Water pump replacement and a plan

It seems our three week cruise to Llangollen has been compressed to a ditch shuffle up and down the lovely Shroppie. It could be worse. 

Yesterday I stripped out the old water pump and was not happy how I'd done the plumbing so we hopped in the car over to Newport for food and bits... Screwfix and Waitrose type bits. 

We took lunch in a pub which was cheap and plentiful, I left Rachel tat charity shop shopping and took the two mile walk to Screwfix for plumbing parts and other bits....

Back on the boat I set to restoring the plumbing and building a small shelf for the expansion vessel to sit on so as not  to stress and joints. Rachel was cleaning the boat using the full Ecoflow thanks to this continuing lovely weather - we will miss it when its gone !

Rush hour on the cut ... our neighbour Mandy off to where we are moored today... she kindly vacated it for us !! 

I wasn't sure if the Accumulator was still working  - the bladder sometimes splits. Running the water system without it demonstrated it was still very much working. Just need to bring my battery tyre inflator from home so I can put it the right pressure... 

Work in progress - but stopped for parts and a pub meal 

My tat shop 

This is better  - still needs some tidying which I'll do when I lag it later. The shallow dish is a good idea as if you add a cheap water alarm it gives notice  of a failing pump. without putting water into the bilge 

Another cold but beautiful night 

Stove lit, they may be dusty buggers but they are effective and with our thermo cycling run of 32mm copper pipe to the bathroom silent heat transfer into all parts of the habitable boat 

I then did some fishing picking up some nice Bream and Roach and we ended the evening with what Rachel calls 'Picky bits'  - very nice.

This morning was a use it up type breakfast before we set off just before 12 to wind at bridge 48 and stop off for the night at Knighton Woods visitor moorings. I have a bucket list desire to get into the woods and sit and enjoy the dawn chorus. Fran and Rich Youtubers and inspirational eco boaters did exactly this in the same woods 2 years ago.... 

Worth a watch

The only way out of the mooring was a slow muddy reverse  - another reason to routinely move the boat to stop the silt bar forming. 

This is the level of canal maintenance now ! 

On the small cruise to the winding hole and back I met a boarder terrier flying down the tow path without any owner in sight. Luckily he stopped at a boat we'd just passed to have a go at their dog much to their rightful consternation. This gave me the chance to grab his collar and ring the number and was answered by a grateful owner from a place up near the winding hole we were headed so we agreed to walk him back home ! 

Bramble the scrapping escapee terrier 

Rachel approaching bridge 48

So far we have the Knighton woods visitor moorings to ourselves. Lilly the cat will enjoy the exploration later for sure. 

There are the woods - about 20 minutes walk in the morning 

Now tied up and I'll give the roof a wash after my food has gone down. The solar panel is very dirty and it looks like a ducks been roosting on the roof !  Maybe some before and after pictures later ..

Not sure yet about tomorrow, the wind is easterly still so still quite chilly and about 12-14mph and as we are now heading east into our faces hence the stop ( plus my desire to be up early in Knighton woods) It will be an  easier wind  tomorrow so we could wind in grub street and moor near the Anchor but its not open Thursdays or more likely cruise down to a nice mooring at High Onn and if the mood takes us walk back into Gnosall ... but me being up early means it might also be a nice early set off .... we will see