Jo and I went up on Easter Monday to have a gander at progress. They seemed to have got a huge amount done in the week prior, with the boat pretty much finished apart from the final details, they'd even battened and spray-foamed it.
We'd agreed for tomorrow to be the sign-off day, where we'd commission the engine, get the electrics sorted out, and generally do handover tasks - and critically for all of us, pay the bill!
Sadly, they're a couple of days behind schedule, and the painting isn't quite finished. I got a phone call at 7:30 or so this eve to let me know the boat wasn't ready, and due to the wet paint, I couldn't easily lug kit onboard. I was left with the choice of waiting 'till next weekend, which would be a pain as I'd loaded the car up with around 500kg of stuff, and arranged for Ellie-sitting too; or to go up tomorrow to inspect and sign off as much as possible, and drop all the kit off in advance.
I've opted to go up tomorrow anyway, do the sign-off and drop all the kit off - it'll save it hanging around here and should allow me to settle the handover balance with them, if it's all okay.
One useful thing that I've managed to organise is to receive the AnnexIIIa from the builder, and send it off to BW with the licence application. Slightly shocked at how much more the thing is for its canal 'road tax' than the other shorter two boats, but hey! It does mean that it's now insured, and that I've had to pick a name! I've gone with Jo's original magic suggestion of Instigator, and hence, NBInstigator, she is... :)
In the mean time, the following piccies are from last Monday's visit...
It's looking quite long inside! Nice job of the battening and framing - apparently their foam contractor does all the cutting back, that's a good blag if you can get it! :)
The side doors are great - I'm really looking forward to the boat being finished if only for this one reason. I've been jealous of friends' boats with them for ages, lovely when the weather's nice to be able to have a proper open view on the water.
One of the two porthole cutouts - I'm not a fan of them in general, but too many bus windows seemed a bit monotonous...
Jo guarding the new engine! The stern gear was still to go in at this point, and there was work to do with the diesel tank, but it's getting there. Bit bigger than I expected! :)
View out of the stern - stainless tiller too, very tidy. This becomes the engine room space / inside shed, if you like... ;)
Space under the bow deck, there's a welded polycarbonate tank to go in here... I'd have been happy with an integral to be honest, but was talked into it...
Nice, long bow deck, as requested - at a sensible height too, should be good for perching on the sides!
Gas locker detail - I'm really impressed with the attention to detail that's gone into the fabrication of these parts, and in the effort tidying and linishing. Looking really good I think.
Blimey, looks a long way down to the stern! Straight as anything though! :)
It's not any smaller on the inside!
I was caught out sitting down doing nothing! :)
Stainless tiller and bollards - I'm keeping the full length and will fabricate an extension setup when I get a feel for how long it needs to be.
NBInstigator, as she looked on Monday! Exciting stuff!
Anyhoo, I should have more piccies of a hopefully nigh-on-finished boat by the end of tomorrow!
PC
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