JawsOrca

Hi Grendel, I must admit that's not something I thought off but the 11inch one looks neat! I'll have a think . Thanks mum, we are winning and it's playing nicely...

Has mum started knitting whilst you are watching that?

Wow that's an intro! Thanks for posting though.. very enable read Welcome to the forum too.. Please post more pictures if you have taken them. I'd love to see more!

Thanks guys, it's nice to be... dare I say "Finishing".. Can't wait! lol and I must say the current finish is exceeding my hopes.. I just hope we can keep it up.. Next weekend is going the one where it will so different with the flooring down.. so sunglasses at the ready! Iain, if you find one, I need a sink 300mm wide (this is one I had on order but the smev factory burnt down so they don't know when they can get one - http://www.jacksonsleisure.com/caravan-and-camping/kitchen-equipment/sinks/smev-va930-caravan-motorhome-sink/..I need to probably ring round and see if I can find someone with UK stock

she probably attends the posh hotel bits lol sounds lovely though.. I'll get up there one day So today again lots of little jobs but satisfying to finally tick off; Thankfully the woodern plugs in the dash had set and with a sharp chisel I took the tops off and lightly sanded, I was worried there would be gaps as the plug cutter wasnt the best size but thankfully they look perfect Dave did some electric bits.. refitted the fuel lines which he flared up yesterday. Trimmed the bathroom wall so the trims would go against neatly. Tidied up ready for next weekend. We glued up the last bit of sidelining (that glue really does like working in this temperature! don't blame it but it worked). We then worked out how to the trims around the bunk tops ,it was taking too long to traditionally mitre them so we went for a honest join! (I saw it on a boat before and liked it so as we was struggling we did this).. I think it looks ok .. Nice chunky trims though! We also cut and installed a 12v ciggy socket in the front cabin. We also installed an oak panel in the cabin which wasn't secured and Dave drilled and installed a courtesy LED step light. Finally I varnished the new bunk trims and the dashboard. Dave put the final coat of paint on the seat in the wheelhouse (It does actually get quite warm inside the boat so it is setting ok (just!). So Really looking forward to next weekend!!, I've ordered some nice teak and holly laminate flooring (cabin) for next weekend .. that should make the inside look finished. A friend in the club here has also offered to make the mouldings up for us (we just dont have a decent table saw and this chap is a joiner and he really said it's no bother) so they should be able to go in over Christmas. I'm stressing a bit regarding having enough parts for our Christmas break so need to try and work out what to do over this time.. We may get the swimdeck made up and finish rebuilding the sterndrive which should just leave the little jobs (and the kitchen - Although I'm struggling to find a sink small enough and in stock).

Learn something new every day.. I'd never expect you to be a strictly fan dad.. scary lol

Lol.. I only read the daily mail when I'm in the mood for a laugh! Grab some pics Iain, scotland is very pretty and moreso if theres lovely snow capped peaks (we need to get back up there its been a few years since we made it up that way).. I may have mentioned before but a friend of mine was sailing around the UK, although she made it as far as Troon and stopped.. she's been there two seasons now and has no intention of shifting so it must be nice there

Oh I need a holiday! Lovely pictures again. I've never seen the broads frozen so it must be cold! Hope you are warm enough though and have plenty of nog to warm you up!

sounds a good idea Iain! I really hope we don't have a bad one this year, it will really slow (me) down so we really are trying get as much done this side of new years.. Are you ok up there? The dailymail is saying that you have 35 feet of snow already and we aren't going to hear from you until next august at best?

I'm cold... I'm so cold .. This is the bit I hate.. It's way too cold to work outside.. even with the heater inside the boat I'm still cold.. We just left and everything is icing up Today despite the cold we got a few little jobs done; Dave flared the heater fuel lines. He had done a good joob at getting all the varnish work completed in the wheelhouse in the week so we decided to get the dashboard back in! We ran the throttle cables to the engine. I polished up the throttle as its stainless (well the lever is chromed and badly pitted but it will do for now) and it came up well. Lucky we had spare connectors and it connected up the engine with no problems. The steering cable annoyingly jammed up bit but with some WD40 it freed up I cut the holes for the gauges in the timber dashboard. I had to do it as dave is iallergic to utile timber (the dark wood) and that's what the dash is made from.. in doing so though I managed to set a drill on fire and burn my hand (the drill overheated).. I'm good ..it also took ages as the drill batteries didnt last long an it needed careful measurement but I eventually managed it . We also cut the holes for the horn buttons and 2 cigarette lighters (one 12v and 1 USB socket). Also I countersunk the screws and plugged them so the screws will be almost invisible. Finally we painted a bit of the wheelhouse wall which we had drilled holes in, it will need another coat of paint tomorrow then the low level lights can go in.. Tomorrow, probably more odd jobs.

