A float on Miracle - 20ft narrowboat

we're both happier with heating!! :)

**Nov. 22 **

Fire.
Since the dawn of time its been essential; for 20 mins tonight it was impossible.

Maybe yesterday and the day before were flukes. Maybe, i don’t have the knack. Maybe fire is tricky. Maybe the wood surplus is wet. I can’t get anything to light.
Even the paper.

Most of me wanted to quit. I want to pack up and blow this popsicle stand; try again some other day when it was fun again.
**Go home. **
Oh, wait.. This is home.
I can give up, but that means cold.
It means dampness creeping in like the waft of lilac from old ladies, but less pleasant.
I hate lilac for that exact scenario.. but I hate the damp I’ve so recently lived without even less; so I persist.
*Why isn’t anything catching? *
**I don’t know. **
What seemed so easy yesterday is proving impossible. Am I doing something different?

I study my actions.
Pick splintered pinkie sized shafts.
Make three prong tepee against slightly larger but equally jagged horizontal base.
Twist, then crumple thick brown paper.
Shake paper slightly loose.
Light.
Place in centre of tepee base.
Watch fire ignite then fizzle into embers charring increasingly inward.

It dies before reaching the twist.
The twist is my ace in the hole. *It’s the Girl Guide full proof to lighting a fire. *

It’s not working.
I don’t know why.
Step, repeat.

Again, I relight the magical twist.

It dies before it catches.
The tepee is only mildly blackened.
It’s not caught.

I crumple a ball of paper up and place it above the twist.
It burns me. The wood remains.

I am not sleeping without a fire.
I’ve tasted the heaven of a heated boat now and I am not going to go without. I persist.

It occurs to me that I may need a lesson beyond my trusted girl guides, (badge at age 10) to rectify any future issues.. but tonight I must fend for myself.
Bollocks.

Eventually, it catches.
It’s 10pm. Well, at least i only need it to stay lit for another 9 hours.

A box of them fancy firelighters next time you shop?

Your approach as described is what I used for the last stove I lit (an old circus wagon we stayed in), patience and it always takes eventually.

circus wagon?? do tell! that sounds rad!

yes my friend lennart the norwegian has those fancy fire lighters.. forgot to look when i was in town. FAIL (but I do feel entirely more authentic just now!)

dip a rag in the diesel tank. old trick to start old engines on a cold day

Keep some newspaper in a some tupperware somewhere to ensure it remains dry for future emergencies?

Also, one of these: http://www.raymears.com/Bushcraft_Product/76-Fire-Stick/

Next time you have to use the dryers at a laundrette, keep the fluff. Store it in an airtight container.

^^^^ there's a few dotted around the country, available as holiday lets we've stayed in one near rhyader and most recently news Wem, shropshire.
Nice peaceful locations and warming infront of the stove always a lovely way to spend the evening. The Wem folks also have a glitzy airstream which looks nice.

Jacqui, Next time you see a silver birch tree peel off a load of the bark. Fill your pockets with the stuff. It's better than paper for lighting fires. You can do this without harming the tree as it peels off naturally so you just pull on the bits that are already starting to peel.

A Tupperware container for your kindling and matches is also a good idea.

Your firelighting technique sounds spot on, but damp/wet kindling will make your task much harder.

There is a certain amount of pride in lighting a fire with only one match, knowing you've done everything properly and it's drawing well etc, but if you're relying on this fire for the whole winter I'd be tempted to take some shortcuts! Firelighters etc mentioned above will help for damp wood, and the rag/paper twist and diesel trick is also a good tip.

Dearest TS,
If you are infact coming to see me this weekend (on the boat) I would be grateful for a small tuperware container so that I can store my belly lint, kitteh hairs, birch peels and matches.. er, dryer lint.
Sincerely,
Duckie (and jacqui)

I have one of those firestick gizmos somewhere. If it's of use to you I'll try and track it down.

Erm, mind the newly reinstalled outboard.

dip a rag in the diesel tank. old trick to start old engines on a cold day

and diesel trick is also a good tip.

Don't try this with petrol, which I assume is what your outboard runs on.

Loving the thread BTW.

btw, my favourite kindling is old man's beard..

I light a woodburner everyday and firelighters make it a lot easier. I only use one, or a half block is even enough most times.

I used that jelly paraffin stuff for BBQs on some bramble twigs the other day. It worked very well - to the extent that I had to put the fire out, because of the excessive smoke from wet twigs and leaves.

btw, my favourite ball tickler is old man's beard..

Each to his own, I suppose.

BOOK! I totally forgot. I picked up Down and Out in Paris and London the other day..
Ok, I'm outa here! George baby, here i come! :)

The book that made me obsess about washing my bed sheets

^That and your filthy nocturnal activities.

^ it was brilliant, that book.
I've moved on since and read** The long dark tea time of the soul - douglas adams and am now on a odd book called "an unofficial rose**" from 1962 - its not what I would normally chose but it was acknowledged by the critics of the day as a masterpiece.. so it is well written.

Iris Murdoch, top drawer stuff!

Have you read Jerome K Jerome's Three Men in a Boat?

It's my favourite book of all time, and anyone on the water should read it!

I've only read the sequel, Three Men and a Baby

I've only read the sequel, Three Men and a Baby

Have you read the German sequel to that Three men in a Boat?

Das Boot.

not yet luci, but if you say its good I will do.

When I was staying in a yurt in Lapland, where the only heat (and most of the light) was from the wood stove in the middle of the yurt, me and my friend ended up tearing up 70% of my massive, hefty 'Guide to Scandinavia' because our fire building skills were so poor we couldn't get even the smallest kindling to light without using up entire chapters. And without a fire the temperatures started to drop to the same as the outside which was usually around -10 degrees which was not good.

It was funny though *"We're running out of Norway to burn!" "Fuck it, start on Sweden, but leave Stockholm because we're going back that way"

*Then after 3 days of arduous struggle the French man who owned the yurt came in and was like (in broken English) "Your fire is too small, why don't you open the grate at the bottom a little bit?" and he opened it a crack and suddenly the fire was perfect and never went out ever again. I don't know if you can learn from this Jacqui? Do you have a secret ventilation grate?

Scoots right, if the paper is dry its probably a lack of ventilation.
Fire lighters are a great boost.
I am sure you will crack it