I'm getting Notorious

Word gets out. Boats are coming onto the Foss/Witham pre-warned to look out for the narrowboat at the visitor moorings with the Feel Free to Moor Alongside notice in the window. Lincoln, at the moment, seems to be incapable of encouraging boaters to visit by not having moorings available. There are just three at the university and I take up one of those. Hence the notice in the window. Its embarassing just sitting here on a 24 hour mooring.

In relation to the above. nb Blue Toad was alongside the other night and heard about my woes. The following day an engine at the houses over the canal was heard to throttle up a bit on the loud side and out dashes the Australian crew on Blue Toad to congratulate me - big grins all round.

Even the crew of the Brayford Belle have started asking how the engine is coming along.

Last night it was the turn of nb Aliss to come alongside. Today while I was away shopping they left the mooring and on my return there was a lovely note from Alan and Sheila thanking me for letting them moor. There are still nice people about and I keep bumping into them.

We can now lift and move the engine in 30 minutes. Everyone but everyone is totally stumped as to the the problem. Bob the mechanic has contacted a local workshop that deals with Deutz engines and dealers in Daventry and Scotland. They have all said that what has been done is identical to the work they would have carried out and that 999 times out of 1000 it is the governor spring that has come loose or is broken. We know it is neither of these but Bob now thinks that perhaps the throttle connection into the engine might be stuck in the off position. This is the job for Friday. He is rethinking his promise to get me moving for Christmas :-). Generally we are now running out of straws to clutch at.