16 July 2013 – Royal Clarence Marina, Gosport

The next episode of the engine mount saga…

Up early if not bright for the first journey to “do” things without a car.  Roger is finding that navigating timetables and evaluating public transport options is not a straightforward matter, even with internet and when everyone speaks English.

Stage One: by van to Fareham Station.  We cadged a lift in the back of Helen and Phil’s van.

It’s amazing how disorienting it is to be without light when driving, even along a road you think you know well!  But we were at the station in 20 minutes, and got the 8.50 fast train into Southampton.  The return tickets were £7.90 each.  The train got to Southampton Central  at 9.08, and after a false start (leaving the station by the wrong exit) were directed by a friendly taxi driver to the bus stop for the no 18.  Needless to say one was just leaving as we arrived.  But they run every 7-8 minutes, and were at Shamrock Quay by 10am, back on a bus by 10.30, and back at the station by 10.50. Cost, £2.90 each return. The 11.05 train was delayed, by half an hour, but we were back in Fareham by 11.45.  The directions for the Eclipse bus back to Gosport were clear.  So far so good. 

Then it became apparent that the timetable for the Eclipse bus was not anything real.  The buses are meant to go every 7-8 minutes but we waited a good 25 minutes before one came along.  But despite the high cost - £3.00 single! - it is a busy service, and speedy because for part of the route it travels along the disused railway line; but then compensates by weaving through all the byways of Gosport.  We reached parts of Elson never before plumbed, Chris!  Roger went on to Halfords to get an overall and other bits; I walked up to the War Memorial Hospital MIU to get my sprained ankle looked at.  For a Monday lunchtime there was a steady stream of business.  Service was slick (other than the ECP asking for an xray on my left foot, not the right (my form had a paper clipped note attached – patient says RIGHT! Please advise) it was all very friendly and straightforward.  I was out by 2.30.  Nothing serious – a soft tissue injury.  But it still hurts!

This morning Tuesday the awning went up to try to keep the boat as cool as possible. 

Changing the engine mounts is a real palaver.  The boat has been built round the engine, and there is no space to get to the mounts.  Roger asked if I could get my hand into a particularly awkward crevice to hold a spanner over the bolt head: I thought I could but the bolt dropped into the bilge.  Disaster!  But, coping manfully, he managed to find an orifice between pipes and tubes to grope around in the bilge under the engine and managed to find and extract it (although the washer, if there was ever one, has gone for good.) To prevent it all happening again, we’re using thin fishing line to attach a messenger line to the bolt before reinstallation, and in addition have used araldite to glue another line.  As I write just before 6pm the second mount is almost ready to be reinstalled.  The two port mounts will then be done, leaving the starboard side ones to be reviewed tomorrow.  Then, engine realignment – another time consuming job.

It looks as though the wind will favour us towards the weekend for going further west.