Saturday 14 November 2020

An essential trip for sewage

We have a cassette loo on Percy, we've had boats with pump outs before and they were inconvenient expensive and smelly. So when we looked at Percy 8 years ago about now, the cassette (well it was a porta potty then) was an attraction  !! 

Having the car by the boat really helps and very much the case when it comes to moving cassettes to be emptied when static on the mooring. However the cassettes have a tendency to weep  (!) when sloshed about in the car so they have to be bagged up. On out last visit we topped up the second cassette but could not bring it back with us as we were black bag less.

So Friday I used the excuse of exercise and an essential trip to nip over the Shebdon to collect the cassettes and check on the boat. I can understand some not agreeing with my logic but its an interpretational position and my speedy risk assessment suggested I'm more likely to get Cholera than C19 on this trip. 

All was ok with Percy, the sun was shining the boat looked well and I would have liked to have stayed a few days to undertake a full engine service that will involve taking the side off the engine to get to the oil strainer and sump.... when I do do this I'll be sure to blog about it.

I called on my neighbour Mandy off NB Don't Panic to see if she would facilitate a gas bottle change by coal Boat Bargus and she readily agreed - good to have good neighbours. I try and use the coal boats as they have helped in the past.... the gas bottle was a whopping £33.95 .... I can remember when they were about a tenner !!

When I got home I got a message my new gas was safely stored with Mandy for my next visit, a combination of internet for notification of delivery schedule as well as texts to order and then electronic banking to pay mixed with an old boat plying trade on the canals still finally topped off with good friendships and helpful people ..... it all worked.

The little Toyota IQ swallowed up the two cassettes and my fishing gear.... I have been gifted a second hand fishing box and another pole so I can retire my fishing box to the boats forecabin so I have a decent seat and storage of my gear for the future cruises that involve fishing  !!

Plenty of jobs to do at home and then get onto Percy for that engine service. I do need to book a dry dock for self blacking next autumn and a hull survey ! 

3 comments:

Nb Duxllandyn said...

Glad to hear the cassette loo is still going strong!

Mike
Nb Duxllandyn

Tom and Jan said...

Soooo pump out is inconvenient, expensive and smelly. Instead you carry your fully, leaky and smelly cassettes around in your car where there is the potential cholera hazard :-) :-)

I preferred to pay someone else £15-20 every two months to pump out our smelly tank whilst we went and had a coffee. :-) :-)

Tom
ex NB Waiouru

Nev Wells said...

Mike, yes the loo is still taking deposits !

Tom & Jan .... too many times it took too long to find then wait and PAY for someone to pump the tank. On our ownerships boat the loo constantly smelt horrible. It may have been our experience was impacted by too small and too smelly tanks.. You pays your money ( or not ) and takes your poo to adjust a phrase. We all know we could chat $hit about narrowboat toilets until the cows come home. I hope you are both well and enjoying your summer ?