Narrowboat Syncopation

[aread2]

We're waiting for the granite worktops to be delivered.

The flooring is fitted in all rooms. Oak in the saloon, kitchen and bedrooms:

 

 

Slate tiles and granite pebbles in the bathroom:

 

 

Venetian blinds have been fitted in the saloon and yet more brassware has been fitted to the exterior:

 

 

Syncopation has left the paint dock:

 

[aread2]

Worktops and Things

 

The granite worktops have arrived and been installed:

 

 

 

Storage steps installed in the saloon:

 

The Dinette has been built and is nearly fully installed:

 

 

The skirting boards have been made:

 

 

These are slightly different from Jason's usual skirting with finrads. Previously the finrads were bnoxed in with a grill at the top. These are boxed in with a gap at the bottom and a gap at the top to encourage convection over the finrad.

 

The cratch board has reappeared for the wiring of the tunnel lamp and horn.

Edited July 6, 2008 by aread2

[Ex- Member]

Some nice touches there. Especially like the finrad idea. We're planning very similas storage steps. The storage steps look very close to the stove though

[alan_fincher]

Yes it all looks super.

 

But I agree, unless there is some heavy heat insulation on those steps on the stove side, I think they are likely to get far too hot.

 

Alan

[bottle]

It is looking good but (sorry to mention, like the others) that stove does look close to the steps, it may be an optical illusion with the camera angle.

 

It also looks that the door opening and the ash pan removal could be compromised.

[aread2]

Cratch Cover

Outside:

Inside:

[aread2]

Snagging Cruise

 

We're boating this weekend! This is our pre-delivery snagging cruise in Syncopation. We left Blisworth and headed south this afternoon. We've stopped for the night at Yardley Gobion. We'll be heading back tomorrow and handing the boat back until we begin our holiday at the beginning of August. I'm posting this using my newly acquired mobile broadband modem from 3. It's been such a busy day so far we haven't taken any pictures. I'll try and remember to take some tomorrow.

[aread2]

Some pictures from the snagging cruise:

[aread2]

Final Build Update.

 

We've been on a two week cruise and scratched the paintwork. Syncopation has returned to Mill Wharf for some fettling. The water pump is to be moved slightly to protect the cover over the filter and there are some extra shelves to be fitted in a couple of cupboards. Apart from these there have been no build problems with her.

 

What we have learned:

 

Always turn the shower pump on before you start your shower.

The fuel tank will not hold enough fuel for a two week cruise.

 

We ran out of diesel two days before the end of the second week. I dismantled and checked all the filters before I thought of putting more diesel in the tank.

 

During my filter dismantling I managed to disturb one of the fuel lines to such an extent that when I went to the boat to carry out the first engine service a week later there were five gallons of diesel in the bilge. Two seconds with a spanner to cure the drip and a couple of hours to clean up the mess.

[Daftmare]

Thanks for sharing this build with us. It all looks great and has given me some ideas for when our time comes.

 

One thing I was very surprised to learn, was that your fuel tank did not hold enough diesel for a two-week cruise.

It is quite a small tank?

 

J.

[aread2]

Thanks for sharing this build with us. It all looks great and has given me some ideas for when our time comes.

 

One thing I was very surprised to learn, was that your fuel tank did not hold enough diesel for a two-week cruise.

It is quite a small tank?

 

J.

 

It is fairly small. But this was a cruise of eight to ten hours days and being a gas-free boat we use the engine to drive the hob and oven (The battery bank can power one ring through the inverter for long enough to boil the kettle a few times), so it was quite heavy usage.

[Daftmare]

Thanks.

 

We have a boat moored two along from us at our marina, who needs to start up and run engine to cook breakfast every morning - they are not very popular!!

 

But perhaps this is the only option if you want to be gas free?

 

J.

[andy the hammer]

As we cruised past Syncopation at Blisworth last weekend it seemed that the paint work was peeling near the first window at the bow end just on the gunnel.

It seemed to be a to large area to be cruising damage and the primer coat seemed to be exposed.

 

 

Regards

 

Andy

[bingbongbelly]

Hi, I am the person who painted the boat, i work for Blisworth tunnel narrowboats, i have been painting narrowboats for 20 years and in this time have painted and sign written over 500 boats +.

 

The damage to the boat in question is purley through cruising.

 

I have literally hundreds of reccomendations from customers who have had there boat lovingly painted by myself, and through my job paint i paint one boat a month, so they keep on comin! most of the boats we paint are through recomendation and word of mouth.

 

I believe the person who painted your boat has only painted around, er................... 5 or so boats in there whole career?

 

Trying to put people down and making them feel bad, which i see you have been trying to do over the whole build of the boat, is somewhat petty and not very nice.

 

The customers are very happy with there boat!!!

 

It may have got scratched because they actually use it!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Regards

Alan

[andy the hammer]

Hi, I am the person who painted the boat, i work for Blisworth tunnel narrowboats, i have been painting narrowboats for 20 years and in this time have painted and sign written over 500 boats +.

 

The damage to the boat in question is purley through cruising.

 

I have literally hundreds of reccomendations from customers who have had there boat lovingly painted by myself, and through my job paint i paint one boat a month, so they keep on comin! most of the boats we paint are through recomendation and word of mouth.

