The marina and me messing with the new camera's panoramic setting
On the first day we decided to head for Theale, however, when exiting Old Heale's lock I noticed a strange rattling noise had developed and moored in Woolhampton to find out what was up. The alternator and water pump fan belt idle roller bearings were shot. I swapped over with the generator roller but by then it was too late to carry on so we stayed there over night. Perfect end to the day as we saw Eddie and Smudge leading Pat and Malcom down the tow path to see us as they had not had chance to say goodbye before we left. It was lovely to see them. We cracked open another bottle of fizzie (there have been lots of reasons recently) then went off to the pub to eat. (Good but small portions; Grainne did something she has never done before and asked for more).
The next day we travelled with NB Camali with Dave and Eileen, who have been living aboard for 8 years and had a really good cruise through to reading where we moored just behind the jail. Dave and Eileen invited us onboard their boat for a drink that evening and offered us lots of good advice for living on a boat.
Passing through Theale
Tuesday saw us dropping onto the Thames, destination Wallingford. At Mapledurham a squeaking noise developed again in the area of the fan belt roller, so instead of Wallingford we nursed the boat to Goring where we stopped and stripped everything down again. No damage found, but, you do not want your water pump stopping on the river! Goring is a very pretty place and that night we went for a beer in the John Barleycorn Pub. Eric and Wilma were made very welcome as were we and we had a good night chatting to the locals and learning all about micro pubs, something we new nothing about. The two guys we were chatting to were planning a Pub walk along the heritage coast in Wales, starting out at Southerndown, what a small world.
Goring
Wilma and Eric concerned about the fan belt situation
Wednesday then we travelled from Goring to Abingdon, which at 19 1/2 miles and 6 locks is quite a long way in a narrowboat against the flow. Here we moored by the swimming pool and shortly afterwards Stephan arrived with the spare parts I had ordered form Beta Marine. Ate at the DilRaj and can thoroughly recommend it.
Thursday is a day of leisure, well fitting the spare bits, updating the blog, fitting some centre line fairleads, designing a diesel lock, etc etc. Grainne has been picked up by Jackie for a hair cut and Maggie called with Keith, Janet and Burt to find out where we were.
Tomorrow we hope to be off the Thames and on the Oxford Canal.
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