Friday 25 April 2014

sometimes things just don't go well.......

Shortly after writing my last post, in fact the day after my birthday on the 17th, i contracted a rather nasty tummy bug. After a few days of feeling unwell i ended up in Burton Hospital on a drip. I was discharged today and Jaq picked me up and took me back to her and Bro's house. I'm hoping to make my way home to Kent on Sunday, where i hope to continue my recovery from the cancer treatment.
I guess maybe i was a bit premature in thinking i was well enough to work on the boat.

Tuesday 15 April 2014

afloat again

Thursday 10th April.

Sitting at home in Kent and going stir crazy, so i decided to drive up to the boat for a few days. Whilst not feeling 100%,  l am feeling better so what the hell, l thought, lets go for it!
Well i have to say it was one of the worst journeys i've done for a while. Advance warning signs said M25 closed junction 29 - 28 so after doing the Dartford crossing i thought i'd be able to re-join the M25 at junction 28 only to find that the closure extended past 28 and me and 1000 other drivers had had the same idea!! Result = gridlock on the roundabout trying to join the M25. I eventualy found an alternative route and joined the motorway further up, after which it was fairly clear M25 - M1 - M6 and M6 toll - Lichfield and on to Kings Bromley Marina. In all the journey took 5 hours whereas normaly it would be around 3 and a half hours. 
Before leaving Kent my good friend John gave me a hand to load the chest of drawers into the Polo along with numerous other items to take up to the boat.
In the evening after Graham had finished his dinner he and Jaq came over to the boat and we shoe-horned the chest of drawers into the space left for it when graham built the wardrobe...... it fitted- just!


On Friday i fitted the new water pump in a slightly more accessable position than where Graham removed it from, which was right at the back of the sink unit cupboard.


Now its just inside the cupboard, easy to reach, and easy access to the filter/strainer.
As with most jobs nothing is straight forward, the compresion fitting on the bottom of the accumulator developed a steady drip so out it came to anoint the joint with some boss white purloined from Brother. That did the trick and hey presto pump and taps back in service.

Saturday i started painting the inside of the new wardrobe area and what we call the 'pidgeon holes' (storage areas), Graham came over in the afternoon and took over the painting and we also fitted a few little trim strips to neaten the edges. Its looking good now, bro did an excellent job of construction.


Now i just need to get some wood stain to blend it in to the original woodwork. So i guess its off to the shops i go.