CABIN TOP ON

The boat is now starting to take shape with the addition of the cabin top being constructed. The window/hatch apertures have already been cut out ready to take the frames/doors. The main fabrication work is now just about complete with the boat getting two coats of zinc-phosphate primer over the next day or so. This primer will then coated with a quick flash spray of gloss paint to keep the boat tidy while being fitted out. Once dry she’ll be moved out into the yard for the ballast to be installed, floor laid and the battening out to commence.

I’ve finally put the finishing touches to the layout plan, this will be uploaded to our main website shortly, but you get a sneak preview! The new boat will have a very similar layout to H3O with the addition of the extra rear cabin accommodating two single berths. One of the single berths will be ‘loose’ to enable a double bed to be formed, providing the maximum flexibility for hirer’s needs. The sweeping stair entrance to both the bow and stern will also be a feature of the boat as they have been very popular with our guests on H3O.

We are in the process of getting our main website updated to reflect that H2O has now been sold. As part of updates to the site the ‘Name that Boat’ competition will be officially launched, with the winner receiving a short break on board our brand new boat. In fact the winner and his/her family will be our first guests on board and will be asked to officially launch the boat with a bottle of champagne – so keep checking the site for details on how to enter!

Justin

COMMENCING NEW BOAT BUILD

I took the one hour drive down to Long Itchington on Wednesday to check the build progress of our new 58ft narrowboat. Although i knew the boat had been started last week I half expected to arrive to see just the base plate welded together, but to my surprise the team of welders at Colecraft had already formed the basic shape of the hull as seen here.

It’s amazing to watch how the graceful curves of the boats are formed out of flat, two dimensional sheets of steel. The workshop contains another five boats all at different stages of fabrication and all with welders working on them – basically a production line. This production line continues into the industrial units opposite where there are another half dozen boats at various stages of being lined out with one being virtually finished having been painted and fully fitted.

I love to visit workshops like these with all there loud noises, smells and bursts of welding flashes -particularly as I’ve never worked in such an environment. I suppose the novelty might wear off if you work there 5 days a week!

I spent the rest of the visit with Dom Cole discussing the plan of the boat and some small alterations that we need to incorporate. I shall be visiting again early next week to take a few more photos so i’ll update the blog soon after.

P.s To all our customers who have already booked this boat for next year, particularly those in March & April – don’t worry it will be ready in time, but bring along a painting brush just in case!

Cheers Justin.

NEW BOAT UPDATE

Well, the main hire season is now coming to a close with just a few weeks left until the end of October – It’s amazing how fast the season flys by when it’s busy. We would normally continue hiring over the winter season (subject to British Waterways maintenance closures) but as we’ll be concentrating on fitting out the new 4/6 berth boat we’ve decided against this for this year, although H3O will be out on hire over Christmas week.

Talking of H3O we’ve had lots of fantastic feedback about the quality of the boat. She’s certainly been christened as a hire boat with plenty of paintwork scrapes and scratches already. These will be touched up over winter when time and the weather permits. The only problem we’ve had with the boat is that the oak stable doors have expanded and warped, which has caused problems opening and closing them. I don’t think the wet summer has helped but Colecraft have been great and are replacing them with ones made of Iroko (or similar). The colour of these will be darker but at least I won’t have to spend an evening at the side of the towpath with a power planer!

H2O has now been sold and will join her new owners at the end of the current season (mid November). It will be sad to see our first hire boat sail off as we’ve many happy memories of her, but she’ll only be a few miles away in Rugeley so I’m sure we’ll be spotting her from time to time!

Colecraft are just about to start with the build of her replacement boat- so i’ll be updating the site with the build progress shortly and also the boat fitout thereafter. Our customers keep asking what she’ll be called – to which the answer is…. I don’t know! Will it be H2O MKII or H4O…? We’ll we’re not too sure we want to continue down that route, so we’ve decided to hand the task over to our website visitors (a cop-out I know!). We shall be running a ‘Name that Boat’ competition on the website shortly. A name we like the most will be selected by myself and Jane (lets hope we don’t just get one entry!) with the winner receiving…..wait for it……….. a free short break on board the boat! Details will be published on the website in a few weeks time.

Justin.