Devizes Marina.....

Moored Devizes, K&A Canal

There was too many tools and screws, panel pins and glue as well as odd bits of wood.. empty cups of tea .. etc etc when I went with camera in hand to take a few progress snaps on Mk2 this evening.. Men at work for sure.. the scene showed not one labourer in sight.. Oh, I am the labourer by the way.. and I was away today.

Not on sick leave I hasten to add, but there are other things to do you see.  Like collecting and delivering post to the Post Office… shopping, choosing fabrics for curtains and upholstery, finding door catches that actually work.. Oh and chasing up on stuff ordered but not arrived yet like the inverter.. ordered on 31st December.. Umph still waiting for that..

My camera did not have a clear shot of progress today.. so instead I thought I would leave that place of manly sweat and take a look outside, and there I found three familiar narrowboats all huddled together waiting for the weather to warm up..

Cropredy, Chaulden and Steelaway all wondering when their owners would come and take them out for a trip.  Shared ownership boats they are, coming under the brolly of Ownerships.

There has been a lot of discussion on their forum as to how to overcome the problem of releasing these boats from the Kennet and Avon Canal, and some very interesting reading too, even the wishful thinking that British Waterways will pay for all us boaters down here in the south to be craned out of the water onto a truck and back in again around the the broken weir at Kate Bush’s place..

Andy, who looks like is part owner of Steelaway, starts a thread as he is worried that his boat and Cropredy will not make it to the Midlands to relocate for next season because of the stoppage..

Weir collapse on Kennet and Avon

It looks like OS boats might be trapped on the K&A for a while. The last time a weir collapsed it took a year to repair according to the local paper.

Maybe we'll be allowed to escape up the Severn estuary.

An interesting read for sure.. but it does amaze me that nobody on any of the three boats in the picture have actually been cruising on them during the last month or so..or maybe I missed their coming or going..

At the other end of the Quay here at Devizes you can see how popular this marina is.. it’s full, so it must be popular, or is it because there are very few on the K&A?  If you are wondering what Molly the dog is excited about, then look closely just to the right of the post on the other side of the entrance..

Oh well, back to my normal job tomorrow then.. but at least you will get some progress pictures once I have done my ‘put em all back in the right place’ job in the morning!

Original Curtains would you believe and a wardrobe does the trick at last!

Moored Devizes, K & A Canal

It can be slow going all this refitting lark.. but then that is what life is like in general anyway on the waterways.. but I want it to be quicker, I want to move aboard and go to pastures new.. “Well it ain’t gonna happen yet” I keep telling myself!

Mark from the States actually had the 2003 brochure from Black Prince Holidays.. and he very kindly sent it to me.. many thanks indeed Mark .  Anyway inside I was intrigued to see our new No Problem with pictures.. most of the interior was as is, and even the curtains are the original set.. Hey they are not too bad given it was a hire boat…

But I shall be measuring up tomorrow for new curtains.. and I shall change the rail at the top and the rail at the bottom that hold them back.  I am not the sort of person to have fancy curtains and tie backs… I like cottagey looks and ‘non straight lines’.  I hate uniform forms if you see what I mean.

It is very fortunate that the family business is actually a curtain and fabric specialist.. our family are a family of curtain makers!!… Ah but a cobbler is poorly shod they say.. but I phoned daughter Wendie today to discuss the furnishings, and already she has all my foam sorted for the various parts of No Problem that need foam and the grades, and has suggested some fabrics for me.. I shall be off to Swindon to have a look at fabrics then relay back to her my choices and my measurements!

The dinette is nearly finished now.. it has been a bit of a problem.. well not so much the building it, but the location of wood for it. Impossible in or around Devizes to find any wood.  In fact there is no decent wood at at all.  Plenty of ply of all grades at Jewsons, non at all at Focus, unless you are fond of MDF.. banned in a lot of European countries so Ron was telling me when he visited a few days ago.. Apparently what is in it made a lot of countries ban it.. so we won’t have that aboard if we can help it.  In the end a shop soiled wardrobe from Focus was the best we could come up with to finish off the dinette!..

