TV cabinet

So the body of the TV cabinet is in place. Just need to trim it a bit to hide the raw edges. The top will be made out of the pieces of timber that are currently glued and clamped together to the left of the picture. (Cut to shape of course).

I am pleased with the progress done in two days. Makes a nice change.

To cheer myself up I have had all my hair cut off. Symbolic gesture.

Steps

This morning Andy placed the treads in position so that we could see how things are before I brought them home for oiling. They look lovely. They will be perfik once the risers etc are done and they are complete. We will have to wait a while for that though as he only has two days available next week and I need him to move on to the bathroom ready for Mikuni Man returning the week after to finish off all the plumbing stuff.

The electrics should hopefully be pretty much complete on Friday. We have postponed fitting the solar panels until the spring to give the paint a chance to bond with itself and the boat before subjecting it to the adhesive etc.

I won't be fitting the cabin wall lights until large pieces of wood are no longer being wielded around.

Side Steps

Bryan had made the side panels for these steps back in July sometime.
Andy was back working on my boat yesterday and he has fitted the panels.

Reworked where the steps should go as Bryan's pencil marks were no longer in the correct places.

Made the steps (they were being glued and weighted down when I took the photo so I could not place them for effect)

All in the space of a day.

I look forward to bringing them home for some vigorous oiling!

Taking shape

Well the galley is coming on. Andy bought a shallower drawer for under the hob so once again I have a cutlery drawer in the galley itself. The other two as you can see have been installed above the washing machine and a further dinky shelf added in front of the bottom of the gas locker.

He has put a bit of beading along the edge of Bryans shelf and added a further shelf above where the microwave will go.

He has also started on the TV cabinet. We have briefly had the TV on it's bracket to work out best height etc. And discussed where the car radio will go and there is room for a little cupboard below the TV as well as a shelf behind it.

He feels quite strongly that we need to address the engine bay as I nearly fell onto the engine on the way in as the temporary boards had moved enough to tip when I put my weight on them! So have given him all the instructions and drawings and pictures.

We will have to work around the main frame already installed as that is quite major in keeping the portside electric cupboard up and it would be too difficult to alter at this stage being as the Victron is already in the cupboard and it is quite heavy.

Discussed Engine Room with Andy and showed him pictures of what I was hoping to achieve so far it is so unlike the one in Belles Engine Room that I took Bryan to see and replicate.

Set up shop

So my new joiner has set up shop in the boat. The amount of work he has managed to do is pleasing. The porthole liners are all in place and completed including all the little magnets to hold them open or closed. A fiddly little job. The magnets are tiny but very very strong it is to be hoped that the glue holds them in place!

The handles are now on the galley cupboards and drawers () and he has made a start on finishing off the tall cupboards around the gas locker. There are now two working drawers above the washing machine and when I called around he was in the process of fitting some extra shelves. All this in two and half days.

We both look forward to when I have collected the rest of my wood from the yard so he can make a start on door frames etc.

Due to his little workshop scenario I have had to postpone the electrician so that they are not going to get in each other's way which would be counter productive.

Onwards and upwards.

The work goes on

View out of the bedroom porthole! At last the porthole liners are going in I have only had them since April!

Liz has been back to titivate the paintwork and take away the tiller arm.

The electrician has been busy and has almost finished his work. We need a totally dry day to fit the solar panels and then I imagine that will be that!

I have managed to temporarily fix the leaking pigeon box so that it only drips instead of pours. I really need a dry day to sort that out as well.

I have been disappointed/angry/upset this last fortnight. I hope for closure soon. Watch this space.

Some photos of the maiden voyage

Small boy felt he needed to be in disguise ALL DAY.









Bobcat does indeed float. Thanks Bones for your comments. See only slight list to port.












Me entertaining passersby in Town Lock.

Took an awful long time to fill ...

Under the bridge you can just see the legs of a couple of lads. One of whom asked if I had a dryer on board. He had fallen in and was very cold poor lad. I was unable to help and explained that the boat wasn't fully fitted. (Not that I will have a dryer on board anyway!)

