Artimis

Bless my Sole

2011-10-30T06:04:00.001-07:00

Ever since last winter Ive been carefully treading the boards. Not a regular Theatre type performance, although it has at times resembled a pantomime. No, these are the boards which lay over the steel framework above the engine room and form the sole (nautical parlance to you landlubbers) of the wheelhouse.
As such, they not only bear the brunt of heavy footfall and inclement weather but the gaze of all who enter herein, and Im sure, set the tone of expectation for the rest of the vessel. Combined with the previously mottled and shabby exterior appearance, I can only but wonder at the apprehension which befell my visitors who had not yet had the benefit of venturing further aboard.

So it has been incumbent upon me to furnish the entryway with a sole befitting of my abode, one which will not only return me many years of dutiful service but in fine style. In other words,I wish my sole to have a soul.
Once again I have recourse to bless my good fortunes for the abundance of prime Maple in my possession and I resolved there was no finer use for this noble bounty.

Please accept my sincere apologies for my lyrical waxing, for I have purposefully employed the one extra hour of daylight afforded to me this morning by the return to Greenwich Mean Time during which I furthered my appreciation of Emily Bronte's ‘Wuthering Heights’ and have absorbed its most eloquent and colourful language.

Anyway, each board had been cut to fit over each opening in the steelwork below, and no two openings are either the same size or indeed the same shape. That is to say, they are by no means perfect squares or rectangles and therefore, the corner angles cannot be relied upon to be 90 degrees. It has therefore been a labour of love these past 8 days to accurately and skilfully manufacture each and every corner joint in a bespoke fashion.

After much faffing and fitting, and several good sandings, I have applied three liberal coats of boiled linseed oil which has enhanced the wood grain and given a warm and comforting glow to the Maples normally pallid demeanour.

Paint job that almost cost an arm and a leg

2011-10-23T02:42:00.001-07:00

Ive wanted to get a few more coats of paint on the exterior all year, but at first it was too cold, then spring sprang early and with it came the flocks of Swallows which nest in the farm buildings. They obviously come here for the insect life and between the two, its been a summer long of bird crap and flying bugs, and combined with the farm yard dust, it would have been impossible to even try and get some painting done.

Then came the last week of September and the much fabled Indian summer. Over a week of near perfect weather which saw temperatures rise to the upper 20s by day and a balmy 18c over night. There would be no better opportunity before winter to kill the rust which has been slowly but surely growing on the deck and cabin sides. Ive grown weary of the fading red shades so I bought 15 lts of grey oxide primer.

What a delight and rare treat, one which ive not enjoyed since my Sardinian adventure 2 years ago, to don a bikini and catch some rays but with the mid day temperatures getting well into the 20s, it was soon apparent a double shift was required.

So, I spent the mornings rubbing down and prepping, followed by a siesta, and finally painting an area in the cooling sunset, just before dewfall.
Im realy relieved and pleased with the results. It’s a weight off my mind to have stopped the rust before winter and will make the final paint job easier next year, plus it’s a much prettier thing to look at.

Now for the cost. Life has a way of evening the score and nothing comes for free. As such, I shall bear the scars for the rest of my life, as a reminder of the perfect Indian summer of 2011.
On the final evening of painting, I had cleared all the equipment away and was planning to start a pot of spaghetti bolognaise cooking whilst I had a shower. I have had 4 tomato plants growing on the foredeck all summer and they were laden with ripened bounty, so I decided to gather some for the pot.
With both hands cradling as many tomatoes as I could hold, I was trying to step over a locker and gunwhale onto the planks resting on a steel trestle alongside the hull. I couldn’t reach far enough to put my foot down and so I hopped the last foot or so.

The next part happened in slow motion and is now the focus of my recurring nightmare. The planks slipped off the trestle, my mid right thigh hit the top of the steel and slid all the way up until I stood for a moment on the ground. The planks, which had sprung back up now fell back against my left thigh and once again bounced, hitting my leg once more. I dropped the tomatoes as I extended my hands towards the ground and I went head first over the trestle and rolled over onto the patch of nettles.
I jumped to my feet in an instant and looked down at my right thigh. The muscle was gathered at the top in a huge lump and the area above the knee was a sunken hollow.
I immediately hopped and skipped along to the wheelhouse steps, made my way up and then down into the galley and got a frozen bottle of water from the freezer.

For the next 10 minutes I rhythmically rocked about on the saloon floor rubbing the muscle with the bottle, trying to flatten it back into shape whilst yelling a mantra of expletive obscenities.
‘Oh gosh it didn’t hurt, no, it realy didn’t hurt’ and other oft used phrases in times of woe.

Yeah right, of course it didn’t hurt, but just the look of it made me feel ill but then the PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) kicked in. Its the most important thing to have in any survival or emergency situation. Look for the good in a bad situation, so I looked and was pleased the skin wasn’t broken on either leg. The irritation of the nettle stings did little to divert my attentions away from the rapid swelling and I briefly thought about Spagbol and decided I needed to get back out and collect the tomatoes before the creatures of the night claimed them. They were scattered in the grass and nettles, some slightly marked but otherwise intact.

I did eventually drive myself to hospital to check out the damage and was told nothing was broken or detached, but I knew that as I had just managed to drive there. The check list of health and safety gathering questions got short shrift and I explained I had fallen down the stairs. Its easier that way and I don’t need a lecture about site safety thanks.
A bottle of wine, a sickly chocolate gateaux and a couple of ibuprofen seemed in order but after half a glass I didn’t fancy anymore and went to bed.

The next morning I admired the damage in a full length mirror. My left leg was black from mid foot to above the knee covering all the front half. The right leg was worse. Black from ankle to buttock covering more than a hands span across the front and outside in a spiral fashion. The bulging displaced muscle had settled a little but resembled those of a Russian weightlifter on diabolical stairods.

Now three weeks on, the bruising has passed through all the rainbow colours and finally left but the muscle is still prominent and still more than painful. Doc says it will take a while for the deep haematoma to come out.

What have I learned from this? Well, as an avid ‘Blackadder’ fan, I recall a scene when Queen tells Nursey shes had a good idea and Nursey says, ‘Oh you don’t want to have one of those Poppet, or your foot will fall off’ – ‘My brother had a good idea to cut his toenails with a scythe, …..and his foot fell off’

So, if applying the ‘Blackadder’ logic, I suggest you always use tinned toms for making Spagbol because growing your own causes bruises to your legs.

Happy Birthday

2011-09-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

One year today I started work on 'Boat'.

Its easy to be blase' about it all now as it all seems so natural and ive been there, done it, got the blog to prove it etc.

I think whats more obvious is how much ive changed, or I feel that Ive changed.

Im not sure how many of you have been faced with a life changing choice and wondered if youve done the right thing but I certainly have. I keep saying it, its my saying, I coined it but its true - 'Its better to regret having done something than to regret not having done it' For many, living within lifes straight jacket is the norm. In this instance, turning my back on bricks and mortar might be madness to most but its changed my life from boredom to where I need to be.

I like living life differently, especially if I have the options and room to manover to make it work the way I want. Its called freedom of choice, and in my book that equals quality of life.

'Boat' makes that possible.

Over the last few months ive had quite a few visitors aboard who have first seen the outside and made assumptions. Shes (boat, not me) unnatractive in her faded and rusting red primer, and resembles a fish from water, but once inside, eyebrows are raised and silence is golden, it says more than words.
Then follow the natural questions from those who have only ever lived by the rules of bricks and mortar.

How will you cook, wash clothes, keep clean, keep warm, feel safe and secure, etc.

The answer is, just like you do, but differently. This is like 'Glamping'- Glamerous camping. Ive never felt this close to nature when living in a house. Ive never felt so aware of my resources than I do now,- aware of how much water, electricity and fuel I use, -something which bricks and mortar isolate you from.
The beauty is, I dont wake up to damp crumpled clothes smelling of woodsmoke, hoping the rain will hold off, wondering how im going to cook a meal or get the washing dried.

Maybe this country would be a better place if more people lived closer to nature and in tune with the elements. Maybe there would be less mental health issues if people were more self sufficient and held more autonomy over their lives.

Food for thought me thinks.

Lets get started

2011-09-01T02:18:00.000-07:00

This is how we do it.

Ingredients
Take one stubborn genny, raid the scrap yard for a 12v starter motor, purchase a 6'' Vee pulley, add in a Vee belt, heavy duty switch, some random bits of steel and turn a clever little bit of engineering.

Method.
The genny has been lifted off its wheeled trolly to facilitate easier access. Here is the crank handle which engages with the starter dog. Remove the housing and dog. Replace with same diameter shaft containing keyway and end tapped for retaining bolt.
Cut down the housing just enough to keep the oil seal inside. Fit to engine block.
Add the pulley and tighten up retaining screw and bolt.
Make up a base plate to provide a pivot point for the starter motor mounting plate and bolt to the genny base plate.
Cut out a hole in another piece of steel for the stater motor to pass through and bolt in place. Cut off the end of the solenoid plunger and add a spot of weld to the motor shaft to stop the bendix flicking in and out.
Glue on a handle, add a switch and wire it up to the solenoid.
Fit the toothed Vee belt, clear the decks, connect the battery, depress the decompression lever, pull handle to tension belt, hit the button and it fires up in 2 seconds.

Yabba dabba DO IT.

Just another day in the life of a genius. ok, it was about a month on and off but its a big achievment.

ps. No Elf and safety lectures please, Britain invented the world before we had the nanny state and we have acheived little since.

Any body still reading this?

2011-09-01T01:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, im back from the summer recess, the one in which I turned 50 and spent a few weeks reflecting and sulking on the enormity of such a milestone. Maybe I just over did life in the preceding year and needed time to spend day dreaming, reading and generally doing nothing.
Ive felt like ive been 19 for as many years as I can remember but now ive graduated to being 20. After all, 50 is the new 40 or whatever number you wish to call yourself, so its no big deal realy untill I see the wrinkles I didnt have 10 years ago. Isnt it funny how we spend the first 21 years wishing we were older and then spend the remaining years wishing we were younger.

Anyway, enough about age. I feel awfully guilty that I havent done much boat stuff this summer but should I be rushing ahead so quickly? I hate doing things twice and thats the danger when you rush ahead. One example is the aft water tank. Ive had to move it to make room for the generator I bought back in February. I originally had a petrol genny which was going to live in a room sealed box cut into the side of the wheelhouse but petrol isnt the way to generate electric and fitting it in was going to be a compromise on space and quality of finish so I bought this Lister Petter 5KVA air cooled Diesel on fleabay. Having owned one in the past, I know them to be perfect long running economical reliable machines. I had looked at the more modern Chinese made ones in sound proofed boxes but the whole package is too big to fit in the engine room and it kind of defeats the purpose of the box if I had to start modifying it, besides, the Cheap and nasty Chinese replica engines dont last long.

