We’ve enjoyed our stay here in the company of Mike and June on NB Temujin; we had a splendid curry on their boat Sunday and Mike has worked like a Trojan with Graham trying to pinpoint the cause of our intermittent engine fault. It was, in fact, a suggestion of Mike’s that lead G to finally identify the cause. Mike suggested that G replaced the fuel pipe between the filter and the injector pump with clear plastic pipe so that he could monitor what was passing through; air, debris, etc. On doing so, G realised that fuel was only coming out of one end of the pipe he removed. That was because this was floating about in the middle

‘This’ is the remains of clear plastic piping which has been sitting inside the pipe and, over the years, broken down to intermittently block the fuel flow. What was it doing in there in the first place? Very good question. Well look on the bright side; we now have a spare fuel pump and the injectors have been professionally serviced. Swiftly moving on……..

Apart from running round with tea and biscuits the boys and I have been carrying out our usual explorations and some warm sunny days has meant that Baxter managed to cover a reasonable distance – his coat is so long now that he looks like a sheep. We daren’t clip him out though until we can be sure of some consistently warmer weather.

These last few days has given me a chance to sort out and dispose of excess clothing as there is a clothes bank here. In the process, however, I lost Daisy! She was eventually tracked down playing inside the wardrobe!

We’ve spent today washing, filling water and fuel tanks and provisioning the boat ready for the off tomorrow – uphill for 8 locks to the summit of this new canal – it looks much softer and more curvy than the last. Onwards and upwards