To the Marina

and beyond. Well not beyond as we entered the Marina round the very hard right hand bend after the last lock and then I did a beautiful reverse onto my mooring spot. All the time I was doing it I thought "any minute now it will all go pear shaped" but it didn't and Mick from the Chesterfield Canal Trust was there to greet us and take my mooring line off me. He had also met us by the Lockkeeper Pub and assisted with that and the next lock whilst viewing the boat in between locks. His verdict? A whole lot left still to do ...

However it is now on the water and we have got 7.1 engine hours under our belt.

The fisherman on the Chesterfield Canal are indeed a strange lot requesting that we stir up the bottom as much as possible. This then meant I had a near disaster as Rob and Small Boy were marching off to the next lock I realised that a fountain of water was entering my previously bone dry bilges. I managed to call them back and drift into the side and throw ropes. With the help of scissors from a fisherman I was able to clear the debris around the prop and when replacing the weed hatch lid I realised that if you don't get it exactly right there can be a gap you can get your finger in despite it being locked in position. Perhaps I hadn't closed it properly in the morning and all that revving for the fisherman coupled with the debris had pushed the water through the gap. Good job really that we do not have a proper floor installed or I might not have spotted the problem until it was too late.

Mikuni Man had conveniently left his big bag of rags so when we arrived at the mooring they were utilised in mopping up much of the water. The bilge pump I can drop into the two little back bays but not into the main bilges. I have brought the rags back and washed and dried them.

The Chesterfield Canal is very shallow and we got stuck several times. I wish I had put two lengths of wood on the boat (part of the painting framework) but at least I had remembered to put one on or we could still be stranded somewhere between Ranby and Osberton Lock!

We had a lovely sunny day for the trip and arrived at the Marina just before it got dark. We were all tired and hungry so when we returned to the Chequers to pick up one car we decided to eat there as well as have a celebratory drink.

We got home and I am embarressed to admit that all three of us were in bed by 8.30 and probably asleep by 9! Small boy included!

Today I finished off the mopping so hopefully the bilges can revert to their dry status again. We have one leak in the water cooling system which Rob may or may not have sorted. I will ask Mel to double check everything.

Whilst mopping the bilges I was concerned to find a green washer, spring clip and nut. Obviously being green these had come off the engine. Eventually we found where and have reinstated them.

The piggy box is still leaking the other two appear fine.

She's in, she's wet, I'm bushed ...

So poor old Bobcat got spun at the yard to get her facing the right way on the lorry.



And then again at Forest Locks to get her facing the right way on the canal. Dizzy doesn't come into it!









A good scenic place to go for a first swim. She was surprisingly level with only a very slight list to port which was far less than we expected and the water line was exactly where it should be. I don't believe it ...

We put the weights in on the starboard side and the list was hardly noticeable.












Christening and a toast with Portuguese Rose and we were done.

We set off about 12.30 and arrived at the pub a good two hours later. We had a bit of trouble with the lock paddle which was eventually sorted with the lump hammer. Bryan took Rob back to pick up our car so we had the option to go home and after a late 3pm lunch we decided to do just that as it had started to rain. When we left the pub my sister in law had been waiting outside for nearly an hour because she hadn't gone into the pub and then it shut with us inside and no phone coverage! Bless her. Luckily we emerged before she gave up and was able to have a quick tour of the good ship and we then locked up and came home. Shame on us for giving up on the adventure but in my defence I do have a cold. Small boy has promised to come and help tomorrow as well due to the lock mechanisms being so iffy. Good lad.

I was a bit worried about reaching the first lock so soon after setting off but I managed to enter it perfectly. It is a bit awkward to steer at the moment because the tiller is too high for me, the tiller arm is currently still too long to be used in the lower position, we cant sit up top yet and we don't have a step to stand on. In fact we hardly have an engine top to stand on either but hey it is possible and we only have another 5 to 6 hours to go to get it to Shireoaks. Next time we have to steer all the problems will have disappeared.

Down to the wire

I am a nervous wreck. Hopefully by the time my night shift has finished I will have the dc panel connected and therefore some lights on board for our camping trip.

Here is my tiller. The extra low height bar is for when I have to do a lot of steering from the standing position as I find the full height tiring on my bad shoulder. 90% of the time it will just be where we hang our stern rope! I can hear the purists moaning.

