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September 25 THIS BOAT IS NOW FOR SALE!!Yes, I've finally had enough. For various reasons, not least the "Credit Crunch", I have pulled out of the sale and moved into a country cottage with my boyfriend, somewhere in darkest East Anglia. I can't say I am sorry. After almost a year of being messed about I am sick to the back teeth with it all. My parents are relieved as they were not keen on me living alone on a towpath. My boyfriend is chuffed to bits as he did not enjoy us living so far apart. I'm now patiently awaiting a sale, so I can get my deposit back. I've resigned myself to not getting all the money I've put into the refit/licensing, etc, back. Still, it's only money. If you are interested in buying the boat and need details, please PM me. Heaven knows it should be ready by now. May 16 Ready yet? Er, no.Well, did I really think for one minute the refit would be done by Whitsun, as promised?
From last Saturday's inspection it's obvious that there is no way the boatyard will meet the deadline. As you can see from the latest pics, the galley is almost complete (apart from the wiring, plumbing and installation of cooker and fridge). However, although the bathroom floor is down, little else has been done and there's a very long way to go. Dylan (pictured) confesses that it has not exactly been top of the list of their priorities, and apologised profusely for the further delays. He admits that he's dreading the electrical work as he has absolutely no idea what is going on there. Most of the side panelling and tongue and groove has been put back, as has the floor.
I've told him to dump the wardrobe and other storage boxes, as they're black with mould and taking up valuable floorspace which must be slowing things considerably.
There's also all the stuff "down below" to do, and if I remember from the survey there's a list as long as your arm.
He's promised me faithfully they will crack on but if I've learned nothing else from this it's not to get my hopes up!
I could've knitted myself a boat from steel wool in the time it's taken them!
 May 01 Busy busy busy!Sorry to all the friends I've been neglecting of late - since starting this new job I don't seem to have a life anymore. The hours are 9 to 5.30, but there's an hour's commute each way and by the time I get home I'm too exhausted to switch on the laptop!
So I've just popped in to wish you all a happy Beltaine and hopefully I will catch up with all your posts soon.
No news on the boat - hoping that's good news!
Hope you are all ticking along nicely,
Sal xx April 15 This is the sound of me banging my head on the wallBoatyard: We're having problems putting the laminate flooring back.
Me: Why's that then?
Boatyard: It's sort of difficult, it's bent out of shape.
Me: Warped?
Boatyard: Sort of. Yes. We were wondering if you would like carpet tiles instead.
Me: Er, mud, water, dog, cat - duh! I don't think so.
Boatyard: Oh.
Me: I want to mop and sweep. I don't want to vaccuum.
Boatyard: Oh.
Me: Perhaps I might accept those padded lino tiles if there was no alternative.
Boatyard: Well, yes you could buy them and we'll fit them for you.
Me: Hang on, it's not my boat yet, I'll have to discuss it with Bruce.
Boatyard: Oh, Bruce said to talk to you.
Me: Right. Did he now?
March 26 UpdateOk, so when I said work had started what I apparently meant by that was that the wrecking crew had moved in and started taking the boat to bits. If anything it's looking worse than it ever did.
I've resolved just to leave them to it for a bit, as I get very demoralised when I visit and find it in such a bad way.
I'm posting pics so you can see what I mean. I'd love to get in and measure up so I can't start getting stuff together, but it's impossible when you have to climb over a load of junk to get from one end to the other.
I can't even paint the gunwales until the insurance company replace the stolen paint.
Utterly powerless is how I'm feeling right now.
March 05 About time too!I've just heard that the work has started. I'm going along to the boatyard on Saturday morning to discuss any alterations I'd like, but in the meantime I've told them to start on the electrical work. I need to choose a cooker and fridge.
This is obviously great news as it means there is a fair chance I can move in by the end of the month or at least not too far into April. The sooner the better. So long as I have heating, light and water I will be happy enough.
I'm taking a camera along on Saturday so may post some pics next week. Hopefully it will no longer look like a building site in there by then!
BW have now received my licence application and I'm just waiting for my credit card statement to confirm they've
Things are happening at last!
