Still at Hinckley!!

Yes we're still at the marina in Hinckley, which is quite nice - it's the circumstances that aren't.  Richard the engineer didn't come bearing good news about the broken generator, but as always in these situations it never is good news.  Anyway basically the generator needs re-building and it is sourcing the part which is the hold up, Richard had managed to track it down but from America with a two week delivery time, then he will do whatever needs doing when he gets the part and then get back to us to fit it back on the engine.  And we will then have to part with a great deal of money!!

Anyway we are making the most of our time and the marina is in a very convenient location.  We have ventured into Hinckley itself twice, it's only about a mile and a half away, once on the bikes and the second time we had a stroll there, it's quite a good size town with all the usual high street shops.  About a mile the other way from the marina is very handy Aldi which we have visited a couple of times.  So in all a very convenient location.

As we are going to be here for a while we thought we'd better catch up with the Bongo again as it had been almost a month since we left it at Hawkesbury Junction.  So getting a route from Google Maps it was on the bikes for a 9.5 mile cycle to get it, hoping that after all this time it would still be there and start!!  We arrived at Hawkesbury in good time, and the first hurdle was over - it was still there!  So James took the keys (I must have checked I had the keys at least a dozen times before leaving - image all that way and forgetting the keys!!), he put the key in the ignition and turned - it fired up straight away, why I even doubted it I don't know because the two years we have had it, it has never let us down, I think it was the thought of a wasted journey.  So the Bongo is back with us at the marina.

We have also, at last, started our maintenance program in the time we have been here.  I started by clearing out the front two lockers and painting them out and the difference is amazing, and it will also protect against rust.  James has spent the last few days inside sanding down all the window surrounds and the roof light surrounds, lots of dust but well worth it, the first coat of varnish went on today and what a transformation - wish I had some before and after photos, must try to do that in future.  As it has been raining today I have spent the day at the sewing machine.  I was lucky enough the other day to 'be in the right place at the right time' and managed to get some off cuts of foam, these are to do some port hole bungs as the wooden ones we have do the job but not particularly well, these are instead of curtains or blinds on the circular windows in the bed and office area. So today I was making linings for them so at least we can use them until we find some material for the proper coverings.

I also spent a lot of yesterday down the engine bay getting the water out yet again, we have finally discovered how the water was getting in which is actually down through the pumps as these are plumbed into the drainage holes so with a very short term solution the overnight rain ended up in strategically placed buckets rather than in the bottom of the engine bay.  I have already had a few comments from people on our pontoon about how much time I have spent 'down the hole'.  Am I becoming obsessed with water in my bilges???