Day 4 - Crofton to Great Bedwyn The day dawned with weather more appropriate to Peasedown St John than Crofton and it continued to rain on-and-off though the morning. So we faffed about - Lynne sewing and Baz trying to siphon oil out of the gearbox [with limited success - chalked up as a partial oil change]. Less rain after lunch so we pushed off for a gentle potter eastwards. Waited after Lock 61 for nb Forget-me-Not to catch up and then waited some more at Lock 62 for a crazy couple to get a cruiser into the lock without pirouetting in the wind too often. Waited for an up-coming boat at lock 63 and lost further time at Lock 64 while it filled on one paddle. In the end a trip that my 'ready- reckoner' [computed from previous logs] should take 1.25 hrs took 2 hrs. However, we were in no hurry and had plenty of time to find a mooring beyond the VMs. As we arrived a bizarre rattling sound came from the engine - proved eventually to be the air filter element in which the foam had separated from the expanded metal fastening and the filter housing had thus been turned into an effective random sound generator. I expect it was designed by Lister to do that to remind me to change it - 1,500 hrs is probably enough. All we had to do then was eat, pack up all the valuables and catch a train back to Bradford-on-Avon to collect the car so we could wend homewards. Distance: 1m 6fl; Locks 4; Engine hours: 2.01
Reports resume at the weekend, hopefully. Baz
