Added to that, I discovered to my dismay that I had a lot of water in the bottom of my barge, and on the wrong side of it too. Water should be outside, not in, but yesterday I syphoned about 45 litres from under the floorboards.
This had me in an instant panic. I thought I might have a leak in the hull, but on reflection, it could be rainwater creeping in somewhere, or it could also be the dreaded condensation, although 45 litres seems a lot for that given that I haven't been using the heating all that much. Still, it remains a real possibility, but oh dear, it's always so stressful and such a waste of time that I could be using doing something else. I never have enough. Time, that is.
Anyway, this is my solution for soaking up the last of the water. Disposable nappies. They do a great job, but I'll have to get it completely dry before I scrape all the rust off and put new grease on the bottom.
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| Never have so many nappies been employed by so few for such a great cause |
And last but not least, we had a family birthday. My daughter, whose day it was, invited us for lunch and then we all went out for a lovely walk with the dogs. Simple it might have been but it was such a beautiful afternoon we felt very blessed to be able to walk through the countryside in the warm sunshine. Spaniel Charlie has been with us (I mean my daughter) for nearly ten years now, but lovely Luna is new to the family. She comes from a rescue shelter in Spain and now lives with my other daughter. At 15 months old, she (Luna) is just a baby really, but she's settled in beautifully and is a lovely calm pup. We're already more than a bit taken with her.
Well, that was it for the autumn sunshine. It's back to usual again tonight, meaning rain, rain and more rain. I'm checking my toes for signs of foot rot!
Have a great week allemaal and I hope I'll be able to report on a dry bottom next time (don't snigger!)
I am sorry to read of your bilge water problems, do you not have an alarm system fitted in the bilge placed at known points. I do know that several of the narrowboats have them. Thought that a great use of the nappies Val and hope that you trace the source of the ingress. Regards to you both Mel @ herons view
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mel. How nice to hear from you. You're right. That's a good idea. I should have an alarm, but I'm not technically knowledgeable enough to figure out how to do that. I'll ask some of my narrowboating friends for some information. That's a great tip! I'm glad you approve of my use of nappies, though :)
DeleteDear Val, if only you could send some of your excess water to Australia, where some towns not so far from us are going to run out of water in the next few months. Happy Birthday to your daughter, and what a nice way to celebrate, a walk in the country with two special doggies.
ReplyDeleteOh goodness, Patricia! I shan’t complain anymore. That we have water is indeed a blessing! I shall do a rain dance for you!
DeleteRain, since you've had so much of it, is surely the cause, but how to find where it comes in? So sorry that you have another thing to worry about, but good news on the engine progress. Happy dog walking! ��������
ReplyDeleteThank you, Christina. The company of dogs makes everything better :)
DeleteOh no! Water and cold - not a good combination for you. Sorry to mention it but we are enjoying 29 - 30° degrees in India at the moment. It is fabulous to see blue skies and not worry about taking a jacket when we go out. I'll send some to you xxx
ReplyDeleteOh Jude! How wonderful for you. That sounds just glorious. Wishing you a wonderful trip and yes, bring some of that sunshine home with you :)
DeleteVal, I am so distressed by your watery ways in the wrong place. You are too busy already for this, but the nappies are a brilliant idea. Sorry about your weather. Ours is no better, but we're not trying to paint a barge! May things get better...including your weather (Steph)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your good wishes, Steph. Your sympathy is being soaked up like a big sponge :)
DeleteAnother super blog, Val. You poor thing, though, after all the rain you've had I'm not surprised the Vereeninging has been taking on water. I love your ingenious approach to mopping up the residue! A belated happy birthday to your daughter, it sounds as though you had a lovely time.
ReplyDeleteBeth, thank you and many apologies for the late reply. I had so many spam comments I didn't see yours at the bottom of the page. I'll pass the happy birthday wishes on to Mo. It was so lucky we had some sunshine for that afternoon!
DeleteWhen I saw the photo on FB I thought it looked like nappies,then I thought,no it can't be nappies. But what a good idea they definitely soak up the water. Admit you were gallivanting too much during the summer that's why you didn't get your painting done !
ReplyDeleteHope the water disappears soon.
Haha, Anne, I wish I could admit that. Of course I did some gallivanting, but the summer this year has been dreadful from the paintwork perspective. There have been very few days without any rain. And now it's pouring again...sigh! Thanks for the comment, dear. Yes, nappies have more uses than you'd ever think! :))
DeleteHi Val! :) This is a lovely post. Thank you for keeping us abreast of your news, and for the added dose of humour. Nappies, indeed...! I suspect that your boat needs its bottom scraped and covered again, and I do hope that will sort the problem. It's probably cheaper than nappies in the long run....! (Very long run...)
ReplyDeleteTake care!
Fran Xxx
Haha, Fran. Yes, the very very very long run! :))
DeleteThank you so much for the comment. It's lovely to see you here and I apologise for the late response. I had so many spam comments to delete, I almost missed yours. I'm glad it made you smile xx
Hi Val - I'm afraid more foot rot on its way after this weekend ... I hope you can find the 'leak' in or out - more very wet nappies! ... and am glad Koos is sorting out the brackets ... nice to have someone on hand who can do those sort of things.
ReplyDeleteWonderful day out with your daughters and dogs - it's glorious when the weather is civilised! Love the days of crinkly leaves and earthy smells ... good luck finishing things off - cheers Hilary
Thank you so much, Hilary. I’ve now found the leak, but the problem is how to stop it as it’s in a very awkward place. Ah well. It will get sorted somehow!
DeleteGood ... wish the leak could stop the bleak news too! enjoy the days you can get out - cheers Hilary
DeleteThank you! I've just found your comment. I approved it without seeing where it went and had to go hunting. Yes, the news is a bit bleak, isn't it? Keep warm, Hilary and keep smiling. Life goes on anyway, doesn't it? xx
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