Before n after

Thought I would try and put some photos together of “before and after” so here goes.

New Ikea chairs much better.

 

Lovely cooker!!

Bathroom now it is a walk through is huge.

Now you walk into the bathroom in the middle.

 

You can see how much higher the beds are by the shelf on the left hand side. Double doors now go into the engine room.

Today we needed to get off the boat for a bit so caught the bus into town and needless to say ended up spending more money. In the shop that was Woolworths we found some small automatic cabinet lights 99p for two. we have put these in the cupboards so when you open the wardrobe door there is enough light to see by, ideal for Paul, prevents him ripping everything off of the coat hangers when he is trying to find clean clothes. Also put one in the airing cupboard and the corner cupboard in the kitchen. As I write this the speakers are being wired up haven't heard any moaning but then with this engine going you cant hear a lot anyway!!!!!!

At least the snow has gone off of the towpath but it does make it mucky for the dogs, the ice here is still about 3 inches thick so will take a while yet to thaw.

Nice quiet day.

Well our Christmas day didn't quite go to plan, and this wasn't in a bad way. Dinner was originally supposed to be for around 3 but as it was Christmas day I sent Paul round to the hire boat that is behind us to see if the people on board wanted to pop in for a cuppa. Now they have been on the boat for a week already and obviously hadn't moved from the mooring. Paul just caught them as they were going for a walk and they changed their plans and came aboard. I did ask them if they were told they couldn't move and they said they were given the option to cancel but as they had already had a summer holiday on a narrowboat they wanted to experience a winter one. In the back of their minds is buying a boat to live on and they thought if they could survive the cold on a hire boat they were half way there.

Any way Karen and Dave are a very nice couple they come from Havant which believe it or not is where Paul was born, it also transpired that Karen's birthday was a few days before Pauls and Dave's a couple of days after mine. They are also very keen motorcyclist with them both having their own bikes so there was plenty to talk about and the hours just flew by. They were treated to boat cake which I think went down quite well, by this time the men were drinking Newcastle brown ale and us girls Tia Maria so even if the cake as a bit naff we were past caring. (it wasn't naff though). Having arrived on board around 11am they left at 4pm it is surprising how time flies when you have a common ground to talk about, as they left we arranged to go out for a meal with them before they return home. It is nice making new friends especially at this time of year.

Today Paul just couldn't sit still and do nothing so tools and tool boxes were sorted out and he has been very ruthless,  some stuff has gone on the bin, but he has said he will have to replace a few bits as the binned stuff was knackered.

I now have a functional sink in the bathroom.

Paul has finally sat down, there is a rum and lemonade beside him and he is watching “We Dive at Dawn” which is circa 1943 so before both our times but in Pauls words “ you cant beat the old ones”

Happy Christmas Everyone!

Can Paul and I take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful 2011.

Yesterday saw us getting the last of our food shopping and who did we bump into in Asda but Anne and Keith I think we must be magnetically attracted to one another as  we didn't know they were in town. Of course we ended up in Wetherspoons having a late breakfast.

Today Paul promised me that he wasn't going to get stressed out while re-wiring in the fans under the beds. First one went okay with only a little muttering. When it came to my side we had hoisted the mattress onto Pauls bed taken out a drawer and then Paul’s muttering was getting abusive yet again. Why, well he had left his wire strippers under his bed (or so he thought) so it was mattress back on my side and mattress off of his side with no sign of the strippers with Paul saying “where the hell are they” I looked him straight in the eye and said “look in your pocket” enough said. So now the fans are both wired up the radio is working again good mornings work I think.

I even made a boat cake new oven worked a treat. Tomorrow we are going to do absolutely nothing.  

Calmer day today.

This morning we caught the bus to Braunston to get the exhaust chimney, the new glass for the fire (yes we had to buy it ourselves!!!) and a couple of other bits that Paul deemed necessary. Paul popped to see Ian to pay for the coal we had had and then it was time to visit Anne and Keith nb Oakfield for a coffee and a chat. While on board Paul remembered a few other things he needed like a 30amp fuse which he had taken out of the battery management system and some how dropped and never did find again. I finally got my own way and a 3 bladed Eco fan was also added to the list. We paid another visit to Midland Chandlers on the way to the bus stop and spent another £100 ah well it is Christmas!.

