Update on engine and nothing good was about to happen

 Aug 29th

Yea....we have a running engine! Everything came together yesterday, injectors ready for collection and a part number was found for the thermostat. So it was a run into Hucknall to collect the injector and then Ilkeston to purchase the thermostat. Slight problem when he saw that thermostat, it appeared ever so slightly longer than the existing one but felt sure it would work okay. Not being able to help, I kept Ian supplied with coffee and within an hour, I heard the engine fire up. Hmm...didn't sound quite right, pretty rough to be fair, but of course the diesel lines had to be bled. Anyway, eventually it got going, thought how happy Ian would be when suddenly loud swearing from the back. Racing down to see what was up, he was frantically trying to stop the engine. Water was peeing out from the thermostat and no matter how often he pushed the off button, the engine refused to stop. With some urgency he switched off the diesel supply but of course, diesel was still present in the components so would take a while. I'm not sure what else he unhitched, he was like a whirlwind disconnecting various things and finally, having detached the throttle link, it stopped! My best bet was to disappear, looking over his shoulder wasn't going to help matters, but bringing him a cider did! The old thermostat went back in, he made a new casket and decided it would be better to run the engine at 60 deg then what it should be about 80 deg. The biggest problem was finding out why it wouldn't stop. After extensive testing he found a wire broken and sure enough, having replaced the wire, turned on the diesel supply, bled that through, and the engine fired into life. There was no smoke to be seen from the exhaust when the revs were increased and best of all, the stop button worked.  As to that thermostat, well we can't return it, but maybe he can sell it on eBay. Ian is sure he can get the correct one from Anglo Welsh, so maybe a trip to Great Hayward when we leave Shardlow.

I was just about to post this when Ian phoned. He was behind the cottage sorting out the outside lights when he heard a commotion from the lock area. What he saw, well it was obvious nothing good was about to happen. Heading toward that sunken cruiser were three youths in dark colours and wearing balaclavas. In their hands were baseball bats. Considering how near to that cruiser FS was, I didn't here a thing, I was watching the Paralympics and cheering on GB in the wheelchair basketball. Anyway, they bashed in the windows and tried to push it further out. Ian phoned to see if I was okay and that was when he told me. All I can say is what BASTARDS. They were probably the same youths that sunk the boat originally. I wonder if they will ever have a conscience about what they had done when they grow up, I also hope that one day something bad will happen to them. It's what they deserve!

 Anyway, Ian phoned the Police (doubt if they will do anything) and then CRT. The owner will have to be informed. It needs removing, sooner rather than later because I dread to think what they may still do to it if it stays. We certainly don't want to wake up to find it in flames!

Later I walked to the cruiser to get more photos and noticed someone had put a board from the bank to the front, probably to stop it drifting away. When Ian returns, I expect we will try to bring it back to the bank and secure it again.