Jumping around a bit day wise. We moored overnight just below the Bratch locks. I had a red letter evening fishing, must have caught over 25- 2lb plus chub on shrimp. Never fished the canal like it before, it was excellent.
We set ff just after 8 to go up the Bratch locks with the help of the lockie. He was a chatty fellow been working for BW since 1976, retired now doing summer lock work. The other fellow was also nice and chatty but well fed up with BW/CART as they had just changed his contract to annualised hours meaning about £700 a year pay cut and more weekend working. You have got to feel sorry for those still with BW.
As I got back on the boat I immediately smelt steamy antifreeze, I lifted the board and there was steam from the engine. We moored up just off the Top of the Bratch lock landings and called RCR......I think it went to a call centre as the fella seemed to be reading from a script. We put the call in at 9.35.....and engineer turned up at 1.20. He topped up the water undid a bolt on the thermostat housing and bled some air, advised me the alternator belt needed changing and left. A nice fella , but........
......we cruised on thru a couple more locks then at Dimmingsdale locks the voltage alarm and battery light came on, so we moored up and phoned RCR again, about 3.25pm, she said he computer had just crashed (!) so she would call me back.....4pm I phoned again and it was obvious
A. The first girl had forgot or just disregarded my call
B. They were seriously short of engineers
She said an engineer would be with me at 10am...
I got the Brompton ready.....checked my ipad for the nearest Halfords and cycled the 5 miles to the centre of Wolverhampton to see if they had a like for like alternator belt....yep I should have a spare, but I'd used it last service and i think it was a little big (I think the reason for the two failures is my belt is not fully tight as it is at the end of the adjustment and is slipping) they did not - arse. So I got some supplies and we will wait for RCR at 10am... they had better not be late.
No hardship really as we are in no rush to get back, but we will need to charge the batteries in the morning and get some hot water. At least we have an excuse for a lazy start.
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4 comments:
Sorry to hear of your woes, Nev. Is it all sorted now?
I am dead envious of your suburb catch tally! I struggle on maggot (when I can find a tackle shop)only catching small stuff with the occasional large bream or perch to keep my hopes up of catching a real specimen fish. I have never tried shrimp. Any tips you could give me would be gratefully received.
Irene
RCR struggling with a spike in demand, no doubt. Experience has taught me that Halfords, like B&Q, despite being crammed full of stuff Never have what you want!
Halfie, sorted now, will update on what happened shortly.
Irene, I use a hair rig, sounds complicated but it is just a loop hanging off the hook. You will need a bait needle to thread the bait, shrimp or sweet corn on and some stoppers to stop it coming off. Frozen shrimp is a good bait as it can be always available and you can catch chub, perch carp and they'll be big!
Martin, yep RCR were no doubt struggling or maybe have reduced their engineers and now rely on local boatyards?
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