Crick Boat Show

We were there on Monday! Unlike Maffi. The weather was showery with occasional downpours but enough time between to dash from attraction to attraction. I would have liked to have seen the interior of a lot more boats, for fit-out ideas but three children get bored of boat interiors quickly. Still I took plenty of pictures of details I'd like incorporated in Syncopation, like this stove:
In case you're wondering, It's a Petit Godin on the Simpson boat (which was voted best in show).
I was quite lucky to catch our prospective builder with his show boat at the show because he was leaving when we arrived at his pitch at 3.00PM. He graciously tied up again and showed us over the almost complete boat. I'm still glad we've decided on him. Quality was better than all the other boats I looked at (I'll freely admit I didn't see inside all the boats). I looked over the boat next door and the builder of that one grumbled about the early decampment of his neighbour and the fact that he was only showing for three hours the preious day. I also discovered that builders paid £1000 to show each boat.

I was shown just how quiet a cocooned Beta propgen engine can be when the salesman kindly started the one on the Beat display stand. Like a magician performing a magic trick, he took a panel off the housing: diesel engine noise, and then put it back: quiet hum. I think we'll have one of those. Being gas free, Syncopation will have her engine running while moored when we cook and so quietness is essential.

We Went To See The Queen's Jewels

We went to the Tower of London.
There was a lot to see. It used to be a royal palace and parts have been restored to the state they were in when Edward I was there. Other parts still have the inscriptions carved into the walls by people who were held prisoner in the Tower. We saw the room that served as Sir Walter Raleigh's study when he was a prisoner. The most spectacular part was probably the jewel house. Actors re-enact scenes from the lives of people whose stories are connected to the Tower. The children loved watching the actors. So did I.

Power Budget

I'm in the process of working out Syncopation's power budget . I've listed all the appliances that are going to be used, how frequently, how long and if they are likely to be used with the engine/generator running. The next step it to flesh it out with the power consumption of each device and work out the power required to keep everything running every 24 hours, how long the generator must be run and how many batteries are required to run the appliances that will be operating when the generator is off. So far I've ignored the batteries required for electric propulsion. More of that later perhaps , when I've decided if it's going to be included in the final design.

I've Bought My Ticket To Crick

I've bought my ticket to the Crick boat show and I'm excited. I'll be meeting our proposed boat builder there and taking a look at his latest build. We'll also be looking for ideas for interior design and features for Syncopation.

Quiet Week Plumbing

I spent last weekend putting in a new bathroom for some friends. The kids took it in turns to be ill for last weekend, so there was not much chance of doing anything interesting during the Spring bank holiday. The bathroom job consisted of: Saturday: rip out old bathroom. Sunday: Install toilet and start installing bath. Monday (still part of the bank holiday weekend): finish installing bath and install basin. The plasterer came to have a look on Thursday and gave an acceptable quote so my friends are having him back to plaster the whole bathroom next week. That meant that I had to make sure everything was ready on Saturday for the plaster; this meant removing the old radiator and putting in pipes for the new heated towel rail that will replace it, finish installing the plumbing for the electric shower that will go above the bath and ensuring that the cables for the shower were in place.
I 'm going back on Wednesday night to remove the toilet cistern and basin so that the plasterer can work behind them. I suppose I'll be going back next weekend to put these two items back and finish installing the towel rail. The tiling will then be done and I can finish installing the shower and boxing in the plumbing.
They were quoted £6000 by professionals to do this. I'm in the wrong business.

A Day Out in Oxford

We took the tribe to Oxford for the day. My original plan included Oxford University Museum of Natural History but the best laid plans etc. We started at the Bella Italia restaurant for lunch. I can recommend it - child friendly, then on to my old college, then to the Oxford Story, the covered market for a coffee and a sustaining cake and then we went up the Saxon Tower, the oldest building in Oxford

Narrowboat Syncopation

We've checked Jim Shead's database (apparently he gets the data from British Waterways) and nobody else has registered the name for a boat on the inland waterways.

syncopated
adjective
(of a tune) having a rhythm in which strong notes are not on the beat:
syncopated jazz rhythms

The act of syncopating; the contraction of a word by taking one or more letters or syllables from the middle; syncope (as in `fo'c'sle' for `forecastle').
The act of syncopating; a peculiar figure of rhythm, or rhythmical alteration, which consists in welding into one tone the second half of one beat with the first half of the beat which follows.

Probate Granted

Our grant of probate came through during the week. So the process is grinding forward to it's conclusion. We should be able to divide Mum's estate shortly and we'll put the house on the market in the next few days.

Decisions, decisions

Still agonising over final choice of narrowboat builder. I'm 90% certain which one to choose. How do I break it to the other? Such nice people. I now have formal quotes from both, with numbers and words to support same. Big numbers. It's a certainty I will only ever see this much money in the same place once in my lifetime (without having it earmarked for something important like my retirement or a home).
I still want to hear a cocooned diesel engine to see just how quiet they are. But it looks as though the earliest I can do that is at the Crick Boat Show where the vendors (Beta Marine) are likely to have one on demonstraion. Oh well, roll on late May bank holiday weekend.

Cathy's New BalanceWrite Site

Cathy has been working hard on the content for her new site for the group she runs. I've just finished copying it up to Pipex.

