This is it

Tomorrow I will be setting off for the Summit and the Tunnel Entrance.  22 Locks and Beyond.

An unwell small boy is now my only helper (at least for the first part).  Hopefully someone will turn up to assist with the last few.

Wish me luck.

Another day of bits and bobs

A little shelf in the bathroom cabinet.

A bathroom door

Rubber treads to the side steps.

Catches to hold the windows open to name but a few.

He also cut the corners off the table and hopefully the support shelf.  My head still hurts!.  Fitted the hanging rail in the engine room, various labels, the fire blanket, checked all things that open and close do so properly.

He is ticking off the list of things to do but still has two days to do them in and remove the 'workshop'.

Why do I have to go to work on a Friday?  It is really inconvenient.  I can't move too much stuff on board on Thursday as it will get in the way.  I need to make several lists of the minimum of stuff I need to move on board for the weekend trip to the tunnel what needs to come off and fit in a clean inbetween,  fill tank with water, crockery, cutlery, bedding, towels, food drink etc.  Now my head really hurts - going for a lie down.

Three little ...

coat hooks all are we

this picture was very painful.  I was trying to get the little vent and the gas strut in one picture and knocked my head on the little shelf that supports the desk flap.

Himself is sooo right that corner really does need rounding off ...

Now you see it, now you don't

Little catch to hold the table in place.

Engine room door in place.

and the last fire extinguisher finds a home.

Can you tell today has been a sort of bits and pieces day?

Yesterday I ordered the foam for the dinette complete with dacron and stockingette.  I pick them up Friday. I also visited IKEA for pillows and other bits and bobs.

Today I chose the fabric to cover the cushions and will take them to the upholsterers on Tuesday.  Don't know yet when they will be ready so can't set off on the summer cruise until they are.

I fired up the Mikuni all by myself this evening to test if it is okay.  I stuck my head in the front locker as it was starting trying to find the box with the light that flashes in order to count them.  I didn't feel safe in there with it ticking away.  I had visions of my head being blown off and all that would be left of me was a body draped over the tug deck.  At least I was wearing summer clothes.

I couldn't find any box with lights but the Mikuni worked fine anyway so the problem was obviously not the pressure but the lack of fuel.  Relief I do not have to dismantle the bed any time soon!  However Mikuni Man has told me what needs to be done any time I do need to do the dreaded deed.  Simples.

I have also been doing Vat Returns in the meantime.  Last one should be finished tomorrow - just in time.

Phew

Bath screens

So today was bath day.  Andy says they were a pain in the butt to install but they are up!  They have 180 degree hinges so lock in three positions.  In their current position (obviously) then either one panel open across the corridor and the other against the sink cupboard for use as a bath or both across the bath out of the way.  Not that they are in the way where they are I have discovered but you never know when you want to pass through the bathroom with a large object!

To support the fixed panels there are corner braces that come off the top of the panels.  However because the sides of the boat come in (tumblehome) the panel people have put a notch in the top of the glass panel on that side.  Neat huh?

Dinette day five

View down the boat towards the dinette.  Spoiled slightly by the pile of wood etc that Andy has tidied onto it for me to remove tomorrow.  I know that anything on there he no longer has a use for!  The table as you can see is stored neatly by the side.  On Monday we are discussing the best way of stopping it from falling over.  I think a nice wooden swing thing under the nub will do the job and not look unsightly.

Looks like only room for one Captains Chair in the saloon.  I guess not a problem if predominantly I am going to be alone on board and I find the camping chairs quite comfortable anyway if himself takes over the bosses seat!  I need to get a wiggle on and workout my cushion requirements for the dinette I suppose.

Nightboy came last night and did some more to the solar panel wiring and installed the TV aerial point but not the satellite point as he knew I didn't have a satellite dish yet!

Apart from tidying up Andy has been doing some of the little jobs that needed doing.  Such as my little shelf for the galley fire extinguisher which will languish unseen in the daytime behind the porthole shutter.

Dinette day four

This is what I call my 'nubbin' as in small and underdeveloped coffee table   Room for two cups on top and  a book can slide under out of the way as well.

 

This in turn acts as a support for the main table which slips just under the gunwale for extra bracing.