The only down side to the Lister is that its a hand start. The first one I had was an easy starter but this one is a real pig. There is a decompresion lever on the cylinder head which needs to be held down whilst swinging the starter handle with the other hand, Its so hard to keep enough momentum going once the lever is released and once im out of breath its game over. There is an electric start conversion available but when I enquired of the price I was shocked. More than twice what I paid for the genny.

So........not one to be beaten, I move the goal posts and solve the problem. Miss Fixit wins again.

Bed time

2011-05-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

And so, …..to bed,… my bed, …the place I love to go when I want to think my thoughts.
The place a few of you fellas have expressed an interest in seeing, so here it is.

Its not just any old bed but one with a lot of storage space beneath. I was going to do the traditional drawer divan but that does waste a lot of space. So ive opted for the lift up base, assisted by gas struts
I googled ‘gas struts’ and found a company which make the whole hinge mechanism, which has saved a lot of time.
They didn’t come with any instructions so I had to make up a mock side and base to work out the hinge position. The moment arm arc radius and deck length when combined with the raised height determine the pivot position. The only constraint I have is my headroom in the boat which is only 6’1, not 8’ which is more usual.

The pressure in the struts is set to my requirements, 950 NM, (Newton metres) based on the weight of the deck and mattress so its easy and simple to lift.
When it reaches 35 degrees, the hinges auto lock and the base has to be lifted another 4 inches before the cam goes over centre and unlocks to enable the mattress to be lowered.

Ive designed the base so that its narrower than the deck and mattress. Theres nothing worse than stubbing your toes on the bed base so the mattress over hangs the deck by one inch and that over hangs the base by another 3 inches.

The rest was simple. I found all the slats on the bonfire down the yard, they were the remains of a Futon bed. The only other materials needed were a sheet of half inch ply and 18 feet of 3x2, 8 bolts, glue, and some 2x1 batten to stiffen the sides with.

To finish off, I will cover the sides with carpet.

Sweet dreams.

Drawers

2011-05-11T01:36:00.000-07:00

I haven’t posted for almost a month and so much has happened. Its almost impossible to get a net connection which holds for more than 5 consecutive minutes so posting is hard and frustrating work.
The biggest thing has been the move to living aboard. Actually moving on only took a day but ive been busy since with doing all the little jobs which make a boat a home and most importantly, catching up on sleep and rest. Over the last 4 months the tiredness and wrinkles caught up with me and I was seriously worried that turning 50 was taking its toll but im feeling and looking a little better now.

I finally managed to finish off the chest of draws and faced them with Maple and inset them with brass handles. I made a template to fit inside the router collar and then used a straight bit to plunge in and remove enough wood to accept the inset portion of the handle
The top is inch and a quarter thick pine to match the frame and ive treated it all to a couple of coats of Danish oil

Ive also made a combined step/laundry hamper from a few scraps of beech board which I found on the farm. That’s also had the Danish treatment.

Next is the bed.

Do you like my draws?

2011-04-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

I spent 2 hours cutting up board and machining to include a groove at the bottom of the front and two sides to accept the 4mm ply bottom. I made each draw set as a kit and when that was finished, I started assembly.

In the best traditions of Blue Peter (a long running BBC kids programme which included DIY projects featuring egg boxes, yoghurt pots and sticky backed plastic with a catch phrase) ‘Heres one I made earlier’

These are not your common or garden factory made draws but bespoke, hand crafted, one of a kind, unique, individual works of art.

Note the slide in bottom, a tribute to glue and pin, not a screw in sight.
I owe everything I know to Norm Abraham of ‘The New Yankie Workshop’ fame, where ‘We like to take a minute to talk about shop safety’ Hmmm, NOT. We dont subscribe to that round here, we just get on with it. This aint no Shaker revival, time is too short and ive got a boat to build.

I can hear all you Discovery channel freaks chuckling to yourselves, but don’t knock it, I learned a lot from good ‘ole Norm in those bad old days when I was laid up in bed with a bad back, just yearning for the chance to make my own home some day, and now I have, without the shop Full ‘O’ Donated state of the art gizmos to make every chippies wildest pervy dreams come true.

Ah yes, if I had a shop like that I could have been a Chippendale but im happy just knocking something up out of scraps

The woodshop

2011-04-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Do you like my woodshop?

Its so convenient having this old cowshed adjacent to the boat and the couple of leaks in the roof dont cause as many problems as the Swallows which nest in the beams, dropping their crap on everything below.

This seasons breeders made an early appearance two weeks ago when the first couple arrived all the way from South Africa. They have already made a tour of the shed so I need to get a move on and ship out before the eggs hatch

Captains Chest

2011-04-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

A Captain needs a chest, so I thought it was time I made one.

Slightly taller than most to fit under the gunwhales, big enough to go the distance and not too fat. Thats enough about me. The chest is designed to fit a specific space at the foot of the bed to maximise the room and opportunity.

A face frame of 2x1 pine with ply sides and back, draw runners and guides and a top, as yet undecided. Thats the easy part which I knocked up in a couple of hours but making the draws will take a little longer I think.

Comfort

2011-04-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like comfort to make a place into a home, and having spent the last 22 months living in a flat with cold hard floors, I MUST have carpet.
So I set off with a handfull of cash, cos we all know deals can be done with crisp currency and I came home with enough carpet and underlay to cover almost 28 sq mts, allowing for wastage.
I have a go at most jobs but I hate fitting carpets. The chance of cutting it too small is always the worry and carpet fitters earn their money. Anyway, I had to just get on and do it. Two lucky carpets, at least they got laid.

Sure enough its made all the difference and within a few hours its changed the whole outlook and feel of the place.

Full steam ahead

2011-03-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Its full steam ahead now as I have less than 3 weeks before I vacate my appartment and move aboard.
Much of the internal painting has been completed and the work is mostly cosmetic and applying the finishing touches.

The bathroom is finally finished, all apart from sealing the floor. I don want to use varnish, prefering to leave the wood able to breath and flex, yet I need to proect it from water. Its so damn hard to find the right product which is totally clear, non staining, breathable and waterproof without being sticky.

There is one small problem with the head. It likes to fill its self when im not watching and I caught it just in time today when the water was only half an inch from overflowing.
Its just not practical to turn the water on and off every time its used as one day someone WILL forget, The fresh water tank is almost 12'' above the toilet pump and it gradually fills the bowl by gravity feed, bypassing the pump somehow.
Im toying with the idea of putting a solenoid valve in the pipe, opened by the flush switch

Whats in a name?

2011-03-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

To quote Billy Shakespere 'Whats in a name? That which we call a Rose would smell as sweet by any other name' is true, but a boats name is of great importance and not just any old name will do.
A name speaks volumes to us. It signifies status, intelligence, humour and vision so getting it right is more important than should be left to the luck of pulling a name out of a hat.

Im a great fan of double entendres, words with more than one meaning, reference or parellel. I have seen many witty names and should love to plagerise them but its not unique or original.

Names such as Flat Bottomed Girl or Done With the Wind impart something funny and clever and thats what I wish to emulate.

Fastest fingers on the button please, I look forward to receiving your suggestions.

No new pix

2011-03-12T11:42:00.000-08:00

No new pix at the moment but its been a busy week. Mum has ben helping again and got the bedroom, galley and bathroom painting done. Maybe that doesnt sound like much but the preparation took ages and the final results are fantastic. Its almost ready to move aboard and im contemplating giving a months notice to quit my appartment at the end of next week. That means I COULD be living aboard by Easter.

Over the next week I have to complete the plumbing and wiring. I still havent got round to finishing off the shower stall and have lots of smaller things to attend to.

Now the painting has been done I know I have to stop making a mess and that makes me feel as though the project is moving forward.

Actually,..... it looks all white you know.

2011-03-04T14:44:00.000-08:00

Another month been and gone, I realy dont know where the times goes, but gone it has.

Ahem......so what have I done?, well im not realy sure, maybe I was kidnapped by aliens and an earth month went by but seems like only 5 minutes.
Ok, its not as bad as it seems, lots of not glamourous stuff, all those small unseen jobs got done and a whole bunch of painting, and now it looks all white (thanks Mum).

Ok, ive sanded the maple headlinings in the bedroom and saloon, finished off the clothes hanging lockers, installed the 3x 220 lt forward water tanks plus pump and pipes, installed some more mushroom vents, upgraded wiring, added more cat5 cable, and many more things besides. Ive also added yet another water tank in the engine room. Ive had to make a few modifications to the layout to incorporate a genny ive aquired and ive just had my domestic water bill for the last 6 months and I now know I need more water storage cos im addicted to spending way too much time meditating in the shower. Total water capacity now stands at @ 1100 lts

Sadly, I also seem to spend an inordinate amount of time cutting fire wood. Im so glad I have the fire as its been a most misserable winter, (or am I getting older)?

I love the whitewashed look which helps to highlight the Maple and resembles a Spanish villa. The white is just an undercoat and ive opted for a mellow Primrose yellow for the bedroom, which I hope will give a gorgeous golden glow to wake to.

More pix

2011-02-05T12:48:00.000-08:00

The galley wasnt made for this but I need the space and tools have to live somewhere..
Its almost time to have some basic facilities aboard, so it wont be long before the head is connected up to the 50 gallon holding tank. Its all fitted in very neatly and im flushed with pride !!!
I had to drill and tap the top of the tank to take a half inch nipple for the vent and getting it in through the floor frame was tricky but it just fitted.
The outlet at the bottom feeds into a Y valve which allows me to either self pumpout via the Henderson manual pump or marina suck out

For 5 months, ive been playing hopscotch every time ove walked over the steel framework above the engine compartment. I havent fallen in yet but im not going to chance it any longer so today saw the start of the deck going down. I need to make a few hatches for access but once its done im going to enjoy using this huge space

Im doing my level best, I am. (as we say in Wales)

2011-02-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

Im struggling for motivation this week. Maybe this is the psychological equivelent of the wall that althletes hit when the carbs are burned up and they are numb to the pain. They feel 'nothing', and thats hard to beat, its tougher to deal with than the original task and only the winners find the way past it to succeed.

So, my way of dealing with a problem is to side step it and see it from a different perspective. Ive had a misch match of a week, doing nothing much in particular, finishing off some odd jobs like the gas pipe, the bathroom radiator, lifting the fridge and wash machine above finished floor height, and cleaning up.

