Leigh To Worsley.

Birthday cake, a leaking water pump and one midnight rescue......

We were starting to use quite a lot more water than usual according to the water tank dip stick, also there was a lot of clean water in the bilge. Putting two and two together in a flash of inspiration we decided we had a leak.

That might seem to be a simple thing, but on these boats trying to find where the cunning builders have hidden the pipes is hard enough without trying to find a leak as well.

Deciding to start at the beginning we would expose the water pump first. This meant removing the fitted cupboard and carpet in the bows without actually destroying either of them. What a mess!

A handy hole cut into the bulkhead showed the pump sitting there merrily dripping away..........jackpot on the first go.

Heading out into the country to find a nice secluded spot for the birthday celebrations, the canal changed from the Leeds Liverpool to the Bridgewater.

This change happens just under a bridge in Leigh itself. The first thing you are greeted with is one of these cranes that are used to drop that board into the canal to block the water if there is a breach or work needs doing.

Will you please stop parking your Land Rover on the back of my boat..........

Recently, the weather guessers for this area were saying that we would be cooked to death in temperatures of over eighty degrees and if that didn't get us we would be drowning in the humidity.

All we got was a lot of wind and a bit of light rain....everything normal there then.

Crunchie decided to have a walk about on Sunday night as we had the doors open, lots of calling and calling later a pitiful miaowing came from, of all places, the other side of the canal! The nearest bridge was a long way up the canal so how or why she did that is a bit of a mystery.

The scene is midnight and we are letting the bow rope go for me to use the bow thruster and get Ubique broadside across the canal whilst D keeps the stupid animal in the beam of the torch. A quick rescue (mad grab at fleeing pet) and we were moored up once more.

What the people in the boat behind us must have thought is any ones guess.

A funny end to the day for the birthday boy.

Until next time......................

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