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Ratsonline

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  1. We are now on the water and really enjoying our new lifestyle. I have started a new blog on the following:- http://wibblestravels.blogspot.com/
  2. Ratsonline

    Launching

    Well you have probably worked out that the boat launch did not happen at the end of June/early July as hoped. Well now for the news. Our intention was to put the boat on the Kennet and Avon canal and then travel to the Inland Waterways festival (about 3 weeks travel time). Well in order to do this it meant we needed to launch the boat sooner rather than later. To this end we obtained two launch dates and the only one that would have let us do this was the 4th August. Well after much deliberation we reluctantly decided that there was no way that the boat would be ready, Also the fact that the transport cost - utilising a local company - was way more expensive than it cost us to transport the boat from Widnes, which seemed ridiculous as we only wanted to go about 50 miles. So the thinking caps went on and we decided to look at transport companies further up country and it seemed daft to get them to come down here (Bournemouth) just to transport it 50 miles and then continue back to base empty. So to cut a long story short (well shortish), we now have a launch date of the 18th August and the boat is being launched near Warwick, which is 50 miles or so from the festival and we will have 10 days to get there so our first trip will now be quite leisurely and not the mad panic we thought it might end up being. We are now working very hard (well Paul is - what with me being a lady of leisure) to get all the major stuff finished on the boat, he is getting all the stuff that requires the large power tools sorted as we cannot take them with us. Also the boat still needs painting and guess what the weather has been crap, it is either raining or too windy. We really need to get this sorted in the next two weeks as Paul has got to start moving the boat from the back garden to the front boundary line. Well as you can see it is all coming to fruition, it is really quite scary and still hard to believe, it still feels like a dream. We are really looking forward to being at the Festival again, especially as we will be on board our new home and have already received our mooring allocation. What a great place to start our new life.
  3. Ratsonline

    Nearly There

    It is now April and the canals are looking even more inviting, we popped into Braunston on our way home from Pauls mum on Easter Monday and sat by the canal outside the Admiral Nelson (Grand Union) watching the boats in the lock (swearing at them because it was not us), the sun was shining and all the boaters and walkers looked very happy and content. The boat is coming along but there still seems to be loads to do, Paul is now making a mental list of all the smaller jobs that are needed (which we can do on the water) and concentrating on the major stuff as we really want to be on the water sooner rather than later. We are going to the Crick Boat show in May, camping again as the boat will not be on the water by then. However we do have a mooring booked for the IWA in August so plan on the boat being launched (fingers crossed) at the end of June, early July. Hopefully my next update will be a launch date. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer and our new life will begin.
  4. Ratsonline