Great Meal

On our way home from the Space Centre we stopped at The Olde Wharf Inn. Truth be told, we spent the better part of half an hour looking out for a hospitable canalside establishment. This one is a peach. The food was excellent, the staff friendly and attentive, the atmosphere was convivial and they welcome children. Highly recommended.

I got a glimpse of the canal but it was too dark to see much.

Space Centre

Yesterday we went to the Space Centre in Leicester.

It's a brilliant day out for adults and kids alike. They've got real rockets on display: Blue Streak from the days when Britain had a space programme and Thor from the USA. You can take an astronaut aptitude test in the Lunar base and there's lots of information about the planets and space travel.

New Toy

I've just taken delivery of a hydraulic log splitter. It's very useful. I was given about a ton of leylandii logs the year before last. The trouble was they are about 20 inches long and full of knots. Still not too long for the stove. I gave up splitting them with axe and wedge because it was taking a very long time. 20" is a bit long for splitting with an axe so I was forced to use the wedge a great deal and the knots make the logs particularly resistant to splitting and I couldn't be bothered to cut them all in half. The result was nearly all the logs have been sitting in the shed waiting for me to split them since I got them. They're lovely and dry now. Along comes Mr hydraulic log splitter. With 10 tons at my command I can split any of these logs with ease. It wouldn't be as fast as splitting ordinary short (8-9") logs with an axe but it's certainly much quicker on the long logs. The only problem was that I bent the first of the little projecting log supports first time I used it. You can see them in the picture, two on each side. Well, I put a block between the log to be split and the head of the piston to push the log further to complete the split and the block caught on the supports each side and I pushed them flat without even noticing. Never mind, it hasn't affected how the thing works, which is very well indeed, if a little slow. I can see the attraction of an electrically operated hydraulic log splitter but it's not justifiable in terms of the amount of use I'd make of it.

Change of Mind?

Yesterday saw us visiting two narrowboat fitters. I started the day 60:40 in favour of fitter number two because of the comments about complicated systems I had on the phone while setting up the meeting with number one. The impression I got was that number one was wary of novel systems because of the risk of cost and time overruns and that number two is keen to tackle novel systems. I was a little disappointed because I really liked number one's interior designs.

After the visit however and a talk with both fitters I am now in favour of number one, about 70:30 I think.

D pulled a sickie with sore throat so was off school. He came with us. We were shown over a completed boat by each fitter and over a boat in progress by number one. The owner of the finished boat (live-aboards) by number one was rathe non-plussed when D took it upon himself to look in cupboards he was not meant to. We as parents suffered the usual cringeing embarrasment of parents with children in public who haven't quite understood the rules of a novel social situation.

Of course, the visits raised more questions than they answered, for example: If the diesel engine is cocooned with hospital silencer wil it be as quiet as an electri c propulsion motor? Have to ask the canalworld boat builder forum.

Thoroughly Clever

I finally cracked it at the weekend. I managed to get the Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard talking to my Dell Axim. It only took me three weeks! Now, what shall I do with it?

Busy Day Next Monday

The visit to one narrowboat fitter has expanded. I thought that as I had the day off I should nake the most of it. I've arranged an appointment with another fitter later in the day. They're based about a half hour apart. One does rather good looking curvy modern interiors and at first impression appears relatively inflexible, offering a smaller choice of options for mechanical systems. This presumably keeps the risk down as there are less likely to be surprises during a build. The other sounds a little more willing to try innovative systems but his interiors look more traditional. It will be an interesting comparison.

Narrowboat

Still very early days yet. I've arranged to go and see a boat fitter the week after next. He's a one man band and I spoke to his partner on the phone last week to arrange the visit (screaming child in the background - theirs, not mine). I'm still keen on the electric propulsion idea but she said he doesn't usually go for systems he's not familiar with on the basis of the potential extra cost and complications so not very encouraging there. I really like the look of his interiors but if he's not flexible it may not be feasible.

I had an email follow up from another fitter (note to fitters - keep in contact with your enquirers; they may change their minds and put you back on their short-list) who is experienced at gas free boats. Maybe they are a little more adventurous.

Of course, another option would be to take the newly completed boat to Thames Electric Launch Company and have them treat it as a retro-fit. I'm sure it's best to design the system in from the start though as it would be a good idea to make sure there's enough room for the batteries etc.

Stoves and Sofas

We went shopping yesterday as we're in the process of refitting the smallest (living) room in the house. The vestry (as we call it - well it was one once) has an open fireplace and the worst chimney in the world. Lighting the fire requires breathing apparatus until the short chimney warms up or the wind drops to nothing.

We decided to get a corner sofa for the room and a stove to resolve the poor initial draught problem with the fireplace. The sofa will be delivered in about seven weeks and the stove man is coming to survey the fireplace and chimney on Tuesday. We've decided on a Poacher stove.

Frustrating Christmas Present

I've received the most frustrating chirstmas present yet. Cathy gave me a Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard but I've been trying since Christmas day to connect it to my Dell Axim x50v. You know how it is. You follow the instructions step by step and nothing works. Something will get thrown soon.
I'm listening to Eels - Beautiful Freak.

I've just returned from the school nativity play. Compulsory watching I'm afraid. There's no escape. Actually it was quite good. Here's S as a sheep.

More business with Mum this morning. Cathy and I went to scatter her ashes at Oxford this morning in the crematorium garden of remembrance. It's where Dad's ashes are. I feel a sense of closure I suppose. A little raw still though.