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Month: October 2016

Bonny Journey

Bonny Journey

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Aborted!

At least for now, whilst I let my knee rest…

The sensible thing to do was let my knee recover.

After leaving the Gypsy Hill Hotel, I got about 3/4 mile down the road before I realised it was just not going to be possible to go any further.

It feels OK. When I put any pressure on it, it starts to hurt.

Exeter to Lands End

When I start again, I commence where I left of.

I believe it’s £15 on the train if I book apex.

There are some great national parks down there, at present, it will spoil my enjoyment of the autumnal scenes and make the best of the journey pointless.

So I’ve given up on it for now.

The boat is still here, although someone tried to rip my TV aerial out, didn’t cause any damage.
Maybe they caught it on something.

Gonna do some chores round here, then pick it up in a few days.

Devon Lane
Day 53 – Taunton to Exeter

Day 53 – Taunton to Exeter

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Knee isn’t much better.

I’ve decided it’s the tendons at the back of the kneecap have become slightly inflamed.

Tendonitis I believe it’s called. I personally don’t think it’s very serious, although there’s no doubt it’s going to slow me down, roughly by about 1/2 the amount each day.

Today, I took it particularly easy, just travelling to Exeter, or thereabouts.

Somerset into Devon

The most significant development of the day was moving between the counties of Somerset and Devon.

Devon Lane
Devon Lane

The lanes in Devon look like this. …

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Wells Cathedral
Day 52 – Seend Park to Taunton

Day 52 – Seend Park to Taunton

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A drab and dreary day, that took me down through Frome, across to Wells, down to Glastonbury and in to Taunton.

About 70 miles.

The damp weather has caused some problems with my knee, and I’m not sure how it’ll be functioning tomorrow.

I’m going to book something close, and not risk straining it.

Canaltime

Spent most of the morning cycling down the canal towpath.

Stopped for a coffee in Monkton Combe at the Angelfish café, where some other cyclist had congregated for the same reason.

Avoncliff is a particularly good stretch, with the canal looking down on the Avon winding it’s way through the valley below.

England's Glory - Avoncliff
England’s Glory – Avoncliff

…

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Kennet and Avon, Hilperton
Day 50 – Seend Park to Bradford on Avon

Day 50 – Seend Park to Bradford on Avon

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I don’t think I’ve hated anywhere in England more than Bradford on Avon.

It’s snotty, fascist, ‘Little England-esque’, chocolate box nimbyism got me feeling the place would be better off bombed.

Never wish to go there again.

I’ve been to places all over the UK. All over Europe. Been to 55 countries. All across the world.

I’d rather hang out in Salford than here.

Wigan.

All better.

Horrible.

Anyway, on with the journey.

Bonny End

I made my way down from Seend locks to Hilperton, in the hope of lodging at the marina for a short time, whilst I complete the rest of my John O’Groats to Lands End journey.

The journey itself, if you subtract the time taken for getting up to John O’Groats is 36 Days.

That’s why I’ve changed the day back to 36. …

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Caen Hill Marina
Day 49 – Caen Hill Marina to Seend Park

Day 49 – Caen Hill Marina to Seend Park

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An easy half day, leaving Caen Hill at around 12pm after buying a bell for my bike in Devizes and having my lunch.

Engine

As you may have read, I fixed the engine myself.

Believe it or not, it actually runs better now.

In the new smoother Bonnie, I took off through the gates of Caen Hill along my merry way.

Double parking

It wasn’t long before I hit some locks. There’s just so many of them on this canal.

When I went to park the boat before the locks, so I could operate the paddles and open the gates, there was a 60ft wide beam sitting, covering all the bollards.

I thought ‘they may be in the locks’, unlikely. As I approached, it became clearer they weren’t in the locks. The boat was abandoned. Just left close to the locks, with a sign in the window with a phone number on it.

As I pulled up, there was no-where to put my boat, and I had to tie it to the side of this widebeam whilst I negotiated the lock. …

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BMC 1800 marine
Bleeding a BMC 1800 marine engine

Bleeding a BMC 1800 marine engine

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Bleeding the fuel system for a BMC 1800 marine engine.

Made the video today, after completing the bleed of the engine’s fuel system.

Wasn’t too easy.

Bonnie’s roadworthy

Or canal-worthy again.

Here’s the video for those avid engineers out there….

Day 48 – Caen Hill Locks

Day 48 – Caen Hill Locks

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Caen Hill Locks
Caen Hill Locks

Diesel hasn’t sorted the engine out, it now needs ‘bleeding’.

Whilst the engineer I spoke to yesterday agreed to make it for 10, his cat was taken ill in the night, and their were some complications and confusions.

These weren’t helped by the fact that my phone was flat and I couldn’t get a signal.

Whatever, I decided to pull the boat down to the next marina.

7 Locks away.

Caen Hill Marina

The boat is now moored in Caen Hill Marina.

I’ve had a chance to tidy her up a bit, and her batteries are charging.

Haven’t had chance to look at the engine – due to the weather.

I’ve got until 2 pm tomorrow to sort it out myself.

It ain’t a great or difficult job.

Bleeding a BMC marine engine

Bleeding is a case of getting all the air from the injection system, by means of manual pumping and turning the engine over.

When you run out fuel, it’s a kind of standard job you’ll find yourself, or someone else, doing.

I’ve got some additional kit and tips off other boaters, and TBH, I’d managed to bleed it through most of the bleed points on the BMC 18,000 engine. I need the power in the batteries to continue the job and finish off.

I’ll have another look at it tomorrow, when it’s not raining.

No pictures or map today.