    A New Year

    Well it is now 2009 and the year of our launch. We have still not decided on a date but are keeping our fingers crossed for late March mid April. It will be nice to get on the canals for Spring. We have picked up the settee from Elite Furnishings and are very pleased with it, the trip from Bournemouth to Tamworth was uneventful but unfortunately after that it went down hill for a while. Part of the reason for going to Tamworth to pick the settee up was because Paul wanted to go to a Chandlers over in Wolverhampton unfortunately on this leg of the journey we broke down on the Motorway, it was quite a dingy day, windy, dark and raining. Not a pleasant situation to be in, when you are in the traffic it always seems busy, but standing by the roadside or trying to repair a broken down vehicle (in the wind & rain) under these circumstances is really not very nice. Whilst Paul was checking the vehicle over my brother who lives in Winchester rang me and asked me where I was, to which I answered I don’t know we are on a motorway somewhere, why? He promptly said are you on the M? (Can’t remember which one now) broken down because I have just driven past you. He very kindly came back to try and help. In the meantime Paul had come to the conclusion that although he knew what was wrong with the car it was a bit dodgy trying to sort it out by the side of the Motorway as the weather was deteriorating and we did not have a a lot of daylight left. At this stage I rang the AA and became a member in order to get us off the Motorway and somewhere safe at a cost of £120, not cheap but worth every penny to get of the motorway. After what seemed an age and shaking from the cold we were transported to a B&Q car park. The AA driver who transported us arranged for a mechanic to come out as although Paul knew what the problem was it would be handy for any tools that might be needed that we did not have with us. The car was unloaded and Paul started work on the car so I went and got coffee and bacon and egg sandwiches from the Van in the B&Q car park. By the time I got back the AA mechanic had arrived and was assisting Paul by holding an umbrella over him whilst he worked on the car, being a Range Rover the young mechanic advised that he knew nothing about these vehicles, even so he was very helpful. Within 15 Minutes Paul had the car fixed and we were mobile again. By this time we would not get to the Chandlers before it closed but decided to go over to Wolverhampton anyway. We had come such a long way it seemed pointless going all the way home just to have to come back another time. So being young (ish), well we like to think so (after all its all in the mind) we decided that we would find a safe spot and sleep in the car over night as neither of us felt very happy about leaving our brand new furniture in the car all by itself. Luckily I had decided to take a blanket, sleeping bag and 3 car blankets (protection for the settee if needed) so we had plenty to keep us warm. Unfortunately the settee had the prime position so we were stuck with the front seats, not the most comfortable place to sleep, but quite a few drinks before hand definitely helped. We did actually manage to get some sleep and in the morning we went for breakfast and to the Chandlers. We stopped of at Banbury (Oxford Canal) on the way home and had a lovely walk down the canal. I have brought a small sowing machine in order to make the curtains, I just need to find the material and decide on the style. Paul is progressing nicely with the boat, the bedroom bulkhead in now in, including the sliding door. The cupboards and worktops in the area at the rear (this has multiple names so far, Dirt Room, Workshop, Utility area) is a work in progress and loads of other stuff has also been done, too numerous to mention, apart from the fact I’m not really sure as some of the things that get done are behind the scenes so to speak. All I know is that it is getting closer and closer to being done. The Stove is now working and Paul has the fire going most of the time now and it gets really cosy, shame the boats in the back garden and not on the canal but hopefully this will be soon. There is still an awful lot to do on the boat before we can sail off into the sunset and we also need to sort the house out and get it ready for renting, but hopefully when I next update this blog it will be news that we are ready to go, or at least nearly ready, fingers crossed.
  5. Well somehow it is November, I’m sure I must have gone into hibernation or something because I just don’t know where the time has gone. Everything is progressing with the fit out and looking really amazing. The saloon and the galley are done apart from the side door linings, the main front door (Paul has purchased a big chunk of Oak for these) and the galley worktop (Paul is still using it as a worktop). More wood was purchased for the trims and cupboards and Paul is saying we still need more. The bathroom is nearly there, the shower is all sorted and the toilet is in position. The two towel radiators are also fitted. Paul has now started making the wardrobes, which form one of the walls in the bathroom. The long tube we started with has now got rooms - it is an amazing transformation. We have purchased a mattress for the bed which we are currently testing on our bed in the house, I have told Paul that when it gets put on the boat he is not allowed any linen as knowing him he will start sleeping on the boat and I will never get to see him. The settee from Elite Furnishings is now ready and we are due to pick this up early December, we still haven’t decided on curtains and carpets yet so perhaps once this arrives I will be able to get Paul to the shops (not his favourite thing) to help choose. In my last update I was hoping to have news on when we will be afloat, well we don’t have any definite dates but we are keeping our fingers crossed for late March early April.
