My first encounter with a HIAB (as I discovered it’s pronounced high-AB. Not H-I-A-B. Not the best way of showing you know what you’re talking about!) I now have serious truck envy.

It is an amazing bit of kit and able to move with millimetre precision. It’s quite hard not to anthropomorphise it as it does move incredibly fluidly and gracefully, even with a three tonne hunk of rusty metal hanging off the end.

First the hatch was removed revealing the engine lurking in the depths of the boat.

This is basically what it would look like if you performed open heart surgery on Thomas the Tank Engine.

The strops were put round and the clips clipped on and then, with a massive clunk, we were off.

Within literally five minutes, the engine was on the back of the lorry.

Excuse the gurning but was massively relieved not to have had my head smashed in with a three tonne engine or accidentally swung it through the decks or any other of the myriad of potential gaffes.

Having it out in the open means you can get a proper look at it. And it is a real beauty and will be proper gorgeous when it is all polished up (the engine, not me. I need more than a gallon of jizer).

The big gaping hole left behind is now ready for clearing and blasting. The engine is en route to Poole via Lewes. I can now relax in a deckchair in the sun in Dungeness and get my chops round this. All in all an excellent day!