Occasionally the mess gets so bad I spend too long looking for tools or choking in the dust. Ive done some spring cleaning and moved a lot of junk out.
Ive leak tested the shower tray and calorifier, installed a fan in the bathroom to recirculate warm air and made a home for the AC/DC panel in rediness for connecting wiring circuts. I need to test the wiring so I can move on to finishing the Maple ceiling.

I wanted a panel which is hinged to make connections easier to work on without having to totally remove it. Its over 8 inches deep so I had to build a box around it and to help get the depth, ive cut into the backing board which forms the back of the electrics locker. That way, all the wires will enter from the back and not be on show or in the way.

The panel was a gift from James' 'Arctic Lady', surplus to requirments since her magnificent new fitout. Its overkill for my project but too good to let slip by.

Thanks again James.x

2011-01-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

Im usually rather modest about my abilities but this week ive been rather chuffed, firstly with the tiling and now with the flooring in the galley and bathroom.

Im using the same Maple which I made the ceilings from and its a joy to work with as its so close grained and knot free. I first made the border and then infilled. Each mitre cut is 45 deg and its a testement to my laying out of bulkheads to millimitre accuracy that all the mitres are snug and tight, demonstrating how square everything is.

All it needs now is a good sanding and Im going to seal and protect it with teak and linseed oil.

One small step, but -

2011-01-26T12:48:00.000-08:00

One big leap forward.

I simply adore the steps, made from salvaged oak boards and given some love and linseed oil, and this is how they look.

Ive also been tiling and 2 square meters later, ive got it covered.

More galley pix

2011-01-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

Just taken a few more pix in the galley. Ive made a few more doors for cupboards and the wall units above the counter.

The chair which has done sterling service over the past 5 months is realy on its last legs so ive turned it out to pasture and replaced it with some gorgeous steps which I made from reclaimed oak boards. The pix dont do them justice but they are realy neat and perform 3 functions. Firstly as steps, secondly they fl=old up to provide access to the shower pump un the bilge below and thirdly, the middle step folds up and the rubbish bin is hidden inside.
The top step finishes at the right level for the wheelhouse Maple floor to continue later on.
Its taken me two days to get this done, I dont know where the time goes but im more than happy with the result.

Another door

2011-01-19T11:14:00.000-08:00

I didnt finish my door making tasks last time and there was one still left to do but as the bulkheads wernt even made, it had to wait.

Anyway, yesterday was the day, I was in the mood and these tricky jobs cant keep waiting forever, so I jumped right in and finished it off.

One problem with the double sided bulkhead is the cavity between, which needs closing off. Easy enough when the door is square but with the arch it needs a curved filler piece.

So I made one, made a couple, one for beedroom and one for bathroom. I laminated two strips of scored MDF, slapped loads of PVA glue on, and bent them round a former made from the offcuts to match the tops of the doors. I hung it up above the stove to dry the glue faster while I got on with making the bathroom door.

A simple frame laminated between two layers and sanded to shape, it fills a hole and looks very rustic. I think the pix say it all.

Cookin and good lookin

2011-01-18T12:21:00.000-08:00

Look whats been cooking in my kitchen (galley). Ive been busy these past 3 weeks sorting out the bathroom and galley but the bathroom is still a work in progress due to the gas pipe which has to run under the basin and I cannot find the right tiles I want for the floor just in front of the shower tray, so im concentrating on the galley.

The galley is such a misch match shape I hadnt a hope of finding ready made units to fit and they arnt that much value for money either so I made my own. Done it all before years ago so its been fun doing it again, the same, but better.

I bought the washing machine and fridge first just to make sure what I planned would fit and work. Good job I did as the wash maching was intended to open into the bathroom but the layout of the waste pipe and cable didnt suit the position and I wanted to make sure it would pull out in case it breaks or needs replacing and that meant leaving even more room which would be a waste of space, so I turned it 180 degrees and it now opens to the galley but will be hidden behind a door.

So, I put in some partitions and set the counter top level above them. Cut a hole for the sink, coupled up the pipes and waste etc.
Opposite is the gas hob in its own alcove (which I call my inglenook) with an extractor fan sucking out via a mushroom vent. Beneath is the wash machine and to the side will be a draws.

The fridge fits in neatly with lots of space above and behind it which will make it more efficient. I still use the old chair in lieu of steps as it gives my thighs and bum a good workout, better than step aerobics but I have to make some proper steps soon. Ive been puzzling where to make space for the garbage can, erm, dustbin.
Ive explored every possible space and where ever I think of putting it will spoil a decent cupboard space and I dont want that. Then I had the brain wave of putting it inside the steps.

I was intending to make 3 draws under the steps but I think its a perfect place for the bin, so watch this space.

Still more to do but now the planning is done, the rest is easy.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

How to make Hobbity style doors.

The arched doors look great but they arnt as easy to make as square ones. They are three inches thick and are hollow , so making the arched frame at the top is the key part.

To make it a little more interesting, one leaf of the door is an inch larger than the other. This will eliminate a door frame which would emphasise it too much and detract from the simple shape.

The gap between the two door faces is 48mm, So I cut some strips of MDF 48mm wide and cut one to 4' in length. Using the mitre saw, I cut a few hundred slots in it crossways, about half to two thirds the depth. This will allow it to bend gradually.

Next, I marked round the door, half an inch in from the edge and nailed on some blocks. I can use the blocks to help form the arch as I bend the slotted MDF round the door profile.

Add the rest of the strips down the door sides and across near the bottom. Ive kept it up about 1 inch as I will have to take a slice off to allow for the carpet depth at a later date.

Then glue and nail on the other side and go home for a well earned cup of rosey lea. The glue will be dry in the morning and I can sand it all to size.

Ive also been making the wardrobe with two sides to it, both have a door and shelves. In the back of it is the vent which will carry the ducted air to the back of the stove.

No Hobbits were actually involved in the making of Hobbity doors.

Other doors are not available

Warmer weather

2010-12-29T11:58:00.000-08:00

Who would have thawed it?

The ice and snow have been repelled by a warm front for a few days and im glad for the respite, even though its still cold enough to need the warming properties of Idris my stove.

For those of you who maybe live over the pond or in a time warp, Idris is the dragon in a cartoon called Ivor the Engine, and Idris lives in the firebox and heats the steam. You can see Idris on the side plates of the stove but due to his magical abilities, he will appear as a Squirrel. (its more realistic if your pissed and have a vivid imagaination)

Ok, I confess, ive been drinking and can only offer gibberish. Its been another busy week, constructing the shower stall and the other bulkheads which form the head (bathroom). Ive bought a wash machine online from Tesco and whilst it might have been cheap, it sure raised my blood pressure trying to navigate my way through the bollox website which must have been designed by a retard. So I emailed them to complain and today received a reply which did nothing to address my email but simply to offer a standard reply which directed me to engage in further time wasting. Grrrr

Untill the machine arrives next Tuesday, I cannot move forward as I need the exact dimensions, so Ive diverted my attentions to the bedroom wardrobes. I will take some pix when there is sufficient daylight.

So, we end this year in a very different place to which we started. 12 months ago, I hadnt a clue what I was going to do with my life, one door had closed and I couldnt even find another through which to take a look.
Now look what ive gone and got myself into. As one cheeky sod put it, I own a dredger. He would say that as hes the owner of a new Oyster 46, but he does admit I have more value for money.

My dream is growing more real every day.

2010-12-26T11:09:00.000-08:00

My blogs are like buses, - nothing for a month, then three come along all at once.
Although its deathly cold down on the faaarm at the moment, it stops me from standing still for too long and ive been getting loads done.
When I woke this morning it was minus 13c and the condensation on the inside of my double glazed beedroom windows had turned to ice. Im glad it was w slightly warmer -11 at the boat and now ive got the hang of lighting the stove, it soon warms up.

Today, ive mostly been making the shower cubicle. Framed out with 3x2 and ply covered, it has the plumbing coming through from the engine room and a hole cut ready in the floor for the outlet to run into the Whale pump beneath.

Other bulkheads are taking shape, incorporating hobbity style doorways.

Stove

2010-12-24T08:52:00.000-08:00

You can tell work is slack as I finally have time and patience to post some more pix.
Its Christmas eve, the darkness has decended, rather warm outside compared to temperatures of late, a respectable minus 2c and about 7 inches of snow. Its been the nicest day of the week with clear blue sunny skies.

Im chilling out with a glass of vino rosso, listening to Don Giovanni, wishing I was somewhere warmer, but sat here with an oil lamp for company instead.

So, here are some pix of the Squirrel stove. Ive made a steel base and corner piece with masterboard behind for peace of mind. The vent grill will allow ducted air from outside to meet the ventilation needs so I dont have to sit in a cold draught.

I had to drill out holes in the backplate for the back boiler pipes to pass through, and I also made 4 bolt on feet so the stove can be fixed to meet safety regs.

2010-12-24T08:21:00.000-08:00

Ive given up trying to add more posts. Ive written so many and this useless net connection has lost the lot, so here are some pix. Ok, seems like they are finally going. Ive included some winter scenes just to show you softies what minus 10 celcius looks like, certainly no fun to work in, even with the assistance of my trusty boat stove.

Finally got the canvas roof fitted on the wheelhouse. Colin and Steve delivered the pair of doors and its taken me a week to fit them but they finally fit the holes and keep snow out, just need some architrave around them. Door locks wouldnt fit in the door stiles so ive mounted them in the steel door frame, just to be different. So now the door handle isnt in the door, im sure that will confuse anyone hoping to break in.

Ive had some stainless channel folded which not only provides a frame for the canvas pop studs to clip to, it also stiffens the whole structure and makes a door lintle with rain gutter.

I have the power

2010-11-21T10:10:00.000-08:00

It seems like it was an age away now but back in the summer I bought the battery from an electric fork lift truck.
It was 48volt, made up from 24, 2 volt cells wired in series like this one

The steel box they were in was split and rusted and the first job I had was to cut the copper links joining them together and lift them out. Easier said than done as they weigh 28kg each and were packed in like sardines. When they were first installed in the box, they were dry, then the water was added. That weight of that water causes the casings to spread and makes it almost impossible to pull them out. Once out, they spread and the water level drops inside causing the lead plates to be exposed, so they cant be left in that state. I made a plywood box in the new sixe and shape needed to fit the space in the engine compartment where they will need to go.

