Despite opening a bottle of cava last night, to celebrate the proper start of the 2011 cruising, we managed to be up in good time and were away well before by nine. We didn't need much ordinary shopping, but raided Rugeley Wilko's for storage boxes to improve the arrangements in a couple of the lockers that don't have them yet. We can really recommend using these beasts. Made of polythene, they're only a few pounds each, and keep things organised and safe from damp and mildew.
I also found a trad hardware store in Albion Street, where I got some heat tolerant expanding foam to fill the gaps between the inner and outer skins of the two chimneys (one long for when moored, and one short for cruising. In each case the inner part hadn't been making a good seal with the inside of the chimney collar, allowing yucky tar to leak out onto the roof, along the gutter and eventually down the side of the boat.
Much of it can be cleaned off with a mixture of first white spirit and then, if necessary, Ecover cream cleaner, but some places will need a touch of 3M Finesse-it cutting compound to really clean it off. Note: only use gentle cream cleaners for this. Something like Bar Keeper's Friend will take the gloss off the paint.
We boated on through lunchtime, taking it turns to guzzle Morrison's excellent Cornish pasties (not that they'll be allowed to call them that much longer), and fetched up on the towpath just before King's Bromley Marina.
We've done the chimneys and deployed the new boxes, so a successful day all round. Tomorrow, we plan to moor at Fradley (if there's room...) and go on to Alrewas on Thursday.
4 comments:
Pasties not so good then Bruce?
Never mind, I hope you feel better now.
Kevin
Hi Bruce
We also have problems with leaky chimneys. We will certainly look out for this Heat tolerant foam. Our method of cleaning the tar from the side of our boat is to use International High Strength Stain remover. Bit pricey but it only needs a brush to put it on and after 5 - 10 mins can be washed of. Then a good polish and hay presto any more tar marks after that just wipe away.
Irene
Kevin: nothing wrong with the pasties, just they won't be allowed to call them Cornish as they're not made in Cornwall.
Irene: Thanks for that advice, I've ordered some. The foam is Dr Schenk 303 PU foam, fairly standard builder's foam. It seems to be working fine.
All the best
Bruce
I will miss that hardware shop in Rugeley now we have left Kings Bromley. I didn't care for Rugeley at first but it grew on me. However, we are now nearer to Kelsalls, who must have the finest stock of old brass screws in the country... shhh.
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