I was messing around with the ramps and got lots of blacking everywhere from where Mel had painted the ends. (I thought it was dry but inside it wasn't)

Luckily it is unlikely that the boat will ever be that high off the bank! Bit of a worry if it was. Basically the ends are on a bar so they can't slide off the boat and will work even if the bank is higher or lower than the boat.

They are heavy I discovered - but they will do for himself to play with. Must get a large magnet for when himself drops the bar in the water ...

Anodes in place

Today being a nice sunny day Mel has managed to fix the anodes, I left him playing with Sven der fender and tomorrow Sven should be properly in place. I had to rush out to get some more D rings as the chains with Sven are a bit short and the wire tensioners I got not very big. Net result a gap of about 3 inches either side.

I've heard my engine.

My special tiller is getting a coat of primer. Shame it wont match the rest of the boat and shame that the bits around the rubber at the bows need touching up again so Bobcat will not be looking her best on her maiden voyage. I will not have time to wash her either so she will be a complete scruff. A bit like her owner.

Shame really as Trevor my lorry driver is apparently giving his trailer a bit of a spruce up today specially for the photo shoot!


John my night shift worker promises I will have lights etc working so we won't be in the dark. Even if we are in the cold. I can of course fire up the Mikuni but as it isn't 100% I am not sure I will dare. A camping here we come. I have my bucket with lid all ready packed.

I've just bought some Portuguese Rose to christen Bobcat with. Apt really as my original name for the boat was going to be Barroca Grande after the place I grew up - until I did the radio course and realised how hard it would be to spell that out phonetically.

Getting excited now

And very very trepidatious. (sp)

Here is the photo of the forklift in use!

And this is my Axiom Propeller in situ

It has gone round and round but I missed it.

So my engine is running

Last night my diesel wasn't leaking, neither was my oil or water/antifreeze. Hope the same was true when they stuck their head in there this morning.

Today my anodes should be going on in the good weather so Mel doesn't electrocute himself! Provided of course that he gets no interruptions from future boat people etc etc.

My electrics are getting there

And Bobcat should be getting her bottom wet on Friday.

Progress

Well busy day today. Mel and his sidekick Rob have fitted the rubber to the front of the boat using their favourite tool the forklift truck. Dont ask.

They have fitted the Propeller and started on the engine.

We have measured where I want the second fitting to go on the tiller and Mel has started on the headlight hinge.

I have driven miles and got not very far at all but have bought loads of stuff for the engine etc. Also bought some new sealant for those pesky leaking piggy on boxes.

Surveyor comes tomorrow for second visit. Electrician coming back again tonight to do some more exciting stuff with the electrics.

Bryan has continued in his efforts to make the boat secure.

I managed to get back online using the mobile broadband which wasn't playing this morning. I can't send emails presumably I have to change my pop thingy from BT to something else. I have at least received a few important ones this evening.

Am starving so going to have some food.

Oh dear oh dear oh dear

Luckily dearly beloved and myself were down at the boat today.

We didn't get done what we went there for but on the plus side we did still get some kindling and removed the tarpaulins.



We hadn't intended to remove the covers just yet but the gale force wind decided that now, today was the day.

My car had been parked just in front of the steps. We were inside the boat when we heard an almighty bang and on investigating I decided to move the car -sharpish - before the whole frame landed on it.

It was then a huge rush to cut away the cloth before anything worse happened. As it is the leg that is now wrapped up in fetching blue has damaged the paintwork a bit. I wrapped it up just in case that pole moved again. Luckily the Wizard team saw our predicament and came to assist as one of us had at all times to be holding the frame down!

As you can see the whole frame has moved about 18 inches or more in some cases.

Tomorrow I will get up early and assist Bryan in dismantling the frame hopefully before it collapses completely and equally hopefully the wind will have died down by then.


On a different topic


As from tonight I will no longer have BT Broadband as a cost cutting measure so I will be relying on my mobile broadband. Small boy is thinking that he may move to his Dad's! Basically future posts may not include so many photos - we shall have to wait and see how things pan out.