So, I made up temporary handles from insulated wire, twisted round the two poles and lifted them very carefully using an electric hoist. They stand 28'' high and I couldnt lift them manually over the sides of the steel box. I cut off the remainder of the copper links, removed the auto top up tubes and drilled down into the top of each post to accept a threaded insert which has a 6mm thread inside.

For almost 4 months they have been patiently waiting for a new home, not quite dormant, occasionally belching and bubbling hydrogen gas as they slowly discharge. Getting them installed in the new configuration and back on charge has been the priority goal but ive had to delay untill the engine room was weatherproof.

By last monday, things were finally ready and I took them out of the ply box, took the box apart so I could fit it through the wheelhouse floor framework and put it back together. Then I started the painful task of carrying them out of the shed, into the wheelhouse and lowering them into the box.
Its bad enough having to do it once as they weigh almost three quarters of a ton, but once they were all in, I noticed the base of the box was sagging and there was nothing for it but to take them all out, strengthen it and replace them again.
It was an all day job and when it was done, so was I.

It agrevated an old back injury and I needed two days off to recover.
I bought a length of copper bar, 5mm x 19mm, measured the distances between the poles, drilled holes and cut to length to make the links which go between the cells so I can make up 4 strings of 12v batteries comprising of 6 cells each.

Today ive bolted all the links up and sealed round the tops of all the cells to prevent overspill of water from the cell tops. This is what caused all the corrosion and mess in the old steel box, and I certainly dont want acid swilling around the engine room bilges.
Nest step is to get them on charge.

Its an ill wind........

2010-11-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

Its been a terrible week, weather wise. Worst storms of Autumn so far, and ive been kept busy for most of the week trying to keep the hatches battened down and the pumps running.
OK, I exagerate but on Monday I had to pump 50 ish of our UK gallons (count them)out of the engine room and fix the roof with a thicker plastic sheet to try and prevent anymore rain getting in.
Mission imposssible in these gales, so I resorted to desperation and secured it with battens nailed through into my beloved gorgeous timber. What else could I do? I hope a liberal coating of teak oil will sooth the damage.
Even the planks on the roof were being thrown off by the violent gusts, so I upped the anti and weighed it down with a few pallets.

I had a guy come and measure for the glass last week, but in typical provincial fashion, no one seems to be in a rush to get the job done and ive been phoning the guy all week to see where the glass is. Land line was set to fax and mobile went to answerphone. I must have got him out of bed at 08.30 uk time when he finally answered his phone, ......in the bloody Dominican republic. Surprise surprise, hes on vacation.
So I had to go and collect the glass myself from another guy who was contracted to actually cut the glass. Grrrrrr

Despite the horrendous gales, ive risked life and limb to get 10 of the 15 fitted. It was so scary in the gusts and I couldnt but help think of the photographer in 'The Omen' whos time was cut short when he lost his head over some glass. It must have been a real pane.

Another break through with the wheel house roof. Ive been phoning round to find anyone who can make a canvas type roof cover. It seems a fair few makers cant quite get their heads round a 9'1''x 10'3'' cover with 3 inch sides. They want to make it so complicated beyond all logic and then charge the earth for doing so. Grrrrrr

So I eventually found a tarpaulin maker who also makes boat covers and gave me an over the phone rough quotation. But as usual, the course of life cannot run to plan. His man failed to turn up and measure at the designated time. No doubt, hes on a provincial timetable that has a large element of 'Manyana' allocated to it. Not even a phone call to tell me why. Grrrrr

Im a peak of temper, I took the angle grinder up on deck and cut a 6.5'' hole for the stove flue. Job done. Who says you cant cut a round hole with a cutting disc?

Im tired now.

Miss Marple stabbed me

2010-11-06T03:52:00.000-07:00

Its been a tough week, what with the wind and rain, and all the up and down, up and down in the engine room and wheelhouse

Its been my intention for some time to get weather proof so I can get the batteries installed in the final resting place. It was too wet on monday to get the covers off to sand and oil the woodwork, so I concentrated on batteries. I soon realised that other jobs needed doing first like get the holding tank and water tank in place because I cant manover them in after the batteries block the access.

One job becomes ten, and before that, I want to clean out and paint. So there was rusty water to empty from the bilges, welding to finish, lumpy paint to scrape off, etc etc.
I have an old Marples chisel which I affectionately call Miss Marple. Its used as a scraper, pry bar, lever, gouge, punch etc, and an all round usefull tool.

So there I was, levering the lid off the paint tin when Dear Miss marple slipped and bit me in the palm of my left hand. A first glance showed a scratch but 10 seconds later, the blood issued forth.
I had fits of laughter as I recalled the Al Wilson song, 'The Snake'. google it and listen to the lyrics, its very poinient.
Then it occured to me that I had been attacked in the wheelhouse by Miss Marple using a chisel. Some people wouldnt have a Cluedo what im talking about but it was kinda funny at the time.

By Thursday, I had done finished welding, sanded and oiled the front half of the woodwork, fitted the bolts and draft strip to the front doors, been down the Forest and brought back 4 more of the 205 lt drums im using for water tanks, and applied one coat of red oxide and one coat of white to the engine room.

By yesterday morning the first coat had dried and I just had time to get the second coat done when it started to rain. And it rained, and the sheets leaked and the paint got wet and it kept raining and leaking and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
So now the engine room has 3'' of water in it again and when I look at the weeks work, it all seems a little pathetic. Im dog tired, the cold I had last week is still bugging me, my hands are sore, my legs are bruised and I need a break.

In the doghouse

2010-10-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

Its all Hallows eve, the last day of October, one month since I was soaked whilst loading the ballast into the bilges and a lot has happened since.

I spent a few days in Oswestry with Colin and Steve to get the doghouse parts made and they came to help fit it all today.
It started off over cast but dry, but then turned to rain for almost 1 hour, and despite pulling sheets over everything, all the wood got wet. We eventually got the base frame bolted down with the sides hinged to it.

All looking good now and I have so much to get on with. It all needs easing with the router and then another good sanding before applying several coats of teak oil. Then I can get the glass cut and fitted.

No pix and no progress

2010-10-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

No pix for this post as there is nothing much new to show this week.
Ive had 4 days off and still dont feel well but the show goes on. I spoke too soon about the hatches not leaking as once again, rain is trickling through, this time bypassing the seals.
Im going to wrap the whole lot in cling film for winter if I cant find a satisfactory solution.

Im hoping to have a change of direction and make some headway with the wheelhouse structure over the next few days, weather permitting.

Where does the time go?

2010-10-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

Every day is groundhog day at the moment. I get up, go to work, do stuff for 9-10 hours and go home, day in, day out, week in, week out, while the nights start earlier and now the frost has started. Yet I dont feel as though im getting anywhere fast.

Maybe I need a break, maybe I cant see the woods for the trees anymore.

Anyway, the reality is ive done most of the wiring. I had put it off for as long as possible in the hope I might miraculously develop the inspiration I need to get involved in doing something I dont enjoy and dont understand too well. Its my weakest subject. But, its been holding up other jobs so Ive had to bite the bullet and get on with it.
So far ive run 150 mts of 2.5mm, 50 mts of 1.5mm and 100 mts of 0.5mm cable, but its about done.

Ive kept working away at the maple planking but I can only manage a few hours at a time before the neck ache sets in and I need a rest. I have made a start panelling the deck sides and with the change in the weather to an unseasonaly cold spell, im trying to get 115mm dia pipe to make the stove chimney. Im not going to cut the hole in the deck untill ive got all the parts ready.

I have also taken out, cleaned up and reinstalled the forward deck hatches using silicon and so far there is no sign of a leak.

So, thats where the time went, yet it feels as though ive stood still.

The Doors

2010-10-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

Ive had another rewarding day in the glorious Autumnal sunshine. Its no good putting off those jobs you would rather not do, like hanging doors.

Colin, Steve and myself made them last week and I gave them a liberal drink of Teak Oil last night. This morning they were dry and smelled of Linseed.

First task was to decide whether to square up the frame to suit the bulkhead opening, or to suit the doors. I decided they have to suit the doors, so I packed it all round with wedges to centre it in the hole and checked for square.

The doors needed some planing, and as per usual, I went too far. Have you ever tried cutting your own hair? A snip too far on side and you then have to do the same on the other side to match. Before you know, its out of hand and your trying to limit the damage.

Anyway, they are fine, ....now.

I drilled the frame and marked through the holes to the steel bulkhead frame, drilled that and tapped with M8 threads.

Counter sunk (counter bored for the Americans) and refitted the frame. Cut out the hinges and hung the doors. A little bit of fettling and they are looking good.

All I need now is some bolts and a lock. Ive ordered the glass and will get some architrave next week when I go to Colins to get the wheelhouse construction underway.

Things are looking up but its a pain in the neck

2010-10-10T11:36:00.000-07:00

Its been a long week. Started off Monday and Tuesday up in Oswestry with Colin and Steve making the Bow doors but thats going to be covered in another chapter.

Wednesday was a wash out. I had a streaming cold and was sneezing so often, I couldnt even see straight so I gave up and went home. Thursday was worse. Cold was gone but I had only been at work for 20 mins when I put my back out. It was bad Karma and retribution for cutting a spider in half with the vacuum cleaner nozzle the day before. I felt as though I had been cut in half and could hardly breath in or out, so I gave the equivelent cost of 2 sheets of ply to Harriet my osteopath, and she worked her magic. I spent the rest of the day doing housework, food shopping and sleeping.

Thursday was constructive, pardon the pun. I got the floor boards aboard, cut to size and laid with just a few screws in to hold them for now. Its bad luck to fix them all straight away. If I do, I will have to take them up for some unknown reason, but if I wait for an indeterminate time, it will be safe to fix them permanantly. Im not superstitious, it just seems to happen that way.

Friday, erm, what did happen on Friday? Dunno, cant remember.

Saturday, yesterday, I went and collected my Stove and had an interesting conversation. My fame has spread, and people have talked. Apparantly, im the one. The one who gave the boatyard a hard time by watching over them. Fat good it did as they still made the same mistakes as they always do. It seems that very few boats leave their yard in a safe or properly built condition. Many have leaks and other such problems. Nice to know I wasnt short changed.

I decided it was time to do some fun work. Ive got a large pile of reclaimed Maple flooring stored in the workshop and ive been waiting to see what it looks like as a head lining, so I routed out and made frames for the hatches.

Once I had found the centre of the ceiling, I could set out the first few timbers, but of course, once started, its hard to walk away, so I spent today adding more.

The floor has come up almost 7 inches and the ceiling lowered which gives 6' 1.5 inches headroom. More than enough for me, and most men too, cos despite thinking, wishing and telling us they are 6'6'', most arnt more than 5'10''.

