Living on an old boat often means repairs need creative solutions. Parts made even for a common engine in 1969 can be especially hard to replace, so keeping things going is preferable.

I’ll happily tell the sorry saga to anyone who asks, but the short version is that to keep my engine coolant (river water) flowing, I needed to modify some old and horrible pieces of metal. Many engineers would have laughed me off the floor but I tip my hat to the team at Griffen Engineering who went out of their way to get me moving again without blowing my student loan. This was an act of great community spirit and creative problem solving that is missing in a world of corporate procedure.

If you need anything making from or doing to metal in the East Midlands – start here!

Here is the satisfying moment of my engine running and cooling properly after weeks of frustration.