Market Drayton still - A rare’ish lazy day

Our plan was to sit out the rain today and as I type this it a lovely sunny afternoon ( it was now pinging it down) ! Never mind we got on with jobs as planned. In fact after emerging from the engine room I felt a bit like Alan Millyard ( he’s a biking engineering genius so I’m not like him at all but he toils away in his garage while his wife bakes cakes in the kitchen …. Have a watch if you like engineering ) There will be a cake ref in there. The connection was me fettling Percy’s engine while Rachel made a lovely Date and Walnut cake… 

Percy’s ‘donk’ was well overdue a fettle so with the rain forecast I set to giving the under engine a good clean as well as checking the tappets and nipping up a  few weeping water pipes. The water pump is a bit of a frustration but of my making  - when I had the pump off earlier in the year to check the vanes I think I overtightened the pump onto the belt putting pressure on the pump shaft and so the shaft seal - told you I wasn't an engineering genius. It weeps a bit but stops something to keep an eye on.   The engine is lubed ready for an early start as if the weather gods permit we’d like to get to the lower Audlem visor mooring tomorrow. 

We were feeling very good about being out for us on an extended trip and Halfie and Jan have just cruised past on Jubilee arriving home at their lovely canal side place having been out since April they just told me …. Serious cruising .. 

We are off for a walk to town again shortly and I’ve rubbish and a cassette to empty. 

For pictures I mentioned our mooring was a pig to get in and out of.. I set about sorting it in mid June. Only way was to get in with a spade and fork to loosen the sediment that had built up quite badly. In the end the most effecting was 'walking  up' the hard silt using the course soles on the chest waders I'd brought for the job - they were effective and it was quite an experience being in the canal but dry ! 

A man enjoying his work but it was flippin hot that day - might have been summer !!

This was as close as we could get in and that was with some effort 

We were back at it in July as 'gardening' was needed. Luckily it didn't take too long to get it looking tidy and you can see how much closer we can get Percy in and she floats when on the mooring now. 

Tomorrow we'll head off early ish as the forecast has changed again  to give us two dry days to get down the Adderley and Audlem flight and on towards Barbridge Junction. We may stop at Nantwich depending on the moorings.