A float on Miracle - 20ft narrowboat

Jan 10. - Ready, Steady, Go... or not.

**Its not me. **
A nagging doubt has been hindering me, a spider gnawing in the back of my mind for weeks now. It started on the second day of my journey from Enfield, when on the crisp beautiful fall morning I climbed out of Miracle to the captain’s chair and turned the key.

Nothing happened.
I tried again, Nothing.
I went inside and made coffee.
I grabbed a cigarette and sat dumbfounded.

I must remember what the last owner said about starting. I close my eyes tightly and try to recall the scene willing my memory to go back to the one time he let me start the boat.

It’s very important to do things in the right order.
I nod. This is important. I MUST REMEMBER THIS.
*If it doesn’t start, check that you’ve put the clip on the kill switch. *

It won’t start without it.
I look down at the gear shifter and further down to the pin where the lobster claw of a clip fastens to the pin.
It was there this a.m. I am sure.
I refasten it.
I insert the key.
Make sure the shifter is in neutral. I jog it gently to be sure.
It is.
And most importantly is the little red button.
He points to a faded greyish pink piece of plastic beside the shifter. If he’d not said it was red I never would have guessed.

It goes in and out.. engaged if its.. It must be ...to start.
It must be what? I'm blanking.

Is it in or out? I can’t conjure the rest of the sentence.
In frustration I try both and when the engine purrs to life I immediately forget if the red button was in or out.
FAIL.

I’ve repeated this scenario exactly 3 times since that day.
I’ve checked the batteries.
I’ve tried the red button both in and out.
I’ve even called the mechanic,ehm, twice.
As soon as he got there, it started.

I looked a fool.
The most recent was the afternoon we travelled to Hackney Wick. Frustrated after an hour of checking connections and battery power and prompted by the fading daylight the Norwegian strapped Miracle to the side of his 55 footer and towed us beside him.

The entire journey I was filled with shame.

Last night he declared that he was going to see what was up with my engine. Clearly it’s been on his mind.

It’s electrical. I’m pretty certain.

I go through the start procedure with him and explain that last time the mechanic has told me that starting it in the right position is imperative, otherwise it will activate the “kill” and need to reset itself.

Faffing and bumbling I try the little red button in. Nothing.
I try it out, Nothing.
I repeat.
He repeats. The engine give a whine. I try the exact same again, nothing.
Let’s check your batteries.
No. Everyone suggests that and every time my batteries are full. That is not it. I’m getting snappy, I know it’s miss placed frustration.

He says nothing.
Lets take the lid off then and see what’s going on.
I can’t remember how.
I get the manual, and the lid comes off.

I want to pull start it, do you have the cord?

I hand it to him.

With the first yank the engine roars to life and just as quickly the Norwegian lunges at the key and flips it to off. The engine stops.

I’m confused.
It’s on full throttle, that’s why I killed it. It’s bad for a cold engine.

Oh.
He turns away to go to his boat.

I flick the key in hope.

It groans, and a huge spark flies up.

Is it supposed to spark? In his slow manner he comes back to me.

Where was the spark?

About there, I point to the area where there’s a black lead and a red one both fastened to bolts. It suddenly dawns on me that this is the electrical connection to my battery. They look the same.
He reaches over and touches the bolts. They’re loose.

I told you it was electrical, he's tightening them. You’ll get used to the parts that rattle loose and know to check them first.

So it’s sorted? I feel quite smug.

No. You got another problem. Your throttle won’t disengage. I’m going to get my tools

He opens up the black box where my shifter is. So far this has been a mystery to me and I’m keen to see what’s inside. In a few minutes he gets up.

I know what the issue is, take a look and tell me if you see it too.

I don’t know what to look for.

Just look and figure it out. He smiles and walks away.

Inside the black box two cables are wound around a series of steel arms and it’s clear that one of the arms is loose and won’t move the cable..

Is the arm broken?

No, its loose and when it got so it wouldn’t hold the cable. See the bent casing? It’s supposed to be straight. Now that it’s bent it won’t stay in the catch.

I play with the gear shifter and as he says the loose arm disengages.

It’s getting dark now, I’ll fix it tomorrow.

He’s already started putting it back together then he looks up.

You know what this means?
I wait.

It means you did know how to start it, it was just broken.