OUR PROGRESS AND PROBLEMS - March-AprIL 2002
			After ther Erewash Canal we decided to start going North as planned and turned out of the Canal and onto the River Trent going down river but up North and onto the Beeston Cut which runs through Nottingham. We visited just about every "place of interest" that we could including Nottingham Castle, the Caves, Lace Centre, Custume Museum and "The Robin Hood Experience". The shopping centre is great and a marvellous change from Croydon! However, we turned round at Nottingham for two reasons. One, Zoe Chris and the three boys were coming on board for Easter and the river is not so attractive a place as the canals for small children, and secondly we have decided that we need zips put in our cratch cover so we can get in and out at the front and the Company who will do these have a catchment area that ends at the Trent at Nottingham. So we went back past Sawley on the Trent and Mersey (Picking up Zoe and family as detailed in First Visitors) and onto the Coventry Canal. We took in the actual Coventry Arm up to the basin at Coventry and saw the City - including the cathedral and Motor Museum. We then turned up The Ashby Canal (full name Ashby de la Zouch Canal) which wends its way north and ends up at a dead end at Snarestone not far from where Zoe lives. It used to continue to Measham so we finished the journey on foot along the canal bed. Measham Museum was disappointing and only had about 4 of the famous teapots. By mid April, we had discovered that our washing machine would not work with our generator. Alan got the machine to work with all the boat batteries backing up the generator but the machine could not get up any speed to do the spins, or heat the water. So I had very wet cold washing. Its the launderette now until we sort something else out - like buying a new more powerful generator! Alan is currently looking into the alternatives. Another problem is that the prop is really not large enough for the engine so we do not have adequate power to push us against current and wind on the river so Alan is sorting out getting a new one which means going into a dry dock to get it fitted. The other major problem is that we are still having trouble with our diesel run stove in that it is not giving out much heat even when turned up to the highest setting. We shall probably have to alter our plans yet again and visit the centre where these stoves are sold which is up the Macclesfield Canal. - Oh well, it does not matter in which direction we go and we can always get back on course when all problems have finally been sorted!!!
					THE WASHING MACHINE WILL NOT WORK POWERED BY THE GENERATOR
						THE STOVE IS STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND IT WAS 4C THE OTHER NIGHT
							WE NEAD A LARGER PROP FOR MORE POWER