I wanted better wood, but there just is none around here.. So now you see the next stage in the development.. two drawers underneath the dinette which will have ‘tops’ on, and will also double up as foot rests for anyone sitting on the dinette facing the saloon.  Inside these drawers will go the grandchildren's toys, books, paint, crayons etc.. they will be able to pull them out and play.. and hopefully we can just simply put the top down and shove em back out the way!!   Well that is the theory anyway!

If you look carefully on the top, you can just about see the slots that the backrest of the dinette will sit in.. both back and front so the seating can be facing either the table or saloon.  Tis my job tomorrow to set in all the trims.. I found some nice ones to go round the bookcase bit.. then it is the rub down and varnish phase.. phew, this all takes time!

Meanwhile!..

Chas of NB Moore2Life is installing all the electrics.  The boat used to be on a residential mooring, and was wired as such.. so there is quite a lot of alteration to do.  He sure is doing a grand job for us.  Chas is very articulate when it comes to wiring.. just how I like it!

Frustrating couple of days.. not much done

Moored Devizes, Kennet and Avon Canal

Oh such bliss though, my beloved BlogJet software is working a treat, no more hours of formatting before I could post a blog, and from the first try, it seems ok… phew..

But the last couple of days have been frustrating for sure.. there seem to have been so much more else to do but to be aboard NP Mk 2 to carry on the refit.. well here I am sitting wondering what we did yesterday, and to be honest we did actually do a lot…

We changed over all the batteries from Mk1 to Mk2 and reverse.. hey what am I on about not doing much refitting.. so it was the 7 domestics going to Mk2 and 4 back to Mk1.. I tell you what too, such a difference in power.. having just to watch it a bit now and be careful to switch stuff off when not required!

So that took most of yesterday by the time everything was wired back in and running again on Mk1.. well Eastenders is a must for Vic.. never mind that it drives me mad with all the shouting and screaming going on.. hey is it like that in the real world?  Or do I now live a very sheltered life as a continuous cruiser? TeeHee..

Today we boarded Moore2Life for a ride to Devizes.. well they had a Tesco delivery and we needed a starter battery, plus a look around the town for some decent bits of timber.. got the starter battery anyway.. but as far as timber is concerned, well there just isn’t any..

Need it for the doors that open out into the passageway on the dinette.. ah well something will turn up later..

I wonder if the comment from a couple of days ago was seen…

Robert Daily (BW) said...

Just to put a stop to all the rumours about fuel charges. I have worked for the british waterways for over 30 years now and have recently met with members of the goverment to discuss the increases they intend to put on the fuel used by watercraft.It has yet to be officially announced but expect to pay around £1.11 and £1.27 per gallon depending on area location, the increase is high due to overal cost of ownership compared to owning a home for example, i dont expect this to be the only change as they have also mentioned other charges to watercraft owners of which i will not go into at this present time but rest assured you will find out in due course.

All the best

Robert

Odd one that.. I wonder who in the “goverment” (errrrr he probably meant government) he met.. I wonder too, what other “…charges to watercraft owners” he won’t go into are as well!

At last my blog writer program has been updated

Well here we go then.. this is suppose to be an updated version of the program I use to write to blogger.com.

Blogger.com updated to a newer version which was rather too complicated for my software to cope with, now the software has been re-written so I am now able to post with it.

If you have no idea what I am talking about please don’t worry.. some will know that I have been having terrible problems trying to format my blog posts and it has been ongoing..

So this is just a test, I am going to post this and take a look at it before doing another blog in about a half hours time.. I hope it works and is formatted ok..

Down comes the galley bulkhead, and Kate Bush's deeds force BW to pay up!

Moored Devizes, K&A Canal

A comment from Roger Hollands, Chairman of the Devizes Branch of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust today was interesting, and thanks Roger for that.. the full email from BW is in the comments for last night by the way. But this bit is Kate Bush's get out clause..

".......the legal situation regarding maintenance obligations was far from clear – though on balance it looked like we (BW) were in the frame. Apparently the canal company sold the land in 1834 but for reasons unknown the maintenance obligation was retained by the canal company."

