The water pump farce & there’s more

There’s at least one total farce per week on this boat & yesterday was a prime example. We’d noticed the water pump was getting noisy for a while, & the past couple of weeks it’s sounded like jungle drums under the bow. But it was still working & not leaking so bugger it, always best to get your money’s worth these days even if you need earplugs. However, on Monday the inevitable happened & it started leaking.

Right well, it’s time to get a new one says Dave. Then “Hang on, we’re talking about me & water here, we don’t get on.”

Strange that, thinks me, it’s not like he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s fitted a new shower, new sink & taps, & changed a water pump on here before. Hmm. It’s only in hindsight I realised he must be psychic.   

First problem: He went round to Midland Chandlers yesterday, & they didn’t stock our make or model anymore. I mean it’s “Sure Flow” for goodness sake, not some obscure Chinese jobby.

Next step, go under the bow for even more detailed info about the tech spec. He thought it would be easier just to rip the dam thing off & take it back there with him, & they could match another Sure Flow up. Glory be! They did, & off he went back under the bow.

Next problem: It hadn’t come with any “spades” in the box (to dig out what?)

Next step: Back to Midland Chandlers for some “spades” [it’s nice on the beach at this time of year, should’ve bought a bucket too] But why didn’t they tell him they don’t come with spades (of any kind) in the box anymore first time?

Next step: Come back & finish the job. So what should’ve taken 40 minutes took 2 hours.

Today, yes I’ve been hiding stuff in the hope they’ll go away:

The cable that cured the electrical problems is still connected, but it’s not ours. It’s B&Q discount day, so off me little darling tootled to get our own cable & 2 new connector plugs. {Hope}

They’d only got one of the plugs & the cable was an outrageous price. (Friends have told us where to go to get it cheaper. But not knowing the area outside a 5 mile radius, we’ve forgotten). So he thought sod it. Came back here with nothing & is sat here now in a BIG sulk.

Oh, & there’s even more going wrong aboard the good ship Toil n’ Trouble!

About a week ago I noticed the water in the shower was only tepid, not properly warm. In fact we’ve had to press the button, knock the safety temp off & turn it all the way just to get tepid. I kid ye not, having a shower is painful.

What with jungle drums in the background recently, & dancing about in the shower at the same time. A passing observer would think we were practicing for the naked version of Strictly come Hopping Dancing (oh missus). Now the water won’t warm up at all, yes I’m boiling a kettle just to do the washing up. Yet the central heating boiler is lovely & quiet as always, & the radiators get hot. Work that out? 

We’ve come to the conclusion that problems on this badly behaved boat are either obscure anomaly's that don’t make sense. Or obvious problems that aren’t easily rectified & should be.

And, you’re really not going to believe this one, even with the new cable the electrical problem is slowly coming back. Which is what it did last time, device by device. And the microwave has started crackling again, so it’s left switched off. Another mystery, it was cured for a few days.

You know what, I think Dave’s almost at the selling up stage right now, & I’m not far behind.

Thing is, how could we sell up when it’s all logged & blogged, warts & all??????? (Oops).

If we get all this sorted, would you buy a TT? She might behave better for someone else…