January 17 British WaterwaysPhoned them yesterday and it seems they may have received my application for a private boat licence but can't tell me for sure and anyway it can take up to ten weeks as it has to go to Leeds. LEEDS. How are they sending it, a man on foot with forked stick? What's the problem? It's a simple enough form. All they need to, presumably, is to enter the information into a data file and debit my payment. It's not rocket science. Ten weeks, I ask you!
January 12 No news is bad newsBritish Waterways have not received my licence renewal application which was posted a month ago.
The insurance company apologise that they have done nothing since agreeing the work.
The boatyard have therefore done nothing.
Bruce is going down there this weekend to connect the automatic bilge pump before the bloody thing sinks.
I'm beginning to wonder if the whole thing isn't jinxed.
I'm losing heart, I can't even bear to go down there at the moment.
It's all very depressing.
I'm trying hard to visualise all my stuff on board and imagine sitting out on deck listening to the kettle boil.
All this waiting is getting me down. I can't stay where I am indefinitely.
I don't ask for much in life but it seems everything always goes wrong for me. Why?
January 06 Happy New YearHope you had a good NYE.
No news yet, and no response from BW.
Time to start chasing people.
Not much of a year yet, but it's eary days and I have high hopes.
Ahem.
S xx December 21 Seasons's GreetingsHappy Christmas you lot
 Hope you enjoy listening to me and my karaoke mate Andy murdering one of the nation's favourite Christmas songs.
Apart from that, have a good one! And also a very happy and prosperous New Year -
 "I've got a feeling this year's for me and you"!Love Sal xx December 10 Busy doing nothingSent the boat licence off with the best part of seven hundred quid. No other news on the boat. Christmas is cancelled on account of me being potless.
Apart from that I've been going to work and coming home and eating too many crisps and celebrating the return of my singing voice by spending way too much time on my favourite online karaoke site. How sad is that?
I hoped that by now I'd have a life. Sadly not.
Although that's not quite true. I've made two new friends this year and my old friends look after me very well, even though we are separated by physical distance. I've been invited to a New Year's Eve party in Bristol which will make me feel less like Johnny No Mates although it is a hard time of year, this being the second anniversary of me getting well and truly shafted by my psycho ex and the party season being the worst time to be without a Significant Other.
Never mind eh. Maybe next year will be my year - after all, I reckon I've had more than my fair share of crap ones!
December 03 NauticaliaI had a great time at the BCUK blogmeet in Liverpool and on Saturday morning had a look around Albert Dock where to my delight I found a Nauticalia shop. I was pleased to find they had a special offer on the battery operated spider repellant units that I was interested in, so I bought three. I intend to put one each end of the boat, and one by my bed! The shop assistant assured me that if they don't work I can send them back and will be refunded. I will fit them as soon as possible so that hopefully the boat will be spider free when I move in. Apparently, the units also deter rodents, flying insects and other creepy crawlies. OK by me.
Nauticalia is one of those shops where I could go barking mad with my plastic, so just as well I had to get back to my car before the parking ticket ran out which stopped me browsing further.
November 28 Think positive ... think positive ...The insurers are coming in to assess the boat (at last) and hopefully, having delayed matters by losing the claim form, they will now get a move on and repair the damage. Once that is done they can replace the stolen items and we can get the safety certificate. At that point I want to move in, if possible, as a precaution against further break-ins.
I'll be really glad when the doors are back on as the tarpaulin is not keeping the weather out. Bruce has reconnected the bilge pump, so at least that's something.
That poor boat looks so forlorn, she needs someone living aboard and some love. It's all hanging on the safety certificate and the valuation now.
Think positive ...
November 15 Message from BruceBruce writes: "Took ballast out yesterday. Boat went back in today. Looks very good level wise".
Best news I've had all day  November 08 A job well doneThird coat went on really quickly and just before it started to piss down! It looks good but I can't wait to get the top half painted. The pikies nicked the paint though. I'd like to start sanding it down but will have to get the paint first. So that will have to wait for the insurance assessors.