Once back on the boat some new door furniture was put on and Paul refitted the lock on the cratch doors.

I am glad to say that Paul has been relatively calm today with no swearing, slamming or banging not sure how long this peace will last as he is hoping to make a start on the DX coils for under the beds.  Not many days till Christmas now and like a lot of you out there we are not where we want to be, but never mind as long as we are warm and have food that all that matters.

Temper Temper.

Its funny isn't it, you know things aren't going well when you find your husband beating ten ton of the preferable out of his jig saw box (the tool not the 1000 piece variety) and it is in a thousand pieces all over the bedroom floor. To say he had been having a bad day would really have been understating the fact. I had popped into town to pick up his prescription while Paul set to running some cables in and wiring bits up. When I got back I could hear the swearing from the bridge. Getting on the boat there was stuff everywhere trays of screws emptied out on the bed lighting boards down fridge in the middle of the kitchen floor and Paul steaming. Now when he is having a bad day it is best to keep out if the way but it is very difficult on a boat, still he eventually managed to get everything done. He has put up the little Victron remote control panel in the kitchen so he doesn't have to go into the cold engine room every night to turn the invertor off. Next to this the panel he made up with switches for the Tv ariel, 12 v tele and the fans under the beds has been put.

Brass light switch is to turn off the supply to the fridge.

He had planned to connect the taps up at the bathroom sink but it was probably just as well he didn't tackle that job.

On Saturday we had a visit from Betty and Graham and Angela and John which was nice of them considering the weather was so bad (They all came in John and Angela’s camper). I am sure the men only came to pick holes in the engine room and I can now appreciate why Angela says that John’s engine is the “other woman” because Paul says goodnight to his engine as he goes to bed!!!!!!!! I don't even have that pleasure. Sunday saw us making endless trips to the rubbish bin getting rid of loads of stuff that Paul had kept “just in case” So as you can see we are slowly getting there.

While we were watching the tele yesterday afternoon we could hear a funny noise and the boat was vibrating, on further investigation it turned out there were three boys under the road bridge trying to break the ice with rocks without any success, they returned again today but the ice is still intact. As my mum would say “bless their cotton socks” Wont write what Paul would say.

Tomorrow Paul is going to have a stress free day or so he tells me. He has now rigged up the play station and is taking out his frustration out on the Germans lets hope the controller stays intact.

Getting there.

I have received a complaint (thanks John!!!!) for not writing for two whole days. So here I am again with a bit of an update.

We are slowly getting the boat straight, the hot water heating off the engine has been commissioned and I now have the choice of two radiators in the bathroom. Various other electrical item have been connected and Paul has finally sorted out some lighting in his engine room. Now when I say lighting I mean a small halogen 20w bulb whose fittings are stuck in a connector strip. I have been assured that this is only temporary still it is his engine room!!!!!!! Thanks to Beta Paul has found 4 water leaks on the cooling side of the engine all that was needed was the jubilee clips nipped up, this engine was bench tested by Beta  do they know what they are doing?

The solar panels have now been reinstalled and are working as well as can be expected in this weather. Bow thruster has also been reconnected, new bathroom cabinet up as is the shelf and as we could not find a tool rack anywhere Paul has had to resort to making his own these too are now up.

We have finally managed to get a water carrier just in case we are stuck when the tank gets low, the copper pipe has also been bought for the DX coils in the bedroom.  These should be up and running very soon. Believe it or not we still have loads of stuff to put away (all of it Paul’s)

Had a very interesting conversation with our neighbours today, that certainly was an eye opener! If only we had known!!!!!!!!!

we are out!!!

At last today is the day that we eased the new lengthened Piston Broke out of the dry dock and onto the cut. We had to wind which was fun, the front of the boat is miles away now and the JD3 certainly has a distinctive ring to it and will sound even better once we have an exhaust chimney on.  We are now moored up opposite Badsey cafe.

With bad weather coming in we topped up the diesel and the water before leaving the yard. Still quite a bit to say about the journey that we have been on but will leave that for another time.

Now I will have to start putting photos on here to show the difference all this work has made to our living space, but give us a bit of time as there is still quite a lot of stuff to be put away.

Paul hopefully will chill out now, I have to nip to town tomorrow to get a few bits, we need a new bathroom cabinet so have to price that up. We don't plan to rush just spend the winter getting everything done at our leisure.

