Amazing news

Well, yesterday was the first time I'd seen Relativity out of the water and she's huge! The guy on the crane thought she weighed about 23 tonnes. I'm not sure I should be posting pictures of a 17 year old without her clothes on but here goes...
and yes, the brown stuff on her bottom is rust. At the bow:

and stern:

there are things called "sacrificial anodes" (see this link for more on how they work). By some strange alchemy they stop the steel rusting. The problem is that these are too old and have stopped working. They're also too far apart so they aren't protecting the middle section and so she is suffering from pitting in the middle :-(

The real worry was what the bottom plate would be like! This is a single sheet of steel 68 feet long and almost 7 feet wide.

So Steven Hands and his lovely assistant (no photos to protect the innocent) from Hands On Marine came to give their professional verdict. They spent several hours measuring the thickness of the metal all over with a nifty little ultrasound machine and finally pronounced their verdict...

Despite some nasty 2mm deep pits on the sides and base her hull is in pretty good shape for a boat of her age and she doesn't need any overplating or other remedial work. Phew.

She does need to have 4 sacrificial anodes down each side and a very thorough "blacking" every 2 years if I am to stop the damage from continuing. Eventually the pits will become too deep, turn into holes and she'll sink so it is important to have had this survey done. Now we know what needs to be done and where to keep an eye on. The boat yard boys at Norton Canes are going to get started on that immediately.

Her propeller and rudder aren't the right size or in quite the right place but the cost of fixing the problem is disproportionate to the improvement in handling. "She's a 23 tonne, 68 foot, cow. She's never going to steer like a Ferrari." A fair point well made I thought.

So all of that was a very long way of saying that I haven't got a lemon. She is a good solid boat and is worthy of some TLC.

But...

The day was not all good news.

The work that does need doing - especially a complete re-paint which is definitely required to stop the superstructure rusting away, and taking out and re-fitting all the windows and portholes to stop them leaking - is going to take longer than I'd hoped. In a way that is the problem with going to a proper boatyard that won't do a bad job. They're craftsmen and they won't be rushed. It could be as much as 6 weeks. I had hoped for 3 and resigned myself to 4 or 5.

This is going to be a long, long lent.

A little more settled

I went to the marina near Reading today and chose my mooring spot. Not a big thing but nice to have it sorted and booked for when we finally get Relativity home. :-)

A little set back

The good news is that we made it and Graham and the guys at Norton Canes are having their first look at Relativity. The bad news is that their last job is overrunning a little so they won't be able to start until Thursday. Not a disaster.

More then I guess.

Day 2 - made it

So, after a mammoth 2 days of chugging we've nursed this wonderful craft to the boat doctor. We pulled in to Norton Canes Boatbuilders at 18:30, an hour after sunset - it was nearly dark and very cold! We're moored next to a stunningly painted boat called Resolute. If Relativity's paint looks anything like that good when they're finished we're all in for a treat! I suspect the mirror finish on Resolute might be a bit beyond my budget though :-) Here is a picture...
I even managed to get to Ikea and get some basic cutlery, crockery and some nice bedding - I am going to sleep soooooo well tonight (no pictures though - you'll have to use your imagination).

One of the less fun bits of chugging through canals in built up areas is the amount of rubbish in the canal. We've had to stop 3 times today to pull shredded carrier bags, bits of string and even weeds from the propeller - you have to put your whole arm in the water through a thing called the weed hatch (nothing to do with growing pot - honest) - it is b****y cold!
Here is a picture of my mum guiding the rather grubby looking Relativity into a lock - sometimes we even manage it without bumping the sides. Boodle (the dog) managed to fall into the canal today whilst chasing a moorhen - his favourite passtime - he forgot that he can't fly.

One of the really nice bits of narrowboating is the collection of fabulous pubs along the canalside. The Manor Arms in Walsall is no exception - it has been there since the 12th century! Some of the regulars have been there ever since. Roast lamb for lunch hmmmmm.

There maybe some more tomorrow but I have a monster day ahead of me with meeting the boatyard guys at 8am to discuss the work to be done on Relativity and then leaving here by 10 in order to be at a meeting in Reading by 12:30 - a sad meeting to put part of the company I've spent the last 4 years building into liquidation.

Day 1

Day 1 of what I hear you ask? Day 1 of actually owning a boat and trying to live on it! 3 people - 1 mission - can we get an completely untried boat through 30 miles and 34 locks in time to deliver it to the boat yard on Monday morning without breaking down and without sinking? My motley crew? My mum, dad and me.

So, this morning dawned bright and sunny and we were on the road early. Meeting up with Jason & Andrea and the boys to do the deal...

Thanks guys It is at this point that their boat called Journeyman became my boat called Relativity. What's in a name you ask? Today, everything.