After spending all day looking up at the ceiling, ive got a painfully stiff neck.

Yukky sealant

2010-10-03T02:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the sun was shining and although everywhere was soaking wet, it turned into a good drying day. I got all the hatches and windows open to maximise the evaporation process, mopped up the worst of the standing water from the bilges and then set about removing the two worst leaking deck hatches.

Even before I disturbed the offending sealant, I tooks pix and could see what a mess it was. Barely skinned over, and beneath, a runny puddle of yuk, little more than water, which explains why ive had so many leaks.

I stripped down and cleaned the mess off both frames, and rebuilt them this time using clear glazing silicon. Also, unlike when I previously fitted the hatches and windows, I set the glass units in the frames whilst they were on the bench. Although this makes the whole unit very heavy and awkward to handle, I think it will stop them distorting. Damn things must weigh 30 kg each and not easy to refit when having to get them back on deck, up a slippery gang plank, without falling off or scratching them.

For those of you who have embarked on an arduous project, im sure you will be familiar with the promises of help from well meaning friends. These promises are like the invitations to dinner or drinks that were never meant to happen, just platitudes to throw into a conversation of mock sincerity.
Where were you, ya bastards?
Watching from behind the bushes, waiting for the last brick to leave my hands before waltzing along to suggest I shoulddnt be working so hard and that you could help.?
I have a long memory, so please dont be offended when one day, I appear to be more than a little selfish whilst you struggle with moving house or whatever!!!

So, the rest of the day was taken over to loading the other two packs of bricks, all 936, 2.5 tons of them in through a side window and laying them between the scantlings.

This time it was harder than the first pack as I had further to carry them, so I made stacks of 9 which I could carry the full length of the boat, making the walking back and forth more efficient. Finally, I cleaned up and replaced the window, sealing with silicon just as it was getting dark.

Another 10 hour day. My poor bones and muscles are realy starting to ache now, and I had a hot shower and felt so glad I dont have to do it again. Today is Sunday, so Ive had a few extra hours in bed. Its rained a lot in the night so I cant wait to get aboard and see if the hatches are water tight.

Noahs ark

2010-10-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

Another new month has arrived and im already wondering where this will be in 31 days from now. I certainly dont want another day like this one as its rained, rained and rained some more, then when I thought it was finished it realy rained.

Water is supposed to be on the outside but almost half the bilge area has water in it. I found out that the flexible acrylic sealant I was advised to bed the window frames in with doesnt work.
Its actually water based, which makes me wonder how the hell it can be water proof. At the moment, it resembles runny yoghurt and is about as much use as soggy rice paper. To add insult to injury, its stripped the red oxide paint off the steelwork
This means I have to wait for a nice dry day, take them out, clean them up, paint and replace with sealant which is more reliable. Regular silicone has never let me down.

Anyway, on Wednesday I ordered 3 packs of paving blocks, total weight 3.75 tons, 1404 bricks in total for the bilge ballast. I finished cutting back the insulation and cleaning up the mess, over 12 bags of it, but its a once only job so I dont mind. Yesterday I got the timbers bolted to the scantlings and was back at work early this morning to tighten all of the 83 bolts.

Then the bricks arrived and I had no sooner got the forklift and taken the window out and it started to rain more heavily.

I managed to unload and lay the first pack of bricks before I was totally soaked to the skin, so I sat in the car with the heater running to warm up and dry out a little. The day was a washout, the kind of rain that comes up with the tide so I departed for Hereford to collect some bits and pieces.

Spray it again Sam

2010-09-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Gerry turned up several hours late but I didnt mind as I was on a roll with the welding in the engine room and didnt want to stop until it was done. I used to enjoy welding but now its a boring chore, so I just want it done and finished. Sadly, I have more left but hey ho.

Gerry and John didnt hang about, from start to finish it was all over in 2 hours including stopping for a gun strip down and unblock. I got suited but not booted, and my bestest walking boots are now well insulated. Notice the self portait, just to prove I realy am on the job.
Its not every day you see a grown man wearing a romper suit, gas mask and with a plastic bag over his head, but I just know Gerry is far too busy to double as a Tory MP or high court Judge. The fine particles of foam cover everything and if you get in the over spray zone, your sure to be stuck.

Im so glad I paid particular attention to the masking around the windows because this foam does not want to let go. Its such a bizarre texture too, like fluffy clotted cream and reminded me so much of the scene from Dr Zhivago when they returned to the country house in winter and the snow had driven in through every crack and formed the most amazing patterns and snow drifts.

Ive also been reminded of the saying, 'Be careful what you wish for'
For months ive wanted something to do, and now ive got my wish. All that foam now has to be cut back and trimmed flush with the battens and the mess is everywhere. By the time I left this evening, the floor was full with debris, so tomorrow is all about cleaning up.

Ive passed the Batten but the race goes on.

2010-09-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

Forgive me, for it has been two weeks since my last post and I have done a lot of work, even if it doesnt look like it. It certainly feels like it as I have the calouses and bruises to prove it. The frozen shoulder I had last year has returned but on a good note, im losing more weight and toning up. My size 10 jeans now not only need a belt, but one with two extra holes, so its not all bad.
Norma came for a weeks holiday and put in a few days work, helping out with cleaning up and painting.
I finally planned the bathroom layout and cut the window opening and installed the window. That meant I knew where the prop pole needed to go and welded it in place. The hull sides and ceiling were battened out and then I could see the best way to frame around the roof hatches. Ive installed the water tank filler and breather pipes as these need to be buried in the forward bulkhead.
All the battening has been masked up with tape to make clean up and cutting back easier after foaming.

I was realy pissed off with the Fore deck lockers because they were only two thirds of the available area, so I cut the ends out and extended them. They still need lids and finishing but I can do that later. I wanted to get all the hot work and welding done whereever there would be foam insulation, so ive welded on the last two deck cleats, the mast tabernacle and the framework for the battery box, plus the two bow anodes.

All the windows and battens are masked up and Gerry, the spray foam guy is coming tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Something has hatched

2010-09-12T10:58:00.001-07:00

Its been a glorious day. Clear blue skies, a hot sun, and a gentle breeze. Time enough to get more windows fitted without having to dodge the showers.

I also had a chance to research the hairline weld crack which I spotted last night. On the outside, there is a good 7 - 8 inches of weld completely missing, yet some cretin has taken the time to paint over it, which makes me wonder why it wasnt spotted.
I want to see a head on a stick or at least a name on a tombstone for this.

Ive been framed

2010-09-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a bit of a washout. All my good and hard work mopping out the hull on Thursday went to waste overnight when it rained as the water ran off the deck and straight back inside.
So, im leaving the water where it is and concentrating on getting windows in. The self tapping screws I was planning on using are too long or too short, so I had another trip to screwfix in Worcester to get some different ones and more sealant.
Its only a 6 mile journey but I clocked the time taken, there and back and it came to almost 90 minutes. You can tell the kids are back in school, bloody roads are blocked and kids dont even drive.
I bet this is one cost not factored into how much it costs to bring up a kid.

So, with all the queueing and the constant interuptions from visitors and the rain etc, It wasnt a very productive day.

Today wasnt much better. I was so tired last night I was in bed by 9.30. I realy wasnt in a rush to get back to it this morning, so eventually made it on deck by 10.30. My first job was to tackle the undersized window cutouts and enlarge them with the angle grinder. So I set up some staging and got to it. I cut a long thin strip from one opening and as I tossed towards the scrap pile in the corner of the yard, I felt a sharp pain in my thumb.
A razor sharp edge had opened a one inch cut and the claret just gushed forth. So damn annoying as I use my thumbs a lot, and that opposing finger/thumb action is what made us humans into artisans and leave the rest of the animal kingdom behind.

So, I had to sort that out for another half hour until the bleeding was stopped, thanks to Matts handy first aid kit.
Aint it always so when you injure a finger, it sudenly becomes the most useful, most sticking out, most likely to get more hurt finger you have. Grrrrr. Oh well, soldier on.

I painted with primer and then framed round the openings with timber, fixing it to the steel with screws. Then I set the first window frame, sans glass into the opening and drilled screw holes ready. Then I removed it and wiped it clean, then applied flexible acrylic frame sealant around the return and put it back in place,checked for level, clamped it and fixed with 3 screws per side. I then added more timber along the bottom edge and screwed that.

Next I fitted the double glazed unit into the frame, checked the spacing all round was even and tapped the glazing strips into the slots.
I managed to get three done inbetween more interuptions from both adults and the three boys who live on the farm.
I cant help but stop and explain to the boys all about boats but there comes a point when im so thankfull I dont have kids. Jeeezzz, they never stop asking, 'Why' 'Whats that' 'Whats that for' 'Why are you doing that' 'Why' 'Why' 'Why'

So, its been an ok day. Just as I was packing up for the night the sun was setting and it streamed in through one window, and then I noticed on the opposite wall, a strange beam of light. I knew it couldnt be a reflection and took a closer look.

I simply could not believe what I saw. A bloody split weld, 5 inches below the waterline. It looks as though the weld was ground back so far, its gone clean through to where there was no penetration. Thats bad enough, but there is another weld on the outside which should back this up and its clearly not there.
Ive marked it with a rather large chalk written word, just so I cannot forget it. Im gonna sleep on this and figure what im gonna do about it.
Filling it with weld will be the easiest thing to do, but this is serious and whilst ive cut a lot of slack for the crap finish, this is a step too far and safety critical. I might call Trading Standards on Monday and have a chat about it.

If I hadnt have been inquisitive, or if the sun hadnt been shining, or if I had gone home earlier, I wouldnt not have seen the sun shining through the crack, which is only half a millimitre wide.

Luck is on my side. Lets hope this is the only one.

2010-09-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

Where do I start?

The more I look the more I see and it defies belief. Ive taken a load of pix for evidence, should there be a long term problem but im trying to sort them out myself.

If the boatyard are incapable of getting it right the forst time, they have no hope of rectifying it after.

I think the pix say it all but the eye and tape measure show far more. The window cutouts are mostly too small, by an annoying eighth of an inch, despite me supplying a window frame of each size to use as a template. I gave Martin a detailed plan for the window positions and sizes but hes failed to read and understand it. The props inside have also been put in the wrong places, so I have to move them in line with bulkheads when fitted.
The deck hatch cutouts are all half an inch too big, almost too much to leave a decent overlap for the seal.

Ive found two welds which have parted, and several places that need more welds.
The forward bulkhead has to be watertight but ive found two places where there are gaps and not welded. One rib supporting the deck was lose as It wasnt welded one end.

