This battery bank is a Norwegian Blue*

17th & 18th February

Yesterday morning, the battery monitor showed 12.3 volts, and I thought, aha, it was a one off problem the day before (ever the optimist, me). With light hearts we made a reasonably prompt start, getting away at half eight, in damp weather that eventually turned to a fine rain. Still, it was reasonably mild and windless, so I didn't complain too much.

It being half term, there continued to be a good bit of traffic about, and we took care going through the narrows between Handsacre and Armitage, and through the Armitage Tunnel itself. We've heard reports that the hire firms have been getting good bookings this year, and if this is what it's like in February, it's going to be mayhem in the summer.

As ever, I was entertained to pass Hawkesyard Hall, and to ponder what it must have been like to go to school there, as I know some of my readers have from their comments.

As always, the steering prowess of the boaters we met was variable, from the clearly first timers (hirers and privateers) to the regulars getting back into the swing of it after the winter break.

We arrived in Rugeley in good time, did a thorough shop and got back to the boat a little after eleven. Since we had about another hour's boating to do, we decided to take it easy. I put the shopping away in leisurely fashion, then surfed the net and read the paper until it was time for lunch.

The short afternoon's cruise took us to Bridge 69. The last couple of times we've been here, we've been alone, but this time there were a handful of other liveaboards about. I left the engine on whilst we ran a washload, and then whilst the heater ran for my shower. All in all, the batteries got about six hours charging.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, except for a strange incident in the evening as I was chatting to Elanor on the phone. There came a mighty rattling, clonking noise from the roof, then some hissing and flapping.

Looking out, it became apparent that a swan fight had broken out and involved Sanity. It's the time of year when the cobs get very assertive about territory, very ready to hiss at intruders, and to see off potential rivals by busking at them, that is, half raising their wings and swimming with both legs moving together so that they surge through the water in a menacing way, hissing all the time like a boiling kettle.

Last year's cygnets are particular targets of this ire, and it seemed we had such a situation now. In their rush to get away, one of them must have taken off and not quite cleared Sanity's roof, with the results we'd heard from underneath.

This morning, the battery voltage was back down to 12 volts, despite yesterday's efforts. It was clear that no purpose would be served by struggling on with them, especially as, since we're selling the boat within 12 months or so, the batteries we install now will certainly see us through.

(I said I was an optimist, didn't I?)

We set off immediately after breakfast and went straight through to Great Haywood. After a short wait at the lock (BW have still not fixed the ground paddle, so it is filling as slowly as ever), we tied on the water point and I went and had a word with the guys at Anglo Welsh.

There was no problem at all about replacement batteries: "we can't have them today, but we can get them in by around 11 tomorrow."

"How old are they? Two and a half years? – you've had your time from them, then."

After filling the water tank, we came through to Tixall Wide once more. I took care to tie well along the Wide, in the hopes of finding the fast internet connection, but no joy. Hey ho, you can't have everything, I guess.

I'm currently reading The Riddle of the Sands on the Sony, courtesy of Project Gutenberg, so by contrast with that piece of boating, all our troubles are nugatory.

Tomorrow we'll go back and get the new batteries in, then come back here for the night. After that, we may actually get to set off to go up the Shroppie.

*with apologies to Monty Python