  6. Well it is now September and progress is slow but sure. All the cupboard doors are now made and fixed in the kitchen and looking fantastic. The magic corner is in as well as a couple of other pull out baskets and the sliding waste bin. The only things left for the kitchen is the glass in the top cupboards, a couple of shelves and the worktop, it all sounds very easy and from my point of view it is as I am not the one doing all the work but when Paul comes in frustrated and tired I do tend to think again and apart from anything else it is looking amazing. The Saloon area is coming along nicely, Paul has completed the fireplace, which is all tiled and has a little mantle piece and a draw at the bottom, once again it looks amazing the TV/HiFi cabinet (it is far to nice to call it a cupboard) is all done and Paul is currently working on the units at the front, this is going to be a combination of cupboards and shelving with an area at the bottom to store our table and chairs unit. I know he has also been working on the wiring, plumbing and central heating system but could not honestly say what. We went to the IWA festival and had a great time, the campsite was unusual but the facilities provided were more than adequate. Most of the time we walked to and from the festival along the towpath, which was a very pleasant walk and only took about 35mins. On the Friday we walked into Wolverhampton via the towpath and saw ‘President' & ‘Kildare' on there way to the festival. Although not impressed with the visit to Wolverhampton (it was far to busy and noisy) the walk along the towpath was lovely and thankfully the weather remained dry. I took two of Julie Tonkin’s painting classes which were great fun and very productive, I painted a planter with roses and a plate with a castle (1st one) which is rather good, even if I do say so myself. Paul has said that he would be quiet happy for me to decorate the boat he was so impressed, that will definitely be a project for when we are on the canal. We took the opportunity to visit Elite Furnishings again and look at the furniture and hopefully Paul will take the plunge and order the chairs this week, we have decided on one of there settee designs with some modifications, basically we having two large chairs with only one arm rest on each and a foot stool. Not sure when this will be ready but hopefully in the meantime I can give some thought to the carpet and curtains. Well that’s all for now and hopefully the next time I update there will be news on when we hope to be afloat.
  7. Well another month has flown by since my last update. More progress has been made and the boat is really starting to take shape, Paul has built and fixed in the kitchen carcasses and is now fixing the trims on the fronts, next are the cupboard doors, it all sound so simple when you write it like this but the amount of work that goes into the preparation of the wood and the fixing etc. is enormous. Whilst I was away sunning myself in Turkey, sitting by the pool with a cold lager Paul was fixing in the shower and doing the tiling, it looks fantastic. He also purchased a couple of fold up bikes, we have been out to the local pub a couple of times on them now and they are really good, mind you I had forgotten I had leg muscles and I think if it had been a longish trip I would have been saddle sore. Paul also booked up to go to the IWA festival, we are going to camp again this year, as it was really good last year. He also did lots of other stuff, far too numerous to mention. I have been varnishing and hopefully over the next couple of days all the side panels will be finished and I will then start on the kitchen cupboard trims and doors. Now that the rooms are being created the boat is really starting to feel like our future home, I keep thinking about where I am going to put stuff and then changing my mind, well as Pauls says, there is plenty of time (hopefully not too much time).
  8. Well I think progress is coming along nicely although Paul feels that it should be further along. The problem (some might say) is that Paul is a bit of a perfectionist so everything takes 3 times longer for him than it would if someone else was doing it. Personally I don’t see that this is a problem because everything he does is always well thought out and looks great. The ceiling is in place and has now been varnished and the lights have been fitted. All the side panels and the tongue and groove is also now in place along with the window liners. The central heating system and the radiators are in position; the plumbing and gas pipes are all in place (you have to bear in mind that my interpretation of all done is different to Pauls), final fix will come later. Paul has done lots of other things on the boat as well, I really would not know where to start, on the basis I don't really understand all the technical stuff, all I know is that everytime I go on it something has changed. The kitchen bulkhead is now in position; luckily Paul had put the cooker on the boat prior to this, as it would have been a problem getting it through the gap. He is now re-designing the layout of the kitchen in anticipation of making all the cupboards from scratch. Tomorrow we are going hunting for bathroom tiles, although Paul might need them for 2-3 weeks we have a wedding next weekend and then I am off on holiday for a week, Paul is looking forward to the peace and quite. We went to the Beaulieu Boat Jumble and had a really nice day wandering around, Paul got quite a few bits and pieces, along with a kitchen sink and trolley. We camped at Crick and had a great time, for any of you that were there you will know that the weather was fine on Saturday but deteriorated for the Sunday with closure on the Monday.
  9. Hi, I am trying to update my Blog with a new entry but some reason it does not appear on my blog. Please can someone advise. Thanks Please ignore the above, after more investigation and practice I have now managed to update the blog.
  10. Ratsonline

