Sitting in the Dock!

Just where to start! 

Yesterday morning (Saturday) saw us move into the floating dock at Anderton marina.  This is a somewhat Heath Robinson contraption.  Basically it is a very large floating skip with a door that can be lowered to allow the boat to enter. This is then raised, the water pumped out until the boat sits on the bearers, the whole caboodle then floats.

So after a couple of hours, we were sitting on the bottom of the dock/skip and it was apparent just what the problem was.  A rubber pipe fender attached to yards of nylon rope was hanging from the port side of the bow thruster tube.  The rope had been sucked in, winding around the impeller, stopping it dead.  The banging we could hear when underway was the fender drumming on the side of the boat!

So solution, remove the offending article.  Easier said than done.... This entailed dismantling the bow thruster completely, removing the grill, withdrawing the impeller from the tube, disentangling the rope then reassembling.  This took some time and the plastic blades on the impeller were a tad damaged.  Only three blades rather than five.  Still, this would have to do until later in the year when I will replace the blades.

All went swimmingly, until the time to re float the boat.  This was done by lowering the entry/exit door.  They started slowly, but then wound it down quickly.  This caused the bow of the boat to surge up, whilst the stern remained on the bottom, the Skeg resting on a bearer!  The result of this was a bent skeg and jammed tiller.  The only solution was to empty the dock again ( a good two hour process) and straighten the skeg!

Due to the time of day, it was decided to leave this for the morning, so we went to the PUB!

We have spent the night in the dock.  At least they provided power and it has a roof, so we are out of the rain this morning, albeit we are sitting listening to a raucous diesel pump emptying the dock once again. Hopefully, we should be out later today.

Just one minor point, the impeller was replaced the wrong way around, so now the control buttons work in reverse!  That will be fun!

So here we sit.  Despite all, the staff here have been very friendly and accommodating, if shall we say, somewhat accident prone.  One wonders what the bill will be?

On a happier note

The Anderton Boat Lift

one going up & one going down! 

and some pictures (off my phone) from the Cat & Fiddle on Friday

and finally ..

John spotted this heron this morning sat on the roof of the boat, he normally sits on the pontoon, so obviously was not impressed that a boat was moored on it so used the roof!