Random Writings

Innocenti’s alternator hasn’t been quite right since Manchester. I thought it was a fan belt problem at first, and indeed the fan belt was very difficult to get tight – but successive modifications (the final one being in Huddersfield, with Richard doing battle with the awkward nuts and bolts) have resolved that problem. Unfortunately the fault remains – the alternator and rev counter work for a few seconds when the engine is first started from cold, and then give up. After a certain amount of poking about we concluded that the internal electronics in the alternator had given up – either the regulator or the diodes or both. So I’ve been relying on running the generator each morning and evening to top up the batteries. Anyway, in Mirfield we decided to go on to Wakefield and see about getting a specialist to look at the alternator. We also needed a pump-out fairly urgently. A mile down the cut is a boatyard – “Shepley Bridge Marina” – where we stopped to get a pumpout. Sadly his hose was too short to reach Innocenti’s tank (honestly, boatyard owners, will another few metres of suction hose break the bank?) and we had to press on. We went to Wakefield, enjoying the broad navigation, and moored up at Wakefield Wharf – we’d met the owner on the Hudds Narrow and he’d offered us a weekend mooring. When we came to leave the yard we found it was locked! Some entertaining wall-climbing allowed us out into town and I was fortunately also able to get back in…

Day 56: 9 miles and 10 locks.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 30th, 2010 at 5:22 pm and is filed under Narrowboat.