Agro, agro, agro

Saturday morning I was looking forward to a nice shower, how silly of me to think that this small task would go to plan. There I was in the buff ready to run the water when Paul shouted “stop” we need to check that every thing is okay (bit late for that me thinks). So shower pump on, well, no, shower pump didn't work after not being used for 4 months it had dried out. Next, tap on plenty of cold water but no hot. The thermostatic valve was full of dust and bullets so that put paid to my nice shower. As we were meeting Keith and Anne for lunch it meant a quick sluice down and washing my hair in the sink. Then the bus was late so our leisurely wander getting our bits and pieces before lunch turned into a manic rush dodging the Christmas shoppers, still we did get everything we set out to get. Met up with our friends and had a nice lunch catching up and relating our tales of the work to date.

Once back on board Paul set to and sorted the shower out so at least that is working now.

Sunday it was general tidy day for me, my cupboards are to my liking for now. Paul sorted some wiring and made a guard up for the 240v genny and the fly wheel. This is so the dogs don't get their tails caught.

Ok so the engine is filthy but that is Pauls domain give him time and it will be nice and shiny.

A friend very kindly bought us 4 bags of coal courtesy of his mate in a camper van. Was nice to have a chat and to show him the work that had been done. The header tank has also been fitted.

Neat pipe work eh!

Engine control panel is in situ

We have so much varnishing to do it will take us an age to catch up.

Now today, what can I say about today? It was washing day and fit the cooker day and as you can imagine neither went to plan. The washing machine refused to pump out and the clothes were covered in grit and muck. All this was going on while Paul was fitting the cooker so those of you who know him can appreciate that he was a tad overwrought that a) the machine needed sorting and b) getting the cooker in place which meant him putting his 6ft 2in frame inside a cupboard with a torch that run out after 5 minutes was not conducive with a happy husband. Machine was sorted first and we now have clean washing hanging about. The cooker is up and running, the carcass for the cooker was knocked up yesterday.

Tools have been sorted ready to be put away, bow thruster wiring has been done, just in case we can move at some time. I have found the dinette although there is still some stuff on it I can just manage to get one cheek of my bum on it to use the computer. (no comments about the size of my bum please)

Not too happy about the weather forecast for the end of the week and beyond.

We have hot water.

Yes, Paul has really pulled his finger out today and not only do we have running water (hot and cold) but we have lights in the bedroom. Not that I want to look at Paul when I go to bed but I object to stumbling about in the dark. Oh yes as Paul has raised the bed by 5 inches I need a step ladder to get in to bed.

We have a bit more floor space as stuff gets put away but we still cant use the dinette no room on that yet.

I struggled with the trolley on my trip back from Asda in fact I chose to miss the first bus that came along as there were about 6 wrinklies with their trolleys and a girl with a push chair, I just couldn't face the aggro so waited for the next bus to come along.

In this milder spell the canal seems to be thawing a bit but the broken up bits are still about 4 inches thick so no getting lulled into a false sense of security that we will be on the move in the next couple of days.

Tomorrow we plan to go to Rugby, Paul needs a new hand saw and a few electrical  bits. The installation of the cooker is earmarked for Sunday

We have been amazed at the interest in our blog during the stretch, and we would like to thank everyone who has been following us. Not long now until the epilogue!!!!!!!!!!!

That's the bedroom sorted.

It has taken me all day to put all the clothes away in their right places. I was very ruthless as well, getting rid of some bedding after all why do you need 3 sets plus one on the bed? After all this tidying Paul came back after paying up the outstanding rent we owed and promptly threw everything out of his cupboards onto the bed and proceeded to sort out the TV ariel wont say I was a bit miffed, I was spitting feathers.

Still I must be tolerant as today is his birthday, I had managed to hide his cards from family and friends so that was a nice surprise for him. Have to be gentle with him as at his age I don't want him over excited!!!!!!.

Now, what will we do tomorrow? Paul has promised to sort out the lighting in the bedroom as at the moment we don't have any, also we are hoping that the water in the tank has thawed out it is a pain having to keep filling up water containers. I have to get shopping, now I have the luxury of a freezer again.  Then we must tackle all the crap on the dinette most of which is Pauls. Although the weather people say the temperature is going up a few degrees we cant see us moving until after Christmas which is not ideal but at least we are safe here and buses are close by. So much for looking forward to Christmas with our friends, we are stuck here Betty and Graham are at Crick and Keith and Anne are at Braunston still you never know it might rain soon!!!!!!!

central heating running.