The paint has only reached the places which are easy and visable. There are several areas which were missed completely and others where paint was rollered on over the dust and grindings.
In other places, the thick skin off the paint was also applied, so I have all that to scrape off. Forget thick, stupid lazy etc, I cannot understand how a person who has the nerve to call themself a boat builder can work in such a way.

Ive welded on 40 brackets under the gunwales to fix framing to, and made some decisions and plans on how to frame out the headlining and deck hatches.

On a more humerous note, I had a mystery caller who was most impressed and rather cute. He distracted me for well over an hour and was keen to leave his number, should I need any assistance of course. Its written on the aft bulkhead and I had better make sure I keep it safe !!!

Ive worked out its over 420 sq feet living space, including the wheelhouse, and its all useable too.

Oh well, im in charge now, so its gonna turn out ok.

The Eagle has landed

2010-09-08T11:23:00.001-07:00

It was but a small step,just a few hours work, but now we can move on leaps and bounds.

At last 'boat' has arrived at the farm and is sitting on the raised and leveled concrete slabs that I prepared earlier in the week. Ive temporarily covered the roof hatches and wheelhouse with tarporlins to keep the worst of the rain out untill I can get the windows fitted.

I had an embarrasing moment this morning when I ran out of cash to pay the truck driver so I had to make a final trip to Stourport this afternoon to settle the bill.
Ive lost count of the journeys ive made up the A 449 over the last 6 months.

Not never no more shall I miss running the gauntlet of the sneaky speed camera van on the 449, or the school run traffic jams in Worcester but I will miss the ever changing manaquins in the window of Promesse in the Tything, which are always decked out in a variety of gorgeous dresses and I have but a fleeting moment to take a peek before im ajacent to the windows of Machine Mart.
Dresses, tools, tools, dresses, I want so much but only have money for one. Decisions, decisions.....Ahemmmm, .....tools it is. I never go anywhere nice enough to warrant haut courture anyway.

So, in the bright light of a rather hot September day, I had a good look round the boat and am dismayed at the work I have in front of me. Ive made a start this afternoon by spraying a thick coat of red oxide in all the joints and corners where the 4'' roller didnt reach. I must remember to take some pix tomorrow as I know how much you all love to see pix.

Close, but no cigar, not even a boat

2010-08-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend was whats known in the UK as a Bank or public holiday. Why banks need extra holidays gawd knows. They dont open until mid morning, they hardly bust a gut all day and then shut up early and no longer work Saturdays either.
Easy life eh? Maybe thats why they have failed to process my final payment transaction to the yard and so thats where the boat stayed all weekend.

Badger has gone on hols for a week and the crane firm who were tipped for standby cover are almost twice the price so Ive taken the decision to leave it until Badger gets back next Monday.

Oh well, patience is a virtue and I should be sainted for mine. At last the weather has resumed normal summer service and it made the job of pulling the boat out of the fabrication shed much more pleasant.
A rough guess puts the weight at about 11,000 KG or 11 tons and as can be seen in some pix, it rolls rather easily on gas cylinders.
Some sarcastic comments were made about the strength of my deck cleats but they held fast when the wire rope was attached to them and took the traction weight perfectly.

There was about 4 inches to spare between the door posts as the boat was dragged out and the gunwhales will need repainting to cover where they got scraped

I spent the afternoon vacuuming out the hull ready for a coat of bitumin paint tomorrow.
Im beginning to wonder if its going to be large enough for my needs as it suddenly looks rather small out in the yard. The workshop certainly looks larger now.

The long and winding road..........

2010-08-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

.......That leads somewhere at last.

All these months, all the grief, lies, subdifuge and time wasted, and now I know what it was all about. Martin has had a lot of personal 'stuff' to deal with. He also claims that my boat has been under priced by £8k, and I have seen his reluctance to build it. On Tuesday afternoon he commented that the boat has turned out a lot better than he thought it would. When I pressed him for an explaination, he said he had doubts about being able to get the hull shape right and the overall look. That probably hasnt helped him feel enthusiastic about building it.

This week has seen a mad rush, thanks to Clive, the new guy at the yard, who had his own business building and fitting out boats but sold out due to the hardships in the industry at the moment.
His experience and muscle has helped push the job forward and so on Monday this week it was decided that completion is possible by tomorrow, Friday. The cabin sides went up in a day, then the ribs to support the roof and finally the roof sheets themselves.
The only fly in the ointment is Badger, the crane driver who will load and unload. He is off on 10 days break this weekend and if the boat isnt ready to load by 0700 Saturday, it will be stuck in the yard for another 10 days.

So, Ive had to make the final ballance payment this week to ensure funds are cleared. The final invoice included some extras such as the engine cradle, but it came to £500 more than it should have. When I pointed this out to Martin, my suspicions were confirmed.
He tried to say that the original quoted price was too low and the real price is almost a £1000 more. He started punching out numbers on his calculator to justify his claim but I told him he was talking crap and moving the posts. We had an argument during which he said the boat was mis priced by £8000 and that he would never have agreed to build it for the original quoted price. I had all my receipts and paperwork to hand and showed him.

I laughed at that contradictory statment. Why give me a written quote if it was knowingly the wrong price? Which ever way he tried, I had the answers and stood my ground. He finally decided to accept I am correct but said he wouldnt be paying for the craneage and haulage.

I was only too happy to agree with him as that was always to be my cost anyway, and I have already arranged both and agreed a price with Badger for the crane and A&P for the truck.

It aint over till the fat Lady sings, but im fingers crossed that Saturday will be my last involvment with M&D Boatbuilders. What more can I say?. Ive debated how much I should say about the whole fiasco here in a public blog as I have a few people advising me of legal pitfalls. Everything Ive documented is true, has been said, has happened.
Im finally looking forward to achieving my original intention to enjoy building this project.

Giving up the will to live

2010-08-14T02:56:00.000-07:00

Martin W has been back from holls this week. I was promised I would have the boat before he returned but, alas no. This week has seen about 1 days work done. Aaron started the week off with a dash to hospital after putting down a 9'' sander and reaching over the still spinning disc and taking a slice out of his wrist. Hes in plaster and off for the next few weeks.

Another long suffering customer announced he was calling this week to see his boat, so Martin W has spent a few days cutting and welding plate to resemble the rudiments to keep the customer happy. Needless to say, he was umimpressed. Poor chap must have been expecting to see a finished hull but only saw 12' of plate on the floor with yellow marker paint detailing the various stations.

Martin the boss finally decided to confide in me on Thursday. I thought the subject of money might be the catalyst and so it came to pass. Yes, he wants some more from me and that conversation brought an admission that hes been moody and miserable, but not just with me, its everybody. Hes been under a lot of pressure apparantly. Getting hassle from all sides, both at work and at home.
It didnt stop him taking off to Paris for 4 days last week with the family, leaving Martin W with no wages, no steel to build my deck and 9 empty argon bottles in the yard and only 1 half bottle attached to a welder. How do you expect people to work with no materials? A time and a place Martin, to work and to play. Prioritise wisely.

On a better note, Martin has now admitted I was right 4 months ago when I told him to employ more people. 2 new guys are starting on Monday. The business is 5 boats behind this year and thats crippled the company for cash flow. Customers have been let down, at least 2 I know of have cancelled orders and the rest have been pissed off.

At least the hull is complete now and the bow is ready for the forward bulkhead.
The space under the forward deck will hold the water tanks. I need a larger tank than Martin was going to provide. He wants an extra £350 to double up the capacity so ive decided to supply my own tanks but I need a little more space, so the deck has been raised a few inches to accomodate this. The gas locker is almost done and just needs a watertight lid.

Still no change

2010-08-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

I took the pix so we may as well see them. Martin has been on his own today, still doing a bit but its hard when the phone keeps ringing.
The shelf in the pointy end is the floor of the forward locker which will be both gas locker and anchor locker.

No change

2010-08-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

Its a new month, August. In one of my more peskymistic moments I thought I was joking when I said I wouldnt get this boat untill August, and now here we are.
How time flies eh, in fact time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a bananna, or so they say.

I took these pics last Thursday, and hoped to see more to photo on Friday, but the yard closed for an irregular day off. Sigh.

Its almost time to take a bow

2010-07-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

Just two more sheets and the bow post have made all the difference. Now, from the port side, its not hard to see the size and shape of the whole boat.
Despite Martin telling me how many boats hes made, I still get the feeling this is new territory for him. Trying to make a 3D shape around a compound curve isnt easy which ever material you use but steel has to be one of the more difficult mediums to work with.

But, credit where its due, its looking good at last. I know from doing a wide variety of different jobs, planning and working out how to do it is often the hardest part, after that, its just a case of getting on with it.

Aaron has been welding and grinding all day, and hes slowly but shirley getting through the many yards of welding that now need doing.

Slow go Slow

2010-07-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Not a lot to report as of today. Last Friday was a wasted day, even though all hands were, for one fleeting moment, all pulling in the right direction. After that, it all fell apart and the day went downhill.
The first two hull side plates were lined up and tacked in place, then the port side was prematurely welded fully along one side, resulting in the heat build up which buckled it by an inch over just 18 inches length.
The starboard plate wasnt cut acurately and had to be altered. Martin W finished off the stern before departing on 2 weeks hols. The amount of aimless walking round, time wasting, constant interuptions and confusion just contributes to the lack of performance and progress
I walked away before my blood pressure went balistic.

I didnt even bother to return to the yard yesterday as there would be nothing to see and when I arrived today, Aaron was the only person there. He has tens of meters of welds to do and then grind and linish after, so that should keep him busy for the rest of the week.

The day the steel base plate finally arrived.

2010-07-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

Another exciting day at the yard. More visable progress and its impressive when its large and makes a big statement.

After all the fuss, lies, excuses, delays and silly games, the steel baseplate finally arrived today. The lorry was nothing more than a basic 3 axle flatdeck, and definately not a STGO, abnormal load vehicle, so that highlights yet another lie which I was told. One of the original excuses I was given months ago for the delay was it takes time to arrange extra wide transport with the haulier and Police.
I know this to be incorrect as Ive moved some loads which have been wider than this steel and the Police declined to be involved. I knew it was all lies and this proves it.

Anyway, a rusty plate measuring 31 x 10 feet and weighing 3.4 tons was unloaded and dragged into the workshop by Aaron and the boy wonder, Alex,(hes such a little cutie and only just left school) who showed their 'mettle' (no pun intended). As they did this, amidst a large flash and shower of sparks, they managed to cut a 3 phase cable in half, while Martin W and myself carried on building up the wheelhouse sides.

