Journey from Norton Canes to Stoke Golding

The boat's steelwork was completed mid-December by Norton Canes, and we started an adventurous trip with the boat from NC to Stoke Golding, where it will be fitted out by Rob Bryan.  We had a false start as we had engine troubles an hour or two into the journey ... the engine stopped dead and I feared something major, but it transpired that the new gearbox output shaft that Dick had fitted was a tight fit, and had 'picked-up' a little on the shaft bringing the propshaft to a dead halt.  We were towed back to the yard at NC by Geoff and other kind souls who rescued us on that dark evening, for which we were very grateful.  Dick responded very quickly and removed the gearbox so that he could bed in the bearing fully, and the gearbox was back on the day after and we were ready to go.  Here are some pictures ...

The boat sails past Salford Junction under the M6