A float on Miracle - 20ft narrowboat

Feb 27 - Where there's Smoke

1025pm
My fingers are grey with ash.
My lungs hurt.
The sweet wild cotton air freshening oils I put out in the little glass cube on the counter only this morning have been devoured by noxious smoke.

I should have been paying more attention.

I built the fire.
I lit the firelighter.
I watched it burn for a few minutes and noticed the smoke, not drifting up through the flue, but filling the boat.

I closed the door.
Smoke puffed through the vent; *BUT *less smoke.

it will sort itself.
*
*Its late.
I need to make up my bed.
Bed made, I realise I can't hear my fan.
It works on the heat energy from the stove top.

I turn to confirm my suspicion.
The fan is immobile.

The fire's gone out.

I curse the store brand fire lighters for being useless and grab two more from the pack.

I stacked pine and hardwood up the full capacity of the stove, it should be getting toasty.
Its not.
I light and throw in two more fire lighters.

They blaze happily and reignite the first.

Odd.

It was only half burnt.

Stupid store brand.
*
*Smoke begins billowing out of the open door.
I close it.
I start coughing, and realise the whole front half of the boat is filled with chemical smoke of fire lighter.

I open windows and doors.

I briefly consider sleeping without fire.

Is it coming out my chimney?

I step outside.

No smoke.

I grab my metal hook to stick the handle down, then stop.
The grip is rubber.
I put it back.
I consider my punt pole; 10ft and heavy.
Visions of me breaking things flash before my eyes.

I'm too clumsy.

The only remaining object is a wooden broom.

Hmmm.
Is that smart?
I'm going to stick a broom handle down the flue into my stove.

I wonder how long before it catches fire?

I'll be quick.
I lower it in and make stirring motions.

Lower.
Lower still.
Thump.
I've hit something solid.
Thump.
Its not moving.
Maybe its the stove bottom.
I pull the handle out and try to eye whether hitting bottom is possible.

The handle isn't charred.
It isn't even warm.

The fire is still going.
Smoke is still burping out of the vents, the chimney is cold.
I close the vent.
I wait.
When I open the door its only glowing hot charred wood and more smoke.

The flue is blocked.
I look about trying to decide how best to remove the glowing wood.

**Bare handed and trying to not touch the red parts doesn't seem clever. **
**
**The welding gloves.

In moments the wood is on the back deck and my hands are reaching upward to unblock the flue.

Something wrong.

I feel the solid steel and slide my hand back.

No hole.

My eyes flit between the top where I can see the flue joining the stove and my hand in the blackness inside.

Where's the hole?

Is it that solidly blocked?

Is that possible?
*
*Then in a moment of clarity I recall the diagram of the stove's construction.

There's a plate.

I grab my torch.

Sure enough, a few inches before the front a smooth cressent plate edge.
I contort and manage to get my fingers in and sweep across.

Brownish ash falls.

My fingers arent long enough to get to the back. uspect I suspect majority of ash is there.

I look around.

I need something solid but flexible to make the right angle onto the shelf.

Dont throw anything out before you know what its for, Tim had cautioned when I showed him all the random stuff in the boat.

The gigantic pipecleaner.

In 10 minutes the pile of brown ash is about 4cms thick on the lip of the stove.
I've definately cleared at least some of it.

I've trashed my back deck with burning logs.
My hearth, is covered in ash.
Everything is filthy.
I restack the wood and try another firelighter.

The smoke goes up.