Monday 31 August 2015

work continues slowly, and some very welcome visitors.

A wet August Bank holiday Monday!

Hello people, it's been raining on and off most of the day, a typical Bank holiday in fact so I thought it was time I updated the blog.
Work on the engine installation continues slowly, mainly due to waiting for spares to connect the exhaust, and the fact that I now have a dodgy knee so climbing in and out of the engine 'ole is to be discouraged.
The engine is now bolted down on the new bearers which in turn are bolted to the original bearers thereby raising the engine to the correct height and alignment and in fact the engine is now connected through the gearbox to the prop shaft.
I'm waiting for the exhaust flange that bolts onto the heat exchanger then the exhaust system can hopefully be connected up. I have the necessary hosing to connect the cooling system so hopefully that wont be a problem to assemble. Then theres the fuel system, and the wiring to figure out..... What fun!
Last week I succeeded in obtaining and fitting a replacement alternator as the one that came with the engine was so full of rust and spiders as to be extremely suspect. Also when I had it examined and checked I was told it was only capable of a 30 amp output, not really big enough for my requirements. So I now have a clean, shiny, replacement capable of 75 amps which should be sufficient.
Also last week I splashed out on two new leisure batteries as previously I had only had one leisure and one engine battery so when the leisure battery died I was reduced to just one battery for everything. Of course by then I was engine- less so it didn't matter too much. Anyway I now have two 110 ah leisure batteries and one 110 ah engine starter battery, a much more satisfactory arrangement. There is still room to fit another leisure battery if necessary but at present my power needs are small. Especially as i'm connected to shore power whilst living in the marina. I shall, at some point, need to get an inverter as I have now bought a small fridge/freezer to replace my gas fridge. I would have liked to have bought a 12 volt fridge/freezer but I really couldn't justify the £600-700 cost when Currys can sell me an 240 volt under worktop fridge freezer for less than £120. Even adding the cost of an inverter for the occasions when I'm out cruising still doesn't come to anything like the cost of a 12 volt fridge freezer. 
I had a lovely surprise earlier in the month when my youngest sons' wife Emma phoned me on a Saturday evening to ask if I would be at home the following day as they were driving up from Kent to see me! Their eldest daughter Charis had offered to have the two youngest ones overnight so they were able to come see me for a couple of days. How great is that!! They left home early and were here by around midday Sunday, they'd booked into a travel lodge for Sunday night so we were able to spend loads of time together. It was Emmas'.  first visit to Bracken, as Simon popped up briefly last November. As an Oncology nurse, Emma gave me a lot of support in the early stages of my Cancer treatment, something I will always be grateful for.



Great to see Simon and Emma, and wonderful to welcome them aboard my home.
They are about to become Grandparents as Charis is expecting, so good luck to all.

My idea of fishing doesn't involve fishing rod, line, and hooks. All you need is patience and a handful of bread or duck food as these pictures show.




I'm told they're a mixture of common Carp, Mirror Carp and Grass Carp, all I know is they're ugly!

I suppose this means the spiders will be migrating indoors as the weather is getting cooler.


My second lot of visitors arrived on Friday last. 
My eldest son Matthew, wife Louise and Children Lee and Elise came up from Kent for the Bank Holiday weekend.
It was their first visit to Bracken and it was brilliant to see them all and welcome them aboard my home. They were staying with friends in the area, but came over on the Friday and Sunday so we were able to catch up, and they even enjoyed some fishing off the pontoon, although they didnt catch any of the really big ones, thank goodness!
Great to see my Grandson Lee, and second eldest Grand daughter Elise. Maybe next year I can press-gang them into becoming crew! Ha! 


The Smiths'.

1 comment:

  1. Great to have an update an that your propulsion system is getting closer to being operational :-)
    I hope to pop in soon Dave!

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