    Progress

    Well it has been a while since my last update; once again I cannot work out where all the time goes. Due to the fact that people do not seem to understand what retired means and Pauls nature being what it is, he finds it hard to say NO most of the time, he hasn’t spent as much time as he would have liked doing the boat. Despite this he has put the wiring in, fixed the tongue and groove to the ceiling (which looks amazing), fixed the bottom panels and has now started on the top panels - some of the area above the gunnels is being done in panels and some of it in tongue and groove. The window liners have now arrived and they look great. Paul has made the plinth that the fire is going on and tiled it. We are now in the process of deciding on varnishes for the wood, sample after sample has been tested and we are still undecided. The one thing that has become clear to us during all this is how long it takes to decide and source all the stuff required for fitting out a narrowboat yourself. It is amazing just how time consuming it all is. During all this activity by Paul I hear you asking what am I doing, well I have had fun buying all those everyday bits for the boat, bedding, crockery, cutlery etc. clothes that do not require ironing and anything else I can find. I have also started trying to sort out the cupboards, deciding what to get rid off, what to store and what we are taking with us. I must admit we seem to have collected a lot of stuff over the years and its hard deciding what to do with it. I think the best plan of action will be that as Paul progresses with the boat I fill it up with the stuff we are taking and see what’s left. We are off to the Beaulieu Boat Jumble this weekend to have a look around and Crick at the end of the month where we are camping so will have plenty of time to wander around. There are still lots of things to look at for the boat and ideas to be gleaned. Our schedule of being on the water in June has definitely moved, I think it will be more like August/September, as long as there is light at the end of the tunnel I think I will be able to cope with working for that long.
  11. Thanks for the input, I think perhaps a travel iron is the best option as I don't intend do this task on a regular basis, only when it is absolutley necessary.
  12. As some point later this year I am going to become one of the lucky one who continously cruise the network. Over the last couple of months I have been going through the wardrobes and sorting out what to take and what to leave behind. The captain has informed me that an iron is out of the question unless I can get something that is not going to use too much power. Now I know that a few creases won't hurt but there are some clothes that will need an iron occassionally. My question is what is the soloution, how do those of you that live permanently on board deal with this.
  13. We have decided on the following layout which we feel suits us as continuous cruisers and will also accomodate the occasional guest. You walk in the back to the utility room then through to the bedroom. From there into a walkthrough bathroom, which will have doors both sides. Next comes the kitchen and at the front the lounge area. This layout will allow for privacy when guests are on board. Maybe not to everyone taste but we feel after a lot of research it is ideal for us.
  14. Ratsonline

    Update

    Once again it has been a while since updating this blog, I just don’t know where the time goes. Well Things are beginning to take shape, slowly admittedly but with family commitments and one thing and another time just seems to disappear. Paul has been visiting wood suppliers to source the panels and tongue and groove (which we are having milled as we have decided on a different profile than the normal one). After much thought we have settled on European oak and the panels have now arrived. Not the easiest thing to manoeuvre onto the boat, and as Paul found out turning them around meant taking them off the boat. Paul is getter fitter and thinner by the day. The tongue and groove is coming in about 10 days and the plumbing stuff this week. Paul has now decided that he is going to make the kitchen cupboards rather than buy them so that’s another job to put on the list. In his spare time, Ha Ha, (I only see him at dinner time) he is updating the CAD drawings with the plumbing and electrical layouts as well as the interior. Mind you on returning home last Friday from a hard day at work, I noticed that the boat lights were on so I wandered out to find Paul in the boat on a garden lounger (with the lounger cushion) having a nap, it’s a hard life isn’t it. We now have most of the major equipment for the boat (the house is getting full), the next thing to look at is the lights and from what I have seen this is a minefield. Hopefully my next update will be full of news concerning the fit out, that is providing the lounger is removed.
  15. Ratsonline

