vrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

It isn't always very easy accessing the bits on the engine one needs to access, and I find it very easy to suffer from defeat as I try and stretch myself into unnatural shapes and extend my fingers at angles that aren't quite comfortable. My father always taught me that ease is irrelevant; things are possible so the best thing to do is to just get on with it - the more dithering that takes place, the longer it takes to do the job, and it is rather demoralising having unfinished jobs around the place!

One of the frustrating things about living on the boat is time. When things go wrong it isn’t easy finding time to fix them, and living without power or heat can be difficult. I had time to fix this problem, but by the time I got home from work and ate it was cold, wet and dark - not my ideal environment when it comes to playing with metal.

The good thing about boating however is the community that comes together when there is a problem - even people walking along the tow path who say hello! Maffi spent the afternoon sorting out the bolt holes, with the tap Mark had left for me and when I arrived home I just had to do the alternator. After a few frustrated sighs and breaks for breath, I looped the belt around the alternator and other bits, wrapped a rope around the alternator and passed it up to Maffi. While he stood pulling, I bolted everything up, and hey presto, problem solved. (You may be wondering what the rope was for, but many alternators are adjusted by stamping on them to get them to move position, but mine is on upside down so it has to be pulled upwards!)

It as time for the engine to roar into life, so I turned the key, heating the plugs and it failed to start.

Sometimes I think my engine has a sense of humor akin to something very unpleasant. It coughed, choked and spluttered and refused to roar. I sulked, it carried on, and eventually it got bored and roared to life.

Phew.