Where's the cache? (and other stuff)

11th & 12th November

Putting the last blog post up was a right hassle. As occurs sometimes, the internet connection, never speedy around Great Haywood, decided to die altogether. The modem simply would not connect to the server, getting as far as "Authenticating User" each time, and then failing.

Sheila eventually persuaded it to make a stable connection just before seven pm, and I was able to upload the post. Even then, it took forever to go up, but did eventually consent to do so. We are tonight tied within sight of Rugeley Power Station, and have a much better, fast connection.

Yesterday morning was brighter but still very windy. Content not to move yet, we set off to find the Essex on the Chase geocache which had eluded us last time. This time we'd carefully read up all the available info, and were sure we were looking for the right thing in the right place. Sadly, despite spending an hour hunting up and down a steepish bank, we still had no luck. This is the first cache that we've been altogether unable to find – very frustrating.

We picked up a paper and some milk on the way back to the boat and settled down to a restorative mug of coffee. That done, there was just time before lunch to fit the new tipcat to the stern and remove the remains of the buttons. It was a tougher task than I'd expected, mainly because the cold wind was now blowing vigorously onto the stern, making everything that bit harder to do.

Nonetheless, I got it done eventually, without dropping any tools or bits of shackle into the water, always a risk when working in those conditions. All I need to do now is make a button to go outside the two tipcats on the stern, and a vee button for the bow. The bow is actually more urgent, as the stern looks quite smart with just its two tipcats, but I want to practice on an ordinary button before having a go at the more complex structure of the vee.

Anyway, I've run out of rope. We've decided that, rather than having some despatched to us, probably via the long suffering Will and Jane, we'll occupy ourselves between Sheila's birthday and Christmas by going and getting a coil from Tradline at Braunston.

In the evening, Elanor gave us a call, as usual. Amongst other things, she reported that the new mattress is very comfortable, which is a relief after all the hassle. She kept waking in the night wondering what the weird smell was, but hopefully that will wear off over the next few days.

The only grief at the end of the day yesterday was that the Eberspacher decided to die again. I fiddled with the in-line fuse, and got it started, but then had an insight into a possible cause of the problem when I knocked the fuse putting its rubber cover back on, and the Eberspacher promptly cut out.

It wouldn't start again first thing this morning, so I spent a bit of time after lunch taking the fuse out, cleaning its contacts with wet and dry paper, and putting it back in its holder. It still felt a bit wobbly, so I squeezed the contacts in the holder with a pair of pliers, and all seems to working again.

As forecast, today was much brighter and calmer. Sheila steered down to the Anglo Welsh yard where we picked up 80 litres of fuel. They quite happily accepted my declaration of 10% for propulsion, so that's one yard we'll be using again.

Sheila then produced some of her virtuoso steering, extracting the boat from the AW lay-by, going through the bridge with starboard helm on and reversing onto the water point. I left her supervising the watering whilst I nipped into the village for a paper and a copy of December's Canal Boat.

Down Great Haywood Lock we went, and I made a cup of coffee between there and Colwich. As I said above, we've come on to a mooring in the countryside before Rugeley – Elanor's Power Station dominates the skyline from here, looking very dramatic in the westering sun.

Whilst attacking the Eberspacher, I noticed that we've taken in a bit of water through the stern gland, so I nipped that up whilst I'd got the engine boards up. Sheila has been taking advantage of the fast connection to download some more books, mainly from the Project Gutenberg Australia site.

Tomorrow we'll stop in Rugeley to restock, then go on to Fradley, probably, aiming to be in Alrewas on Friday morning.