Boat Safety Scheme Certificate

Just a quick visit to the boat yesterday to see the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) Inspection taking place.

Although new boats don’t need a Boat Safety Scheme Certificate our builder, Stephen Goldsbrough Boats, organises a full certificate from an independent surveyor for our confidence.  It also prevents arguments four years later when the first BSS inspection is required.

Jeff Greatwood from Alrewas was the surveyor and we watched him carefully checking everything and ticking off the checklist before issuing us with the BSS certificate.

That’s now in the post with the paperwork to British Waterways for our licence application.

Posted on Saturday, March 31, 2007 at 12:08
Comments (3) Category(s): Build our Boat

Reading the Instructions

Another visit to Fenny Compton today.  This time it was to see Emrhys and Ian from the Thames Electric Launch Company at work.

They had been working on the boat yesterday and today and had installed the “A” frame with the electric motor.

The photo shows it driving the pulley on the main prop shaft just astern of the diesel engine.  The bright blue circular thing is a centrifugal clutch which gives a soft start and the motor is almost invisible behind it.

When the electric motor is running the diesel engine is left in neutral and the electric motor drives the propeller through the belt. 

When the diesel engine is operating like a conventional boat the belt is driven but the blue centrifugal clutch is disengaged so the motor doesn’t turn.

Ian was completing the wiring today, while Emrhys was reading the instruction manual.  By this afternoon they had completed the wiring to the motor and the control system and I saw the motor running.

We were still in the paint tunnel so we could only try it briefly in forward gear but I was impressed.  With the engine cover open and no insulation in place I could hear the motor running at maximum speed - but the noise of churning water from the propeller was louder still.

Once the cover is on the engine compartment and the sound insulation is in place it will be quieter than the noise of the water.

Lots of other work had been going on elsewhere on the boat.  Lots of fittings inside and lots more painting outside.

My next visit will be this Friday when the Boat Safety Scheme Examiner will (hopefully) issue our certificate.

Posted on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at 20:25
Comments (1) Category(s): Build our Boat

No Problem

After visiting our boat yesterday we went on to visit Sue, Vic and Lucy on No Problem 1.

They are have been working on No Problem 2 before swapping over to the new boat.

Now the boat is nearly finished it is in the paint shop at Devizes Marina where it has been taken down to bare metal and is being painted.

We ran Sue and Vic to the Marina to see how work had been progressing.

It looks excellent and the metalwork has been well constructed with extremely smooth sides.

They were painting the roof when we got there so we had the pleasure of a tour inside while they finished painting the roof - they couldn’t stop or there would have been a line in the paint.

Then there were the difficult decisions.  Would they like the mooring T-bollards picked out in the red.

What about the front?  What colour should that be?  What colour should this be?

It was just like our decisions in the morning and their answers were surprisingly similar to ours.

Now we know what colour Sue and Vic have chosen for No Problem 2 - it will be #$ErRoR£! - well you didn’t think we would reveal their secret, did you?

Posted on Saturday, March 24, 2007 at 15:33
Comments (1) Category(s): No Problem

Blue Boat

Another visit to see progress with our boat.  It’s in the paint shop and the paint is almost too shiny to photograph.

Here it is with the blue paint on the sides complete and the white lining finished.

The name panel towards the stern is taking shape with the undercoat and the masking tape round the edges.  The sign writer is booked for a week on Monday and I hope to be there to watch.

The gunwales will be painted with non-slip paint, as will the roof, the cockpit floors and everywhere else we may stand on.

Then there were the difficult decisions.  Would we like the mooring T-bollards picked out in the same red as the name panel.

What about the front?  What colour should that be?  What colour should this be?

We ended up walking around the marina to see what other boats looked like and trying to imagine what ours would look like.

The cooker and fridge had also been fitted now the vinyl has been laid in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Posted on Friday, March 23, 2007 at 23:46
Comments (1) Category(s): Build our Boat

Water Water Everywhere

We went to visit our boat yesterday to see progress with the build.  On the way there, and again on the way back we made a small detour to see the floods on the River Avon.

We filmed the river in flood, and carefully identified the place where we took the film from.  We will carefully store the film so we can go back later and film from the same place to show the river with and without floods.

One day, when we cover the River Avon in the Waterway Routes series of DVDs, we will have this footage ready.

Posted on Saturday, March 10, 2007 at 09:44
Comments (0) Category(s): River Avon (Stratford)

In the Paint Tunnel

Our boat went into the paint tunnel earlier this week.  Reeves had put a protective coat of paint on when they built the metal shell to stop it rusting but now it’s time for the final paint job.

Barry was busy sanding down the stern floor while we were there and he had already done preparatory work elsewhere to prepare the boat.  Any blemishes would stand out when the painting is finished if not prepared.

Now is a good time to reveal the colour scheme we have chosen for the boat - and its name.  It will be blue, with a red name panel, and called - “Waterway Routes”.

There had been lots of other work on the boat, including varnishing most of the internal woodwork and tiling the kitchen and bathrooms.

The black slate tiles had been placed around where the stove fits into the front right hand corner of the boat.  Here’s a view looking down the chimney.  They’ll look nice once the grouting between the tiles is dry and cleaned.

Posted on Friday, March 9, 2007 at 20:43
Comments (0) Category(s): Build our Boat

No Problem at Caen Hill

A leisurely start today and off to Devizes to see the Caen Hill flight of locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal.  Although I had seen many photos this was the first time I had seen the locks in person.

But moored at the top of the main flight of locks was the main reason for today’s visit - No Problem and Moore2Life.

Lucy, the wonderful dog from No Problem, came bounding along the towpath to see me like a long lost friend.  She seems to recognise me walking up the towpath, well before I arrive.

We worked the two boats down the main flight at a leisurely pace, stopping for coffee in one of the locks as there were no other boats around.

At the bottom of the flight we moored the boats and Sue provided soup and rolls for all of us.  Thank you Sue.

Posted on Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 19:23
Comments (1) Category(s): Kennet and Avon , No Problem