Page published 15 August 2025
Wednesday 5 February 2025 - Unplugging the Heaters!
The threat of really low temperatures had gone and it was time to turn off the two heaters on the boat. I managed to find the time to get to the boat to do that today. It was a simple job and took just a few minutes. I even took a photograph of the meter so that I could warn my relations that another bill might come their way.
While there I used the toilet only to have what I feared was a disaster. One of the hinges on the toilet seat had failed during our last trip, but now the second one snapped.
I read the electricity meter
...and measured the toilet.
The hinges turned out to be widely available from a variety of suppliers.
Examining the hinges made me suspect that both the seat and the hinges were original. With something almost 50 years old I feared spares would be difficult to obtain with updates to the design meaning that a whole new toilet seat would be required. I took a photograph of the toilet with a measure lying across it, in the hope I could find something to fit.
Back at home I spent some time searching web sites for a toilet seat of the right size. After several days I decided that I could find none that would fit, even expensive ones! I was on the point of giving up when it occured to me that I might as well search for Jabsco spares. I was amzed to find that just what I needed were available from almost any on-line chandlery business and even general traders such as Amazon and eBay.
I placed an order and a few days later I had possession of exactly what I needed. Yes it did mean I would retain the original seat and lid, but these really were still in "as new" condition and didn't justify replacement.
Tuesday 25 March 2025 - The Toilet is Repaired!
It took some time before I found a spare moment to get down to Singing the Blues again. It was late March and around 10:35 when I arrived at the dyke and was surprised to see what I could have taken to be an enormous orange balloon almost at the end of the dyke. I chatted to Dave and Yvonne, who live aboard their boat, to find that they were not impressed. The view from their aft cabin was now filled by the monster.
Once back home and armed with my photograph showing the text on the side of the craft,I was able to confirm that it had been an escape pod for 38 persons that used to be stationed on the "Northern Producer" gas rig.
The strange boat on a mooring near ours that I encountered as I arrived to fix the toilet.
The toilet now with a secure seat and lid.
It took less than 20 minutes to fit the new hinges and after that I took a couple of pictures of the outside of the boat before going home. Last year Singing the Blues spent the winter under a willow tree at Anchor Moorings in Coltishall. I had hoped that we'd suffer less leaf drop over winter at Long Dyke, but it seems this is not to be. She'll require another good clean up before we can feel proud of her.
The hull is beginning to show signs of the autumn leaf drop and will take a bit of cleaning.
You can just make out the escape pod moored at the head of the dyke.
Next, read about Spring Cleaning Singing the Blues.