WOW! so that puts paid to Kate having to fork out then!! But I do hope BW can get it's act together to get us all out of here by Easter.. fingers crossed then..

Pics for you today.. not a lot to write about, just we were onboard Mk2 for most of the day finishing off the dinette 'boxes'. Then the moment I had been waiting for ....

And down comes the bulkhead that seperates the saloon and the galley which will all now be open plan... Hooray!!! Hey Vic looks chuffed with that bit of handywork!

Looking from the bow end then.. here me and Vic sit exhausted on the dinette.. cushions from Mk1 just to check for size etc.. I love it, I love it!..

You can see how the box closest to the camera is taking shape, so bookcase to the left and two drawers will go in underneath.. the right hand side is A4 size and access will be by door in the passageway. A bit of very useful storage behind the bookcase, access from above...

Heh I thought I would look forward from the galley!...

Side cusion will be made for the left under that gunnel just to finish the line off nicely.. The electrician has been in today and has finalised and fixed all the wiring in the engine bay. The 110 amp alternator is in place along with the advanced regulator and monitoring panels to ensure that our batteries are charged to the maximum when the engine is running. Another battery tray has also been fittted in the engine bay to take 3 batteries, making the total amount of space available for 7 domestic batteries and one starter battery, so we will have plenty of power..

Tomorrow I think Vic is doing the platform for the dinette making it a truly 'raised dinette'.. I will be searching out what trims are needed and maybe start rubbing down ready for varnishing..

I am over the moon with progress!

Are British Waterways forking out £100,000 on the K&A??!!

0Moored Devizes, K & A Canal

In December the SundayMirror.co.uk reported the collapse of a weir on the Kennet and Avon Canal.. it was on land owned by singer Kate Bush, and the report said that she would have to pay £100,000 to get it fixed because it was on her land.. But now this has annoyed me somewhat tonight from the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust ....

"The latest news from British Waterways is that funds have been found within this year's budget to start repair works as soon as manpower resources are available and the currently high water flows recede. Start date is currently thought to be third week of February. If work should continue into next financial year, money would be available from BW's contingency funds, but the engineering Team at Gloucester will do their best to open the Canal before Easter."

I am now wondering why British Waterways is forking out for this one. Kate Bush was first reported to have to foot the massive £100,000 bill to fix this weir, now (according to the report above) it seems BW are footing the bill. I wonder who was suppose to be maintaing it then? .. looks to me like it was under the maintenance of BW if they are now having to pay the bill.. Now that is an awful lot of money especially with the devastating cut of funding to British Waterways, see the link on the left "Save our Waterways"

So we will be a bit stuck on this canal until Easter.. and BW have said "will do their best to open it by Easter..." I have been reading one of the Ownership Forums.. one or two of their boats are based here at Devizes, and someone who has a part share in Stealaway, moored just near us, is thinking that the rest of the owners should think about hiring a crane to take the narrowboat out of the water at the weir, put it on a lorry and put it back in the canal on the Thames side of the weir!.. We have seen this canal is lacking badly in maintenance comparing to other canals on the system.. there is an awful lot of work to be done to improve the waterway.. I worry that it might not get as much tlc as it should.. after all, it isn't the most popular of waterways being a sort of 'dead end' .. From the Thames to Bristol.. and not many brave to go out onto the Severn Estuary up to Gloucester.. so then Bristol back to the Thames...

Ummmmm remains to be seen then..

Lovely day today cheers us all, a bit of sunshine and everyone is happy.. I did a lot of chores aboard Mk1 today while Vic continued with the raised dinette on Mk2.. you can see now in this pic how it is coming together slowly.. on the far side the 'box' is done.. as you look on the far side, on the left is deep storage for the bedding for that area when we have visitors.. and on the right, shelves facing the passageway for my printer, scanner and other computer stuff all to hand...

