Katona

Rebuilding a narrowboat.

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Nick

Nick

We are (mostly) insulated!

Omg, happy October! The week started frantically, as Monday was perfect for insulating and I had so much to do: buy a gas mask and some overalls, move a bunch of my shite out of the way, clean all the surfaces and masking tape everything I didn’t want foam

By Nick 1 Oct 2023

LOOK AT IT!

What a week. Do I say that every week? Monday! WELL, I got most of that water pump bolt out. I also damaged the old thread… alas. I ordered a thread repair kit then headed to Wickes for a sheet of aluminium for the vents, and a PVC pipe for

By Nick 24 Sep 2023

Progress in millimeters

Well, the weeks where days happen. That bolt thread is still stuck, but I did make some progress today, which you can read about later. I also discovered “thread repair kits” on a recommendation, which are threads inside threads. You drill a larger thread and “shrink” it, in a sense.

By Nick 17 Sep 2023

Fuck up, 2, 3, 4

Oh buoy… This week was off to the races with preparing the front window: a final coat of primer for the outside, then the 3 coats of varnish on the interior-facing wood. And with that done, it was engine component collection time! The engine/cylinder head, the injectors; back in

By Nick 10 Sep 2023

Bang goes the engine part 2

“I can hear it still needs a service.” — me being prophetic, August 27th, 2023. Oh you didn’t think we were finished with part 1, did you? Well I did. On Monday morning it sure looked fine, but I started moving the boat and half a mile later badoom it

By Nick 3 Sep 2023

Windows that work and watertight welding, these are a few of my favorite things

This week started wonderfully with the final coat of primer on the hatch and doors: Followed by moving the boat a little ways down the canal with my newly-cooled engine. I did check the oil when I fixed it, but I can hear it still needs a service. And then

By Nick 27 Aug 2023

Bang goes the engine

A lovely week of odd jobs; nothing major, but fulfilling progress in the right direction. It started with a gas and diesel refill, and then I got to work painting the newly-welded sections. I also finished putting silicone in the kitchen window frames; I had done one of them the

By Nick 20 Aug 2023

The day where weeks happen

Yesterday was one of those days where weeks happen, thanks to a wonderful man named James. But first, the week started by finishing the primer on the kitchen window frames, cutting 3 steel disks for the holes in the roof and side, and removing the hatch and doors: It certainly

By Nick 13 Aug 2023

That factory look

Short but sweet, this week I returned on Wednesday after a 17-hour road trip, so I wrote off doing anything productive 😴. But work resumed the next day! And this here stern is PAINTED (minus the bits-to-be-welded): Look at it! It’s beautiful! And the view backwards from my boudoir: I

By Nick 6 Aug 2023

Magnum grinder opus

What a week! It started strong with 8 hours on the angle grinder — sans injury — de-rusting section 4; the stern, the finale, my magnum grinder opus: And with that done, the boat is officially no longer a rusty shell! As Sean Parker would say… Following that I washed it all

By Nick 30 Jul 2023

So. Many. Windows!

People on the canal are so nice! On Friday a Dutch family helped me through some locks, and today I had 4 lovely conversations with boaters and walkers, curious about what I was doing and offering their encouragement. One guy talked about his motorbike from Myanmar in the second world

By Nick 23 Jul 2023

Absolutely, positively riveting

Rust is falling, all around me, moving kitchens, having fun. 🎵 This week I installed the first window! It went, well… I needed some rain to test it, and 2 hours later the gods delivered. The rain was heavy, the moment of truth, aaand… drip. Drip. DRIP. Fuck. Still, better than

By Nick 16 Jul 2023
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Katona

Rebuilding a narrowboat.