Not Even Sunny in Patches. - Monday 2nd October Saarschleife

Like yesterday, the piece of river we traversed is simply one of the most beautiful places one could imagine floating through.  Unlike yesterday, there weren’t even any sunny patches during the day let alone any dry.  The day was by far the darkest that we have ever travelled in, at least by boat so instead of gasping at the majesty of the cliffs that slide down into the water, we spent a fair bit of time just trying not to run into them.  At least we could be seen with our navigation lights shining bright.

More than seven years ago, we rebuilt them, checked all connections and fittings, then unplugged them from their mast and stowed them in a box in the bilge where they have remained comfortable ever since.  When it became apparent that things were not going to improve during the course of the day, that sunrise may not actually even take place, we reasoned that perhaps if we had navigation lights, our chances of being obliterated by the hundred and fifty metre long behemoths with which we share this waterway may be somewhat diminished.

Sadly, after seven years in storage they showed some reluctance to illuminate, and doggedly refused to do so even in the face of some very nasty words being muttered at them.  Anyone who has ever sat hunched outside for an hour or two in chilly mizzle with tools and a multimeter, trying to work out why lights don’t work, will confirm what joy it brings when finally they do.   Permanently repaired; using the old “ jam the bare wires into the socket with matchsticks and tape them up” trick!