Well, the plan was to stay put . . . maybe, or just move up a bit. I had plans to visit Steve Wedgewood at Kings Lock Chandlery, to ask advice about that leaking stern gland. I’d already bought the spare part (£140) three+ weeks ago. He reckoned it ought to be done and said move the boat up! So I jogged back and set to moving the boat thru the 4 locks. There was another boat (another Aqualine boat too, also 8 yrs old) already there having a new alternator fitted so we had to wait. And wait. These simple hour jobs on boats are never that. Anyway, when Mike came to have a look at the stern gland and how it was tucked away and hard to get at, he rubbed his chin and said he really wasn’t happy, if there was a “panic stations”, it could all get a bit serious. Hmm and to be honest, I was relieved. No need to worry about a stern gland being replaced in situ and bucketfuls of canal water gushing in!! Here’s a picture of the thing:
The rubber bit slips over the end of the boat and the prop shaft comes thru the whole widget – there’s two rubber seals that keep the water out – in theory! That silver screw on top is where you have to squeeze in some (expensive) silicon grease every 250 hours. Something the previous owner forgot or just didn’t know. Most don’t!
Anyway, it was now gone 3 and time we was off. It was warm and we had 3 or 4 more locks and some miles to do before we end for the day. Heading towards Wheelock. We found a nice rural spot about a mile out and hearing that it was all moored up in the town, decided to moor here! In the end so did 3 other boats!