Another prospective customer spent a few hours on the guided tour, and no doubt, being flanneled by the bull which smelled like '......we can start work on it early next month and it will only take 16 working days to build........So if you can let me have your deposit cheque, I can book a build slot......' HA - That deposit cheque might just be the one thats needed to buy the rest of the steel needed to finish mine, thank you very much.!! What goes around, comes around.

Me thinks he might be waiting untill after the new year as there are rumoured to be 7 more boats already on the order book.

Whilst im telling jokes, ......Martin the boss, came hurredly across the workshop brandishing 2 bottles of Famous Grouse, proclaiming 'Thats the kind of customer I like' after just spending another half hour gassing out in the yard. Erm, .....it wasnt Scotch I had in mind for a finishing present Martin, so dream (not Dram) on.

2010-07-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

Easy Tiger, 2 days on the trot, 2 guys working on MY boat = visable progress. Where are the smelling salts, and I might need a rub down with a wet edition of Canal World

I wasnt flavour of the month when I got to the yard today. Some customers dropped by yesterday, one of whom I have seen there before. So he came over and had a chat with me and said I see thay have made a start on your boat. So I said yes and not before time as its 10 weeks late, to which he replied, thats nothing, Ive been waiting 6 months so far.

Anyway, he cancelled his order in a later meeting. They are now trying to blame me. Cant say im interested or even care. Ive probaly done everyone a favour. Why keep taking on more work when you cant fill the orders? Anyway, no good blaming me, I only told it like it is.

Firstly, a pic of the deck cleats ive been making. Ive always prefered the H type, stronger and more secure than a typical canal boat 'Dolly'

Martin W is now engaged in fabricating the above deck bulkhead, up to the height of the upper deck. This part of it will be inside the wheelhouse and have a flat top.
More pix to follow as and when.

Aaron has been busy making his first keel cooling tank which is welded to the swim side and will be the equivilent of a radiator to keep the engine cool.

Martin W has welded in an angle frame which will support the wheelhouse floor.

Ive grown immune to promises of steel arriving 'tomorrow' or 'in the morning', ive stopped asking because I know its got nothing to do with the weather, the roads, the price, the availablity or the stockholders.

Its got everything to do with Martin Jones not having the money to buy it, but even cynical ole' me was taken aback this afternoon when he aproached me, grinning wryly and he had finaly lost his temper and thrown his toys out of the pram, and demanded 'they' deliver his steel, and that it WILL be there in the morning.
Haha, maybe hes been taking lessons from me, gawd knows ive blown my top with him a few times.

So I take that as code speak for 'He got paid for the boat they sent out last Friday' and at last hes got the money to buy steel for my boat.

I wait with anticipation.

New week, new hope.

2010-07-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

No one can ever say im not optimistic. A new week and Im once again hopefull the project will progress, so Ive been back to the yard today.

Two of the guys, Martin W (Martin, employee, known as Martin W) and Aaron have both worked all day on the project and made and fitted the engine room bulkhead, and the stern gunwhales. It sure doesnt seem like a lot to show for a combined 16 hours, but im not paying by the hour, so I cant complain too much.

Ive been making my own deck cleats and the two which are mounted on the stern corners also incorporate the breathers for the two fuel tanks. Pix of these to follow soon.

Last Friday, the sides went on to the swim deck, and the top of the fuel tanks were glued in place.

2010-07-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

I spoke too soon. One week on from my last post and nothing has been done to the boat. Im past words, I dont have enough expletives left to describe my thoughts and feelings towards a certain person.

You might have gathered, im not in a good mood. I went away for a long weekend, during which time my car died and getting it fixed took another 2 days, so ample time for the yard to finish the narrowboat thats in front of mine. So I called at the yard on Wednesday, expecting to see steel and progress, and all I saw was nothing. They promised that a lorry and crane were coming this morning to take the narrowboat, and that the rest of my base plate steel would arrive at the same time, to be unloaded by the crane.
After that, all available labour would start working on my boat.

So I arrived at the yard mid morning to find they have cancelled the lorry and the narrow boat is still there.

I HATE broken promises. If I had been told next year, I wouldnt have liked it but I could cope with it. Being told tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow all the time is .....I better not say what I feel but those who know me will understand.

Its St Swithins day, and its rained. So I guess that spells the end of summer. The nights are drawing in and we have hardly got past last winter yet. When I ordered the boat last March, and was promised delivery in May, I envisaged having it half fitted out by now.

I cant see it being delivered before mid or end of September. Maybe I should then consider taking 5 months to make the final payment and see just how stressed a certain other person becomes.
Im not a happy bunny. - Understatement.

2010-07-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

I wont say it but, .....I could get rather excited soon. Things are taking shape and im more optimistic now than ive been for 12 weeks. Took more pix today, showing the stern being built up to include the fuel tank which is the full 10' 5'' width, divided in two for dual fuel storage, and incorporating the rudder post box. My initial calculations of 108 gallons of fuel appear to be almost spot on. Approx 460 lts. Not the kind of tank you want to fill up every week when you do the shopping, although I would get a few loyalty points.

The square box in the centre is called a weed hatch. It enables cleaning and changing of the prop without the need to crane out or dry dock. A handy thing to have on the canals where there can be ropes, plastic bags, weed etc that can and do get tangled up in the prop.

Also in the frame is a shot of the stern tube gland. Water stays on the outside of a boat, if it comes in, you have a problem. But, we need to have the prop shaft going through the hull, and it needs to turn, so what stops the water coming in through the tube?
Answer is a gland. At the inboard end of the tube, inbetween the tube and the shaft is a graphite grease impregnated rope seal thats held in place by a collar which can be tightened by two nuts. There must be some gap between the two otherwise it would wear rapidly or get so hot it would melt or even catch fire. Having said all that, a minimal amount of water must be allowed to weep through, and this is controled by the nut tightness. If it didnt weep through, you would know the gland is too tight.
The whole assembly is only 12'' under water so the pressure is minimal, but water always wants to level its self, so this seal is essential.

Other examples of this type of gland can be found in all domestic taps, where the handle shaft goes into the body of the valve. The shaft can turn, but water cannot come out of the valve body.

Martin is in a better mood at last. He talking, engaging in eye contact and even smiling now. Two weeks ago he would hide from me when I dropped in at the yard and the atmosphere was frightful.

Apparantly, for some reason, I intimidate him. Cant imagain why though, im always nice, pleasant and smiley, except when im being lied to. Grrrrrr.

2010-07-06T23:20:00.000-07:00

I went back to the yard again yesterday. About 3 hours total work was done last week. The stern tube for the prop shaft was welded in and the vee, which was cut off the original base plate has been welded on to form the upper part of the swim.

Straight sides will now rise from that plate and will be all thats visable above the water line. Confused? Wait and see, it will all take shape and make sense when it happens.

This is going to be a 'cruiser' stern, not semi circular like most traditional narrow boat types but square across the full width, with just the corners radiused.
That will maximise floor space in the aft deck wheelhouse.
It will also provide a cavernous engine room and make the engine look tiny.

You can never have enough storeage room for tools, spares etc. A rough calculation yesterday suggests the fuel tankage will hold @ 110 gallons or 475 ish litres.

The engine compartment will also contain the 22 gallon hot water tank - the calorifier, and 24 x 2volt wet lead battery cells which weigh about 1 ton.

Its important that I build in some weight. This type of full displacement hull needs ballast to push it down into the water to make it seaworthy. Its also very important that the majority of that weight is evenly distributed to ensure stability.
Once the whole boat is fitted out, minor trimming might be needed to offset non evenly distributed weight like furniture etc.

A large fresh water tank in the bow will help offset all this stern weight, plus I will have to add 3-4 tons of bricks under the main cabin floor to keep the bows down when water from the tank is used.

2010-07-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

I have a friend, James, who bought a yacht in the States, sailed it to the Lebanon where he lives with his wife and kids. He gutted the yacht and eventually rebuilt it to the most amazingly high standard. He replaced all the fittings and equipment and very generously donated some of the bits and bobs to my project.

So at 07.00 one morning, I had a call from the customs handling agents at Heathrow.
'Miss Adams, can you tell us whats in the package from Beirut please'

They had obviously scanned the box and seen a mass of wires, guages and god knows what else. All James told me was he was sending his old intrument and breaker panel, plus a few other things.
I explained it was all a gift with no commercial value but was very important to me, and I hoped they would believe me and not call bomb disposal!!

I had a whole bunch of duty, handling and delivery to pay and wait 5 days for it to arrive. Well, it was like christmas in July when I opened the box. I couldnt risk lifting the box as it was so heavy, so I took out the carefully wrapped items one by one.

Dear James, you are such a sweetie, its as though you knew just what I needed. Thank you
To top it off was a book on boat electrics, my weak subject. At least I can try and understand watts, amps, amphours volts, ohms, AC and DC, not to mention the confusing variety of batteries, chargers, inverters, combi inverters, inverter chargers, trickle chargers,............Now do you see how complex it is?

2010-07-01T04:04:00.000-07:00

This is the start of the stern. Its cut to the Vee shape needed to let the water flow round the sides of the hull to pass the prop and rudder

In centre is the engine cradle, behind that is the base of the engine room bulkhead

Next, the swim sides are being added. The Vee shaped off cut from the base plate will be added to sit on the short swim sides and project out to the full 10'6 hull width.

2010-07-01T04:02:00.000-07:00

Here you can see the hole for the starter and the teeth on the flywheel

2010-07-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

Another view from the other side showing the bump to cover the starter bendix

2010-07-01T03:53:00.000-07:00

This is the gearbox/bellhousing adapter which also incorporates the two rear engine mountings.

I had it laser cut from 10mm plate through which passes the starter motor, and welded on a ring to stand off te rear plate to which the gearbox sub mounting plate bolts.

Yeah, I know, im realy clever.

2010-07-01T02:23:00.000-07:00

New month, new blog. In fact its been 2 months almost. Reason; Havent had much of interest to report on the boat front.

Story so far. I paid a £500 refundable deposit to book my build slot which was to commence in May. 2 weeks before the start date I paid 25% of the total build price inc VAT to purchase the steel.
Weeks went by and everytime a vacant spot became available in the workshop, another boat was started but not mine. This happened 3 times.
Over the years ive heard some bull, some good and some rubbish but this guy realy pulled the stops out and must have laid awake nights figuring what crap to tell me next.

