Flue By.

 We had a quiet night pulled into Braunston marina but got up earlier than normal in case they were banging on the roof for us to get started. As it happened nothing started until about 09:00. I went to the office and they allocated us a working berth, but before I headed down the end of the arm the Monday move about when boats were brought out of the dry dock and new ones slotted in and others came in for work and at the canopy makers too. It was soon sorted and we headed to the end and moored up.

We were in to replace the collar at the top of our stove. The official name is the spigot. I had gone under a bridge with the chimney up 18 months or so ago and it had just caught. Seemingly this had transmitted the movement down through the flue to the top of the stove and cracked the spigot. I never normally travel with the chimney up, stove lit or not, but I can't recall why I had done that day.

It had never leaked gas as we have two CO detectors and a 'canary in a cage', Macy the Cat, as she is close to the deck so would be prone to the case, if there were any. I hasten to add we didn't use her as a CO tester, and I'm not too sure whether CO sinks or rises, it doesn't seem clear so we have our detectors one high and one low!

However we are due our Boat Safety Certificate renewing this year and I'm sure we wouldn't pass with it as it was. Time to get sorted.

They were soon aboard and freeing up the chimney flue from the roof. There was plenty of heat proof mastic and ribbon to remove, but soon accomplished.

Freeing the spigot from the stove top was a little more difficult but once again accomplished. You can easily see the crack in the 'collar'

Helen retired from the boat to a bench to carry on with her crocheting as the sun was shining.

The marina is getting a complete repaint at the moment ready for the Heritage Boat show in a couple of weekends. The dock area always looks well groomed and everybody is very friendly too.

The repair was soon done and looks pretty good. I wonder when I will get round to testing it.

All sealed in and a coat of stove black to finish it all off. I didn't have to 'sell our pig', but nothing is cheap on the waterways is it. Very efficiently done and nicely tided up though.

We were on our way after paying the bill by 12:30, and after waiting for somebody winding in the entrance we headed off. The Gongoozler's Rest had a few takers and the sun was shining as we passed the stop house.

We found a mooring close to Bridge 7 and as it was nice I decided to sort the 'tunnel rash' on the st'bd cabin top that we had caught in Husband Bosworth Tunnel a month or so ago. It had been sanded back, treated and then now has a couple of coats of primer on it. I fine sanded it back and then painted it and rolled it over to get a better finish. I never know what to do for the best buy I think rather than trying to blend it in to old paint, with the colour never matching, I have started to just do defined patches.

By making the touch ups more obvious I hope to achieve the idea that the alterations and repairs become part of the story of the boat as in Japanese Sashiko and Boro type repairs. Of course the weather clouded over and there was a little drizzle!

I didn't get the opportunity to get the port side polished. That pleasure will have to wait until, our next visit.