Updates from Sells Green

The latest pictures of Epiphany arrived today from the boat fitters at Sells Green. Thank you Jon. She has had the ballast put in - a mixture of steel, granite and marble (off cuts!). Bath Narrowboats kindly recycle the waste from one of their neighbouring industries as it costs their neighbours to send it to a landfill site! This ballast must make their boats among the most unique on the waterways I should think. Of course this did not influence our choice of fitters, as we will never see the ballast, we hope!

The floor is also down and so there is somewhere to walk on now. I suppose it will be insulation and wiring next and possible a lick of paint for a first coat. We will not be going up for a week or so but hope for more pictures of the next stages in due course.

Transport Day - Shell builders to Fitters

What a day! We wouldn’t have missed yesterday for the world. The temperature was in the 80s, glorious blue skies, an early start and a very late return to Cornwall! It was great to see Epiphany, the shell finished and it was all systems go. I am finally able to picture how she will look when she is finished. Despite the diagrams we have I was not sure how the portholes, bow proportions and 4-foot stern hatch would work.

The shell builders have done a great job and have lived up to their good reputation. Just a few minor matters to be attended to and they will do them at the fitters. It was quite an experience watching the crane lift Epiphany over 20 feet into the air, over a very large trip boat and onto the lorry. We hedgehopped the lorry down the roads and motorways and arrived at the fitters 3 hours later. A less dramatic but safe craning into the workshop and Epiphany was settled into her next phase.

We were able to go and watch one of their refitted boats craned into the marina where Epiphany will be launched into her natural environment. After a thorough inspection and a few discussions we ended the day with celebratory drinks at a local hostelry and headed home. I think we took around 200 photos, which will be a comprehensive record of the day. We are looking forward to visiting to see the next developments in a couple of weeks. The fitters hope to have the ballasting, insulation, flooring, wiring, lining out and possibly some room bulkheads by then. We will see!

By faith we see what we hope for

This is written in faith! The new arrangement for transporting Epiphany is for tomorrow. 8am at the shell builders, craning onto the lorry and then travel from Warwickshire to Wiltshire. We have lots of photos to take, so we have a comprehensive record before the fit out begins. I suspect we may take some whilst it is on the road too. So look out, there is a camera on that bridge! We also have to hand over papers – to do with the money, oh yes, I forgot to mention that side of things! Epiphany is costing us a fair bit. She will be the only home we own (eventually) as BJ’s job has living accommodation provided. Perhaps that is why we are “obsessed” (quote from number one son!).

Postponed!

Guess what. The shell will not be ready for transport on Thursday! As this is not really a surprise we are not too disappointed.
The boat fitters contacted us and also agreed with us that it was best not to put pressure on the builders, as we want their best work, not rushed work. We will need to discuss with the fitters whether this puts back the delivery date. I suspect it will. Again we do not want them to do a bad job under pressure. Like the shell builders they are great guys so I know they will do the best they can for us. It is possible that the transporting will be Tuesday or Wednesday next week. I shall keep you in suspense for a day or two I think!

Progress Photos

We received more photos from our friends today. We can see some small changes and the welding looks as if it finished on the hull. We can see the roof struts piled at the bows so that looks hopeful. A phone call to the boat fitters has confirmed that they intend to transport Epiphany separately without waiting for the other boat. Provisional date is the 20th as we hoped but that is yet to be confirmed. The fitters will visit the shell builders to check the hull and arrange snagging if necessary before putting the boat on the lorry – possibly a nerve-racking experience! It’s confirmed – transport day is on 20th – lorry booked, crane booked, time off booked. BJ wants to take pictures from bridges over the motorway! We also have to discuss the wiring and plumbing diagrams with the boat fitters.

More Photos

We had lots of photos today of Epiphany. All on the website by the evening! Shots of the engine bearers, stern deck, back doors, front doors. A picture of the forklift putting the roof on! No cabin sides yet, will she be ready for Thursday? The shell builder says, “yes she will”. They will have to get a move on; maybe they work to tight deadlines and will “throw everything at her”! It is exciting to see details such as the T post, stern dollies and diesel filler! The weed hatch has a date of manufacture on and the stern tube is in place. Do they cut the portholes before or after they put the cabin sides on – we will have to ask. This week is going to go slowly, roll on Thursday! I must try not to get too excited – it may be delayed even yet.

Our first visit to OUR boat

Well, I touched Epiphany today! No tears but a big grin on both our faces. Her rubbing strakes were on, she was having careful spot welding and once that is finished bulkheads, bow and stern, roof and cabin sides will follow. The boat builders are very helpful and explained what is happening and that Epiphany will grow faster now. They are taking photographs at the end of each day so we will have a chronicle of the boat. We gave them two instant cameras to do this and will either get them put on a CD or scan the best for – guess what – the web site! There is another boat in the workshop to be fitted out by the same fitters. This has been held back so both shells can be transported and craned at the same time. But it now seems that Epiphany will make a solo trip, for which we are grateful, as we were worried that this would make her even further behind. In our minds we have July 20th as the date, but await confirmation from the boat fitters. We think that they have a crane to book anyway as they plan to put a finished boat in the water and so will arrange Epiphany to fit with this.

First sight

Our close friends visited the shell builder today and took some photos of Epiphany for us. When we received the email a few hours later with the photos there were a few tears and delight, thank goodness for digital cameras and the Internet. It does encourage the instant gratification that we all seem to crave more and more though. We could see “our boat” had been started and was looking like a narrow boat. She was up to the gunnels but no rubbing strakes. The next few weeks are going to be exciting as we hope to go up ourselves soon and our friends plan to go again too, as they only live half an hour away. Cornwall seems a long way away as we long to visit more often – after all this is our “baby”! Needless to say the pictures were on our web page by the evening, BJ will keep it up to date so all our friends and canal enthusiasts can follow our progress. I still long to touch her!