Change of Scenery

This weekend we decided to visit Sykehouse for a change and test the outboard. 
We had taken the outboard home over the winter period, but whilst stored in the garage it had rolled onto its wrong side, allowing oil to enter the cylinder. This was thoroughly cleaned out at home, and after numerous attempts at restarting the engine it finally burst into life smoking for a few minutes whilst clearing itself out. The outboard was then returned back to the boat, for a proper test on the canal to check it ran ok on the dingy, which it did.


Last weekend the two new Lucas batteries were installed, along with our new Plastimo compass, which looks very smart. This needs to be checked in calm open water, but it appears to be pretty accurate on the canal comparing it's reading with the C.O.G on the plotter. However, on the canal you are never far from the magnetic influence of the steel sheet piling that line the banks.

Sykehouse could prove to be our new favourite dog walking place, after discovering new walking territory.

Bling, Ker-Ching and Where To Go...

Whilst going tidal over the Easter period, we discovered the Eltrim Trim Tab controller wasn't working on the green button. After a bit of investigation, and finding out a new replacement unit would cost around £300, we opted instead for a £49.99 repair or refund of money paid if unfixable. After paying the fee upfront on mdsbattery.co.uk ebay's store, we posted the controller off to their works in Enfield last Monday via the post office using their special signed following day delivery. We advised that the green button wasn't working correctly, and that the two white buttons didn't seem as positive as the red (which was still working fine). The repaired controller was returned back to us on Wednesday via UPS, with all four buttons replaced and resoldered leds. The unit has now been refitted and tested, and is back to full working order. Money very well spent.

Apart from refitting the trim tabs controller, one small job which has been in the pipeline has been to make a nicer more aesthetically pleasing light switch surround. The old original surround was matching cream vinyl on a wooden mount, however the rounded corners always looked creased and a bit agriculturally finished off. From the bathroom worktop project we completed over the winter, we had plenty of black Staron left over, and thought a small offcut of this would be perfect for the job. This looks a lot tidier now, and matches the black perspex sliding entrance door with an added bit of sparkle/bling.


With Mayday bank holiday weekend upon us, we were very much undecided where to go. We didn't want to go back to Hull after only having visited there recently, and we had been debating whether to visit Barnby on the Marsh. However Saturdays forecasted blustery conditions and spring tides put paid to that idea, plus the fact it would be nicer to visit on a sunnier weekend. So instead we opted for a cheap weekend trundling up the canal to a very quiet Pollington, with plenty of dog walking and relaxation to look forward to, however Sundays quieter weather brought boats out in full force.


This weekend we have also noticed that our marine compass has been leaking and not working properly, and the starter batteries now need replacing....Ker-Ching! Not such a cheap weekend now it seems.