Running around and a running engine

So the parts arrived for the engine and in the meantime we have been getting more containers of diesel..

So today it was all about getting the engine running and Del soon got to work on the damaged pump.

The new one was a bit tricky and fiddly, but it was soon changed.

Then came the bleeding which turned out to be harder than we thought.. The injection pump was full of crud and there was a lot of self bleeding to get it all out by using the leak off pipes..

After some TLC the Beta started to spit and then after cracking off the injectors it ran with a misfire and then cleared, bursting into life.. Phew!
We then went out again to get more diesel and fill the tank to the brim to prevent any condensation forming in the tank..
We collected some shopping and Al had planned a lovely Valentine dinner for two..

Sitting out the Storm

So it was back onto the problem of sorting out the engine on Derwent6.
When Tanya was on-board we managed to get in the tank 60 litres of diesel and then it was a case of taking one more sample to see if it was clear when we removed some from the tank.. It was, so Del cranked up the engine to see if he could bleed it to let it fire up.. After knocking off the injectors, still nothing, but air was bubbling from the pipes.. After removing the leak off pipe it made it clear that no diesel was coming through.. It was then back to the tank, and puffed cheeks and a blow revealed that their was enough diesel in the tank.. After checking the water trap filter it was on to the fuel lifting pump so the pipe to the fuel filter was removed.
This is where the battery went flat and our little 12 volt charger had to come out and be used. This is a very handy little charger which is a must to have on board.. You can slow or fast charge the battery and it will charge batteries up to 120 Ah..

After a boost we soon found out that the fuel pump wasn't pumping fuel to the filter, more expense.
While Del had the engine exposed he changed the oil filter and oil and did the oil change in the gearbox..
So we have ordered a fuel pump and gasket from Beta Marine and are now waiting for this to turn up..

While we have been waiting we have had this storm Ciara, which when moored in marina seems like 60 times worse than being on the cut.. We have been blown all over the place for 24 hrs and we have had to rescue the satellite dish and Tootys catch net from the roof..  The fire has been blowing back a bit and we have been smoked out sometimes, but I'm sure we can get through it..

 

Being kept company!

So we have been keeping ourselves to ourselves over the last week or so, and a big thank you to everyone who has called to try and help even if its someone to talk to..

We were invited round to n.b Masibert and saw Andy and Hilary in their lovely new painted boat. 
We have also seen Tanya who came up to see us for a few days and used the time to do some revision for her work (interrupted by Tooty of course)..

She came baring gifts and we laughed at the name on the bottle.

 Al has lost 11 pounds and Del 20 pounds since Christmas, so we are in the best place at the moment.
Al was making us some lovely dinners to keep us going.

The 3rd of February was our 41st Anniversary of us together, when we had our first date on that day back in 1979. We did go out for something to eat at Nando's with Tanya and saw the film The Gentleman, we really enjoyed it.

So we still have very cloudy diesel, and we think this might be due to the fact that we have been keeping the engine room warm to protect the lithium batteries. This of course creates condensation, and due to the fact the diesel was only a quarter full this would also create condensation in the diesel tank.. So it was a win lose situation. So we have been slowly taking out the diesel and letting it settle so the water can be flushed out. We just didn't follow the rule of FILL THE TANK UP IF YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE THE BOAT OR BE STATIC FOR A LONG TIME!
We are very good at cleaning and changing filters and draining water traps, so it does point to the heat in the engine compartment..

RIP Nephew Nathan

We haven't been blogging as the last few weeks have been a very sad time for us, as we got a phone call in the middle of the night from Al's sister, to say that their son Nathan had passed away, at the young age of 37. 
This was a massive shock to us both and we have been taking a bit of time out to try and deal with this desperately sad and difficult time for the family....

Bands and Brum

We have been getting out for walks to keep ourselves active and in these cold and frosty mornings it has been a treat..

So we have tried to have a dry January as you all know but we did go down the pub to see Eric for his One for the Road evening..

We ended up eating there and having Lime and Soda all night, and guess what...... we were up most of the night going to the Loo!..
We decided to have a day in Birmingham and get a bit of the last minute sales. Al brought herself a new harmonica which she wants to learn this year and Del got some more guitar strings to try and start playing again..

We run the engine and the engine petered out, so we now have to look at that.. When Del took another sample from the diesel tank, he found like a black oil on the bottom of the jar, so maybe a job for tomorrow..

We both have doctors appointments next week so things are suiting us where we are.


We are a bit behind on our blogs as we have had a very sad time with a death in the family, so please bear with us as we catch up....