And the deal done, we were on our way
That's my mum behind me wondering why I'm pulling on a rope that I'm supposed to be trying to untie - best not to ask ;-)

So, today we have covered 14 miles and 24 locks. Tomorrow we have 15 miles and 9 locks to cover so it should be a slightly easier day - locks are hard work! Miles just take time.

Some of it was idyllic:

and some of it not (didn't take pictures of that).
Sometimes I even let my mum drive - really! Honest!

And now it is time to sleep.

A wonderful morning

We woke up this morning to this:

and this:

Shame it is the last day of our holiday ;-)

Must remember to go to the bank and sort out payment for Relativity for tomorrow is the day. I can hardly wait!

Rocking horse manure

There are few things quite as rare as rocking horse manure - safe, secure places to moor a 68 foot long narrow boat and live on it are definitely in that category. In fact, anywhere near Reading there is only one suitable marina and they're well known for being somewhat busy.

I've been resigned to the idea of chugging up and down the Thames finding a different place to moor every few days until a vacancy came up. Yesterday I phoned the marina and... YES they do have a long enough vacancy at the moment! "Put my name on it please" I said.



So, another piece of the jigsaw slots into place, Relativity has a place she can call home - that is, of course, if everything goes ok with the purchase at the weekend, the repairs over the next couple of weeks and the mammoth journey South after that.

Waiting :-(

So, now that the deal is agreed there is nothing that can be done until Saturday morning. I've had more conversations with the boat yard to discuss what can be done in what timescale and cost but until I've got Relativity up there and they've lifted her out of the water there isn't anything more we can do in preparation.

Of course I could wax lyrical about the advantages of composting toilets but I suspect, dear reader, that you don't really want to know ;-)

So here is the picture I promised yesterday...

Of course the bedding belongs to her current owners, not quite my style ;-) The black tube on the left is from a stove so the room can be kept nice and toasty. The picture was taken standing in the bow doors looking aft. I'd like to turn the room around so that the bed head is up against the doors - then I can lie in bed and gaze at the stars. It also means that I can have the bed longer and wider - important when you're as tall as me :-)

So, today, the boys, grandma and I are going to chug her boat up the Grand Union Canal a little bit to meet up with my sister and her family.

More later.

The plan unfolds

So, there I was pondering the important things that need to be sorted out before Relativity can truly be called home. Everything from toilets to bedding is on the list! The reality is that, apart from a really decent Spring clean, she is reasonably functional - but "functional" seems to be rather missing the point. She will, after all, be my home and a bear likes to know that his honey is properly and safely stored.

To this end the yard are going to get her out of the water and pressure wash all of the gunk (and there will be lots of gunk) off her bottom to check that she isn't about to spring a leak anywhere and sink. That will be part of a complete survey to make sure I know exactly what has to be done, what needs to be done and what can wait.

I've had lots of requests for more pictures of Relativity so here is one of the galley. I might post one of the "master bedroom" tomorrow but only if you promise to keep calm ;-)


Just to add to the fun, today I'm going away for a few days with my boys. We're going to stay with my mum on her boat (Silver Lining) and will almost certainly be messing about on the water with my sister and her kids on their boat (Imagine).

I'm sure there'll be more to post whilst we're away so check back soon or subscribe to the RSS feed and have it pop up automatically.

A slightly wonderful morning

As I said yesterday, one of the challenges is to find a boat yard with time to do the necessary work! After loads of research into yards that I can actually get Relativity to in a reasonable time I'd narrowed the list down to 8.

A friend of my mum's has been a boater for 17 years and really knows his stuff. He recommended a yard near Walsall (2 days' chugging away) called Norton Canes Boatbuilders (http://www.nortoncanesboatbuilders.co.uk/) so this morning I phoned them. Lovely helpful people.

And here's the weird bit... anyone even half way decent is usually booked up months in advance - except that I happen to know that this morning they had a cancellation (fabulous thing the towpath telegraph) so we're booked in with them on Monday morning!

The weekend looks a bit manic :-)

Journeyman

Over the last couple of weeks I've been hunting the web for a suitable boat to live on. Then came the driving all over the country to look at rust covered buckets and mouldy woodwork. Not masses of fun!

My parents and sister have been massively helpful as they've helped with the searching and offered advice (my mum and sister both live on boats full time)

Strangely, the first boat we found on-line has always been the favourite and, when we went to see it last week, we knew it was the right one.

Last night I had a phone call from the owner to say that he had accepted my offer and now the journey begins.

For the boaters amongst you she is a 68 foot semi-trad built in 1992 with a Barrus engine.

She needs some work doing so I'm currently trying to find a boat yard with a time slot in the next few weeks that can fix up the paint and sort out a Boat Safety Scheme certificate.

And finally, her name... Relativity

In the beginning

Life is full of surprises and finding oneself in need of a new home is certainly one of them! For lots of reasons a narrow boat is not the completely insane idea it might at first seem. I'm not going to try and justify it here. Just accept that it is and enjoy the journey.