The Male Perspective (Contd)

Thought I'd catch-up with Julie and proffer a couple of pics of the conversion process...

The forward cabin area was set up as a galley (consisting of a sink, fridge, cooker and one cupboard), and a large communal seating area... Note the contemporary (for the 70's) decor. We re-used the benching and (cut down) table. Turned the whole lot through 90 degrees and pushed it to the front to form a diner. The biggest problem of course was the working area and juggling the schedule of what had to be done in logical order. In addition, the services for the heating, gas and water / waste supplies had to be re-routed (again, thanks to the guys at the marina for advice / help)...



Work in progress... benches and table cut down and re-located, radiator removed on port gunnel and replaced with the small one from under the aft doors to the space on the right gunnel.

Moving the cooker proved to be more complicated than I thought as it involved employing a Corgi-registered tradesman and having the work inspected and passed... the Ikea kitchen units I pre-fabricated and bundled into Vera (its amazing how much you can fit in a 1979 VW Camper when needed) before fitting.

The finished (?) kitchen has 4 units space for the washer / dryer (new fridge/freezer as the original wasn't suitable for live-aboard use), tiling by Julie, chequered lino bought from van fest and Roman blinds with magnets to 'adjust' them flush to the angled wall above the gunnel. The other work involved a new bulk-head and ceiling panel and the obvious decorating of the remaining wall areas. I left the carpeting on the walls behind the units where possible to aid insulation for heat and sound...

In addition, after a bit of research / pricing, we bought under-car LED units (with a 1700 combination output lighting controller) from Halfords in the sale and fitted them under the gunnel, table and kitchen units as down-lighters - they are waterproof and robust and, being 12V LED, use very little power. Also replaced the fluorescent ceiling lights with LED spots.

The hallway was reasonably straightforward and involved replacing the carpet on the wall, flooring (which has since been replaced thanks to the loo incident), and decorating / replacing the lighting and curtains as above.

We re-cycled the kitchen units into both bedrooms to provide additional storage and fitted blackout versions of the Roman blinds with the magnet conversions - these are a great success and aid heat retention in the space too. To reduce the condensation problem I fitted secondary glazing to the frames in the form of plastic sheeting (bought for 18 quid with enough to cover 80% of the windows and works a treat!)... I have also since, had to fill the gaps behind the ceiling architrave with expanding foam / carpet strips to reduce same condensation... 

Note - ex-hire boats don't get used in Winter so don't have the problem of having to be heated in prolonged cold spells. Consequently, the cold-bridge points / flaws are not a problem until you live-aboard and they manifest / drip on Julie...

Last bit - promise.... The aft cabin was two single bunks, a second loo, sink and cupboard. Part of the negotiated price for the boat was that we have an empty, boarded out space, minimal equipment and in return the marina would strip-out and keep the kit for spares for their fleet. Fortunately, they agreed as the work involved in removing and making good the WC and associated tank (under the port side rear bunk was extensive to say the least!  

Aft cabin stripped and almost boarded out... this is how we took possession of the boat in early October (we immediately went on a weekend trip along the Llangollen to Trevor (across the Pronty Aqueduct!!), with no heating, little experience but a warm feeling of ownership and adventure amongst our cockles...

Work in the Livingroom involved removing the small rad under the ladder access, replacing such with steps / storage that both we and the dogs could negotiate safely, lighting) as above on the ceiling and a second LED downlighter set with controller, installing a stove heater, hearth and surround, boarding out, laminate flooring and decorating... 

We got a great deal on the stove (complete system) from The Boatman, on the net... very knowledgeable chap and helpful... also help from the guys at Chirk to install it... bit of welding to adjust the flue angle above the roof was beyond my skill-set...

Note: Although the Regulations say you need a double-skin flue on a new installation, if it is to an existing boat, a single flue is acceptable (from an inspector)... 

The other major item for the conversion was the 240V installation. Hire boats are generally 12V and 240V is provided (in a limited fashion) via an inverter. We plumbed for onshore 240V connection and a 3kW inverter for when away... Cousin Chris (and Steve), installed the second-fix circuit / sockets over a weekend but we paid the experts at Chirk to install the rest of the system... most of our kit is 12V anyway but chargers, washing machine and the obligatory PS3 need 240V...

Last pic for this session - LED set up and working on blue in the living room and down the corridor... Heee!! Boys toys eh?

If anyone wants details of any of the components - not a problem... happy to help with my limited knowledge.

The Male Perspective - Refurbish to the Move-in...

Thought I'd give you the other side of the story... in short; the planning was over a year with most of the plans being 'roughed-out' by guess work and estimating dimensions until I had the opportunity to get to the boat at Chirk in March and do a measuring survey... produced the following (this is the final version - gives the latest layout ish):

The image on the right was taken from the website and is the original layout of the '6 to 8 berth floating caravan' version.

The drawing in the middle is the stripped out layout...

On the left is the drawing of the finished article... in plan view and produced on a Mac to scale on EZDraw...

To explain... the boat was bought after reading lots of articles and forums that recommended buying an ex-hire one if plumbing for second-hand. The conversion was done on a budget that meant we had to (and wanted to anyway), recycle / use most of what was already there.