On the nearside closest to the camera the back rest of the dinette will be slotted in either the front or back of the base.. and so making the seat available facing the table or to facing the saloon if you see what I mean. On the left under the seat is going to be a shelf facing the saloon, here will be a book case with enough room for putting coffee cups/foster cans.. and the like.. to the right will be an open area again accessible from the passageway for my A4 files etc.. Along the bottom, access to two boxes/drawers that will pull out to form a footrest for anyone sitting on the dinette in the 'facing the saloon' configuration. In the boxes and drawers will be stored all the pens, paper, stickers and odd bits and bobs that granddaughters tend to play with when visiiting. They can then all be shoved away very quickly if necessary!

It is very difficult to explain!!

Visitors help out at the weekend...

Moored Devizes, Kennet and Avon Canal

It's a long way really to Swindon, one day hopefully we will take our narrowboat, but on Sunday we were very grateful to Ron, aka F_O_R often to be seen making a comment, for coming up from Dorset and taking me to B & Q to fetch some flooring stips.

Before that though, his large car managed to cart the old mattress from new No Problem to the local recycling centre along with the remenants of carpet that has been ripped up from the floor. In between doing all that we had time for some socialising, elevensis consisted of huge cookies which Ron brought along, lunch was homemade soup and for afternoon there were more cookies!..

Here, Ron and the girls Rhiannon and Megran.. I do hope I have spelt that right... It was great to see them all, the last time I had seen the family was a few years ago at Dundas Wharf a little further along the K&A towards Bath, although Ron popped in to Ely a couple of summers ago.. thanks Ron, really enjoyed our day..

While we did the running around Vic was left aboard NP Mk2 still knocking up the dinette.. a difficult design I have given him, but he has his head around it now and is doing well...

Blimey the weather changes again and this morning a blast from the North.. But we had other things to do today.. a trip to the woodyard for some more timber.. here we were a bit lucky, I commandeered a really nice guy with a nice big transit and asked if he would transport our chosen wood to the Marina for a fiver.. well, it isn't far, only about threequarters of a mile from the woodyard, but too far to carry stuff.. "Yep No Problem" teehee I love it when they say that.. ..

So Vic and the guy loaded the Van, and went off down the road towards the Marina while I walked back with Lucy.. Well I couldn't ask the very nice man to take muddy 'ol Lucy as well!!

After loading everything into Mk 2 we then went off in Mk1 to Devizes town wharf to dispose of the mountain of rubbish that had built up, plus take the rubbish for our winter companions Chas and Ann of NB Moore2Life.. but we hadn't gone far when there was a hold up.. a big hold up...

A huge dutch barge stopped under the bridge, we were going nowhere, so I slid in along side it and Vic went off to find out why..

Ah-ha a veggie cutter.. broken down in the middle of the cut..

Gawd and look at the mud on those towpaths again! We came to the conclusion by what was being said that the hydraulic jacks that are stuck down on the bed of the canal had stuck because they had run out of hydraulic oil!.. a wait of over half hour gave us time to have some lunch, then off to town for much needed water for Mk1.. Ha I noticed that going along the back fender was actually in the water!.. Goodness we must have been nearly out of water!..

Vic 'did' the rubbish and the loo cassettes while I went into town to get milk and the like.. before retuning back to the boatyard again.. brrrr is sure is cold tonight!

Decisions, decisions!

Moored Near Devizes, K&A Canal

Well the wall/bulkhead hasn't come down today.. been on the phone to Mo of NB Balmahahahahaha.. got to get it right you know..

"Up a bit, down a bit, no.... round a bit and over a bit" Great advice from Mo of his raised dinette! "Oh Sue, 'tis the height of a foster can".. Hey Mo!!

I am determined to get this one right, so it has been a bit of a frustrating day today just getting those inches and millimetres to work for us. The windows on new NP are much higher than normal, so the 'raised' bit is also going to have to be much higher than first planned to get our heads to the desired point of actually sitting at the dinette and nosing out the window at passing boats.

I don't know why I am bothered about that.. there are so few boats moving on this canal at the moment I don't need to be nosey, and our haunts of most summers are in the most remote areas we can find.. still it will be nice to look out on a beautiful summers morning to the quiet open countryside on the opposite side of the river/canal.

