And out again

SONFLOWER was reversed out of the dock this morning.

While floating we took the opportuntity of reclaiming some ballast that was removed a couple of years ago to correct the list to port that is evident at the moment.

I stowed some steel plate below the kitchen store cupboard floor, and railway rail sections behind the fridge and in one of the lockers to see whether this will do the job.

The lemonade bottle on the table seems to have a level surface now and bottles have stopped rolling down the table.

All on an even keel again.

In Dock

Yes, it is that time again.

SONFLOWER entered Tooley's dock on Saturday for biennial hull blacking and a roof repaint.

BUT: Tooley's have a "ten point inspection" plan. It ensures that a boat does not leave the dock with a potential reason for iminent return! This plan has brought up three things:

1. The propeller is flapping about as though it is in the wind. The stern gear bearing is worn (and probably the shaft) to the extent that there is about ten times as much clearance as there should be.

2. The rudder shaft is banging around like a loose spoon in a jamjar. The tiller bearing is knackered.

3. Two anodes on the swim have done their job (good news) but need relacing (additional work)

Basically, it is another proof of the acronym BOAT : Bung Over Another Thousand

What a waste!

We have a 70mm diameter waste in the sink. It has an integral overflow. The plastic screw that holds it all together was suffering from terminal fatigue and failed. This made the stuff in the undersink cupboard wet.

In order to replace the broken component viz a plastic screw which is no longer available (hopefuly because the designers of the things found that they degrade and embrittle in the arduous conditions of a sink waste) I had to buy two waste kits. One was a 70 mm waste and the other one an 80mm waste with overflow entry.

So does anybody want an 80mm waste kit without an overflow?

Watch out there's a Thief about!

Yes, another theft from SONFLOWER while on her mooring!

This time four 25kg bags of Purheat coal. Value to me: heat while cruising.

Value to anyone else: £40.00. It seems hardly worth the trouble of taking them off the roof, putting them on a barrow and transporting them away, unseen, to a place unknown. Perhaps they need to warm themselves up after a cold night's thieving.

I wouldn't deny anybody the warmth if they really needed it. But it is hardly ever the destitute who would take without asking. The poor usually have higher standards and wouldn't stoop so low.