In Summary, we ripped out the aft cabin, WC and sink to form the living room, the bedrooms and bathroom had minor adjustments and the galley / dining area was rebuilt to form a full kitchen and diner.



The aft cabin removal and re-covering of the walls was part of the negotiated price for the boat (luckily... the rear poo tank was a lot harder to cut out than the boatyard thought... we took possession and the back half was still a construction site!!) I got to do the rest of the reconstruction (with a lot of technical / skills help from the marina experts at Chirk - can't thank them enough for their 'over-and-above' attitude. The conversion took 2 months of hard slog (4 days a week, 12+ hours and living in the construction site... ) the marina at Chirk kept me plied with coffee and I survived on 'boil-in-the-bag' RatPacs... (ex-Army)... and yes, it was like being on exercise!! I lost about a stone in the process - too focused to bother eating regularly, but it was very rewarding.

Anyways, the finished article (I say finished but have come to realise its always going to be 'a work in progress', happened in early December and we chugged the 80 miles (and 80 locks!) from Chirk to Aston in the second week in December (via the Llangollen, Middlewich and Trent and Mersey Canals without major dramas - mainly thanks to help from youngest son, Luke (who was a star and came up from Kent to help), and some very nice CWT workers who helped us through emergency work at Minshull lock (that was supposed to be closed the day before we got there!! More later...

Whoo Hooo New Loo!!!

Oh My God how sad am i? That the high light of my morning is that i have put forward my case to Tony and made him see that a cassette loo is the way forward........ He's only gripe was that the pump out should work and he was fed up that it wasn't working properly.

As you know i've documented the revenge of the loo and how its always on my mind, well i see it this way, if we have to pay minimum £12 every 10 days or sooner to pump this thing out thats nearly £100 a month, and our plan is to go off at the end of the year & we will have less funds, and that is two meals out in the pub!

So i put this to Tony and he agreed ( I knew if i mentioned beer his thinking would be swayed lol )

No seriously, my argument was this: Pros for a pump out, we have a ceramic loo and you press a button & it quite like a "land loo" The cons are: Its costs money to flush ya body waste away, (waste of money in my eyes) If we are on the cut and frozen in then we have to think about going to the loo. If we are cruising and need a pump out and cant find one then we are in the poo literally. Pros for a cassette: It cost nothing to empty, it will have paid for itself in 3 months, i will have peace of mind that it will never spill its contents over my home again. Cons: will have to take the tank out, and re jig pipe work & got to empty it every 3-4 days........big deal..

So with the help of Jon of topnotchboatbuilder we will choose our new loo this week, Jon has been so helpful to us with not just this but, boat painting and box building we cannot thank him enough, generous with time and advice.

After the loo is fitted i promise i will NEVER post about the bloody loo again!

Laters

Random pic of doggies sun bathing on my bed as i type ( just so blog I'snt totally about loo's!)

Bloody bog

First moaning blog, but have to get it out there..........................

The loo situation still isn't sorted, we only pumped out 8 days ago, we were away for two days of that! and the tank was full today. Tony un screwed the inspection cap and saw that it was full. So we took the boat to the pump out area on the marina, all was going well, after 6 minutes the machine stopped and Tony said it still isn't empty, we don't have a large tank just a normal one. So another £12 and we start all over again, the machine stops again and Tony said he still didn't think it was empty as there was liquid still being drawn through the hose. How are we ever going to be able to afford to live on the cut when at present its going to cost £24 a week to pump out?

The boat is now not listing to the right but level, but it doesn't feel right, as after we had the initial loo incident we listed to the left (that took 4 pump outs) to be honest its getting me down, i am constantly thinking about my toilet habits, not going, and dreading looking in the bathroom, that tonight i told Tony this might be a boat breaker for me. I cant go on thinking that this bloody loo situation will never be sorted. I just want to take a hammer to it, weld the hole up and get a cassette.

To add to this i have had to put up with a constant drip of water that drops onto the bed, not from the window but from the wood rail and we don't know where its coming from so i've put a towel there, but this becomes damp, trying to save the brand new mattress. Last night i was so conscious i would lie on it that it kept me awake.

Tony is trying his best to sort things out i know that, i just wish we could sort the loo situation out, i can deal with the rest as a drip on ya bad is hardly a drama is it? but the loo drama is making little things seem allot worse. A bog is one thing you cant really live without isn't it?

So today isn't a good day for me to be a live aboard :(

Adopted Home!

Kev & Sue did us a favour and let out  Mozzer & Diddie for a comfort break when Tony was at work & i was away on Friday night

They had other ideas though, and didn't want to go back to an empty boat! 

Thank You!

ASBO (AKA Mozzer) & Diddie

Thought id introduce my babies ASBO AKA Mozzer and Miss Diddie

This is them on the way to Stone

Mozzer has been given his nick name by friends on the marina, because he is a little sod, ha! into everything and everyones boat! Other friends have told me that after his morning pee, he regularly nips onto their boat to see whats going on and to say hello!

All wrapped up! 

