Restoration Project 4
Stuck at home recovering from a virus, I got bored. Consequently I ended up filling my time by renovating and updating this site's appearance. I hope you like it.
The other event to relieve the monotony was the delivery of not one but two exciting packages. To be honest I was still half asleep when the first arrived by courier. As he fled off at sprinter-pace, I had no idea whether it was because my dressing gown and unbrushed hair were enough to frighten even the most hardy of van drivers or if it was because he had targets or deadlines to meet. I suppose I'll never know.
In any event after he had left, I realised that I appeared to have accepted a package containing a camera tripod. We were somewhat taken aback by that until Mister E checked the tape securing both ends of the box. Fortunately it was indeed from a helpful spare parts outlet with which he'd placed an order.
You can't imagine the excitement that followed in unpacking a new panholder and knobs for the marine cooker. Whilst the hob and oven are themselves in excellent condition, the attachments have succumbed to the old enemy of seagoing vessels, namely rust. We looked into getting the rods rechromed but then discovered you can actually buy new parts for less. Having checked them against the original, they seem to be a prefect duplication, so now we can look forward to a fairly straight transformation of the most important item in the onboard galley area.
I don't feel too guilty about the old rusting ones either; reduce, reuse or recycle? I hope you've got to know me by now: they are going into the garage to be added to the "potentially useful bits of metal" collection. Doesn't every home have one? I cannot mock because I was raking though that collection only a few weeks ago for something to construct a bird scarer! Who knew creativity in retirement could ever get so thrilling?
There was no disguising the contents of a larger box that arrived later the same day: a new toilet! For those unfamiliar with toilets onboard small boats, they rely on a vacuum seal to aid pumping. The lid on the existing unit is cracked which I immediately thought was unhygienic but Mister E (can you identify which one of us is the engineer?) believed might a) impede its operation and b) be indicative of its overall state of repair, including of the hidden parts. As neither of us fancies pushing out to sea with the risk of this most vital of boat parts failing, we decided replacement was the better option. Once again, no guilt, as the current fitment may well be 40 years old although we are considering its potential for alternative uses.
Yes we have tried sitting on it. No there isn't a comfort rating but hats off to Lavac for still turning out marine toilets with the same dimensions as those they were producing four decades ago.
Back in the boatyard, we believe progress continues slowly but steadily, although hope of a launch-off (will the boat actually float?) before this amazing summer recedes into a distant memory is dissipating by the day.
At least the new engine and windows have arrived on site and the mounts for the engine moulded ready for installation.
Here at home a new book has arrived: "This Old Boat" by Don Casey. "Don't take on a project boat without (this) at your side," it says on the front cover. Maybe it deserved a read before the purchase was completed.
In the meantime the quest to eliminate le parfum de diesel from the cabin cushions is almost complete. We brought them indoors when all that hot sunshine was threatening to reduce the foam to a sugar crystal-like substance. Instead the remaining odour is being eliminated in a specially created absorption chamber (the eldest's old bedroom kitted out with bags of bamboo charcoal; hopefully he won't notice as he continues to work in New Zealand).
I think we are almost there with the cushions. If not, page 481 of "This Old Boat" describes how to cut foam to shape and then make new coverings. Now that could keep at least one of us busy this winter!
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