Chinese are buying up all the steel.
Theres a world wide shortage.
The steel yards wouldnt deliver in the snow, causing a backlog.
Global prices are shooting up and stockholders arnt releasing the steel.
Stockholders are creating an artificial shortage to justify price rises
Theres not enough capacity to uncoil the steel, they cant process it fast enough.
My keel plate is too wide to move by ordinary transport.
Its uneconomical to bring half loads from the docks.
Its the month end and with the price rise due next month, its mayhem out there
Bigger steel users are getting all the priority
My steel is on the floor, ticketed and waiting to go next
My steel is loaded on a trailer but no lorries are available to deliver it.

There were a few more but I glazed over and couldnt be bothered to listen. Ive heard some real crap in my time but this guy is a born pro. He should be on the stage, -Coach, leaving town anyday soon I hope.

Ive tried so hard to get through to this guy. Ive been nice, Ive pleaded, Ive reasoned, Ive lost my temper, Ive even threatened and Ive explained that he gets some desperatly needed money once hes built it and I thought for a few days he took it on board, but alas, nothing materialised. Another month went by, and I was aware that boat builders are going bust at the moment, and im running a huge risk. If these guys go bust and the Receiver locks the gates, im going to be a long way down the Creditors list.
The yards best welder, Ghandi (Andy)quit, leaving only 1 full time guy. When they did have steel, they still clocked off at 4.30 and didnt work Saturdays to catch up. When your self employed, you work while you have work and have days off when it rains. Oh no, thats Farming, but the same principal applies.

I decided to become a pain in the ass, after all, the squeeky wheel gets the grease, so I was turning up at the yard every other day, putting the pressure on and listening to the crap excuses.

By now I was frustrated, anxious and angry. I was chatting to a few other boat people who made enquiries and told me the following.

The original price I was quoted sounds to be 8k under the going rate, and the yard will be building at a loss.

Steel prices havent risen the £400 odd quid a ton Ive been lead to believe, Steel is available at 3 days notice and this guy is probably up the Swannee financially, having used my money to buy the steel for the last boat and cant afford to buy mine now. When I paid him back in April, he said I was price rise protected as he was buying the steel straight away.
Doesnt sound like that to me now.

Then last week, a chap turned up at the yard, in a foul temper demanding his money back because he was fed up with waiting for his boat. They only offered him 6K and hes threatened to return next week and get violent.
In another strange twist, I turned up at the yard one day last week, dressed in shorts and flipflops and was told I wasnt dressed for work to which I replied, 'no steel no work, so whats the point'. I was assured I would get my boat eventually but if I wanted to cancel and have my money back, I was most welcome.
Oh yeah, you would love that, but I want my boat that you promised me when you took my money, so im going to wait and wait.

So, last Friday they scrounged a rusty 10mm plate 10' x 14' from somewhere and made a start.

The floor space became available because the narrowboat in front on mine was put on hold, and was dragged to one side, leaving the main workshop space open to make a start.
All looking good so far, but they didnt work the weekend as promised, bloody world cup probably got in the way.
Progress through the day is slower than paint drying. Phone rings every 5 mins and with so many people popping in and out for chats, cups of tea, freebe welding work needed on a variety of little jobs, about 12 hours work has been done in 4 days. To add insult to injury, the narrowboat is now back in pole position and will have to be finished first.

My steel plate is large enough to keep them busy for about a week whilst they fabricate the stern, so if I was running the job, I would be getting the next delivery lined up for a flawless contination, but I guess he doesnt have the money, which leads on to the next phase.

When the hull is half built, im expected to pay another 25%, and im betting my boots that hes going to make the stern and call that half way, so he can get his hands on the money, which will probably be used to finish the narrowboat in front.

And some of us thought moron brown was the worst accountant in the world. Is this why so many kids need to learn business studies these days? Its hardly rocket science to see what a mess people get into when they rob one to pay another. Common sense is so uncommon now.

On a better note.

I have made the engine/gearbox adaptor and its super sexi. Well done Ames, a gold star for you.
I collected my windows only to find the plonkers made them to open sideways, so they had to remake them.
I found a great source of 7 laminate plywood, far eastern, good both faces, no voids and £6 a sheet CHEAPER than the next best price I found.

Ive bought the battery out of an electric forklift which will be more than enough capacity for my needs. I also had a visit to Sterling Power and chatted to Charles Stirling who explained the whole charging/inverting procedure, and ive purchased the kit needed at a great price from Marine Mart.

To all you people who have spent an age in the maternity hospital waiting for the birth, I not only sympathise but I empathise with you.

2010-05-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

The engine stand made the work much easier as I didnt have to lift or bend too much.

2010-05-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

The cylinder head with valves in and cam over the top, ready to be mounted on the block

2010-05-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

This is the block after i cleaned it up, ready for rebuilding

2010-05-06T06:58:00.001-07:00

All engines need cooling and most car engines have a water filled radiator. On a boat, that hot water can be used to heat domestic water in a storeage cylinder via an indirect coil, and when that reaches the required temperature, the excess will be cooled via a tank welded to the boat keel.
The beauty of keel cooled engines as opposed to a wet exhaust cooled system is its all self contained and no raw water comes aboard and no weed can get stuck in filters. Most important in a muddy, weedy river or canal. This is called engine marinising, - converting from car to marine use

The gearbox also needs cooling and is done in a similar way using a keel tank. The engine transmits power via the flywheel through a drive plate into the gearbox and then its speed is reduced by a 2;1 ratio before it turns the prop at the stern. This also means I can keep the engine revs lower to make less noise, use less fuel whilst maintaining the same speed.
Almost all marine engines are puropse made for boats so in order to replace the car gearbox and mount the new drive plate, a bell housing has to be installed. I initially bought a bell housing from Lancing Marine, but after a lot of hassle, delayed delievery and then the wrong parts were delivered, I got rather cross and decided to make my own.
If Lancing had sent the right one, it would have been hard enough to copy theirs and replicate but as it was completely the wrong size and a different shape to my engine block, I had to start from scratch with some stiff paper, and acurately make a pattern to work from.

This type of problem solving is what I enjoy and do best. I love the challenge and the feeling that I won. Money cant buy that feeling.

The engine also has to produce electricity to keep the house battery bank topped up. This will be 12v and will be provided by a second alternator, the first one will also help out when its done its job of charging the engine starter battery.
The house battery voltage will be changed from 12volts to 240volts via an invertor, and then supplied via normal domestic sockets after passing through a fusebox.
12 volts will also be used for low power items like lighting because thats the most efficient way of doing it.

Inverting 12 to 240 volts is also ineficient. Losses of conversion waste energy and running a large 3kw inverter is also wasteful, so I shall split the load into two ring mains, one for smaller all day type loads and another for larger items like the washing machine and microwave which arnt used all of the time.

2010-05-06T05:21:00.000-07:00

Here we are at last, the long awaited Blog about my project boat.

I first started planning this particular boat in mid March 2010, and I have allowed evolution to take its course. As ever, its not so much a case of knowing what I want, but more of knowing what I dont want.
Add to that a steep learning curve, and 'Artimis' has slowly taken shape in my mind.
I did start out by making sketches and drawing plans but after many revisions, it seemed futile to try and capture the vision on paper. I have a 3D mind and have had no problems envisioning it from every angle in detail.

Since inception, I have had a lot of decisions to make concerning overall dimensions, interior layout, engine, electrical systems, heating and ventilation, plumbing etc, but ive whittled down the options and arrived at my prefered optimum design.

I had initially intended fabricating the steel hull and decking myself, but once I had got several steel prices, I decided to also get prices from a few boat builders and found that due to the bulk purchase power of a boat yard, it was cheaper to outsource fabrication.

I have chosen M&D Boatbuilders in Stourport. A father and son team who employ a small team of welders and specialise in steelwork fabrication. Their informal and down to earth, easy going method works well for my common sense view on life. No bull, no smooth talking salesmen, an open house welcome and an invitation to muck in whenever I can, whether it be welding or painting.
That makes me and other customers, feel close to the project and very much a part of the growing boat.

Since booking my build slot, the price of steel has started to rise. I guess its a good sign the recession is over and demand is growing for raw materials. A bad sign for the final consumer.

During the wait, Ive kept busy sourcing materials and parts, the hardest of which to find has been the things that keep the water out and let the light in.

Some call them windows, other say hatches or ports. Chose your title, I prefer windows in this case as thats exactly what they are.

The boat design is my personal adaptation, a cross between a widebeam canal boat and a replica Dutch style barge. The usual type of windows typically used in canal and river boats are single glazed in aluminium chanel frames. Experience has showed me that they are insecure from a security point of view and have no thermal break or insulating properties. Condensation readily forms on the frame and glass resulting in damp curtians, water marks on the hull interior and loss of heat in winter.

UPVC is the way to go. These windows have excellent thermal qualities, are highly secure and maintenence free. Unfortunatly, I found that domestic frames are 70mm deep and far too thick for my 50mm hull. I looked at making wooden frames that would accept 25mm glazing units but they would be prohibitivly expensive and cumbersome.
Then by chance I came across a company who make caravan windows with the right depth frame and at the right price. Thats one major hurdle crossed. They are now on order and delivery will coincide with the hull completion.

The next major hurdle was the engine, heart and power plant of the whole boat. It not only provides propulsion but hot water and electricity too, so Its the most important single item on board.
Several factors to contemplate when selecting an engine include cost, reliability, availability of parts, longevity, running efficiency and simple to work on. Something that does exactly what it says on the tin is hard to find but Ive found it.

The Peugeot XUD9 engine has been used for over 20 years in millions of cars ranging from the 206 Peugeot, through all Citroen diesels to Fiats and Fords.
Ive had two cars with the 1900cc non turbo diesel and have been impressed with the reliability and fuel economy. They take a beating and still come back for more. They have been well trialed and have an excellent track record.

I have chosen a 1900cc Turbo version out of a '95 Citroen Xantia.
I bought it off Colin, who bought it to marinise for use in his boat but then decided to stay with his BMC. I also bought a Newage PRM gearbox to fit to it. Im not going to use the turbo because I have more than enough power from the 70HP naturally aspirated version and there are no complications to running this engine without the turbo, but it will make it more fuel efficient and produce less heat in the engine room.
It also has the Bosch fuel pump, as opposed to the Lucas Cav versions.
The beauty of the Bosch pump is it will run on a variety of different fuels including veg oil and bio diesel. I forsee global fuel problems one day soon, so aside from being environmentally aware, its good to have duel fuel capability and redundancy options.

So far, ive stripped the engine, cleaned it, had the head skimmed, ground in the valves, replaced the big ends, piston rings and completely rebuilt it.