    Progress

    Just a quick update to let you know that we are still here as it has been a few weeks since my latest entry. Apart from the small detail of having a narrowboat in it, the garden actually does look a bit like a garden now that most of the rubble has gone and has been tidied. The side and front wall are now all in place and Paul has even put a roof on to cover the area from the house to the back of the neighbours garden. This has given him a nice big area out of the weather to do work. Two sets of steps have now been made, one large set (with a rail – as I tend to be a bit clumsy) and the other one to get into the boat, it’s much better than climbing up the ladder and then jumping. Paul has fitted some temporary lights and electrics and has now started removing the foam from the battens, he is trying different techniques for this but mainly a knife, I have offered to help but I have a problem with knives, Paul says I am a danger as I tend to include my hands in the cutting process and make an awful mess, I don't think being bandaged and having plasters everywhere will help in the long run. In between doing this he has been doing some work – although he is supposed to be retired, I’m sure people do not understand the meaning of this word. The other thing holding up progress was sorting out his car for the MOT, now I could go on for a while about this but I wouldn’t really know what I was talking about, so I wont bother. Suffice to say it was off the road for nearly a week, what with welding and one thing and another, mind you the weather did not help. I have now realised my car is due (well overdue) for an MOT so that is the next job; hopefully mine will not need much work on it. Hopefully the weather will improve soon as the outside of the boat (undercoat) could do with a bit of touching up where it has got scratched with the move. I am also looking forward to sitting on the boat on a lovely spring evening with a glass of wine pretending we are on a canal. Pure Bliss.
  16. I think it is a great idea, my partner and I are planning on continuous cruising - starting later this year and I thought it would be a good idea to take up a hobby. When we went to the IWA last year I took a painting class in 'Painting Rose' and really enjoyed it. I have now purchased the book and the paints and have started practising, Paul has said if I get good enough I can paint the inside of the doors on the boat, I have got a long way to go before this though. Having a topic on the forum to cover technique, problem solving and advise would be invaluable to a novice like me.
  17. My partner and I are not actually living on board at the moment as the boat is currently in the garden to be fitted out. Hopefully this will change come June/July when the boat will be launched and we will move on to the to continuously cruise the network. I think the number one benefit of living on board for us is simply the change in life style. We are now in a position where we can give up work and enjoy life with the little money that we will have left after purchasing and fitting out the boat, but the simple life awaits (water filling, loo emptying, wood scrounging, etc. etc.) Hopefully we will gain peace and tranquility and longer life.
  18. Ratsonline

