We clean

The car won’t start, it’s falling apart. — Shania Twain

But I was not late for work: I took Monday off this week, starting with a trip to Tamworth — an hour away — to pick up some extra insulation. Not long after leaving I fell slightly forwards as the clutch pedal went limp… oh George:

We were back in business with a tow and a car rental, but… honestly. It was the clutch cable that went, so not major but I’d still like the van to last until the boat’s done.

Back onboard, Thursday evening I re-welded a loose angle bracket in the water tank, as well as some gaps around the edges. They were previously covered with sealant, but when you can fuse metal, everything looks fusible.

Then on Friday evening, I cleaned up the bow area to put some primer on before I can insulate the odd sections:

The next morning I took the boat outside the marina to keep the peace, starting with a new hole in the hull for the bathroom sink. Then, re-welding the failed hatch rail and finally the kitchen window frames. They were a mess, and leaked:

They still leak, but that’s now just missing sealant.

This Sunday I finished removing the paint from the water tank corners, with a screwdriver, followed by a good pressure wash until the water was clear. Very satisfying, followed by drying it out. The dehumidifier was snug:

In other news, I’ve decided to paint the boat orange (hence the blog’s new theme). Exact RAL TBD, but vibrant. Maybe RAL 2009, “Traffic Orange”…

And there’s now a gallery! All the photos I’ve uploaded, in chronological order, each linking to the post it came from.

Until next Sunday!

- Nick