Howard, Can you please stop posting these.. I'm just off to work on the boat and its 3dc out there.. you are not helping :. (It looks like a perfect time to be out though.. enjoy your break.. keep the pictures coming ) (I really hope someone takes the lord nelson on and makes it into a nice tidy traditional riverside pub..)

andy and welcome to forum.. I'm sure someone will along quickly to help.. Graham at maffetts will certainly be able to help though.. good luck

If its solvent based (so it says use white spirit to clean the brushes) it will do. Although it may blister if the glass gets very hot in the summer and it may be easier damaged so chip. We used to use Wilkes version each year on our last boat and it made it through the year but needed repainting each season. Dare I say if you struggle you could use car paints although they are a right pain to remove if you change your mind.. but will do the job.. I guess you could try and mix it yourself depending on how big of area (although if you do.. do it in one go as you will probably never get the same colour second time round).. As you say it's way too cold and damp to think about painting at the moment though.

Just over a year ago we went to show family around a potential houseboat conversion in an old boatyard.. Our eyes were drawn to a shetland 16ft as a little fishing boat.. £50.. couple of days work.. we walked with a 28 foot crusier boat requiring a 16 -18 month refit... I'm never setting foot in that yard again!

Geez Steve that looks fun. I'm not sure velcro would hold up to be honest (although Hawke house suggested it and your timbers there are quite smooth so maybe worth a try).. Failing that as i suggested.. screw right up then edge and put a timber battern up (B&Q, homebase although they seem have stopped selling the dark hardwoods anymore (may still have stock) if not any timber yard can machine them up (I've got a load in the garage though if you are passing again??).. we screwed up with brass screws.. didn't look brilliant but it looks traditional!).. failing that use the buttons we done.. quick easy looks neat enough. (couple of pics attached showing how we did the lining on our first project boat (I think you can just see the headlining).. we should never had sold her!)

It's still a bit early for me Iain but Happy Christmas You've been a brilliant mod this year and surely the popularity of this forum shows this. Best wishes for next year to yourself and all. We have met some brilliant people already (still can't believe Steve and deb got me Wherry! ), we are certainly looking forward to spending loads of time on the boat and on the broads next year and meeting everyone else including yourself Iain! We are working on the boat every day over xmas (excluding xmas day.. I have to go collect my BLACK fenders from the folks...) so I'll do daily updates of our progress! but I hope everyone has a brilliant Christmas!

You do need to pay before midnight after the day you cross. If you don't it's a £35 fine (It should be free like they promised all those years ago)

I used to so look forward to LBS, when it was at earls court it was brilliant (even not owning a boat) it was relaxed you could walk around the boats without feeling intimated. The excel started well, the inland section and restoration was very interesting and it was relaxed too. We had a gap from going for some years and reluctantly returned last year (although I ended up with free tickets somehow) and it was shameful, embarrassing and it felt more like a market (and badly organised at that), the salesmen on the boats where clearly bored and fed up and demanded to escort us around every boat even a shetland 4+2! (And I enjoyed picking every tiny defect out whilst they were doing a really bad sales pitch!).. (Although sheerlines "kingfisher" was amazing and the best boat we saw). The (nice couple of) sales men we were talking to said its been really bad, is full of london bankers who aren't spending and it's clearly marketed to the wrong market now. We got nothing from it even though I was trying to get ideas for bits for the boat and left after and hour and half I think. I was offered 2 tickets for a tenner this year but no thanks its a waste of a day and I'm not going. Good luck though to the norfolk companies that go.. I really hope it's much improved (It really can't get any worse!). I had friends who went to southampton show and they had a brilliant time so maybe will try Southampton next year...

Yup its definitely because you have a stupid apple laptop! Here's how you fix it;.. pick up that apple laptop.. put it over your knee and snap it in half... then go to PC world and buy a cheap windows laptop (even a cheap one will be better than an apple). Log into the website and upload your picture again... (Or just do the last thing!)

Thanks Mark, I think we should certainly get a few weeks and weekends away next year.. I just hope it quickly starts to come together now though (although we have all christmas on it so hopefully we get a lot done) We certainly can't wait to get the up there and it's starting to feel ready!

John... it looks like the thumb isn't being generated: This is the link from her profile which works: This is the link from her thumb, which 404's: Is it worth just copying the profile pic and renaming it to photo-thumb-30102.jpg.. Just to get it showing again?

I'd too be willing to pay between £3 - £4 a month. I wouldn't blink if subscription cost less than £30 a year.

I wouldn't pay to remove adverts; on the internet adverts are everywhere I think i've become slightly immune to them, I just don't notice them. I do though seem to spot certain adverts, on this site for example I've purchased from JPC because the advert appeared at the right time. Brian wards too is a nice reminder when I need those types of bits (actually reminds me I need to order something from them!). However I do find if adverts are too in my face I just don't bother going to that website (EDP for example, I hate that stupid survey that pops up therefore I just don't go there unless someone points me to it). Bowwave, please though we need a printed magazine, MBO has an electronic copy and I dont think it really works. I want a printed copy that comes in post that I can read on the boat when my laptops away.

Lol, yup Iain it's gone again although if you click on her profile it's still there.. Something don't like her!

Samuel.. I don't think that boat will get under it.. but it will certainly get through it followed by the rest of us!