Halfway There

Our gas bottle had run out which meant stopping at Aldermaston Wharf wharf to buy a replacement bottle which cost just over £26 <ouch>.  Still, a 13kg bottle lasts approximately two months so it’s not our major cost.  It was only a short move from the wharf to the water point mooring outside the Aldermaston Visitor Centre.  Good water pressure here but it still took some time to top up the tank as it was half full.  Whilst we waited, I disposed of the rubbish and Jan did some washing.  The water was flowing into the boat at one end and out the other.  There were two boats moored on the Aldermaston Facilities moorings.  These are marked on the maps as 4 hours but someone has added an 8 after the 4.

We had some passing showers throughout our cruise to Thatcham.  NB Oakfield was moored above Woolhampton Lock.  No sign of Anne & Keith.  Guess the home baked scones will have to wait for another day!

The 48 hour moorings at Thatcham were full but the boater on NB Adelaide kindly allowed us to breast up against him.  He advised us he was only stopping for lunch and some essential shopping at the nearby Cooperative before continuing on to Newbury.  He headed off an hour later and I went forward to Monkey Marsh Lock to assist him through.

Afterwards I started the process of refilling the fuel tanks with diesel from the nearby Pinnocks Depot.  We have a 20 & 30 litre plastic container which I strapped to the folding sack trolley before walking the 560 metres to the depot.  The diesel was 75.9ppl and I managed three trips before the depot closed at 5pm.

 

I used the small 3v pump to transfer the diesel from the containers to the propulsion tank.  The pump has reached then end of its reliable life and is now held together with glue and tape.  We have ordered a replacement ( £10) but it’s on the slow boat from China.  A boat slowly cruised by as I was decanting the second load of diesel and I realised they were looking for a mooring so we invited them to breast up against us.  The offer was quickly accepted.

The final trip to Pinnocks had the fuel tank reach three quarter full.  I’ll probably do three more trips tomorrow morning.