Shiny New Boat

The title of this reflects recent correspondence in the boating magazines about owners and their new boats! We are well aware that a narrowboat does not necessarily stay this way but I have to say there seems nothing wrong with being proud of a new boat. We are taking bets as to who will scratch or bash Epiphany first! In ancient days they called this "first blooding", and on the canals it is inevitable.
For any of you who have been waiting for more pictures with interest or dare I say excitement - well we have anyway - Epiphany now has her coach paint on the cabin sides. Of course you may have already looked at them, depending on whether you look at the gallery or blog first!
The porthole glass and internal liners are in, 18" and 12" in the stern cabin. We think they look rather smart with the liners and I plan to make curtains and "bungs" that show them off.
As you see our stern cabin looks interesting! We wanted to make use of every inch of the boat and this cabin is multi purpose. As a trad it holds the engine bay, with access points for maintenance. There are 2 "tailor made" bunks for occasional nights on either side of the engine. The starboard bunk over the batteries is shorter as I am smaller than BJ and has a cupboard over the foot end. The port bunk is over the webasto and in front of the wetlocker. There is a space under this to store the spare cassette. We also have used the spare space underneath for large cupboards - never too much storage space on a narrowboat!
On fine days this cabin can be open to the elements for standing or sitting to keep the helmsman company! On wet days we have contingency plans and ideas to keep it dry! One obvious answer is to keep the four foot hatch as closed as possible without causing problems for the helmsman. We shall have to experiment with this. Someone suggested that the only thing to do on wet days is to moor up and stay below. However we rather like cruising in the rain providing it is not storm conditions and we (or more probably BJ!) are in wet weather gear!