The legs fold away 'comme ca' and there will be a small third leg going across to support one corner (top right in picture) for when it is supporting the bed end.  The top left corner in the picture will be supported by the little shelf running along the side of the boat that also supports the pull out section.  See previous post.

The sticky out legs at this end then support the extra piece to extend the tablelength to the desired 3'9" width of bed.

For hinges on the legs we have used kitchen cabinet ones that normally hold the door shut at 90 degrees and now hold the legs open at 90 degrees instead.

Dinette day three

I can't show you the final touches to the dinette seat itself as it is covered over to protect it a little from the fact the room is once again a workshop.  So instead here is a picture of the Ash being glued together to make up the table.  It is in approximately the right place!

So that was last night.  Today Andy is working away at making supports, legs, and storage clips for something that of course has to work in three locations.  a) as a table, b) as the bed base end and c) against the wall out of the way!

On a different note I got fed up waiting for the job to be done properly so small boy and I 'finished' the front garden.  I still need some more stones as the fabric is showing through.  But it is DONE.

Dearly beloved might wince a lot at the fact that all his lovely neat joints on the wooden separators are now all higgledy piggledy but he had his chance.

Interestingly (or not) the lovely dark purple slate when it dries out goes very pale (you can see the bits that have started to dry out) so it isn't going to be as stark a contrast to the limestone chippings as I had hoped.  Hey ho.

Dinette day two

Here we have a seat

Then we (close the door - you have to imagine that bit) and pull out the side.

Then pull the front out.

The gap at the bottom of the bed will be made up of the table top and an insert extension.

And there you have a small double of 3'9" width or large single across the boat for occasional guests.

Last night we successfully passed the cables for the solar panels through the roof.  Unfortunately John had only drilled the holes big enough for the guide wires initially so he had to make the holes bigger before we could start and the battery on his drill was flat.  So in between brief charges he wired in the Mikuni, the loo, and I left him at nine thirty fitting the shower pump switch and hopefully the tv/sat aerial sockets inside the tv cabinet.  This leaves the outside aerial sockets, actually connecting the solar panels to the batteries and fitting the 5 cabin lights.  Getting there.

When we ran the Mikuni it stopped fairly quickly because a) diesel too low or b) as I discovered by pulling out the mattress that the pressure was gone.  Can't do anything about that right now as the bedroom is full of my shower panels so can't take the bed frame out from under the tug deck to access the refill the system point!  Hmmm this could get tiring on a regular basis.  Good job I have a working stove as alternative heating source.

The start of the dinette

Doesn't look much does it but we are incorporating a twoway slideout affair which requires a lot of thought to ensure we can slide things in two directions without requiring steps up to the seat and oxygen!

Today also involved putting the steps and shelves back in position after I had spent the weekend oiling them and also fitting the rest of the skirting boards etc.

No longer incognito!

Sticky back plastic rules!

Andy and I got to spin the boat around the marina twice.  He was in charge of the bows rope needless to say at the beginning when I asked him to untie the rope at the front it was for a while unattached to either boat or pontoon.  Luckily there was no wind today so the boat behaved itself and stayed up close and personal.  Not like the last time someone did that.  She had to throw the rope quickly to those still on the front and run back and jump on the back before it was too late. 

Despite not going very far on either 'spin' I think he enjoyed himself

I bared my solar panels to the fresh air.  Still not attached to the batteries I presume it won't do them any harm to be working and going nowhere?

This morning was lay the floor in the 'workshop' time.  The workshop moved temporarily onto the pontoon for the duration.  Roll on Monday that is the start of dinette time.  In the meantime over the long weekend I will be once again oiling everything new that needs it.

Once again Andy has excelled himself

We now have the shelves on the other side of the boat that double as emergency steps out.  As we already have a hatch with proper steps on this side of the boat we won't be needing to use this hatch on a regular basis.

However if we have guests sleeping on the bed which blocks the door to the engine room they need a quick exit route that doesn't involve keys in locks.

Provided the fire/emergency doesn't involve the front deck the front window is the escape route there.  If it does involve the front deck then we will have to scuttle down the boat to these exits!  Assuming there isn't also a fire in the galley of course.