Mr Cool

Waiting for a treat!

Sat PM snoozeeeeee

They really have adapted to living on the boat very well, Tony built bigger steps in the saloon so they can get out easier, they have a routine now of morning pee pee, food sleep walk, more food then Miss Diddie likes to sleep on the sofa, and ASBO like to curl up under the duvet on my feet! Great hot water bottle. Most Wednesday's we walk upto the Star in Stone where they love to curl up on the seats with their muddy paws (the landlord doesn't seem to mind) 

They make us smile everyday, such different personalities, Miss Diddie is quite independent and will have a little love & attention on her terms, and ASBO has to be with you 24/7 he cant be left on his own, he has abandonment issues, as he was rescued from 2 other homes He used to shake when you left him, but is much better at coping, when occasionally he is left. He is the more sensitive one! 

New Floor & expanding foam

On Tonys day off this week he had time to fill the gunnels with expanding foam to help with the condensation as it was so bad it had stained the paint with running drips. It seems to have worked, although the one that leaks down from my bedroom window is doing my head in, as i've now had to put a towel on top of the bed linen to stop it soaking through. I suppose if the foam doesn't work over that side ill just have to find another way of sorting it.

New floor, Tony has made it go up the skirting just in case we have another "incident"

New corridor lino, we couldn't really decide on a wood effect or this stone one, as i thought it might be a bit cold looking, but with the double underlay on it, its quite squiggly and nice to walk on, and i don't think it looks to cold?

Even though the new floors are down now, Tony still isn't convinced that the last pump out (Monday) completely emptied it he is convinced the marinas machine doesn't work as well as it should. Which is making me constantly worry every time i flush the loo, and i don't really know what we are going to do about it. We will pump out every two weeks without fail, maybe even more, if anyone reading this has any advice i would appreciate as its beginning to become an obsession and i just want to be able to relax about it!

Think some ASBO posts are next!

Poker face loo

Had a little thought this morning that made Tony smile, so I thought I'd share. As we don't have an indicator to tell us when the loo is full I have been looking at ways we might be able to tell. Anyway I reckon that my loo is like a game of poker and that I've got to work out its "tell" as to when it needs emptying instead of me having to be telepathic!

So this morning, I flushed and noticed the basin was a little fuller than normal (with clean water) and that when you flushed it didn't take all of it away. So I think that might be a tell? This next bit sounds a like confession..... It's been 13 days since my last pump out father, and we have been away for two of those days, so it should be ok but...... Since "loogate" I'm airing (literally) on the side of caution, so we pumped out this morning.

I rang Tony and asked "did it suck all it out" " is the boat listing now" I can't believe my life has come to this, paranoia about my pokerloo

That is all

Funny old weekend

Jumped onto Kev & Sues boat Saturday morning as they were going up to Stone, really nice getting out of the Marina, cold, but sun blazing, I cannot wait for Tony not to have to work weekends so we can get away, he has spoken to work and it looks like he will stop doing them from March so just in time for better weather we hope!

Anyway had a good mooch around the farmers market, tried some fab Indian chutney and blew my head off with trying one of the pastes, I never learn. Then it was off to the Swan to try the cider they have on offer, bad idea really as I'd had a piece of toast and nothing else, and had to cycle back up the tow path, but I will never learn!

Cider in system & no food = wobbly Julie, but as I'm a stubborn Capricorn I wasn't going to let that stop me cycling back to the Marina. So to try my new(ish) bike, it's a fold up one, made by a UK company called Kansi, and I can't give it a bigger thumbs up. It only weighs 11k so is very light, even i can get it on and off the bus! It had never been down the tow path though and it was a great journey back to Aston, I can't wait for the paths to be a bit less muddy so we can cycle down them all the time. a couple of pics attached bike up & bike folded.

Sunday arrives and another impromptu get together toasting absent friends ;) Sue has added another string to her bow, not only does she make the strongest g&t, it has now been confirmed she makes the strongest whiskey coffee! Hic

Dont wanna become a blogger bore

Been having a bit of a think over the past couple of days about this blog and i don't want it to become a couple of things, firstly i don't want it to become boring, as we wont be doing any continuios cruising for another year as Tony works weekends and i work in the week and we plan to ditch both jobs at Christmas. So apart from when we take our holidays, posts will be about experiences on the marina and the boat of course. The second thing i don't want this blog to become like some I've read, & that is a bitch fest, moaning about people they meet and expressing opinions about all sorts of crap that have nothing to do with their blog, ( you have Facebook for that don't you? :)

So now thats out there, back to Dampervan update, we went out and got some Lino yesterday to replace the soiled one. We also got some expanding foam that Tony is going squirt into the gunnel to try and stop the condensation running down the walls as there are nice brown stains in a couple of places now. He has to work Fri & Sat so Sunday we should have a nice looking boat again after "loo gate"

We also got a Aldi bargain today a new mixer tap for the kitchen its raised up square if you know what i mean? £29 bargain for a tap!  it works allot better than the last one as when we moved the kitchen round the turner for the tap was a bit difficult to turn.

No plans apart from that, we shall see how the wind blows eh?