A weekend off, 2 sets of visitors and a Ginger moment...

We'll start in reverse order...

Having hired a fair few boats, one of the things that has annoyed us about them has been the lack of a proper mirror.  NOT that we want gaze at ourselves but we DO like to be able to check our teeth (our own btw) for bits of green stuff and maybe run a comb through our hair once in a while...

With this in mind, I set to and measured the space above the basin in the bathroom and the corresponding area above the toilet.  It then occurred it might be an idea to have another mirror the opposite side of the bathroom bulkhead in the main bedroom.

There's a company in Wakefield called "Glass and Mirror Technology" - http://www.glassandmirrortechnology.co.uk  I've used them before when I've needed mirrors making for fairground rides.  I emailed them my dimensions and asked them to make the 3 mirrors.

We're quite pleased with them and at a little under £100, they weren't silly money either.  THAT said, "gingerism" did strike and rather than getting 2 with the right angle to the left and 1 with it to the right...  idiot here ordered it the other way around - which now means I've got a sloping mirror with no where to put it.  I MIGHT put it upside down as it were, underneath the bedroom one to make an (almost) full length one OR try and find a boater with a wall it can go on and give it away... we'll see.

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Given how busy we've been at work of late, the plan was to have a weekend off doing chores on the boat as we had a couple of visits planned .  The first to come along and see the boat again, were Andy's sister and nephews.  They've not seen it since delivery day.

The weather was nice so after a quick lunch in the pub, we went off for a chug with them.  It was a bit snug at the helm with the 5 of us crushed snuggled in.

With them operating the electric lock, it gave Andy a chance to be at the tiller  too.

This was Saturday ...

We'd planned to fill with water on the way back but everyone else in the area seemed to have had the same idea as all the taps were occupied.  

We left it and I got up early on Sunday morning to be first to the water point - not for any competitive reason... just to ensure when our second visitor came along, it'd already been done.

Helen arrived as planned  - she'd not seen the boat before and appeared genuinely impressed at the progress we've made on it.  She also very kindly gave us the money to buy the macerater toilet

It's a Jabsco - obviously not operational yet as we've still to get the money together for the tank and fittings... there's no rush though as we can use the Thetford in the back cabin until we get it sorted.

We cruised down towards Fairies Hill again and all went well on the way down... a bit chilly but we were wrapped up warm and Andy kept us plied with copious cups of hot tea.

WHO said Ginners can't wear orange?  

On the return journey however  - (after another beautifully executed turn) things began to go to pot lol.  STARTING with a loss of concentration on the lock landing at Foxholes - I  was holding the boat (or rather trying to) with the centreline and nattering away...  of course Andy had began pressing the buttons and the lock was emptying...  I didn't really notice the rope slipping through my hand until it was at the very end  -  and of course the boat by then, was diagonally across the canal !

EVERYONE is an expert in such situations and various other boaters felt the need to interfere   offer advice.  Let's just say I was gracious in receipt of such common sense suggestions and regained enough control (eventually) to get into the now opened lock - complete with a few more scratches :-)   It's a good job it's not painted yet.  

Whilst it was a relief to be hidden from view inside the lock, things didn't go smoothly there either - Andy then got the key stuck in the control panel!  I went inside to look for some WD40, leaving Helen in charge of the boat...LONG story short, it transpired that the gates had opened up slightly and he needed to press the "close gates" button to release the key - you live and learn.

When we got back to Stanley we called into the pub for lunch before heading baack to the boat for coffee.  

The "weekend off" doing chores was nearly achieved but I couldn't resist pulling out the fridge to cut some holes into the floor to allow cold air from the bilge to be drawn up and over the compressor - hopefully to reduce the power consumption.

It isn't pretty but it might help... I suppose we'll see.

This week at some point, I want to try and make a porthole shutter (as a prototype) and fit ash panels to the end of the kitchen units.  ALL subject to having enough energy after work.  OTHERWISE, it'll be a weekend job,  By the looks of things - well, if you believe the weather forecast, we're in for some very cold weather so rather than try and "manage" the boat from home, we've decided to spend the weekend on-board and do it that way.  It'll be interesting getting up and going out to work at silly-o-clock in below freezing conditions from the boat.

Until next time...