Final Days

Nearly there! Saloon shelves, which incorporate sections for the TV, a magazine rack, note our star motif, and corner units beside the steps. We have lots of books at home - need to get rid of some - but will have plenty on the boat eventually I expect. Captain's chairs and stools are waiting to go on board.

The cratch cover is also on its way and all will be assembled in the bows prior to launch. Flooring also has to be laid. We have chosen Amtico as it is so hard wearing, and looks really good. It took us ages to decide on the colour and style but hope that it will add to the look for Epiphany.

The galley is looking great, sink, wine rack, oven and hob and larder. I particularly like the drawer fronts and clever handles. The stern doors with the blue/cream design are just as we hoped. This photo looking from the bows, into the interior is only possible on dry land and is really effective - congrats and thanks again, Jon, We have a wonderful collection of photos to look back on and what a difference 4 months makes!

So now we wait for launch day, hoping it will be fine weather. We will have Bath Narrowboats checking her and "snagging" (I am sure there will be very little of this due to their experience) for a couple of days and then she will be all ours!

My blog will soon change character as we catalogue our journeys in Epiphany so we hope you will continue to "log on"

Flying Photographer

Pictures arriving daily as “the plan comes together”. Some aerial views give a different perspective. We think we know how Jon, the photographer, appeared to fly to the rafters to take the photos. I will leave you to guess!

No draughts now as the bow doors are on, I like the large windows. The hob is in place with its splash back as mentioned before. The port side of the galley with the granite, worktop and hob looks great, just as I hoped. The up stand, as on the starboard side will complete it.

At the stern we have fold up brass steps to help with getting up and down via the roof in locks. We think it is more sensible to have them at the stern, not bows as some boats. When single-handing it means that you can get back to the tiller directly if necessary. Also, as is our wont BJ, (who could also be called Mr. Long Legs) often climbs off so we both do the paddles. This can be particularly necessary with some of the very stiff, heavy lock gear that needs a strong arm to raise the paddles. He can then get back to steer out of the lock as dropping the paddles is much less strenuous!

Our Epiphany is Almost Here

“Whew!” I have some catching up to do. The photo gallery is way ahead of me as there have been at least three lots added since my last blog. So be warned this is a long blog! I am writing this in between watching the Brazilian Grand Prix and Michael Schumacher’s swan song and hopefully Fernando Alonso’s back-to-back championship. Not forgetting Jenson Button, of course! So if I don’t make sense blame the excitement of the race!

Back to a slower method of transport, but a sport too some may say – a contact sport. Contact between fellow enthusiasts – great. Contact between boats and immovable objects are less popular but a fact in the narrowboat world! Comments on Epiphany to follow now:

The stern cabin with its occasional bunks, cupboards, wet locker and mirror now only awaits the bedding. The stern doors are in place too. I tried the porthole bung too, inside and out. Sorry, pause, as there are 4 laps to go…. Wow, Alonso World Champion, Jenson on the podium and goodbye to Schumy, what a race!

Back to the boat, actually more important! From the stern cabin, we move into the bathroom. This awaits the mirror on the cupboard, but other mirrors and tiling are finished. I can take my morning shower too. The washing machine will be plumbed in this week. Next comes the bedroom. Bendy lights mean we can read in bed. Cupboards for storage, bedside tables and dressing table – mirror with lights to pander to my vanity! Two wardrobes give room for hanging clothes. We are putting full-length mirrors in this room too. They will help reflect the light from the portholes, which will be curtained.

Into my space now, well actually we share the cooking, washing up etc. A new addition and the result of a brain wave is the granite, appropriately named “galaxy” to follow our starry theme. There are some bits and pieces to finish in here - namely, the pull out larder cupboard, hob with splash back and up stand behind the work surfaces. The drawers are made and await the drawer fronts and cupboard doors will also be added.

The saloon has come on very quickly. The shelf run and even the steps (photograph of which is hot of the press as it arrived today) are well on its way. Also today photos of the Morso stove flue, the nearly completed stern paintwork and hatch in place. Staying with the exterior, the cratch window was put on so the makers of the covers could do their measurements. The cratch is large as the bows of Epiphany are wide to accommodate the wider bow doors and need for floor space for a wheelchair. There will also be a table in the cratch; when this is up it covers the window to add to the security. Also here you can see the ID plate for Epiphany.

So, what remains? This list is a start! Poles, boat hook, ladder/boarding plank, water hose, ropes. The spikes, and windlasses are in the box, as are the curtains wrapped in the pink sheet! There are lots of little things but all vital. Soft furnishings are already at Sells Green; crockery, glasses and pans will come from home.

So launch day approaches fast. Are we excited – you bet! Look out for more photos and of course The Official Launch Diary and accompanying beautiful photographs!

Tiles Are Us

This takes some keeping up with – yet more photos! Shower tiling is complete, just the doors and workings to add! The vanity unit which holds the basin also will have tiles on top, as will the washing machine which will be forward of the shower. We are also having a “splash back”(!) behind the cassette loo, white tiles again. I hope the bathroom won’t feel like too like a swimming pool with all the tiles! I shall have to buy some fluffy towels and accessories to add colour. The immersion heater is for use when we are hooked up in the marina; the shower pump is in reach from the shower, which will have bi-fold doors.