Another very busy day for us both,me to go to Willow Wren to clean and Paul to get the central heating up and running. I am glad to say that we both had successful days. Although Paul’s was a bit more stressful than mine as a couple of the joints on the radiators leaked so we had more water inside than out.

We also have a problem with the  water tank being frozen well we hope that is the reason we have no water. Tomorrow is my day for the big re-organise Paul is off to settle up our rent so I will have an hour or twos grace to get as much done as I can. Slowly but surely this boat is warming up, the dogs are getting to grips with the “wibbly wobbly” steps, I have put the covers on the arm chairs, unearthed the new bedding and although there is still a lot to do, we have no water, no cooker and no lighting yet in the bedroom it is so so so nice to be HOME.

Back home.

What a frost over night I have never seen anything like it. Poor old Mick had to do two journeys in his car to bring all our stuff here. He didn't want to risk bringing the camper. I left Rugby around 11 trusty camera in my pocket.

This was the scene that greeted me as I left the arm rather spectacular I think. The walk to Hillmorton went better than expected as Saffie had a spring in her step and didn't lag behind once. When we got to the golf course we had a quick chat with Aqua lady who we always see in the area at this time of the year.

Love this tree.

Jus before the Kent road bridge.

Nearly at Hillmorton aerials in sight.

It was a scene of chaos that greeted me on board, at least the fire was lit although some doughnut has broken the glass it was all alright when we left it. I have managed to put every thing away although this will all have to be reorganised over the next few weeks.

Cratch board is back on and new cover is in place, no diamonds on the cratch this will need to be sorted as it was agreed. Engine has been running have had to have a small silencer fitted and it now sounds a lot better, more like an MGB than a Sherman tank!!

I have to make the journey back to Willow Wren tomorrow for the big clean then that is it GOOD BYE FREEZING BOAT. Had a bit of a result I found my towels, I had used them to wrap all my delicate china before all this refurb took place good job really as I sure it would have all ended up in bits.

When we woke this morning every window was iced up so the first thing Paul did once back here was to put the double glazing back in. (Take note John when are you putting yours in?)

There are a few things left to do but hopefully we wont be here for too long just bring on the thaw.

It will be good to sleep in our own beds again.

All systems go go go.

Yesterday I went base over apex in the ice on the way out taking the dogs for their walk. As I was sat on the ground they looked at me as if to say “you are not getting out of it that easy” so I picked myself up and carried on with the walk very gingerly I might add.

Today the weather changed with a vengeance freezing fog, and the canal back to being an ice rink.

Looking down the arm from the bridge.

Frosty or what?

Brrrrrrrrrrr

Paul had planned to get to the yard early this morning but assumed that as it was so cold the boat wouldn't come out of the paint shed, but how wrong can you be. As he arrived they had just finished docking. So Paul went into his do every thing at ninety miles an hour mode and got stuck in.

Canopy on.

The landline socket is now installed and is connected to the power. He has found that there is a main line neutral down probably has a screw through it!!!!!!!!!!!!! So a new wire has to run round the other side of the engine room Paul has the idea that he can string it across the engine room and I can use it as a washing line (only joking, I hope). 12v consumer box has been connected on a temporary supply, water heater wiring and programmer are in.

Cratch board still in the paint shop hopefully will be re-fitted tomorrow as we need our new cratch doors out of the weather.

Nice red oxide roof over the engine room.

The engine has been fired up and it transpires that we need a silencer of some sort to drop it a few Db’s  as it sounds like a Sherman tank. The final 3 internal doors have been fitted today and will be finished off tomorrow.

We know that we will have to stay in the yard until at least the weekend so that all works are finished off to Pauls exacting standards ha ha.

