Getting the chores done in the sun

Making the most of the still pleasant weather, we’ve had a busy day doing chores. First off was a walk into the village for a missing item from my prescription and some bread from the Co-op. We got back at ten, had an early coffee break and I then set to in the engine bay and associated bilges.

First off was the good news that I seem to have finally closed all the minor weeps in the coolant circuit. None of the strategically positioned nappies showed blue stains and the coolant level in the engine was unchanged.

I rigged the small oil extractor and used it to pump out the stern bilge which was looking a bit wet. I’ve a feeling that I forgot to turn down the stern greaser when we stopped for five days at Alrewas, being distracted on arrival by nattering with the crew from Bosley. I took 3 litres out of the bilge and another three from the ice cream box the sits under the stern gland catching the grease dropping off it.

I had an unwanted pack of horrible cheap toilet rolls, the kind that fall apart at just the wrong moment, and used three of them to soak up the last of the water. I must remember this as a strategy for this job; it’s a lot quicker than using disposable nappies (which are good for long term drip catching) and at 79p for 4 they’re not exactly expensive.

Having done all the water extraction, I nipped up the stern gland a bit, just one flat on each stud, and put the boards back.

Next, I lifted the board from over the Hurricane which also gives me access to the battery bank and topped up the batteries. They took about what I’d expected; when cruising the batteries get rather more charge than they can take from the domestic alternator and so lose a bit of water. It’s no bad thing as it keeps the dreaded sulphation at bay, but you do need to keep an eye on the electrolyte.

It's the best reason I know for having open cell batteries that you can top up.

By now it was lunch time. Afterwards we turned to again and I gave the inside of the boat a sweep through and dusting. Sheila hauled all the mats outside and brushed them with a hard scrubbing brush, thus extracting a quantity of dog hair, Sally. She also shook out the dog bed.

Feeling virtuous after all this effort, we took a stroll round the marina in the sun and finished with an ice cream apiece, sitting on the bench outside the shop overlooking the marina.

When I’ve done this post, Sheila's going to give my hair a trim before I get a shower.