Staying in the old Heronshaw
Staying in the old Heronshaw

This was the first of several days at Heronshaw in Norfolk, tending to my new boat and working on its outstanding problems on a mild day for the time of year. After making myself a meal and stowing everything away, I spent two hours finding the wiring fault that prevented my boat’s Port Domestic battery charging. My caretaker Jack visited on foot after contractors had made the road near impassable. I retired late and slept quite reasonably.

I had decided to leave early and was woken at 6.00am. It still took me an hour to get out, even though I had done much of the packing the night before, but I arrived at Heronshaw at 8.45am which was very good. I had intended to stop on the way at Norwich ring-road at the McDonalds "Drive Thru'" but it was not open at that time of the morning. I found both the property and boat safe and well and spent some time transferring all my tools and belongings aboard. It was quite mild for the time of year.

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This complete, I stopped and made myself a meal and then stowed everything where it belonged before starting work. I first tried to find the problem with the Port Domestic battery not charging and it took me at least two hours to find that the auxiliary batteries were charged through relays and that the energising coil for that of the Port Domestic had an open-circuit crimp connection on it! I do not think that it could ever have been working properly. Just as I had found this, my caretaker, Jack Edwards, arrived from the village on foot as he had become stuck in the mud the day before. Some contractors working on a property further up had carved up the road and had only made make-shift repairs and he did not wish to risk bringing his car down the road. Just as well I have my Range Rover! Chatted to Jack for a while about all and sundry and then returned to work. I worked on until evening and then put the floorboards back down in the boat and made myself something to eat and drink. By this time, I had rigged up the battery charger to the Port Domestic on a temporary basis to charge the battery overnight and the system was working. I retired late and slept quite reasonably.