Am I worrying too much?

I really must work out how to clean my lens of those water marks!

Wow what a day

The boys have been busy.

Daytime boy produced this

Nighttime boy (and me) did this

I feel slightly naked with my ballast on view outside the boat - lucky I have ballast/trim problems though or how else would we be holding the panels down to the sticky stuff!

Okay so we only have the solar panels 50% there as we still need to feed the wires through the roof (along the guide wires left in place) and join up to the batteries etc.

But at least I no longer have to rely on my canoe paddles to turn the boat around for the signwriting.

Cos my nighttime boy also put the electrics back together.  When I switched the engine back off it at 9pm it had done exactly 8 hours.  Gosh been on the water 5 months that would be an average of 0.05 hours per day (3mins).  I hope to increase that average and miles over this summer.

We have used the rest of my porthole seal stuff to seal around all the gauges and panels to prevent any leakage behind.  That was my job whilst nightime boy did the technical stuff.  Thanks to Chris for that suggestion.  Plus I have just checked and we have indeed put the water/fuel tank gauges back the correct way around.  I could have been very confused little bunny and it doesn't take much.

Well I guess that is me well and truly told!

If I was going to the AGM I would be sorely tempted to ask them a question though wouldn't you?

Generally doing STUFF

I have spent the week Andy was away oiling, painting, varnishing and stuff.  I had hoped the electrician would be able to take the opportunity of having the boat to himself to finish off the last bits and pieces and also to fit the solar panels in the good weather.  Events have conspired against us so it looks like next week is going to be eventful.

Andy says he is back tomorrow morning

Electrician hopes to fit the solar panels tomorrow evening.

Sometime during the week (Tues or Wed) the sticky back plastic alternative to signwriting will be appearing.

Fingers crossed we should have some interesting pictures of progress soon.  Can't wait.

Today I was touching up bits of the black paint - initially just where it had been delibrately removed for a purpose reason - however I got carried away and was touching up the wear and tear bits too. 

I know I am a bad girl because I didn't do any sanding or preparation work but as even the rubber fenders are gently removing the paint I don't feel the need to waste too much effort on what has turned out to be a not brilliant job for whatever reason.  It should last a couple of years until I have saved up some readys and can treat the old girl to a 'proper job'.  It was a little depressing to be looking quite so closely and finding blebs here there and everywhere.  I put the tin away.  Turned around and saw some quite significant bits I had missed!  Hey ho.

In the meantime I have been advising friends of party date.  As I can't organise a pissup in a brewery I have decided it is a 'bring your own picnic' type affair then I don't need to worry about numbers and catering!

Trying it out for size

Himself trying out the sofa for size - although the seat part of the mattress is still at home and the back isn't fixed - but you get the idea.

Things that open and shut

When Andy put the surround around the front hatch the glazed windows no longer opened out 180 degrees.  So we had to change the hinges for Parliament Hinges.  These only seem to come in chunky as they are normally for doors but they do the job splendidly and the windows still clear the 'coving'.


As we had run out of hinges this actually worked in our favour as we were able to reuse the window hinges for the bathroom cabinet doors.  See below waiting to be oiled before catches and bolts are added.

 So to return to the saga of National Express and my parents.

I got them to Chesterfield 20 mins early and we had a leisurely chat in the car before walking up in plenty of time to use the 'facilities' before the bus was due.  I left them with only about 5 mins to wait.

Or so I thought ...

When they rang that evening to say they were home safe they had yet another tale to tell.

Their bus had burst into flames either in Leeds or Sheffield they are not sure exactly but a Victoria Bus was laid on to bring those passengers down to Chesterfield, pick up my parents 50 mins late and take them to guess where?

Yup Trowell Services.  Here they were picked up by another National Express Bus and from then on were 50 mins behind schedule all the way.  So not quite as exciting as their trip up but it rounded off their weekend away nicely.

Well that explains it

New feature of Willington

There was me thinking my sudden leap up the ratings table was all due to the brilliance of my postings.  But no it was due to a mention on the infamous Granny Buttons.

Sorry Andrew would this picture have been any better?

Kath