Perfect Harmony

Perfect Harmony
Moored at Huntingdon

Friday 28 January 2011

26th January '11

Very exciting day as we took all our possessions (apart from stuff needed on van) up to Manchester and stored it all in the boat shed awaiting completion of the boat!!!

Lots seem to have been done in the 10 days or so since we last saw it and Jim still assures me that we will be on it in time to sail to the wedding. I do hope so...

Apparently I don't have enough whatever I need on my dongle to download pictures at present, which is frustrating! Hopefully I can add them soon but in the meantime....

The painting has started - undercoat is looking good and the windows are in situ - the brass on the dark green looks really smart as we knew it would!

Inside the woodwork has started to be varnished so it looks a lot less 'raw' and more like a narrowboat! My office space is completed and looks great - they have done a really lovely job and all I have to do is to find a comfy chair!

All the doors are made and being varnished before going in and the oak trim was arriving the next day so that could start to be fitted.

Johns pride and joy - the engine - was next to the boat, in it's box - all green and shiny - and was going to be fitted the next day and the gas system is about to be installed!

Although there is still a lot to do - everything seems to be there and just waiting to be done - Jim says that it all comes together very suddenly at the end. Please let him be right!

We have said almost all our goodbyes now and are going to move 'up north' on Sunday 6th. so that we can be nearer the boat for final tweaks - such as the sign-writer. We shall probably have another visit very shortly after moving up and I HOPE that I have a strong enough connection to add the pictures either then or earlier if possible.

Sunday 16 January 2011

15th Jan '11

We went up to Manchester to see the boat on Saturday and it's a bit of a good news / bad news situation. Bad news is that because of the weather and a bereavement it looks as if the finish date will be mid Feb. so I'm holding out for Valentines Day! the weather meant that the painting couldn't go ahead as it wouldn't have taken and the material we chose for the upholstery is out of stock! there has also been a delay on the multi-fuel stove! having said all of that the good news is that the end is in sight; we have met with the painters and confirmed where all the finishing touches are to be and how the name is to be positioned and they start next week; we have chosen a new material and this one is guaranteed obtainable; lots of 'behind the scenes' stuff has been done (such as cupboard doors made) and we have changed the layout of my 'office' so I will have twice as much room! We have also been told that we can start to take stuff up there and they will store it and then put it on the boat before launch so we can get straight on board and start unpacking! Brilliant.

Since John finished work next Friday we will be able to go up mid-week and load the van to the gunnels and that will mean the whole transition will be a lot easier.

I will put some photos on but to be honest it may not look very different - but rest assured that things ARE moving ahead!



This is above the bed cupboards - they are cut around the porthole and you can also just see John's bedside cupboard! - there are now shelves in my wardrobe behind and also in the next one for the washer and dryer plus some storage above them!




 The cupboard is now in above the worktops. This will be glazed both sides and lit for us to keep our glasses in - hopefully they are packed and safe in Rachel and Matt's loft! Can't remember what we kept and what we got rid of but I'm SURE we kept some crystal to go in here! You can also see that the brass roof lights are now in (ignore the naked light bulbs - they are not part of our fixtures and fittings!



 The boat is NOT on a tilt but John appears to have been when he took this! This is Jim coming in through the bow entrance and you can see the cupboards progressing around the radiator. Jim hates having his photo taken so this is a triumph!


This is the same view but a bit closer - the radiator will be covered with a grille that is made and waiting to be fixed but they are going to paint the radiator matt black first so that it won't be obvious behind the grille. These cupboards need to store our entire collection of books, DVD's and CD's so thank heavens for our Kindles!




This is the hatch which in the summer when I'm preparing a light steak and salad to eat with a glass of wine outside in cratch (the bit up the front) I can open this and exchange cheery words to passers by or watch the other boats go by (depending on which side we are moored). It also means that we can keep the place cool in the hot weather that we are sure to get!!



This needs some thinking about but it's where the steering will go on - the engine is under here and the tiller will be at the back - there will be room for me and Paddy to sit and watch the world go by when John is steering or for me to steer when he is working the locks! Division of labour is important in these matters.....

Hopefully we will be going up again in about 10 days time and painting should have started, the engine should be in and other bits will be coming together by then and we may even have a FIRM date!!!!!