Take a bow

any bow ... just don't take my bow



It might look a little odd at the moment because they haven't finished shaping it yet. And then they got to do fancy things with my gunwales.

I showed them my locking diesel filler cap and they were mighty impressed. Murrey fixed it for me as it was a bit of a 'reject' not telling you whose though. Anyway the cap over the key slot now fits perfectly. So well worth the trip to Beeston even though it means that on this tank of fuel my Panda is no longer averaging 68mpg but dropped to 66mpg. Darn it.

I also left my two gas cylinders there so the gas locker will be a perfect fit although we might allow for a little bit of stretching just in case replacement cylinders are not quite the same size and/or shape! You know how it is some mornings?

Not much happening

Down at the farm ...






I do have a counter to stand on tho'. To be fair I was only last there on Wednesday and what with people having long weekends all over the place not really been much time to do an awful lot. My bows are currently two flat pieces of steel cut to shape and leaning against a wall waiting to be curved into place. So next Monday I might be water tight. ish

None of these will be going on board

If you look closely (it is safe to do so honest) you will see that a not so incy wincy spider has made a mistake. He arrived whilst we were having supper and not over night as they normally do. Whilst you might expect this sort of thing down under you do not expect it in Yorkshire. He survived a flushing but a spot of bleach got rid of the surface tension so he plummeted to the bottom where he stayed alive for a further 10 minutes or so. He disappeared alive and kicking on the second flushing. Now this is all well and good but I am having a compost toilet on the boat ...

Dearly beloved set off on an awfully big adventure. A motorbike trek to Scotland with a mate from Hexham. His first since the accident March 07. He has had to take the Elephant as it is the only one of his bikes that has an electric start as he can't kickstart with his leg. Another plus is that it is in one piece. The others are all roughly in the same state as the nearest one which he is letting his mate have to restore again. Both are too long for the front deck anyway. We need something a bit smaller and nippier.



And dare I say it a bit more reliable?

We do indeed have sides

but as yet no bows as we needed to discuss them in some detail.

So it appears I have a backside.

Two sides

But no front

I've been told in the past that I have plenty of front so I don't know where it has gone to.

In the discussions today I have had to concede on the following:-

No hopper around my weed hatch.

Potters cabin has gone for a burton due to necessity of enough space for bike on front deck as well as plenty of storage for anchor etc etc

but I have gained a gas locker in the side of the boat. So exciting I now need to run out and purchase a gas bottle so that we can get the dimensions just right (I presume I don't need to get a full one just yet - is there a shelf life on gas?)

I have been measuring bike lengths what is average for a bike small and light enough to fit on a boat and carry two people? Rob's range from 7feet to 5.5feet but none of them are suitable.

Forgot to mention

That the night before the IWA festival I decided to bath the cat. I've been meaning to for a couple of months now (no need to rush these things) as it appears she likes to spend time with a horse stabled in a garage up the road a bit. Either that or she just rolls around in his manure heap! I know the smell of horse as until recently I had one of my own. I like the smell on a horse not so keen on a cat whilst I am trying to watch tv! Anyway I ran the bath, tested it with my elbow and went to fetch a towel and shut the cat flap then various doors. The dear thing didn't suspect a thing. She accompanied me into the bathroom and I shut the door. At this point things didn't follow their usual plan as far as she was concerned. Instead of me in the bath she found herself in it. I must have got the temperature right as she wandered around in it mewing quietly to herself and generally accepted her bath.

Do I see a definate 'look' on her face?

I then compounded the horror and indignity by putting that flea stuff behind her neck (nearly strangling her in the process) the next morning before feeding and letting her out and then running away giggling to the IWA festival for the day.

IWA Festival

Well I have just returned from a busy day at the Festival. I took some cash specifically for two items to bring back with me and intentions to place orders for others. Well I spent a fortune on an engine. Wasn't expecting to pay a deposit straight away but with that discount you can't say no!! Didn't find an ecofan because there were no chandlers on site. I thought there might be one on the stove supplier's stand but if there was one it wasnt obvious. I searched high and low for the COBB stand and I even asked at Lost Property but I don't think they were there on Sunday cos I couldn't find them anywhere. My legs were exhausted so I returned to Mel's stand hoping for a sit down and a chat about my build but he only had one chair. I ousted him from it but as we were discussing boat anatomy we kept getting up and looking at the picture board so I didn't really get any rest. Still I have discovered that I apparently have sides. Will call in on Wednesday to check the veracity of this and discuss shape of bow.

So to clarify I now have baseplate, pigeon boxes, sides, an engine, python drive, alternators and an hospital silencer. No more noisy hospitals the bane of canal travel.

I have decided against the induction hob and will have a gas one, I will probably have a 12v fridge rather than a domestic one so I can switch the inverter off when not required. I might have to paint the roof cream for the solar panels rather than the black I was planning on. Have discussed LED lighting at length and met Terry Darlington and his lovely wife. Busy busy busy.

I'm so excited tra la la la la ...

I have stepped on my baseplate.

And look here are two of my three pigeon boxes already started!!!

My life is nearly complete. Okay so I need a bit of narrowboat to slot in in between these items but it is thunderbirds are go

So many people to talk to at the IWA festival with possibly me actually placing orders for stuff this time around instead "in a couple of years time I will be back".

Lists of lists my brain hurts ...