the closely packed boats. While manoeuvring the guy from AJ Canopies was looking for us. Once moored up, he made the pattern for the side door cover while I went to look for Gavin who would be looking at the sliding hatch.

The brass runners had been roughly fitted and the bolts were too long, so catching the brass channel bar. Gavin ground and filed the runners to a better shape and shortened the bolts. Once refitted, the hatch slid a lot easier. However, the runners are now so short that the ideal fix would be to replace them. Unfortunately, Midland Chandlers only sell them as a kit, complete with channel bar, at £61.90.

Braunston Marina thought the job so small that they did not charge us, agreeing instead, that we buy Gavin a pint. With this in mind I didn’t feel I could ask for more work to be done on the hatch. At least though, I can see the problem and the fix, and can do it myself.

I shifted back to the canal moorings to find they were empty, so again, got moored right outside the marina. Can’t believe our continuing luck here.

No sooner had I moored than Brenda returned laden with shopping and the start of the Christmas shopping. So here we will remain for a week at least until we return from Aaron and Sarah’s.