With the new boating season just around the corner, LNBP were hard at work over the last few days with their annual de-winterising weekend.


From Wednesday (27th Feb) to Saturday (2nd March), many of LNBP’s volunteer skipper team and members came from near and far to pitch in and ensure Lancelot and Guinevere are looking ship shape ready for the new season and first booking which is only a matter of a few weeks away.
Here, LNBP Chairman and Boat Officer Peter Page gives a diary run down of the dewinterising weekend’s events.
 
 
Wednesday 27th February

Boats had their engines fired up without any problems after their rest over winter and taken to be fuelled up at the Union Canal Carriers (UCC) facility a few yards further down the cut.
The (newly cleaned) curtains were placed on board in preparation for their curtain hook attachment + rail gliders. Cratch covers removed and engine oil and diesel filters changed.
Heating switched on in Lancelot as this was going to be HQ for the DW crew.
Memory 12v feed to Pioneer radio re-established. Shed shelves de-husked (overhanging tree) and swept out.

 
Thursday 28th 
 
AM

Productive Marketing Meeting with Karl and Liz in the morning. Intermittent showers outside are hopefully not a sign of things to come for the next few days.

 
PM

Internal air adjustment system checked and set to ‘closed’ in preparation for roof washing on Saturday. Woodwork dried off and new LED (little blue light) replaced.
Light recess and internals reassembled. Fairly continuous rain this day so a good test! Similar vent maintenance action in the main bathroom.

 
 
Friday 1st March

Dewinterising crew arrived in evening and completed habitation of Lancelot. Curtains hung and external hardware removed from Saloon and mattresses installed.
 

Saturday 2nd March
 

Cleaning/re-assembling as per Paul Johnson’s rota.
 
Crockery removed by Karen for dishwasher treatment. All internals cleaned, cutlery/cooking utensils checked as per inventory – missing items noted. Again cleaned.
 

Windows cleaned inside and out. Roofs and external paintwork cleaned . Cookers/Hobs checked. Cabins/Bunks also cleaned and ‘hoovered’.
 
Guinevere’s water tank flushed through and boat made habitable.
 
Operations transferred to Guinevere while Lancelot’s water tank was drained and treated. Operations in G similar to L.
 
Boiler in Guinevere removed by UCC’s Jono and taken to workshop for repair. Re-installed later having had its jets cleaned and spiders removed! As the engine supplies hot water, operations carried. Boiler now ok and heating established.
 
All operations completed on both boats – a late lunch break and the main DW crew de-camped and subsequently withdrew.
 
Stayed on to enable completion of water tank cleaning on Guinevere. Took the opportunity to re-paint the yellow lines on rear decks of the boats (These signify the ‘no-go’ areas described by the Tiller Arcs). A Boat Safety Scheme requirement as are the smoke/Gas/CO alarms.
 
Refilled Guinevere’s tank. Now dark so decided to secure boats and return equipment etc. to store.
 
Will return before first booking (15 March) with new CO alarms (to go in corridor between Skipper’s Cabin and rear cabin. Saloon and S. Cabin already have detectors).

 

 
Many thanks to the de-winterising crew led by Paul who all worked very hard and completed their tasks in record time.
 
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