Weds and Thurs morn we awoke to a flashing red lo-battery light and on Friday morn permanent red. Our batteries are knackered, they're 4 years old and I thought we might get another year out of them but they is f*cked.
Dilemma. Where do you get 4 marine batteries in deepest Warwick? The nearest chandlers was way back in Braunston and nothing ahead of us according to the canal Bible. David googled said items and up pops Warwick Batteries 0.5 mile away! We walked to said place and arrived to an oasis of marine batteries, we were in marine battery heaven.
So we bought 4 big heavy bastard cells and then had to get them back to the boat on a small trolley making 2 journeys including bumping them down the steps to the towpath.
The guy in the shop gave us a number of a guy who might fit them for us. I could've done them but pay a man and get peace of mind. David phoned him, he'd be with us in an hour.
I thought I better check down in the engine hold before Robbie arrived, opened the hatch and horror of horrors, oil everywhere. The oil cap had come off.
I cleared up as much as I could quickly and then David went off to the nearest supermarket to buy nappies to soak up the majority of the oil underneath the engine and 15/40 oil if they had any.
Robbie arrived, tested our old cells and yes, dead as dodos. He fitted the new ones, tested and all working and even took our old batteries away with him.
David returned laden with nappies and amazingly, 15/40 engine oil.
2 litres £32, dirty robbing bastards but thank the canal God that they had some.
I then spent the next hour cleaning up oil in the cramped engine hold and then I was beaten and retreated to the warmth of the boat.
And from discovering the red light, through carrying the batteries back to the boat, fitting them, clearing up the oil slick and marching to Sainbury's 3 miles away it absolutely pissed it down continually, never stopped for a second.
And last night oh how we chortled and laughed about our day from hell but at least we have new power and 40 disposable nappies if we should need them.