Apologies for lack of posts

but nothing to report really. Bryan is doing the boring but essential stuff like sanding and oiling. The galley units should arrive this week so maybe by end of week will have something to post.

Had a weekend away in Louth and went to watch the Sand Racing at Mablethorpe.

Other than that I now have to do some work?!

Below stairs

The cupboard at the bottom of the stairs is taking shape. The washing machine will go underneath the gas locker. The fridge freezer in the section nearest to us with the combi microwave above. As the washing machine is much smaller than the 700 wide cupboard there should be useful storage for miscellaneous stuff next to it. Including the broom the handle of which should fit up the left hand side of the gas locker in the gap left especially for it!

We are having to do clever things with the door fronts in front of the washing machine as the diy kitchen place do not do 1245 x 345mm door fronts. Only 1245 x 297mm. Bryan I am sure will save the day!

A little bit here and a little bit there ...

The walls are closing in on me!!! It is now possible to see the dimensions of the bathroom, loo and front bedroom. Bryan was having fun with polystyrene so there is soundproofing in them there walls! It is the ones around the loo that really need them though :(



Mel has put in the hatch opener/umbrella holder on the front of the hatch above the keyhole. I can now lock my narrowboat up and put up an umbrella for sunny days - not rainy ones. Rainy ones normally come with wind. It will also take a whirly gig clothes line. So versatile and so borrowed from Belle. www.railwaybraking.com/belle Thanks Chris for the technical drawing.




and this is my engine vent in situ. Perty aint it.

Beacon Boats

Thought it was about time I admitted to everyone that the lovely people at Beacon Boats have been extremely helpful with regards to my boat fitting. Everytime I have a query they give me an answer. I have visited them on two occasions and the quality of their workmanship is brilliant on the two boats I have seen there. I was originally seduced by the boat they had at Crick way back when. So consistent quality and bags of good ideas.

Update on Canal restoration

I have heard it on the grape vine that the ring road may indeed now go on the other side of the river.

Chesterfield Canal clear up

Some people just cannot stay out of the water! Here are the diving club clearing the weir run off thingy.


George only prevented from joining them by the strength of his waistband. We can until next autumn once again open and close the flood gates.

Don't ask but one of them is going to do the plumbing on my boat.

and some people can make litter picking fun. There was a whole flottilla of these clearing the rubbish from the waters edge along the River Rother into Chesterfield.

I however had to leave 'injured' at lunchtime. I trapped my sciatic nerve shoveling some of the muck dredged from the canal into a wheelbarrow. Ouch. I am getting too old for this malarky. Still it means I have caught up on my blogging. What a marathon - off for a soak in a lovely hot bath.

Meanwhile back at the boat

Bryan has put front bulkhead and side panels up as well as the wooden panels and frame on the hatch doors. There will also be internal glazed door to further reduce any drafts down the back of our necks. He has also part boarded the ceiling. Due to a bit of swearing on behalf of the electrician who hadn't yet fitted the famous grommets the panels had to come down again at the front and port side. However the 1st fix is now complete apart from a minor item the wiring from the Mikuni in the front locker and the control unit which will be in the port beside cabinet. So long as this is done before the water tank is installed not a problem.

This is the frame for my 'office'. There will be a full width desk flap but the topright hand section above the desk height is actually wardrobe hanging space accessed from the corridor.

This micro space is the loo. One natures head to be installed here plus small hand basin.

External view of my lovely hatch doors.

This wont be seen but it is my low level vent which will be venting out below the starboard bedside cabinet. So I can't be Arrietty any more.

Mel has also been busy. A lot of grunt went into making these locks as he discovered that the key can only be removed if the lock is either fully open or fully closed. So he had to measure exactly the distance travelled by the various components and place the support brackets just so.

and this will be my vent into the engine space. Bespoke item. Funky huh? Will obviously look better in situ.

Thursday Bryan, myself and the electrician worked out where the solar panels are going so that we know where the wires will be coming through the roof. Bryan will then do clever things with pipe ducting above the ceiling boards so the aesthetics of the ceiling boards are not compromised.

Yesterday I ordered the kitchen units and extra door fronts etc from www.diy-kitchens.com (I think it is a fabulous site and I got my house kitchen units from there. In my humble opinion they are much better than Howdens/B&Q etc) They should be with us week beginning 30th March. Once they are installed in the boat we can dismantle the temporary back access and the engine/batteries/electrical stuff can all be done. Until all the big items are safely on board we don't want to make life hard for ourselves. But I obviously can't put the boat on the water until we can steer it! Such a fine line we tread.

I also spent Saturday boning up on plumbing so that I can order most of the pipes and T joints etc.