Phone call 23rd January

Since our last update we have been in touch with Ricky nearly every week. The worktops were fitted when planned. There was one slight hiccup as the tap we had suggested for the bathroom sink didn’t have a long enough reach. So different taps were suggested, our choice was made and the new tap fitted which would manage to put water actually into the sink.

The central heating has now been commissioned. There was a slight problem with the water pump, but the chaps contacted Alde and talked it through with them and all is now in working order.

The repainting of the lines on the cabin sides has been done and the gunnels and stern deck have now been painted in a black that is easier to touch up.

There is a short list of jobs still to be done but for most of these NB Oleanna needs to be on the water and settled. The major thing lacking is still our second 24volt lithium battery. The manufacturers in the States eventually came back to Ricky with the news that they didn’t have one. The 12 volt versions have proved so popular that not many 24 volt ones are available. The batteries were originally ordered before the Brexit, since then the prices have gone up. Ricky has stuck to his guns with the company as the price he was given was pre-Brexit. A couple of weeks ago we were informed that a second battery had been found for us in Germany and should be with us by the end of last week. Well it still hasn’t shown up! Ricky is on the case and hopefully will come back to us soon with news.

Our concern now is that if we find that a third battery is needed to ease our power needs will we be able to get one!

We are wanting to time our next visit with NB Oleanna going in the water in Sheffield. A Tyler Wilson sailaway has been in the way for a while but has now moved. But until the battery arrives there is no point in her going into the water and sitting there, if a crane is needed at the yard for another boat then she will go in the water sooner.

So we sit and potter up and down the Macclesfield Canal waiting. The stoppage on the Bridgewater Canal still hasn’t happened and we have toyed with maybe crossing back over the Pennines and heading back to Sheffield to swap boats. But there is a closure due to start in Doncaster on the 6th February, we also would need rivers to behave level wise and the canals to not freeze to make it in time. But managing to do 8.5 hours cruising a day in winter would be cold, soggy and not fun. So we may change our plan of where to launch her and give ourselves more scope for cruising whilst we wait.