CONTINUATION OF THE BLOG

Please click on the link below to go to part 2:

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&module=display&section=blog&blogid=198&showentry=1175

Summary of work to 23 November

This week the gas system and cooker have been connected up and tested.

I have painted the following:
Galley and saloon cabin sides final coat in cream.
Cabin hull sides final coat in sage green.
Bathroom cabin port side final coat in "pointing" (Farrow and Ball off white)- the stbd side will be tiled.
Bedroom another undercoat then top coat also in "pointing.



The saloon skirting board and pipe covers have been installed. These are solid oak.


Photos:
Apparently I have reached my upload limit.
I have been through the blog and deleted some old posts and photos but the upload limit warning is still showing when I try to upload.
I will look into this when time allows.

Summary of work to16th November

This week I  spent three days getting 2 more coats of varnish on the graining and decoration in the engine room and back cabin.
I also spent a day painting the saloon and galley cabin sides.
All of this doesn't show on photos so there aren't many this week.

Walsh's Engineering - Generous warranty work.

During the trip to shotblasting a couple of water leaks on the engine were noticed.

These were from a weld on the "water rail" which had had a section welded in (weld leaking) and the removable plates (water doors?) at each end of the cylinder block which allow access to the coolant area for clean outs (leaking joints).

This was reported to Walsh's who had overhauled the engine in 2009.

Since the engine has only recently been commissioned Walsh's very creditably honoured their warranty and sent a genuine Gardner trained engineer to effect repairs on site.

A highly polished brand new water rail was fitted (as shown in the photo above) and the water doors were removed and refitted with new gaskets and sealant.

The seal faces were thourougly cleaned first but these joints are well known for leaks. Typically these still have a very slight leak which will be cured in due course.

Summary of work to 9th November.

Ian Kemp has completed his decoration of the back cabin and engine room.
I have managed to complete the first coat of yacht varnish on all of this. Two more coats will be applied for protection and to enhance the shine.

The Domestic hot water and central heating system has been de-bugged and is operating well.

Other than that I 'av mainly been painting...

......

Kabola C/H and domestic hot water

The Kabola boiler for the central heating and domestic hot water has now been commissioned and after a few glitches the system is working well.
Refer to previous posts for details but to recap the main features:

-The kabola boiler is diesel fired and fed by gravity from a header tank under the back cabin bench seat.
-Water is circulated around the heating circuit and calorifier by a Bolin pump.
-By closing a valve in the wardrobe the hot water from the Kabola can be all diverted to the calorifier to heat the domestic hot water only.

Commissioning problems:

1 The Kabola boiler has been in storage for a couple of years and needed the regulator cleaning out and lubricating with fuel to get it working. Fortunately help was at hand.
The ever helpful John Sanderson who has a Kabola himself and is familiar with its workings took a break from boat painting (and eating pies) to carry out this job in minutes.
On lighting the stove it ran well and with the bolin pump operating the central heating circuit soon warmed through.
But:

2  The calorifier did not seem to be getting any heat and when the valve was closed on the central heating circuit the water temperature climbed quickly.
The calorifier is horizontally mounted and the bolin circulation pump is not powerfull (it doesn't need to be) so an airlock was suspected.
The compression connections to the coil were cracked open and some air and water was bled off as the header tank was able to provide enough flow to move the airlock.
When the Kabola was relit the system worked perfectly and ran without stop for 48 hours.

On the lowest operating setting of less than 1 (of 6) the temperature gauge settled at 62 degrees C and the boat became pleasantly warm. Domestic hot water was too hot to put a hand under.

3 A standard Delphi type engine fuel filter in the supply from the tank had a leak which was eventually identified as a faulty washer on a blanking plug and replaced, thanks once again  to John , so quickly the Kabola kept running.

Engine room step/storage

At the port/stern end of the engine room Dave has built this step with storage underneath.
It was made from offcuts of the oak flooring with thick brass hinges.
It will probably be used for tool storage being conveniently close to the engine.
Access to the bilge for removal of water etc is also possible in the bottom behind where the flooring ends.
Liquids running back along the base plate will stop here as the fuel tank crosses the hull directly behind.

Summary of work to 2nd November

As will be seen from the posts below the fit out is nearing completion.

For the time being, Dave has now gone over to work on another project conveniently alongside mine, and I will continue with the internal decoration and electrical connection etc.
He will drop back onto Primus when required.

The fit out to date has taken just under 900 hours of Dave's time.
I estimate I have probably done something similar.
This is in line with Dave's original estimate based on his previous projects.

Costs are also in line with our original expectations.

Matching beer glasses!

Not many boats have name matched beer glasses but Primus does.

Thanks are due to Jim Evans (nb Gazelle) currently working in Brussels who is a valued customer (!) of a bar selling Primus Belgian beer and especially to Rachel the barmaid for a set of glasses and beermats.

Bathroom

nb. The gap below the bath edge is because the bath has been temporarily lifted onto small blocks to allow the edge of the woodwork below to be properly sealed with paint before the bath is once agin dropped into place on sealent. This will protect against the wetting of the woodwork.



The bathroom now has its first coat of decorative paint.
This colour is "James" eggshell, another heritage colour from the Little and Green range.

