The sunny weather has brought all the boats out. This long Easter weekend’s clement weather, a relief after the cruel winter, is a call to paint, varnish, sandpaper, tackle rust, and generally fix and spring clean.
Maintenance
Repairs done, more problems arise
Bristol Fashion has been in Denham Yacht Station, in Uxbridge, for two weeks. It’s an odd-shaped little boatyard with boats crammed in one against another in a long, narrow cut of water. J.P. Marine have found and fixed my water leak, the central heating and pumps are working again and the boat is drying out […]
Cost of pumpout has doubled
Last time I bought a pumpout card it was six pounds. This week I went into the floating cafe at Little Venice and bought a card, for which they charged me twelve pounds. That’s right, British Waterways have doubled the cost. How can anyone justify doubling the cost of anything? Nothing suddenly becomes twice as […]
More repairs
Bristol Fashion is at Tim Barfield’s marina again, opposite Tagg’s Island, being repaired. Lately I’ve had a lot of water in the bilge and I asked the boatyard to find out where it was coming from. It turns out that a pressure valve is broken. That probably explains why water pumps mysteriously turn themselves on […]
What does B.O.A.T. stand for?
Had some repairs done on Bristol Fashion. The shower waste pump had packed in and electrical problems (including a faulty switch) meant I also had no running water or gas hob ignition. Tim Barfield Marina fixed it and the pumps are now running better than ever. Tim also sorted out some battery issues – thankfully […]
(Not quite) The Poseidon Adventure
I went to the Malt Shovel pub last night for a meal (calves liver and bacon is good) and at closing time walked back to the boat. Walking along the boat to bed I put my bare foot down on soggy carpet. Investigating I found the bilge full to the brim with water. Panic! Man […]
Paint your boat
Lately I’ve been feeling embarrassed at all the scrape marks and rust on the lower half of Bristol Fashion. Not to mention the initials in silver spray-paint where some kid tagged the boat in Camden last weekend. Not exactly ship-shape. So this evening I started painting her. Before getting started I read a few books […]