No pics for you this evening, so I will do a blog tomorrow with the dinette as it is being built.. facinating stuff I must say.. all these decisions, decisions, decisions... I wonder if I will sleep tonight!

Worst day of the winter as we ride the storm in Devizes

Moored Near Devizes, Kennet & Avon

Well windy or what!!.. But it was the same everywhere today. Nothing left the top of either boat overnight, but today the satellite dish almost took off in an almighty gust of wind. It's OK though and now back in its place as the wind abates.

OK so progress, here is the fire with its flue fitted now.. tomorrow we shall light it up gently. The floor is taking ages to dry out after we found the floor to be soaking after lifting the carpets. We have today replaced what we think was the cause, a bunged up filter on the water pump which has now been moved to the front of the saloon close to the opposite front window to the fire..

Actually you can just about see it, the white thing on the floor to the right. This was in what is going to be the galley, and would have been located right in the back corner of one of the corner cabinates not a good place for it me thinks. Umm I should have taken that bit of wood off the fire before I took the pic!!

The only bit I don't like at the moment is the piece of masterboard that the boatyard fitted to the ceiling, you can see it quite plainly. There was suppose to be a brass ring up there, but because of the angle that the flue is exiting the roof, it won't lay flat, so I have to have that.. I will have to try find some way to pretty that up a bit for sure.

Bones asked if there was carpet on the walls, yes there is, I am used to it in NP Mk1, I rather like it. Most narrowboats built now are all wood faced on the inside.. I prefer a carpet, even to the point that if we had purchased a boat with wood I probably would have covered up all that beauty with a carpet! So then to the area of the dinette, this is where the galley was, so I can give you a before and after pic now.. I have taken this pic from the Devizes Marina website of the galley as we saw it when we purchased the new boat...

Before ..

And after..

Well I wasn't happy with that galley, and this is the area that Vic and Chas of NB Moore2Life were working on today ready for the dinette to go in there. Chas has put all the electrics neatly behind the panels, and is cutting a hole in the piece of carpet to fit the plugs into.. Once done the carpet was duly stuck to the wall.. The bulkhead next to Vic will be cut down, and will form the back of the dinette and the wall of the galley area the other side.. that is for tomorrow me thinks!.. It is coming together rather nicely at the moment..

It's a bit wet but progress made..

Moored near Devizes, K & A Canal

OK, so the solid fuel fire is now installed on the hearth that Vic put in. We chose a granite stone for the base and much the same for the tiles round the outside...

Now you have the bonus of one pic with both the new fire in place and the promised pic of Lucy tonight! If anyone wants to look close enough at the pic, then please note that there is still masking tape around the edges of the brown bit!!

There has been a lot of wet stuff falling out of the sky today, and a lot of flooding around this area close to people's houses. The paths to Jewsons was extrememly muddy, but it didn't stop us going over there to order all the wood for the dinette and bunks for delivery on Thursday.. ha that should be a laugh, it is going to be one of the worst days of the winter so the weather men say.

Still there are plenty of willing hands to help around here, and no doubt it will be shipped very quickly to No Problem to be cut, sawn, hammered and nailed into place over the weekend.

I was going to B&Q tomorrow to get some edging strips to go between the flooring, but friend Ben is coming over on Sunday and has offered me a trip over there, so Ben I will take you up on that one, thanks

Today also saw the fitting of the 110anp alternator which will run our bank of seven batteries on this boat, to go with the 70amp one for the starter battery.. Sparky Supreme will be returning later to install the battery management system once the bank of batteries are in place.. Vic needs to build a couple of battery boxes to take all those.. I wonder if that is going to be done before or after the dinette?.. Oh and there is the bunk room, flooring and my new galley too... I must keep smiling at him sweetly ..

Busy, busy and news on Lucy..

Moored Near Devizes, Kennet and Avon Canal

The surround for the morso stove is done, and the stove itself will be fitted by the boatyard tomorrow. They will cut a hole for the chimney and fit the flue.. My lovely 'sparky' has been at work, also known as Chas Moore of NB Moore2Life has managed to trace all the electrics in new No Problem, and is steadily rewiring the whole boat for us.. a regular star his is.

