Working week-end.

Still moored at Stowehill.
Total of 159 locks and 141^1/₂ miles and 1 Tunnel since 5th Nov 2006

We are moored at the aquaduct Stowehill and very pleasant it is. The aquaduct is actually an earth and rock aquaduct built across a low lying area between Weedon and Stowehill. Just north of us are a church on the non tow path side with a tunnel under the canal and the cemetery on the towpath side.

The weather has been good so I have been catching up on some jobs aboard. Now we have the vanity basin I have made a start on fitting this which has proved to be harder than originally planned. The old basin appeared to be mounted with just 2 brackets but with all fittings and connections removed the basin refused to part company with the wall. No matter what I did the basin held firm. Eventually I had to get a hacksaw blade and cut the damned thing off the wall which took me for ages. I don’t know what adhesive was used but it was better than super glue. We now know why Heron boats were reluctant to change the basin for a vanity using the excuse they didn’t have time. They would have had to replace the bulkhead the basin was mounted on.

There is a bit of damage to the wall but nothing that a bit of filler won’t fix with some nice new tiles over the top it will look good as new. The next problem to rear its ugly head was the new vanity unit was too low for the waste outlet. I cannot change the outlet so with a few calculations I made a plinth for the vanity to stand on which appears to be spot on. I have painted the plinth with varnish to protect it from water damage and when that’s dry I will cover it in spare vinyl left over from doing the floor. Should look good.

In the meantime Dot has got out the bottles of Barkeeper’s Friend and Brasso and been polishing the mushroom vents which have never been polished and the brass tiller arm and pin. The boat is gradually starting to look cared for.