Meet Sven

Der Fender

And the Kangaroos

At the IWA Festival on Sunday

This last sequence was especially brilliant as they were doing it in drizzle. The support crew had to keep drying the equipment in between individual gymnasts as the sequence was in progress.

I also got some acoustic stuff from Noise Killer for the engine bay.

And I went on the trip boat which I thought very good value for money. I have now seen the junction of the Soar, Trent and Erewash and am no longer feeling trepidatious about tackling it myself at some future date.

That would be famous last words then.

Galley floor

Andy layed the tiles on Friday and I grouted (my first ever effort) today - Rob followed me cleaning up. Good job he was there as I had been told to grout 'clean'. Don't think I managed that.

I am confident that when the boat is craned onto the lorry and again into the water that they won't crack. They have been laid on 25mm board with flexible adhesive and flexible grout plus they don't reach from edge to edge.

All around me there is doom and gloom.

But hey if one does crack it can be easily replaced and if it cracks under the units either side who is to know? Memo to self go and get a couple more (I only have two left) just in case. But if there is a God she will be kind.

It's a start

So Bobcat is getting her first lick of paint. Due to the weather being a bit iffy Liz decided to do the lockers today. So here is my front locker.



And here is my gas locker

How these little things please me.

However this good news was tempered when I got home and opened my emails. My best friend from School (back in the dark ages) has let me know that her husband has terminal cancer and his prognosis has just been reduced from 2-5 years to 6-12 months. My heart goes out to her.

Elec cupboard progress

Looking good? So the big hole in the middle cupboard will have the engine control board. Below will be the smartgauge flanked by the water and fuel tank gauges. In the side of that protruberance we are planning on fitting the bilge pump control panel and above it the horn and tunnel light switches both of these panels will be stainless steel so should complement each other. You can now see the extra width panel in the left hand side cupboard which will have the control lever on the lower part but as this will stick up above the shelf there is a corresponding panel there too. The 12v fuse panel behind the door in the top left cupboard and the 24v below. There will be a shelf between the two. Victron in the bottom middle.

I am getting quite excited about this as it is starting to look like a proper boat.

Today was a good day

Jim came and fitted my front aerial through the overhang at the front of the boat. We managed to fit it so that the front door could still open fully. We previously didn't think we could and were prepared for that door to be slightly away from the front bulkhead. Of course putting it there may give the electrician a bit of a nightmare in fitting the external socket point!







He also with Mel's help fitted the deck flange thingy. So hopefully it has been done such that my chimney will stand vertically. Difficult to tell really until you put a chimney on there, still it looks vertical for now!

If I end up with my chimney at a jaunty angle tant pis.


As you can see he also fitted the last six of my little black rubber feet to the hatch lids. All the other black rubber feet are on the hatch doors etc.

Bryan meanwhile had removed the electric cupboard and oiled it in his workshop. Whilst it is in there he is working out how the control panels will go.

This is the mock up of the middle cupboard which has the engine control panel on a slope and below it the water and front diesel tank gauges plus the smartgauge. As the control panel for the solar panels is not pretty it can go inside the cupboard!

The beginnings of my electrical cupboard

So I have been away for a week and came back to this very nice beginning to my electric cupboard. The cupboard next to the back door will have the fuse panels in, hidden behind a false door so that when I use the canny shelf to step up to my seat on the roof I don't knock any switches.







The middle cupboard will have a slope to the top section that will incorporate the engine control panel. Having it on a slope will give me a fighting chance of seeing any flashing warning lights even if I won't be able to see exactly what is going on! The bottom half of that cupboard will have the Victron.



The cupboard nearest to me will be whatever it needs to be.



I was however very disappointed that the electrician had not been back to fit the rest of the switches and sockets, that Mel hadn't done the water filler/breather tube or fitted the front rubber and that the cupboard hadn't been oiled to within an inch of it's life before going in as that means it has to come out again which all means delays. I wish I hadn't started this boat building lark I really do. I am sure that once the boat is finished I will look back and smile but right now? Where is that magic wand when you need it?

Electric Second Fix has started

So that is the led lights fitted in the ceiling in the office/bedroom





And to show the difference here are the ones fitted in the saloon. Only the two in the galley are missing still as we haven't boarded the ceiling there yet due to the chimney etc etc.

These are two of my black nickel sockets. The one on the left is 3pin for the 12v and the one on the right is for 230v. Took me ages to find black sockets/light switches that had matching 12v ones. Not I have to say an unqualified success as some are scratched by the boxes they were packaged in and I got them off ebay about six months ago. Luckily most of my sockets are in cupboards so not a problem. I may put surrounds around them or I may not.

Yet another mock up of my back steps. Due to Rob's knee he felt that the previous three steps were too deep so we have managed to get an extra step in and the heights are therefore reduced to 8 inch drops like household ones. However in a house you don't have to lean sideways to go down stairs!


I've been going up them like greased lightening they are brilliant.

Still restricted access is something you have to put up with when you go for a trad stern and I think that mine are perhaps better than some I have seen.

Whilst waiting for Andy to view the boat and discuss things. He is going to lay my galley tiles and make a frame for some tarpaulin for paint protection. I hoovered under the still liftupable boards in the office/bedroom/bathroom. Disappointed to see a lot of damp sawdust and bits of foam that have been cut off to allow access for various things under there. I imagine the other non liftupable boards are the same. Also mould spores on the underside of the boards. Not good. Will have to spray the ones I can get too with anti mould before they are covered up for good by the bamboo flooring. Any suggestions of how to keep the air moving under there?

I am hoping that there is better airflow in the boat now the solar vents are in and that the mould is from when Bryan was working in the boat with the calor gas fire on.

Anyway as there were a couple of loose tiles I had a bit of a play to see the effect. These tiles are very rough so no danger of slipping when they are wet. Ideal for a narrowboat and they were half price in the sale what luck!