What have I been doing while all this has been going on? Well everything is now packed all except for our bedding and the dogs bits. Mick is taking Paul and our worldly goods tomorrow I have drawn the short straw and will be walking the dogs from Rugby to Hillmorton in the cold, all together now ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

1 load down

Yesterday was a busy day for us where tempers got very frayed voices were raised and there was a lot of swearing.  Normal sort of day for us then. All joking aside we achieved a lot. Mick ran us to Hillmorton in his camper van and so we were able to get at least half of the stuff here over to P & B which was a great help. So much for me wanting to put everything away in an orderly fashion I was told in no un- certain terms to “just get in the cupboards you can sort it out later” so now once back on board I will have to shut myself away with my new Take That cd to empty the drawers and wardrobes and then put it all back again tidily.

We very methodically went through the boat from engine room to cratch cleaning up all the s**t that had been left by those working on board, there was shavings, bits of wood, and all manner of shit and bullets bet they don't leave their own homes like it. So now the old peoples chairs are in the tea room for the lads to use (no danger of them falling asleep in them!!!!) the new ones are in situ.

Covers to go on yet.

This is after we had tidied!!! most of this stuff is destined for the engine room.

 

After that it was the turn of the cooker. Now we had measured till we were all measured out and we knew the thing would get in, but when we unpacked it and Paul measured yet again my name certainly wasn't Lynne it was some expletive that I cant spell. Now you have to imagine the scenario, boat is still in the paint shed so sitting on the floor, cooker has to be man handled from the outside down steep steps then lifted over the bows of the boat (MIND THE PAINT WORK rubber mats were put in place just in case) then in through the cratch doors. It all went quite well till the getting through the cratch doors bit, there was no way that this dam cooker was going to go through, soooooo new cratch doors came off, no still wouldn't go through, trim work was next, still no joy, eventually the handles of the cooker came off and we had a result. Pauls next clever idea was to LIFT the cooker over the narrow bit of the galley we did manage to get thing  up in the air but my little arms were just too short so it is now back on the lounge floor until tomorrow when hopefully one of the strapping lads at the yard can help Paul put it in place. During all this tidying and cleaning I seem to have lost all of my towels, now where are they I wonder they certainly aren't on this boat and I haven't come across then on P & B but they must be somewhere.

As you can appreciate Paul is well stressed out at the moment and for those  of you who received by email an hacker alert from us he can only apologise as he inadvertently pushed the wrong buttons and sent it to every one in our contacts list, he realised what he had done in one nano second after he had pushed send, don't worry it wont ever happen again as I have banned Paul from using the computer, well he can talk to his brother via Skype but that's as far as it will go. Yes Maffi you were right we had pages and pages of return emails. 

Battery bank in.

Paul came back from the yard in a bit of a mood cant go into detail here but suffice to say he was not happy. The battery bank has been installed and as you can see all can be serviced in an easy manner.

The docking wont be happening until Monday morning now but she has to come out as there is a boat in the paint shop ready to be sprayed and we are in the way. There is also another boat due in. Don't ask why only half the old engine bay has been painted red oxide just another of the jobs to sort once we are back on board!!!!!!

Time to start packing!!!!!!!

Due to unforeseen circumstances we have to be off this boat asap, so this has meant gee-ing up the yard to allow us back on ours. Of course the weather isn't helping. Our boat was supposed to be out of the shed today but with the freezing temperatures last night I don't think that is likely. Work has progressed and hopefully our deadline of sleeping back in our own beds by Tuesday night will materialise. We know we will probably be on board but still in the yard for a few days but that's okay we can cope with that. I am frantically packing as much as I can. We have arranged a lift to the yard tomorrow with the first load and then the rest will all go on Tuesday that will leave me Wednesday to blitz this place and leave it sparkly clean.

We had fun and games yesterday as we are desperate for a pump out I think we managed to move the boat about 6 foot and that was it, of course by then all the broken ice stopped us getting back on the mooring in fact Paul was all for leaving this boat across the arm but with the aid of a pole and Paul stirring up the water with the plank we were able to get back in, hasn't solved the problem of the toilet but we do have the use of one at the back of the office here and a bucket on hand for the middle of the night. All I can say is, I am grateful we have a cassette on board ours.

Paul is at Hillmorton at the moment so I don’t know what has happened there, the new cooker came yesterday that is another job to be sorted before we get back on the cut. The inside of P & B is dire to say the least with about 6 inches of dust, flakes of paint and 16 weeks of grubbiness to be tackled certainly wont be a quiet Christmas for us, just hope we can to Braunston to be with Anne and Keith nb Oakfield and Betty and Graham nb Tranquility for the festivities.