 

I believe the person who painted your boat has only painted around, er................... 5 or so boats in there whole career?

 

Trying to put people down and making them feel bad, which i see you have been trying to do over the whole build of the boat, is somewhat petty and not very nice.

 

The customers are very happy with there boat!!!

 

It may have got scratched because they actually use it!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Regards

Alan

 

 

Once again as I said in my post in reply to your comment made in the The Maisibert topic I am not sure who I am replying to but if you are fully affay with facts then you would know that I have approximately £25,000 reasons not to be happy and I and other people that have posted replies on this topic was only to ensure that what happened to us would not happen again.

If the customer is happy with the standard of painting then all is fine whether it is 5 or 50 as for the cruising when passing Blisworth and Syncopation is on the moorings as it has been the last couple occasions we have cruised past perhaps we will P.M. them to ask why?

 

Regards

 

Andy

[NiceNarrowboat]

Hi, I am the person who painted the boat, i work for Blisworth tunnel narrowboats, i have been painting narrowboats for 20 years and in this time have painted and sign written over 500 boats +.

 

The damage to the boat in question is purley through cruising.

 

I have literally hundreds of reccomendations from customers who have had there boat lovingly painted by myself, and through my job paint i paint one boat a month, so they keep on comin! most of the boats we paint are through recomendation and word of mouth.

 

I believe the person who painted your boat has only painted around, er................... 5 or so boats in there whole career?

 

Trying to put people down and making them feel bad, which i see you have been trying to do over the whole build of the boat, is somewhat petty and not very nice.

 

The customers are very happy with there boat!!!

 

It may have got scratched because they actually use it!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Regards

Alan

 

Alan

 

I find it highly offensive, not least unprofessional, of you to refer to the work of a business competitor. You comment on painting only leads one to deduce that:

 

1) painting boats is not particularly difficult

2) the painter of the Maisibert has an exceptional talent

 

I'll assume that 1) is quite objectional to you and others within your trade, and thus 2) is the most sensible answer. The relationship between skill and experience is always an interesting one, I, for example, have been cooking for over twenty years but not even my best friend would call me a good cook. You, on the other hand, are evidently proud of your skills and experience and thus make the correlation. Which is why I find it somewhat unnecessary that you should feel the need to disparage a fellow tradesperson in order to reaffirm yourself.

 

Secondly, you single out Andythehammer, as being a poster whose comments cause you such consternation. To save you re-reading, please note:

 

Bottle was concerned on the invoicing policy

Lesd was too.

Gary Peacock described the payment scheme as foolish

Jason Wilson wanted to know why it wasn't blacked before going into water

Andythehammer cautioned them to visit the boat regularly during the winter months as it may be subject to the elements.

JoelD was concerned the boat was running late (it was launched some eight months late, it appears)

Andythehammer responded that this was a familiar experience

He then queried why it was late.

Julynian then was commented on the proximity of the stove to the steps

Alan Fincher did the same

Bottle reappeared with the same remark

 

Additionally, the owners of syncopation chose to publish the story of their boatbuild in a blog, rather than a website, enabling the right of reply.

 

Your efforts to promote Blisworth may be well-intentioned, however, a little tip I'm sure you already appreciate:

 

In business the only sure-fire method of making sure people say nice things about your business is by making sure that customers, past and present, have only nice things to say.

 

 

Penelope Brown.

Edited September 17, 2008 by NiceNarrowboat

[aread2]

In business the only sure-fire method of making sure people say nice things about your business is by making sure that customers, past and present, have only nice things to say.

 

 

Penelope Brown.

 

I have only nice things to say about Mill Wharf boats.

[sebrof]

I have only nice things to say about Mill Wharf boats.

 

Incidentally, why did the fitting-out take so long?

[ditchcrawler]

Final Build Update.

 

We've been on a two week cruise and scratched the paintwork. Syncopation has returned to Mill Wharf for some fettling. The water pump is to be moved slightly to protect the cover over the filter and there are some extra shelves to be fitted in a couple of cupboards. Apart from these there have been no build problems with her.

 

What we have learned:

 

Always turn the shower pump on before you start your shower.

The fuel tank will not hold enough fuel for a two week cruise.

 

We ran out of diesel two days before the end of the second week. I dismantled and checked all the filters before I thought of putting more diesel in the tank.

 

During my filter dismantling I managed to disturb one of the fuel lines to such an extent that when I went to the boat to carry out the first engine service a week later there were five gallons of diesel in the bilge. Two seconds with a spanner to cure the drip and a couple of hours to clean up the mess.

Have you had a second tank fitted now?

[aread2]

Have you had a second tank fitted now?

 

There always was a second tank. It feeds the Eberspacher. Remember, Syncopation is gas free so the engine is run for longer than if we were just cruising. Having said that the full tank did last for nearly two weeks' cruising and cookery from Blisworth to Birmingham and back.

 

Incidentally, why did the fitting-out take so long?

The shell was delivered nearly a month late so the build was held up by winter maintenance of the Ownerships fleet based at Mill Wharf.

[aread2]

Roses completed. I've been practicing roses for ages and have finally plucked up the courage to do some on Syncopation:

Edited June 7, 2009 by aread2