Gee thanks!

Well, I am pleased to report that I am now the extremely proud owner of a bright red slip of paper warning me and all persons, 'stepping aboard this vessel' that '....they might be in immediate and serious danger'! In short, I've failed - the story of my life here! While rusting and half sunk hulks of dilapidated scrap iron and rotting wood sail merrily by, shaking me off my moorings, this 4 year old boat with more money for maintenance thrown at it over the past years than many would throw at their houses has failed its Boat Safety Certificate. Apparently I have a 'significant gas leak' somewhere. Where, is anybodies guess but I do feel somewhat uncumbered by the release of the burden of something in the region of 134 quid for the privilege of owning said slip of paper.

The Corgi engineer at Rose Narrowboats is on a course, (should I feel confident or worried at this?) and so Friday or Saturday is the earliest time for getting the fault rectified. Assuming he can find the ellusive leak, he then has to run various tests, put the results in writing which I then have to post to the inspector before being allowed to have a certificate and freedom of beaurocracy for the next 4 years. To be fair, the inspector I used had the balance of being both strict and reasonable and I would recommend him. We believe the leak is probably from the front locker as the pressure drop was so significant that we would have smelt it inside by now if it was anywhere else! I shall report on the continuing saga over the weekend but until then there's a pretty safe bet that anyone coming for dinner round my house in the next week will get a salad!

....and by the way, I know really that this weekend isn't the bank holiday, I was just finding out how many readers I had and who was awake - teacher tactic, "spot my deliberate mistake now children!"