The 110v alternator arrived today and has been bolted on ready for the electrician supreme who will sort the electrics from the engine, through the battery management system to the inverter..

And what have I been doing?

Well I have been helping Chas with the electrics and playing at being a general dogs body, fetching and tidying around the 'men at work'. It seems I must have put my back out when I shifted that stove because yesterday it suddenly got an awful lot better and I was relieved of pain during the afternoon, so much so that I was back to lifting and shifting again.. it's a bit of a dull ache now rather than a sharp pain, but not too much difficulty to move around now, although the last two mornings Vic has had to put my socks on much to his amusement! Errrrrrrrrr well there is the logistics and purchasing.. and trying to purchase stuff with a nearly useless internet connection here in the K&A is extremely fustrating.. wish this boatyard had wifi.. Anyway, more pics tomorrow..

Generally though things are going to plan, and we are enjoying doing a bit during this awful weather. Mind you this weekend was quite nice, and it sure was good to see the sun appear for a few hours. Lucy is still improving on her legs.. (for those not in the know, Lucy was very badly injured back in May of last year, see archives at the bottom left, click on May) She has put on a lot of weight.. I must do a pic tomorrow for you to see, and she seems so very much happier with life, although she has been on the same walk now for the last 3 days, twice a day.. it's about a mile and half or a bit more round trip.. bless her she doesn't seem to mind. As long as she isn't left on old NP all day and joins in with us on the new boat she is happy.

There is a handy bus from here into Devizes.. a very local bus it is too, ha, it actually seems to know all of its customers, dropping them off outside their houses or at the end of the streets where they live.. very chatty, and they all know the drivers.. lovely community of people here.. soon I will be getting an accent.. Oh Arrrrrrrrr!

For those on the move along this part of the canal, the Marina is selling diesel at 54p a litre at the moment..

Pics of a trashed narrowboat on the K&A

Moored near Devizes, K&A Canal

I have managed to do some pics for you all today. I don't really know why anyone wants to see the trashed up interior of a narrowboat, but just for those who do...

This is Vic putting up the masterboard for the back of the fire.. shows the saloon looking from the galley..

This then will be the galley.. we have already had the gas piping done along that wall ready for the new cooker which will be put in after the cabinates are in place. The cooker in the pic is going, but was rigged up just to test the system..

At the back of the boat will be the 'bunk house'.. not anywhere looking like one at the moment though!..

We are going to pinch the design that Paul Balmer is having done on his boat, we think it is a great idea. We have decided to have just the one set of bunks now, after chatting with Wendie last weekend, and those will be on the side where you can see the shelf thing. As the design unfolds I will put more pics up.

I was going to the London Boat Show this week, but trying to get any decent transport in and out of Devizes, to and from a railway station is impossible, and it would have taken over 5 hours to get back so gave up on that idea.. but according to Richard Fairhurst it wasn't up to much!

"This year's London Boat Show is crap. Don't go. February's WW has turned out ever so gloomy - a bit of "BW are bastards" followed by "the Government are bastards", "the European Commission are bastards", and "the London Boat Show is crap". Ah well."

Made me chuckle that did..

Also noted from Mike in Newbury is the outlining plans for the new Newbury Wharf development, makes interesting reading especially when you think that the carpark they are talking about between the library and the Kennet and Avon Canal trust building is going to be put back to what it was before a car park was put there.. a canal basin!!..

It hasn't been the best of weeks for me this week. I have still got this dreadful cold and cough which I picked up on Christmas day, it is still hanging on in there, and yesterday evening Ireally, really, really hurt my back. It is not often I moan, as those who know me well will tell you, but I am at the moment.

Vic and I had to lift the new morso stove into No Problem on our own, and I knew it was too heavy for me, but had no choice but to do it. This evening I can hardly move and have a hot water bottle shoved down the back of my jeans.. but I also have a b&c, and that seems to be taking the pain away somewhat.. Very annoying this is when I want to get on with the refit.. moan, moan, groan..