    On the Move

    On the Move Paul has been working really hard over the holidays to get the area where the boat is going to sit for the next 6 months finished. All the footings, jacking points and sleepers are now in place. The Turfor winch has been serviced and a friend has supplied the post that is going to act as an anchor point for the winching process. Paul has also tidied up the garden side of what is now the boat yard and is in the process of tidying up the other side – all the rubble from the sheds and walls has got to go, as well as tons of topsoil. He has decided that the garden/boat yard and his workshop have got to be sorted out before starting on the inside of the boat as otherwise it won’t get done, besides he needs the space in the workshop for building cupboards and stuff. The cooker, toilet and s**t tank have now arrived Well the boat has been moved with the use of the Turfor winch, the telegraph pole system and some muscle – all Paul’s. On the first day he managed to move it most of the way, about 25ft, although the anchor point kept getting pulled out due to the ground being so soft and during the 2nd day he moved it the last 10ft using a boundary post at the back of the garden, which is no longer there as this also was pulled out of the ground. The telegraph poles did the job but will not be much good when it comes to pulling the boat out, Paul will have to think of new system for this. This weekend was spent jacking the boat up in order to level it off to sit on the sleepers and he has now started to build a temporary side wall (at the end of the neighbours garden) and the front wall to close the garden off from the front of the house. Seeing the boat in the garden every day is the most amazing sight and reminds me just how mad we are – well Paul is – after all it was his idea
  19. Well it’s in; we now have a 59ft narrow boat in the garden. 7.30am - The day started after about 4 hours of sleep. Paul still had to sort out the electrics to the workshop so that the outside camera would be working and I put the kettle on for coffee and put the sausages in the oven. 8am - The crane arrived (it was enormous 100 ton) and they started setting the pads up whilst having coffee and bacon and egg rolls. At this stage Paul kept wandering up and down checking the sleepers and telegraph poles and wondering if this going to work and getting more nervous by the minute and the realisation that we must be totally off our tree for doing this. Between making tea & coffee, I kept running in and out of the house to take pictures. 8.30am - Paul got a call from the lorry driver to let us know where he was (about ½ hour away) and to make sure that everything our end was going to plan. 9am – The lorry arrived; it was the most amazing sight seeing the lorry with our narrow boat on it turning the corner into our road, I have to confess I started to cry. Words cannot express the feelings of joy and wonder that we experienced at that moment. The crane people, the lorry driver and Paul all got together at this point to discuss the plan of action. The strops were positioned, the crane was cranked up and everyone (family, friends and neighbours) was waiting with baited breath for the lift. 9.15am – Much to Paul’s amazement he was given the bow line and the proceedings started, when the boat was first lifted it lurched forward and you could have heard a pin drop – I’m sure everyone stopped breathing for a second. Then it started to go higher and higher and to swing round, it sailed over the top of our neighbours garage/bar missing the chimney to their log burner by about an inch, then floated over towards Paul’s workshop and just seemed to sit on the wall behind it. It gradually got moved into the 8ft gap where it was to settle, the house on one-side and neighbours garages and sheds on the other, the crane was inching the boat forward when there was a loud crack from the front of the house where the pavement had moved and caused one of the mats to crack, so at this point the boat slowly descended narrowly missing the house (it did touch very lightly a couple times) until gently resting on the telegraph poles and sleepers. The weight of the boat was still being supported by the crane at this point, then suddenly we heard this groaning noise as the boat settled on the telegraph poles and sleepers – would they hold – yes, it was brilliant, the boat had landed. At this point the stern was sticking out the front of the house onto the public highways area so we needed to move it forward. The telegraph pole roller system was going to be put to the test. They removed the strops from the middle of the boat and put one on the stern end in order to lift the boat and push it forward. I was standing at the bow end when this was going on and it was quite a shock when it starting moving, Paul was running and jumping around making sure that the rollers (telegraph poles) were all ok and supporting the boat, I yelled its working and a friend at the stern also shouted ‘Its working Spoons’. It was one hell of a sight. They did this another couple of times until it was positioned ok; the last thing was to push the stern end nearer the house. 10am – All done. Whilst the crane people packed up and the lorry driver got ready to go I produced more coffee and breakfast rolls, everyone involved in this lift was absolutely amazing – a wonderful bunch of people. After clearing up I went off to get some of the pictures printed and to finish my Christmas shopping and left Paul at home to play. That evening Paul and I (still in a daze really) popped out for a quick drink and picked up some more pictures from a friend who had been round earlier, then went home to watch the videos. The camera that Paul had set up was brilliant it got all those little moments that you never remember and all the quirky bits because nobody realises that they are being filmed. Over the Christmas period Paul is going to compile all the videos and pictures taken of the lift, if anyone is contemplating putting a narrow boat in their garden or just wants to take a look see, email us your address and we will send a copy when it is done. I must admit it is an amazing thing, looking out of the window and seeing a narrow boat, especially when you are 60 miles away from the nearest canal.
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