Back to black(ing)!!

We collected Windsong from Blisworth Tunnel boats this morning, after having her re-blacked and given an engine service.  They have done a very good job – especially above the rubbing strakes where we had decided to have the hull blacked up to the gunwales.  The black high gloss was lovely when it was new, but impossible to keep looking good after it had become scratched.  We are very pleased with the result.

 

The weather was appalling this morning, and Rog was very wet and cold by the time he arrived back at the Marina – it started to rain even more heavily as we were tying her up to the pontoon, and struggling to get the soaked pram-hood up.

Incidentally, we suffered a small amount of frost damage during the really cold weather before Christmas.  The shower mixer tap broke on the temperature control side.  Apparently, as we have discovered recently this is not unusual, even when properly drained down, as we had done.  There is a ceramic ring inside the tap which breaks at very low temperatures.  We have bought a new mixer tap from Ebay for £30.00 which we will install next week. 

Our water filter under the galley sink also suffered, but this time it was our own fault – we totally forgot about it, and didn’t unscrew it!  Subsequently, the ceramic filter shattered and the plastic filter housing broke.  We are awaiting a replacement part from Aquafax.  As far as we can tell (touch wood!) this is the only damage we have suffered – we consider ourselves lucky.  There are boats in our marina that have come off far worse!