Galley- shelves, tiling, doors and drawers added

Shelves have been added at the bulkhead end of each worktop. When a fiddle rail is fitted this gives a welsh dresser type of look and, being against the bulkhead, creates storage or display space efficiently with minmal intrusion into the galley.

The splashback has been created using these brightly coloured ceramic tiles.

The colours were chosen to provide an accent to the more restrained colours in the saloon and galley

This was a pretty easy job as the tiles were uniformally square and  fitted on a flat plywood surface.

The doors have been hung and catches fitted. Knobs will be fitted next week.

The drawers are in place with handles fitted.

Summary of work to 26th October

Back cabin graining and decoration by Ian Kemp is well under way.

Dave has continued his joinery with the boxing in of pipes and water pump plus construction of the  saloon corner unit completed.
(As usual all this was then pretty near dismantled for finishing so some photos are a bit thin on the ground this week.)

I have been mainly doing the finishing work on the above and varnishing Ian's graining.

Next week we should complete the galley joinery with shelves against the front bulkhead revised to give a slight dresser style.
I will be tiling the galley and doing as much of the outstanding painting as possible.

Stern doors - decoration in progress

The stern doors and starboard side panel each have roses and castles decoration.
This shows Ian's work at an early stage.

Table cupboard, knife drawer and ticket drawer

Ian is in the process of decorating the back cabin in traditional fashion. The photos below show the table cupboard, knife drawer and ticket drawer.
Note that although this looks pretty good already that it is not yet complete.

Back cabin varnishing over the scumble

After allowing a few days for the scumble  to harden that applied to date, both in the cabin and on doors and drawers (which have been removed) has been varnished.
When the graining has been completed three coats of yacht varnish  are applied

Saloon corner cabinet

Here is thge saloon corner unit under construction by Dave.
The top is iroko to match the galley units and the shelves and skirting boards etc are of oak flooring boards.
Since the photo was taken the unit has been completed (with the door fitted)  then dismantled for finishing with oil on the hardwoods and painting. As usual most of the removable  parts are now in my garage.

Summary of work to 19th September

This week we've had a trip to the woodyard to buy some more oak planks hich Dave has made into steps, skirting boards and pipe boxing etc. We are now pretty close to completing the woodwork of the fit out.
Ian Kemp has started the decoration of the back cabin and has completed about half the graining.
I have mainly been peparing and painting the completed bedroom and bathroom.

Back cabin - Graining by Ian Kemp

The back cabin will be grained and decorated by Ian Kemp, the boat builder and restorer also based at Dadford's Wharf. Although I have done some graining myself I decided to treat myself to a back cabin grain/decorate by Ian. To see why please refer to my earlier post of 22 September 2011 to see a cabin by Ian.
The cabin and engine room are partly grained after about a day's work.
I have previously undercoated the areas to be grained and will varnish the completed graining when it is ready.
I have also painted the table cupboard, knife drawer and ticket drawers in a suitable colour - Mason's deep royal green ready for Ian to decorate.

To date the graining carried out includes:

Painting (primer) bedroom and bathroom

The bedroom and bathroom are now almost completely fitted including drawers and doors removed for painting at home over the weekend.
The bedroom and bathroom are currently in primer.

Steps - skirting boards and other oak items

To match the oak floor steps have been made for the engine room post side (the vertical ones) and saloon side hatch. Although in thed saloon there is a hatch each side, the single (sloping) steps will be moved to the side which we are moored on.
In a visit to the woodyard we were lucky to find offcuts of exactly the right dimensions for these steps.

Dave has also completd laying the oak floor in the engine room port side which used up the more grainy and knotty bits less suitable for the domestic accomodation. Also a step up to the floor level in the back cabin, which also doubles as a storage box was constructed. This has been dismantled for treating with polyx oil so a photo will be added later.

The skirting boards and pipe boxing is also made of oak to match the floor boards and will be photgraphed when completed.

Wardrobe and over bed cupboards

The doors have been fitted to the  wardrobe and over bed cupboards.
The shallower volume at the top of the wardrobe, where the cabin slopes in, has three removable shelves.
Hanging space will be in the lower half.
The shelves and bed slats have been roemoved for varnishing.

Bathroom wash basin

Opposite the bath and facing the toilet a small wash basin will be sited. The space below will be used for a cupboard.

Bath pannel

The bath is pannelled with vertical T and G in the same style as the rest of the boat..
At the stepped end of the bath a door allows access for storage. As the bathroom is only 4 feet long this is where toilet rolls and cleaning products will be kept.

Bath discharge pump

The bath discharge pump is sited below the bath but is easily accessed from the bedroom wardrobe.
It will be controlled by a waterproof switch set into the bath side panel.

240V ring main

The 240V domestic ring main has ferrules fitted at the terminations to sockets as shown.
This socket in the galley is the first to be installed and has allowed the shore suppply and ring main to be proved.
Two more sockets are to be installed in the saloon and bedroom.

Domestic water supply.

