WORKING BOAT?

Just sitting in the shade waiting for the fourteenth man to come and fix stuff on Tyseley since we started the tour. Another impeller has shredded itself and we are grounded again. The cooling system failed in the first week of the tour and Darren from Cowroast Marina came and replaced the impeller and cleared out debris. He recommended a new water pump so Ralph from Denham Marine came and fitted one at Brentford. In London the boiler started producing a pretty ball of flame and a big bang when lit, so Dave came and cleaned her out at Henley and advised us to get a new one but she should last to the end of the tour. At Woolhampton the shower started leaking and Mark the plumber came and advised us we needed a new thermostatic mixer unit and he and his brother Dave fitted it two days later. The boiler gave up the ghost finally in a great jet of steam and a big bang and a window shattered suddenly so David from Oxfordshire Narrow boats fitted a new boiler at Aynho and the new glass at Fenny Compton. Ian fixed the rudder and fitted it back with the help of two assistants from Calcutt Boats. In between we had Mike from River Canal Rescue for the rudder and another River Canal Rescue guy who put us in touch with Tony from Pinders Boat Builders who cleaned out the cooling system and put in the latest impeller. I am now waiting for Mr Pinder senior who will be the fourteenth man.
On the bright side, Bredon Hill looks as lovely as ever with the beautiful River Avon winding around it on a perfect English summer's day. I went for a swim in the river in the early morning and got grumbled at by an ancient angler for disturding the fish - he commented loudly to his companions that had he had his gun it would be a different matter.