The Tank saga

As you may notice from the pictures above and below the bottom diesel tank is now in place

You may also notice, that the newly painted tank is covered in mud and very nearly something else!... bloody dog crap.

When I started this blog I said it was purely for the boat restoration and not like others, for voicing there opinions on the world. But, here I must just have a little rant.

I don't have a dog for various reasons, (you know whats coming don't you) such as, the stink, hairs everywhere and mainly, not wanting to go out in the teaming rain because the pooch needs a poo, the thought of putting my hand in a plastic bag to pick up the warm squidgy stuff left behind, makes me want to gip, then walking home swinging it in my hand like a fashion accessory. This begs the question, why should I have to clean up after someone else's bloody four legged crap producer.

So when you've driven ten miles to walk your sodding animal near our boat, please pick up the crap then I don't have to scrape it off my tools and equipment...Thanks!
Right....now I've got that off my chest, back to fitting the tank.

Now all the snow and ice has melted into spring time, it is time for the Heath Robinson's machine movers (Me, Andrea and Fradley Geoff) to get back in action and get this tank fitted.

After carefully.....I said carefully unloading the tank from the trailer and getting it to ground level, then sliding it through the now thawed out grass, mud and the above mentioned brown stuff, we got it to the side of the boat.

Then by the way of various planks, ropes, chain blocks and verbal persuasion it landed in the bottom of the boat. I wish someone could have took a photo, I thought it was quite impressive.

All we had to do now is spin it round, no...the other way, lay it down and drag it in to the engine ole. This was easy, once I found some slings the right length, I'll never win the Kripton Factor. Every sling I have, is either too long or too short. In the end I used a ratchet strap...that sorted it.

By hanging the chain blocks from the cabin top and the lifting hook into the ratchet strap then just dragging it under the cabin bulkhead. At this point Andrea was supposed to remined me to put the pipe in for the lift pump but due to her not being there at the time, it got forgot. Not realising this until the tank was in position and now there isn't enough headroom (insert swear words here). After a bit of head scratching and Geoff straining his manhood it went in.....just.

Now it's all in and settled I will be having a couple of days sorting the engine out and refitting the prop shaft.