Back with a reduced crew

We've returned from our winter on dry land somewhat later than originally planned. We did try briefly a few months ago but decided that it would all be too much for Vera to cope with. Sadly, we've now been without her for about a month, as at the grand age of 15 1/2 her Arthritis made it impossible for her to go on. It's just not the same without her.

Whilst discovering that V couldn't cope any more, we also discovered that we had a severe problem with our diesel. We broke down 3 times within a mile of leaving the marina, and only managed to get back by changing the fuel filters umpteen times. After talking to a few people & doing some research on the net, we decided to get the diesel polished to get rid of the Diesel Bug which we suspected was responsible for our problem. It wasn't cheap (over £200) but it was worth it to find out what was going on in the tank. It turned out that we did have Diesel Bug, but that wasn't as bad as we'd expected. The main problem was water in the tank. The diesel polisher from Grand Union Diesel Services found far more water in the tank than he would expect from condensation alone. He suspected water may be getting in through the diesel cap as the O-ring didn't seem to fit properly. Then when Simon removed the actual diesel filler fitting, he found that there was very little sealant between the deck & the fitting. Now with a new O-ring & properly sealed filler fitting we're hoping that we've cured the problem.

Diesel polishing in progress

The old filler cap sealant

We've been here since Tuesday evening, but due to the howling gales & lashing rain, we've yet to leave the marina. According to the forecast it's looking better tomorrow, so we're hoping to take Muriel for a run up to Loughborough & back to see if we can make it without breaking down. Fingers crossed. Then it's off down the Soar and onto the Trent & Mersey for a couple of months.