Though we did manage to find a mooring at the foot of Bill's statue.
We went ashore for supplies and picked up a crew member who had shown promise on an earlier visit. The girls then shopped until they dropped, even I got swept up in the buying frenzy. We all left Stratford with a new pair of sandals each. That evening we sat on the stern watching the boats and people go by. Then a big old swan swam by, right up to the lock gates and waited there. Jokingly we said he was waiting for somebody to open the lock for him. Then five minutes later the restaurant boat got ready to leave, they opened the gates, in he swam. The boat followed him in and down they went together!! Apparently he does this every night.
Great we thought, here we go! until we got to the next lock and BW were working on it, so we had to wait again. After that things picked up and we worked our way through the 14 remaining locks with little incident. though number 9 was a bit tight but we managed to barge our way in. Until we got to the last lock that is, then it all went very wrong. A fender dropped over the side unseen and wedged us in good and tight!
Two hours later, with one boat pulling, our engine full astern, the upper paddles open draining the canal above us into the chamber, two teams pulling ropes and a gang on the roof rocking the boat, cutting the fender free, hammering it down the side of the boat using a mooring spike. We were free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thinking things couldn't possibly get any worse than that we headed on our way. 3/4 of a mile further on the engine make and ominous crunching, grinding, expensive noise and lost propulsion. BUGGER! we drifted gracefully to the bank.
The engine worked, the propeller was free, the gearbox seemed to be OK. Just not connected to each other?
All the boats that had been stuck behind us in the locks started to come by, they were all very helpful and we got a few numbers for mechanics. All of the mechanics said the same thing " the drive plate has gone" but none of them could get to us for at least a week. So I broke out the spanners and got stuck in. Luckily we had the good fortune to breakdown in a lovely little spot, right next to a railway station. Our crew member was able to get home easily enough the next morning.
Using some of my best swearing and several hours of contortions I had the offending article out. The drive plate lives where the clutch would been in a car.
As luck would have it Mum & Dad D were on their way home from London so came and rescued us and gave us a lift back home.
The boat was going nowhere and was safe so we made the most of our time.
On the Monday we got the bike out and went in search of replacement parts, after 8 weeks at four miles an hour the bike was a little overwhelming, but fun. Successful too, we scored an uprated replacement drive plate. Then we called by at Red Rock just for a look see. Funny being at your home mooring when your boat is a hundred miles away. Our next stop was to look at a wide beam boat.
On the Tuesday we got some new nuts and bolts and electrical connectors ready for the rebuild and the captain had a pampering session.
On Wednesday we went back to the wide beam for another look and a quick sail in her, after a little time to think about it we agreed to buy her. Collecting her mid July. Watch this space. Then we went along to our junior ratings sports day, celebrating his 3 medals with ice cream.
On Thursday Mum & Dad D ran us back down to the boat, happily they wanted to have a look around Stratford. We got back early afternoon and set about rebuilding.
Scarily it all went back together pretty easily.
Today while Mum & Dad D went for their day in Stratford we took Maya out for sea trials. We are pleased to report that not only did it fix the problem it has improved the boat beyond belief.
THE MEANDERINGS CAN CONTINUE.
