We arrived at East Farleigh at 4.30pm on Saturday and on leaving the station we notice a problem with a woman who cant do hill starts. Every time she tries shes getting closer to the car behind, 
so she shouts out for help. Roy is the chivalrous one and anyway I was busy having a fag having spent 2 hours on a train, so he jumps in the seat and drives the car to a flat bit over the level crossing. Everybody cheering now because this is a narrow road and every buggers been held up. Driver had a nurses uniform on and Roy said she had an East European accent, hmmm, doubt she had a license..........
Off we trundle with hand baggage trolleys to the marina and board the boat. Now I was hoping that boats would be going up and down the river because neither of us knows how to operate the locks but none in sight. Stick kettle on then. No sooner had we done that and one appears so start boat, do a swift U turn and we follow it into the lock. Young ginger haired lad from other boat running around doing the biz, nice one.
An hour or so later we are tying up outside the Malta Inn at Allington lock which is the last one before the tidal section and we are booked to go through this (manned) lock at 8am. Absolutely lovely setting, we had some Stella, a nice meal and a good laugh with the staff. None of them wanted to be a cabin bitch though so we went to sleep and made our own coffee in the morning.
Sunday: Nice day with sun! We managed to bash the lock gates a bit but avoided the other two expensive craft that were already in the lock........Off we go then wafting exhaust fumes and annoying fishermen.
All going fine for an hour or so, we pass Rochester and Chatham and just as we are passing Hoo fire breaks out in the engine bay. feck me wheres Howard!!!!!!! Two fire extinguishers are emptied down into the engine and we turn off the batteries......Jeez, that sorted we turn our attention to our drifting predicament and luckily we manage to grab a yacht moored on a buoy and tie up to that, good choice as it happens cos sailing club guy comes out to see whats up and promises to pick us up if we cant sort it.
Anyway after engine cools down I set about finding the cause and discover there has been a short circuit in the starter solenoid and apart from that now being totally fecked and a burned out battery lead no more damage. I set about fixing the wiring out bypassing the solenoid and going direct to the alternator, used a jump lead to power up the starter and engine starts and we even have batteries charging! We sat there and watched it for half an hour and having decided it was okay we untied from the yacht and made our way back up river because its now too late to make it to Brightlingsea in Essex. Boat is now at Port Medway Marina just past the M2 motorway bridge. I have removed the starter, hell of a job in cramped space and removed the solenoid and we are now back home awaiting a new one.
Part 2 next week then.........10 nautical miles in two days. Only another 170 to go....
so she shouts out for help. Roy is the chivalrous one and anyway I was busy having a fag having spent 2 hours on a train, so he jumps in the seat and drives the car to a flat bit over the level crossing. Everybody cheering now because this is a narrow road and every buggers been held up. Driver had a nurses uniform on and Roy said she had an East European accent, hmmm, doubt she had a license..........Off we trundle with hand baggage trolleys to the marina and board the boat. Now I was hoping that boats would be going up and down the river because neither of us knows how to operate the locks but none in sight. Stick kettle on then. No sooner had we done that and one appears so start boat, do a swift U turn and we follow it into the lock. Young ginger haired lad from other boat running around doing the biz, nice one.
An hour or so later we are tying up outside the Malta Inn at Allington lock which is the last one before the tidal section and we are booked to go through this (manned) lock at 8am. Absolutely lovely setting, we had some Stella, a nice meal and a good laugh with the staff. None of them wanted to be a cabin bitch though so we went to sleep and made our own coffee in the morning.Sunday: Nice day with sun! We managed to bash the lock gates a bit but avoided the other two expensive craft that were already in the lock........Off we go then wafting exhaust fumes and annoying fishermen.
All going fine for an hour or so, we pass Rochester and Chatham and just as we are passing Hoo fire breaks out in the engine bay. feck me wheres Howard!!!!!!! Two fire extinguishers are emptied down into the engine and we turn off the batteries......Jeez, that sorted we turn our attention to our drifting predicament and luckily we manage to grab a yacht moored on a buoy and tie up to that, good choice as it happens cos sailing club guy comes out to see whats up and promises to pick us up if we cant sort it.
Anyway after engine cools down I set about finding the cause and discover there has been a short circuit in the starter solenoid and apart from that now being totally fecked and a burned out battery lead no more damage. I set about fixing the wiring out bypassing the solenoid and going direct to the alternator, used a jump lead to power up the starter and engine starts and we even have batteries charging! We sat there and watched it for half an hour and having decided it was okay we untied from the yacht and made our way back up river because its now too late to make it to Brightlingsea in Essex. Boat is now at Port Medway Marina just past the M2 motorway bridge. I have removed the starter, hell of a job in cramped space and removed the solenoid and we are now back home awaiting a new one.
Part 2 next week then.........10 nautical miles in two days. Only another 170 to go....
Great story Vince, Remind me to never go anywhere with you on or in anything, :Not me Guv: 
Can't wait for next installment! 
. Mine's works fine, what's the problem you're getting? 