Outside, the fairleads (those brass thingamys on the rails) are to help guide the centre ropes and prevent them damaging the paintwork. When we first started hiring, over 30 years ago, such things as centre ropes were not fitted. Now we would not be without them, particularly when single handing the boat when the other crewmember is locking.

BW logo awaits Epiphany’s registration number, which will then complete the stern panels. There are other bits of paintwork to finish, bows and stern and the cratch is yet to be fitted. No doubt our visits in the next few days will result in lots more pictures for your delectation.

My job at home is to finish the porthole bungs. The curtains are completed and await the iron so they will be ready to hang before she goes in the water on the 31^st.

Starry Reflections?

Pictures are arriving almost daily, thanks to Jon. Remember the mirror in the box? It is now where it should be, over the dressing table in the bedroom. I am not sure yet how bright the lights will be – I may blind myself in the mornings! Overhead cupboards in the bedroom again add to the storage space, off centre, because the port porthole is forward from the bed. The reasons for this being the type of fold up bed – it would have blocked a center porthole, and so that the externally the asymmetric portholes looked right.

The shower tiles and silver wavy trim tiles will echo the chrome theme in the bathroom and give lots of reflected light, together with other tiled areas.

The finished sign writing on the stern panels looks as good as we hoped, at least we think it does, and it is our boat! The bows echo the colours and repeat the star. Any comments about “following the star” and wise men can be kept to yourself!

Signs of the Times

First sight of the quality of sign writing is on these mooring boards, which we will use to mark Epiphany’s moorings, possibly not in the marina but if ever we have line moorings or other appropriate moorings. It also gave the sign writer a chance to practice and us to correct the size of star we want!

The paintwork by Alan at Bath Narrowboats is of a very high standard and Epiphany certainly has a glossy look! However once on the cut we expect scratches and wear and tear and so will try to look after the paintwork. Having said that we are not boaters who are “precious” about the paintwork and will not continually fuss about the appearance of our boat! We will not be following the “Braunston law” – see Steve Haywood’s very funny article in Novembers Canal Boat.

The galley is still developing, we will be able to cook and wash up, and the hob will complete the set with the work surface fitted on the port side too.

Black slate was our choice for the stove surround, we have it at home on the hearth and it looks great. I have to say though that to keep it looking good it needs to be washed down occasionally. Some boats we have seen have tiles – the grouting/cracks can be hard to keep clean – we had them on Twelfth Night and ash and cinders were trapped there. Each to his own though!

Once again our thanks must go to Jon Langley for keeping us up to date with photos of progress. We have a trip up again soon and then …….. The next time will probably be launch day – not long to go now, this clock is ticking!

To Our Readers

A sub theme seems to be developing.

Here is another boat, well ship actually, yet another way of travelling on the water! Not one we have travelled on though! This is one of the cruise ships that come and go into our local port, Falmouth. As you will see from this web site, we have "problem boaters" in Cornwall too!

However this post is, in good author style, to say a "thank you" to all our readers! Some of you have posted comments and compliments. It is great to get the feedback. In the jargon of the day, our "users" seem satisfied! I have posted replies to queries on the blog.

Some of you are friends who share our enthusiasm for all things water, particularly canal orientated. Others of you are enthusiasts who scour the ether for like minded people and some of you know BJ through the canal forums. Those of you who "lurk" - I think that is the correct term - and I am sure hundreds(!) of you do, we would be happy to hear from you. You can also contact us from the index page, just click on the cat on the letterbox.

We hope that our website provides lots of information about the building of a narrowboat, in our case a truly bespoke boat. We set it up to be a pictorial record for us and hope to continue the saga once Epiphany is in the water. So in the future there may be other pages, journey logs and photos, and other bits and pieces that we feel might be interesting. So we hope you enjoy the site enough to stay with us!

To the Galley and Beyond

Yesterday was my turn to visit Bath Narrowboats on my own! On my way back from “up country” – a Cornish expression for any place north of the River Tamar. Eyes up, this is the road bridge over the Tamar that keeps Cornwall attached to the mainland– I called in to see the latest progress on Epiphany. Of course I had the camera with strict instructions to photograph everything, move over David Bailey – not! Some of them may be repeats, but it is better to make sure.

As you can see Epiphany was in shrouds. Only to mask the coachwork whilst the rails are painted fire red.

Internally the galley is progressing now. The cupboard and drawer carcasses are in with spaces for sink, hob, oven and tray/tea towel slot. The work surface, sink and sink mixer tap were delivered just as I was leaving. The larder fridge and freezer are in place. The microwave hole is still there! The houdini hatch in the galley is fitted.

Moving to the saloon our “computer cupboard” is in, complete with a clever drawer for A4 paper using otherwise wasted space. The hole for the chimney of the multi fuel stove was cut whilst I was there and I am looking forward to seeing the Morso squirrel stove in situ with the slate plinth and surround. The port shelving has begun and watch this space for the design of these progressing to incorporate a small table to port, and TV to starboard.

Moving to the stern, we tried the height of the swan neck and tiller arm, crucial for me at 5 foot 6 inches and BJ at 6 foot five inches – we both need to be able to steer comfortably as we share this, and the locks too!