Organised I think at Devizes

Moored Devizes, Kennet and Avon Canal We will be in Devizes for a while, well probably for the next 6 weeks we will be in and around this area. I have had an awful cold which I brought back from 'dan saff' after Christmas, and my energy levels have been low making life a bit frustrating to say the least, but with a lot of help from Ann and Chas from NB Moore2Life last Friday saw the inside ripped out of the new No Problem. Daughter Wendie came up over the weekend which was great, although the grandchildren were not the most enthusiastic about grandma's new boat.. I don't think they were expecting a building site!.. Trouble was nobody had told them it would be one! They will be OK about it next time they come, and could only envisage their new bunk room for now. They left on Sunday with a van full of broken wood and rubbish, bits of bent pipe and carpet, worktops and old drawers.. wow it is amazing how much you can get into a van as well as two dogs, 2 kids and the adults! It isn't helping that there is mud everywhere, and over the weekend was a real challenge with two labradors and a collie inside NP Mk1.. those labs of Wendies simply love mud and go looking for it while out walking! I have still yet to totally rid the boat of the stuff!! So since then a visit to B & Q and we ordered the galley units and the like.. no delivery date, but a phone call today gave me Feb 23rd!!.. EEK! That will be OK though, we can work round that, there is a lot to do in the meantime! I will take some pics tomorrow and put them on the blog. We are off to B&Q again to order all the flooring.. well it's Wednesday and Vic gets 10% off on a Wednesday.. that's one advantage of being an OAP!

Me and my shadow at Devizes!

This week - Arrived at Devizes to collect No Problem

Back from Christmas...

Here the girls not long after discovering Father Christmas did manage to squeeze down the chimney.. although Tilly the lab and Lucy, to the delight of Niamh in the foreground, both wanted to get involved with the general opening of pressies, Daddy on the other hand was trying to relax at such an early hour on Christmas Morning!

And a piccy from Boxing day, when most of the family turned up to share the traditional buffet.. yet another super job done by Wendie and Jennie between them..

And it was with thanks and a wave to Bob on NB Decision Maid, who looked after No Problem and made sure her pins stayed in the bank while we were away, before turning west again to meet up with our new No Problem waiting at Devizes Marina for us to return from the Christmas break.

So now No Problem is strapped firmly to the side of No Problem Mk1 and there she will stay for a bit while we hammer and bang at her inside and wrestle with bits of wood.. keep this bit, throw out that bit etc.. It amazes me how past owners have managed to put aboard some items that are now not needed by us.. turn it this way, no that way.. ah just get it wet and hope it shrinks to get it off the narrowboat!!

But we have had a good day today, and the old galley has disappeared, soon to be the raised dinnette, along with a wardrobe and table and chairs in the next cabin which will be the new galley.

Over the Christmas period I took a couple of visits to the local B & Q and sorted out the galley units that I wanted, and checked and double checked the measurements. I will have a bit more room in this galley.. whooooopeee!.. Hey all of another 40cm!!!

But hey you landlubbers, 40cm is a massive difference on a narrowboat.. it actually means that I can have a whole set of drawers, AND 40cm more workspace!!

We will go off to Swindon on Monday to B & Q and order all the stuff there for delivery to Devizes Boatyard. 20% off in their sale, and that ends on Monday.. Oh and the door fronts for the galley are half price too!

For the flooring we have decided to go for real wood, oak in fact. In Mk1 we have laminated flooring.. it's good there is no doubt about that, and Lucy running up and down has not scratched it one bit, but we decided to upgrade this time to a proper wooden floor. In the 'wet' areas we will have tile effect laminate, that's the galley, utility room and bathroom.

Our first visitor today to No Problem was Paul Balmer. He had just been to see how his new boat was coming along and popped in on the way home to see us. The design he has for his bunk room I might just pinch... I have had my own thoughts, but will look at that..

Also for the dinnette we might take up the design on Balmaha.. thanks Mo and Ness for the pics on that one.

So all busy for us over the next few weeks, and plenty to write about on the blog no doubt.

Christmas and the New Year seem a long time ago now, and tomorrow we will welcome Wendie and the family to Devizes and their first view of No Problem.. I do hope the two grandchildren like it!