This week was textbook Parkinson’s law: work expands to fill the time available for its completion. I didn’t give myself enough to do. On Monday I drilled the shoot bolt hole for the door in the newly-welded hatch and started painting it, along with the chimney collar. This
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
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
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.
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
“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
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
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
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
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
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
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