Is yet to be solved

 Feb 15th

All morning was spent trying to find where the water was coming from. Nothing was found, no leaks, weeps or seeps! So the mystery still continues, but Ian is now more than ever under the impression that condensation has to be the main cause. This winter has been particularly cold, the stove has been cranked up to compensate, and we have one of those heat powered fans to move the heat around. Trouble is its always cold toward the floor, hence my cold feet!, We are pretty sure that's why the increase of moisture buildup. We could have had this problem every year during the cold months, and never knew. As to the pump running intermittently, that is still a mystery to be solved. Absorbent pads were bought from Screw Fix and placed under the bed by the calorifier where the most moisture was. These can be left in place for quite a while so Ian decided to leave them until the hull and weather warms up.

 

I also lost a lens from my glasses during the search to find the leaks. It's in the boat somewhere, but we have been through it with a fine toothed comb to no avail. Where could it have got too? How is it possible to lose something on a boat? I'm beginning to think there are borrowers around after all. Phoning the opticians was less than helpful. They won't order me another pair because my eye test is due, and the first available appointment isn't until the 7th March. I have reading glasses which is great to do nearby work but doesn't help at all when watching TV. Oh well, I'll just have to get used to a blurry picture.

 

With the boards up in the bathroom, Ian noticed that in the cavity quite a few bricks had been placed as ballast. FS has always had a slight list to starboard. Most of the heavy furniture is on our starboard side, bed, fridge, washing machine, calorifier, shower, toilet, sink and our seats in the lounge area.  We have both talked about trying to re-ballast FS and last year. Ian was offered a short railway sleeper which would have been ideal, unfortunately that never materialised. Anyway, the bane of my life has been when trying to bake the perfect sponge cake. Because of the slight list, it always came out lopsided. The plan then was to take out as many bricks as he could, he took 20 in total. Some were placed under the radiator and the rest stacked up in the bathroom, making it unfit for purpose for a while, while he thought about where they could all go! In the end, 8 were put in our 'cellar', stacked on the port side and another 8 stacked up behind the sofa. The kick board in the galley was removed and another 4 went in there. A level gauge was then placed on the work surface and yes....the bubble showed up in the centre meaning we were level. So hopefully, next cake bake, a perfect sponge will be forth coming. 

 Feb 16th

We drove again to Trent lock to do the 'biz' at the facilities. Wow, even more flooding was present. Nearly all the car park on one side was flooded and the Trent Lock pub garden also underwater. The house nearby had flooding across their drive and into the garage. I don't envy the occupants trying to leave. Waders would be necessary, me thinks!. 

car park

The pub garden

Driveway and the only entrance to the house.

 I think we have resigned ourselves to being here for the rest of February. The river shows no signs of going down and every time it rains, my heart sinks. Surely we will be home by March....won't we?  I'm keeping everything crossed. 🤞