The domestic water pump is sited close against the water tank under the tug deck. The S shaped copper pipe  allows the pump to be sited a few inches further forward saving accomodation space but still allowing access to the pipe work for unshipping the pump. This assembly will later be covered by an easily removable box. When coupled up (with branches to the bathroom facilities blanked off for the time being) the hot and cold systems did not leak and the Jabsco pump/ CWaccumulator tank operated properly.

Upgraded drain down valves

As per my comments last week the standard drain down valves were judged inconvenient and unreliable to use. They have been replaced by the ball valves as shown below. For security in each pipe has been capped witha speedfit stop end which can be  removed without tools in seconds.

Summary of work to 5th October.

Work continues on the galley and bedroom.

The domestic plumbing has progressed and we expect to run the central heating next week.

Extra ballast in the form of 360 kg of 10 mm steel plate has been installed under the tug deck floor. The plate is good to use as it can be layered to occupy the bilge space as required and being supplied in long lengths 10 inches, wide conveniently cut to length on site for each compartment.
The 10 inch widths were plate offcuts from the local steel stockist and bought for the scrap value.
The hatch in the tug deck was a godsend for loading the heavy plates into the boat without colateral damage.

Reference to drawers, doors shelves etc being brought home for painting in my garage is made in a few posts. I now have about 40 items in various stages of  finishing stacked in there.
This allows me to work in better conditions than available around the boat and get a couple of sessions in over the weekend.

Back cabin

The back cabin has been painted with cream undercoat in preparation for graining.

The soap and windlass holes, here undercoated grey, will be gloss painted deep royal green, chosen for it's serviceabilty
and to match to table cupboard and crumb drawer.

Galley

The iroko worktops and Belfast sink been fixed in place.
The cupboard doors and drawers have been removed and are currently in my garage being painted.

The mixer tap has been piped in.

The photo below shows the Spinflo Nelson cooker in postion but not yet installed.
The space behind it will be covered by a drop in iroko section.

Central heating

The Kabola boiler flue and roof collar which was fabricated some time ago has now been fitted.

The three drain valves for the C/H and domestic water haave been found to be inconvenient to use mainly due to leaking along the valve stem when opened.
To allow convenient and secure drain downs these valves will shortly be removed and replaced by ball valves.

Since it is almost opposite the solid fuel stove in the saloon we have decided to remove it
to give more furnishing flexibility.
However reinstatement, should it be desired, will be convenient as the T fittings have been plugged and the radiator and couplings removed intact.
The large diameter pipes through the saloon will be tidily boxed in but a slot along the top will be included to allow heat to escape.

Bedroom - cross bed construction

The calorifier and central heating pipes and circulation pump are sited under the bed.
To allow easy access for maintenance the bed slats over these are made to be easily removable and simply lift out, hence the spacers on the cross beam. The remaining slats are all retained by screws which can be easily be removed for more major access.

Cross beds have to span the corridor but be convenient to remove during the day when the bed is not in use. There are various ways of arranging the support of the bed bottom (eg hinged flap or slide out section) which have complications in construction, clearance of gunnels etc, and use. After consideration of these various solutions we have decided to go for a simple set of three drop in pannels as shown.
This was easy to make and is quick to set up as each pannel has a large hand hole.
During the day these will be stacked against the corner of the bedroom/bathroom wall and retained by a turn button.

Summary of work to 28th Septemeber

With the boat back at the yard Dave has got on well with construction of the bedroom.
I have fitted the lighting and gloss painted the insides of the galley cupboards and the back cabin.

The water rail on the engine was found to be leaking on a porous weld so has been removed and returned to Walsh's for repair.

Galley

The galley doors have been hung and the interior of the units gloss painted.
To allow better access the worktops have been removed.

Bedroom / engine room door

The door between the engine room and bedroom is split as shown.
Since the bed when extended in use will block the bottom of the door, having a split door will allow an emergency second means of egress via the engine room.
It will also allow kids/dogs etc to be kept out of the engine room.

Electrics - LED Lighting fitted.

This week the LED lighting was installed.
The wiring loom was put in before the lining was fitted leaving wires to each light hanging from holes pre cut to take each LED light unit.
The ceiling  lighting is 12V with each unit having 10 LEDs giving light output equivalent to a 20W halogen fittings but with much lower current draw.
Above is a collection of CE marked terminals. Just out of shot to the right is the CK terminal crimper which has assymetric jaws which crimp the conductor tighter than the insulation. Before starting this work I had some tutoring from the Loomtech electrician and made some practice crimps.
Wherever possible shrouded pre-insulated crimps were used on the supply side as shown below.
ie Yellow is the female supply - the red spade is to the fitting.
This connection is self protecting against a short.

(An example of an exception to the above is where tight clearance onto a small switch meant that an unshrouded female was used onto the switch spade terminal but in this case the wire cannot move and it was also protected by insulating tape.)





The photo below shows pin terminals used where the supply wire enters a screw terminal.
In a domestic installation the bare wire is OK but here the pin terminals protect against vibration.

The ceiling light fittings are flush with the lining as shown below.
They are slim enough to fit within the 19mm board thickness which means that insulation did not need to be removed to provide clearance.

For more subdued lighting in the saloon, bedroom and back cabin, small wall mounted spotlights will be installed.