Hail to the Hive!

So after several weeks of being broken down and waiting to be fixed we finally got moving. We found a nice spot and were loving being back in the zone. Took the boat back up the canal to get some groceries and returned to our Idyllic spot. We filled up with water and did all the usual stuff so we were good for a few days.

So then today I was making sure all was well as We would be moving in the morning when I realised that the throttle gets stuck in the fully forward position and wont move back. Ahhhh bugger, what now?

A bit of investigation confirmed my fears. Bugger what to do as we need water and the toilet is nearly full again and the cooking gas is about to go!

So I made the decision to just go for it. I untied the boat, started her and put her in gear. Its not exactly the fast and the furious and as soon as we were past the first bridge I steadied the boat with my right arm on the tiller and lowered a long metal pole into the engine bay (I left a hatch cover off) and gently tapped the control mechanism with the long metal pole to bring the revs down. Now to just hope any oncoming boats aren’t at the bridges as I don’t want to have to stop as that will involve going into neutral and then killing the engine, jumping onto the towpath with a rope and letting them pass.

As luck would have it only the one boat rental narrowboat passed me going the other way.

I pulled up at the waterpoint, filled up, emptied toilet, sorted out cooking gas and then turned the boat around manually using ropes. Walked her back a few hundred meters and moored up opposite Debbies day boats. I need to speak to the mechanic there about the engine tomorrow anyway so we can do that and fix the cable same time.

As annoyed as I was that something else has broken I am pleased with how I handled it. A bit of ingenuity and a dash of fuck it lets go for it. We are home anyway as the boat IS home. Now we are home nearer supermarkets, waterpoints and also importantly, a mechanic!

This is the first time I’ve posted in the rant community and it feels good getting stuff off your chest grrrr pesky breaking things grrrrr

I am now going to listen to the song reasons to be cheerful part 3 by Ian Dury and the Blockheads just because it's a great tune!