Rhyddid - live the questions now

Lined out and frustration setting in

I should have added an update yesterday when I uploaded the latest pictures, but work got in the way! The line out is almost complete above the gunwale and looks rather good. The outside has been primed using Jotan Alkyd Primer. I have started to build the power cupboard mainly to get some practice before I get to the middle of the boat. The launch should have been tomorrow, the 3rd, but big surprise, it is now 11th. Well that's todays story, no doubt it will change. It must be said that the relationship between me and Steve the builder has reached an all time low and I would just like the boat in the water so I can move it to Reading. The is a closure planned for the Oxford canal from the 5th November and I would hope to get a couple of short trips in prior to moving the boat to Reading.

Great boat weekend

I had a really great weekend on the boat. A big thank you to Dave, my landlord! He came over Sunday and I now have a ceiling. After weeks of doing jobs inside and nothing appearing to change, four hours and the inside of the boat is transformed, a really good feeling. So next weekend I can press on with getting the walls up. The crane has been delayed until next week now. From my point of view that's good as I will be working on the boat that week so I wont have to take time off.

Finally an update

Well I know it has been a long time since I last updated, sorry it just gets frustrating having to write that not much has changed on the boat. Well you can see from the last two pictures that I have rear steps, one wall panel and the first ceiling panel in place. You can also see that Gebo hatch is in place.
The new plan is that the boat should go in the water some time during the week begining 17th September! We will wait and see, currently the engine fit is not finished, yet another person in the boat business who couldn't stick to a time plan! Just why are people in the boat business so naff at keeping to a plan? Oh well, soon it will be just down to me which will be better.

Boat update

A small amount achieved on the boat this weekend but still some progress made. I have fixed nine of the twenty two roof battens. I first tried fixing them with self-tapping screws which resulted in either a snapped drill bit or snapped screw or me just loosing my temper or combinations of the three. So last week I invested in a Pop-riveter and success is insight, slow but progress. I have also installed most of the mains cables and in the evening finalised the galley design.

Seal of approval

Big day today. The boat got Mum's seal of approval. I took Mum over to visit today for her first look and all is okay.
The front deck is finished and I made more progress with the wiring. Day off today for my birthday.

A front deck at last!

Well after all the rain I am very pleased and relieved to report that the boat suffered no real damage, a few small water stains on the floor, but that is all. Compared to others I have been very fortunate. The drains on the rear deck work really well so despite all the rain the engine bay is totally dry!

During the breaks in the rain Steve managed to get the water tank in and start the deck, at last! Oh the simple joy of getting onto the boat without balancing on a pallet.

So if you look at the pictures from this weekend you will see I have started to fit the lids on to the cable tray and sleeve the cable that runs behind the cable wall, the insulation on the cable can react with the boat insulation. It does keep it all tidy. I had a visit on Saturday from Hugo win is making the front door, and as I would like the door in place when the painting is finished around early October, I thought I should get him booked. The door will be a three fold as the temporary is. I am using Ash to finish the lineout and so Hugo will make the door in Ash so it all ties in. But you will have to wait until October to see the finished article.

Lineout at last

Well at last I have started fitting lineout boards. Because of a lack of 9mm cherry ply board in the country I am having to fit 6mm plain old stuff and then 6mm cherry board, more work but I can get on. The water tank will be cut down on Wednesday, weather permitting. The roof hatch is causing a small problem, Channelglaze don't tell you the hatch can only be fitted on a totally flat roof and of course a canal boat has a curved roof, so Steve is having to construct a small box to level up the hatch cutout.

Water tank problem

I received a text from Steve yesterday. The tank is too big! No w the bit that really annoyed me was it has been sitting in his yard for 2 months and now he finds out it wont fit! Anyway I stopped by the yard on the way home and yes it is too big. The plan is to take it into the boat and fit it from inside. I'll let you know how it progresses.

Shiny bits and cables!

Well finally I have got the holes cut in the roof and fixed the vents. After various delays and missed deadlines I eventually lost my rag with Steve on Friday when he failed to show again. He arrived at the yard on Sunday and we had a 'full and frank discussion'. The water tank should be in by Friday and the hole for the roof hatch cut.

As can be seen from the pictures I have started adding cables and that should be finished next weekend, which means I can start the line-out. It will really start looking like a boat then.

Boat news at last

Well it has been over a month since the last post about anything. Because of car problems I was unable to get to the boat and so no progress has been made for sometime. I finally got over this weekend and I almost came home again! The rear deck board have been on site for over two weeks but Steve hadn't round to fitting them so the engine bay was filling with water and another inch and it would have overflowed into the main cabin. The Thinsulate insulation on the roof was causing a problem before the break and five pieces had come down. The water tank is still not in, so the whole thing looked in a sorry state. Anyway I borrowed a bucket from Alan who is restoring a lifeboat and bailed out the engine bay and then set to and applied lots of glue to the roof to re-attach the insulation. Dave had said he would come and help after lunch and it was really helpful that he did. Much easier with two people. So by the end of Saturday the insulation was in place, more battens attached and the place looked a good deal better.
Sunday I pressed on with getting cable tray fixed below the gunwale and also fixed the last of the battens. The rear deck boards are laid in place so hopefully that should keep the engine bay dry. So work permitting next weekend will see the last of the cable tray and I can start running cables in.