Pollington Visitor Moorings to Nearish the Site of No 4 Swing Bridge

Firstly I got something wrong yesterday. The occasion where Oleanna’s engine decided to empty water all over the bilges was actually when we were moored at Eynsham and Mick noticed the large amount of water where it shouldn’t be before the alarm went off. We’ve just had a discussion as whether it matters that I got it wrong, who would notice? Well possibly Paul as on that occasion it was the thermostat. But more importantly when we look back to the blog in years to come to clarify our fading memories things should be correct.

Anyhow.

As soon as breakfast was done we rolled back the covers and pushed off, time to find better internet! With temperatures set to be high today we’d thought of seeking some shade. But on such wide waterways any trees tend to be set back from the waters edge, reducing their shade factor. Mick identified a possible location so we went to have a look.

The trees were tall enough to cast shade on the water but their location was not really one we’d want to be for too long. Between Crowcroft Bridge and Balne Croft Swing Bridge (which is no more) proved to be a touch too close to the Bridge cottage where the St Bernard woofer never runs out of puff! So we decided to aim for some solar power rather than shade and hopefully not too close to the shooting range.

About a quarter of a mile further on, on the north bank a stretch of bank looked quite appealing, we’d have to use spikes to moor as there was no beam to tie to. We pulled in almost halfway between the barking St Bernard and the shooting range, little footfall and plenty of friendly cover to keep Tilly amused for the rest of the day.

Time for jobs. The primer on the stern had dried fine overnight, so this now got a coat of primer filler and everyone was told to avoid the white bits on the stern. Luckily Tilly was too occupied elsewhere so it had more or less dried before she forgot!

The front poppers on the cratch cover were undone and the whole cover pulled back away from the cratch board. I think it was a couple of years ago when I gave the frame a fresh coat of woodskin and recently I’d noticed it getting a touch thin. Time for a freshen up.

If I was doing the cratch board I may as well give the stern locker lids a coat and the shelf above the morse control. Areas were masked off, washed down and then sanded. Another rinse down and they were left to dry whilst we had lunch.

A coat of woodskin was applied to everything in the afternoon, the masking tape removed. The stern was by now very dry so this got a sanding back. The filler hadn’t quite brought everything up to a smooth level so another coat was applied.

Mick took the bowthruster locker lid up so that he could check on the batteries that sit below. The endoscope came out to help check the levels in the cells and all was fine. The bow deck got a clean out, the rope and chain from the anchor stowed and the pins put back to keep the anchor held tight to the front bulk head. This did mean that Mick got to see the state of the rust on the underside of the locker lid. This is already a job on my to do list, but as it and the bow locker lids are sort of inside (under the cratch cover) they can wait for another opportune time, proper outside outside jobs first.

Still rather warm in the evening we sat for as long as we dared with the doors and windows open. But sadly the hand held hoover had to come out and we sat swatting at midges hopefully before they bit us!

0 locks, 1.09 miles, 1 wind, 0 trees of any use, 1 very sunny spot, 2 coats primer filler, 1st coat woodskin, 1 cratch board, 2 locker lids, 7 hours shore leave, 5, 100% internet, 1 shade seeking cat, 1 vat of chilli, 1 boat full of midges again, 2 bowls chilled medication.