TRANQUILITY IS A SELF MANAGED SHARE BOAT

At 58 feet length, TQ (as we call her) is a steel hull narrow boat built by Colecraft and fitted out by Elton Moss Boatbuilders. Currently based at Aqueduct Marina in Cheshire we're able to cruise some of the most popular waterways in Britain. The Shropshire Union, The Trent and Mersey, The Llangollen Canal, The Four Counties Ring and Cheshire Ring and more.

Our friendly Syndicate decided to go down the Self Management route on 1st March 2012 and so far it has been very successful. Please visit the other pages in this blog to see the new Web Site and if shares are available for sale. (There'll not be many).


ABOUT COPYRIGHT.
I am having to place a watermark on the blog content as someone on Facebook is stealing photos and claiming them as their own. I wouldn't mind if they asked first and attributed it to my blog. If it continues I will name and shame them. I hope it doesn't spoil your enjoyment.

All content is Copyright N. B. Tranquility © 2008 - 2019

Friday 26 November 2010

A very frustrating day (KLT)

We over slept this morning, not getting up 'til 08:00. Ice on the inside of the windows again was a sign of things to come. Switched on the Webasto heater and it fired up OK but I was worried the current drain on the starter battery might mean the engine won't start. My fears were realised when I turned the ignition key to heat the plugs, as all the control panel lights went dull and when I tried the starter and the engine groaned as it tried desparately to compress the air in the cylinders. Then something odd happened, I took the key out of the ignition switch, and the engine tried to turn over again. I just put it down to air compression  in one of the cylinders expanding and turning the crank shaft. Rare, but its posible. (You can tell I have an interest in engines can't you. Check this out). So I went into Blackwater Meadow Marina and asked if they could help and they were very happy to do so. Their engineer came out with a power pack and when he removed the battery cover the starter motor engaged and tried to turn the engine. So there's an electrical short somewhere there. Anyhow the engineer (Sorry I didn't get your name) easily managed to get the engine running and then tested the current being produced by the domestic alternator. I sense more trouble here, its only producing 20 - 25 amps where it should be closer to 100 amps. He recommended not stopping the engine until we get to our destination preferably near a boatyard. Well we've ended up at the top of Grindley Brook Locks, on the PVM (public visitor moorings) away from everyone else as we have to run our engine 'til very late. We passed the Viking Afloat boatyard at Whitchurch and I asked if they were open tomorrow morning, (Saturday) unfortunately at this time of year its Monday to Friday only. So now it looks like we'll have to keep the engine running all night, to ensure we can move tomorrow morning.
Our holiday is now becoming just a little bit of a chore now, and we're beginning to want to go home...after having arranged to extend it by two days!
On a brighter note we saw three kingfishers today, and we had some snow...just a light sprinkling, but I dare say there may be more in the morning. I hope the cut doesn't freeze up too much, though I fear the Shroppie Main Line and the Middlewich Branch are more likely to freeze as they don't flow like the Llangollen does.
Sorry there's no pix today, after this mornings caper I forgot and didn't feel like getting the camera out.
More tomorrow.

2 comments:

Brenda Scowcroft said...

Poor you. Hope you get back to the marina without too much hastle.

Kevin said...

Hi Brenda,
Its so cold and our Webasto heating has packed up. Things are getting a bit miserable and we're going home as soon as we can get back to the marina. Hope the car will start!
Best wishes,
K & L