This time the boatyard workers complained that the choccy biccies I'd provided were past their sell by date. There's no pleasing some people.
Might go up there on Sunday to help Bruce put the insulation back in. Don't think it's flame retardant so will find out if there's a spray which would help. Can't afford new insulation when there's so many other things to pay for.
The boatyard has started me a tab. I'm not sure this is a Good Thing. November 07 Paint it blackWell who'd 've thought it? The boat came back on time! So the first coat (technically the second as one coat had been applied by the repairer) went on today and if the rain holds off tomorrow we'll slap another on.
In order to replate the sides the whole interior up to the gunwales had to come out, and it's all been dumped in the middle of the boat. At least this gives me the chance to make sure all the T&G goes back as well as it could, as it was a bit iffy before and actually coming away in places. But it does look one hell of a mess and it's quite disheartening.
Good news - the mooring is now in my name.
So, next step is to finish the blacking, then sand down and paint the rest of the boat (despite the fact that the pikies stole the paint - if you see a newly painted boat in this particular shade of green please let me know) and finish off welding off the redundant holes. Then the refit needs to be done, and then get the insurers in to refit the applicances, etc. When that's done the safety certificate needs to be obtained of course. I may at that point get another few little jobs seen to which are not strictly necessary but would be advisable. The windows, unfortunately, won't be replaced until I can afford it - and it could be some years before I can!
It's a slow process, but we're getting there.
Oh yes - Dylan at the boatyard helped himself to my chocolate biscuits and subsequently claimed he had done so to protect them from the ducks, and anyway the first three were damp so he had no choice but to eat them. Justified then. October 23 Progress?A message today from Bruce to the effect that the boat will be back from the menders on 6th November.
I won't hold my breath.
We've asked the local boatyard to give us a quote for blacking the bottom, and although this is obviously costlier than us doing it ourselves I have to bear in mind that I've already taken time off work, for which I don't get paid, to paint it and then found it's still not back from repair.
Bearing in mind that we still have to get the insurance company in to replace the stolen items and reinstall the plumbing, plus get the boat up to scratch for the safety certificate, and of course I can't get the mortgage sorted until the safety certificate and revaluation have been done, it's looking more and more unlikely that I'll be installed this side of the New Year.
I'm trying to remain positive, but I can't pretend the situation isn't getting me down.
October 20 Waterways magazinesMy local supermarket no longer stocks 'Waterways World' magazine, which means that I can only get it if I go into the city centre, something I avoid at all costs.
However, I guess it's hardly surprising, considering I was probably the only person who ever bought it. We are, after all, talking about an inner city area with a high level of unemployment, at least four pawn shops (that's pawn as in 'cash converter') and an amusement arcade. In fact, I'm wondering why they ever started stocking it in the first place!
I love my 'Waterways World' (WW), and it carries a lot of useful information for a newbie like me. However, having missed a few issues, and survived the resultant withdrawal, when I found myself in WH Smith this afternoon I must admit I went into a bit of a feeding frenzy and purchased not only WW but also the slightly cheaper (by 15p) 'Canal Boat'. Well, what a treat that was! Not as thick as WW but then that probably onbly means less ads for new builds. 'Canal Boat' seems cosier, somehow, with just as much useful advice and even a recipe page.
Now I shall probably have to choose which to take on subscription. At the moment 'Canal Boat' is winning for me; which do you think is the best? October 17 What a conI've received my "certificate" for the RYA (Inland Waterways and Rivers) Helmsman's course I attended.
I am underwhelmed.
It's a pathetic tear-off slip - about the size of a lottery ticket - on an A4 letter which suggests that if I want a frameable certificate I could either pay twelve quid, or get a free one by joining the RYA at a discount of £5.
What a joke.
Considering I paid over £300 for the course I think it's a bit tight of them not to include a proper A5 or A4 certificate which is going to cost them next to nothing to produce.
October 15 Grrrrrrr!I just wrote a really long post and MSN just dropped it. Bugger.
Never mind, I was only having a moan.
I need my own space. Soon. |
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