Just a quick post - we actually made it out this weekend - Fantastic!!
It was only up the river for an hour, then chores, (pump out, water and diesel) but it reminds me of our overall plan.
Due to circumstances we have to be land lock for the next few years, but boy, retirement cann't come soon enough, and we can then go back to the canals of our holidays.
Dreams - what would we do without them. I love reading Gypsy Rover, Khayamanzi and the like, and hope to meet them one day when we too will be live aboards.
Oh well, back to grind stone for now.
Wednesday 20 February 2008
Tuesday 12 February 2008
Covered
I have managed to finish the cover for the side hatch late Sunday evening.
Here is a photo of the finished job. My new sewing machine just about managed to do the job, with about 7 broken needles!!!, and a flat refusal to do any more.
Not to bad, just a smallish wrinkle on the diagonal
Thanks to Bones suggestion, re the hatch (hope the hand is getting better, and Maffi head is repairing - unrelated happenings). Going to investigate that option
Saturday 9 February 2008
Leaks!!!
We have had a problem with a leaky side hatch since we purchased Serendipity a couple of years ago. We have had several tries to remedy this, and have finally come to the conculsion that this is going to need a major re-design. So for the time being, I would have to make a hatch cover out of the material I had left over from making the stern cover last year.
I vowed after making the cover and some windbreaks last year I would never do this job again. It even killed my sewing machine, but being skint needs must.
This we started to day, it was supposed to be a one day job!!! I wish.
First we were supposed to get up and out by 10.00am, we both get up at the crack of dawn during the week, so like to have a lie in on Saturday's, but today we managed to sleep in until 10.40am, so a late start.
To compound this, my husband need to get stainless steel screws, and that is the other side of town, so due to lateness of time, he would go on Baby (This is his Harvey Davidson motorcycle, who is better looked after than me and his daughter).
Disaster!!!! THE KEYS WERE LOST.
This entailed 1.5 hour search, with everything and everybody being blamed, they were finally found in the fleece he wore last weekend!!!
Needless to say I didn't get to the boat until after 1.30pm. A very late start!!!
Well, it is now 8:50pm, the light failed on us at about 6:10pm with a job only half done, we tried to continue but sometimes you have to know when you are beaten.
We will have to try and continue tomorrow. It is going to be a bit difficult as I am a Lay Minister at my local church, and I am preaching tomorrow night, and I always spend Sunday afternoon panicking about the sermon.
Oh well, when the cover is finished I hope it will look OK. I will post some photos for you all to judge
Downside of all of this - we didn't get to do any boating either.
We also discovered that the starter battery is probably knackered, it was very reluctant to get started this afternoon. It could be down to all of the electrical work and testing that went on over the last week. Alot of being turned on, but no engine running. We will just have to monitor for now.
Oh hum, perhaps we will get boating one day.
I vowed after making the cover and some windbreaks last year I would never do this job again. It even killed my sewing machine, but being skint needs must.
This we started to day, it was supposed to be a one day job!!! I wish.
First we were supposed to get up and out by 10.00am, we both get up at the crack of dawn during the week, so like to have a lie in on Saturday's, but today we managed to sleep in until 10.40am, so a late start.
To compound this, my husband need to get stainless steel screws, and that is the other side of town, so due to lateness of time, he would go on Baby (This is his Harvey Davidson motorcycle, who is better looked after than me and his daughter).
Disaster!!!! THE KEYS WERE LOST.
This entailed 1.5 hour search, with everything and everybody being blamed, they were finally found in the fleece he wore last weekend!!!
Needless to say I didn't get to the boat until after 1.30pm. A very late start!!!
Well, it is now 8:50pm, the light failed on us at about 6:10pm with a job only half done, we tried to continue but sometimes you have to know when you are beaten.
We will have to try and continue tomorrow. It is going to be a bit difficult as I am a Lay Minister at my local church, and I am preaching tomorrow night, and I always spend Sunday afternoon panicking about the sermon.
Oh well, when the cover is finished I hope it will look OK. I will post some photos for you all to judge
Downside of all of this - we didn't get to do any boating either.
We also discovered that the starter battery is probably knackered, it was very reluctant to get started this afternoon. It could be down to all of the electrical work and testing that went on over the last week. Alot of being turned on, but no engine running. We will just have to monitor for now.
Oh hum, perhaps we will get boating one day.
Thursday 7 February 2008
Gauges
The gauges have been replaced for temperature and oil pressure. We can now go somewhere with out worry.
I first rang RCR to help sort the problem, and they put me in contact with engineer within the hour.
He was great, so if you are ever down the bottom of the Kennet and Avon towards Bristol and have a problem with engine or electrics contact Motion Marine - 07789 175 042. Even though it was difficult to sort out, apparently two gauges blowing together is very unusual. He kept at it.
I first rang RCR to help sort the problem, and they put me in contact with engineer within the hour.
He was great, so if you are ever down the bottom of the Kennet and Avon towards Bristol and have a problem with engine or electrics contact Motion Marine - 07789 175 042. Even though it was difficult to sort out, apparently two gauges blowing together is very unusual. He kept at it.
Wednesday 6 February 2008
Heating at last
We have now managed to install the new burner unit on the boat and have heating, which is great in this weather.
Also the new seals for the dump through have been fitted. This was not such a bad job as we initial thought.
Now we are trying to solve some of the leaks we have. The main one comes from the side Hatch, and probably the best way to cure this with out major welding and new doors is to fit a Hatch cover to keep out most of the weather. As I still have some material left over from making the stern cover, cushions and wind break I will make if out of that
Serendipity has a very small bow area, which my husband made seats for out of old snooker tables, but it is not large enough to have a cratch fitted, so I am going to make a cover for the area in a thick tent window material, so we have lots of light into the boat and can still have the bow doors open when it is raining.
Serendipity layout is I believe called a reverse layout, bedroom at the bow, followed by bathroom in a room of its own, saloon area, then kitchen. We have kept it fairly open plan at the kitchen saloon end with free standing furniture, ikea futon for daughter, and ikea fold up tables. We have also adapt argos laundry boxes (wooden) into storage containers that double as seats for dinning. Allyn also designed a small slot in table that fits at the top of the steps leading to the side hatch that makes a great food prep, laptop, or what ever you want it to be area.
I will try to get some photos to post later.
Also the new seals for the dump through have been fitted. This was not such a bad job as we initial thought.
Now we are trying to solve some of the leaks we have. The main one comes from the side Hatch, and probably the best way to cure this with out major welding and new doors is to fit a Hatch cover to keep out most of the weather. As I still have some material left over from making the stern cover, cushions and wind break I will make if out of that
Serendipity has a very small bow area, which my husband made seats for out of old snooker tables, but it is not large enough to have a cratch fitted, so I am going to make a cover for the area in a thick tent window material, so we have lots of light into the boat and can still have the bow doors open when it is raining.
Serendipity layout is I believe called a reverse layout, bedroom at the bow, followed by bathroom in a room of its own, saloon area, then kitchen. We have kept it fairly open plan at the kitchen saloon end with free standing furniture, ikea futon for daughter, and ikea fold up tables. We have also adapt argos laundry boxes (wooden) into storage containers that double as seats for dinning. Allyn also designed a small slot in table that fits at the top of the steps leading to the side hatch that makes a great food prep, laptop, or what ever you want it to be area.
I will try to get some photos to post later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)