When we bought Troutbridge the throttle was a push bike brake grip on the tiller and the cable from it ran through a gap by the base of the tiller.
If you require a tank, drinking water, waste or fuel.. plus other marine chandlery... here is a link to their website... floatyourboat
When you buy a water tank for your boat, make sure it fits through the door, this one did... cuz I measured it!
NOT Murder on the dancefloor..... Oz on the dancefloor! "Oooo I like to boogie!"
Just the right size... there's room for the pump and accumulator tank plus some storage around it.
The string is to mark out the bed level.
The pine wood surround cut an in temporary around the Houdini hatch.
Working systematically Phil soon had it done, a little filler around the corners an to cover the screws, then a rub down with the sander, a blob of varnish and I think it will be a pleasure laying in bed looking up at that ceiling. Oh on ebay I managed to find a fly net an blind that was taken out of a caravan to go up to cover the Houdini hatch.
You can see it wasn't straight forward.
It fitted in perfect first try that amazed me, he is getting pretty nifty is ahh Phil.
Two side trims across the top of the window were made, then Phil started on the cross members, these were cut to length then bent to follow the contour of the roof.
Tongue and groove cladding measured/cut/drilled then fitted. You saw the angle of the front frame so cutting the cladding to fit the front, Phil measured twice before cutting.
Looks finished.... NOPE! its all going to be taken out, then the topside painted to give it protection.
Then its put back in, plus the insulation inserted.
Making sure that the first section done properly was important, getting them straight due to the following cladding needs to follow suit.
Wednesday... After a late start, due to Phil had a appointment at the quacks, don't worry it was only to have a thyroid review.. blood test, weight check (he bust the scales he he) Anyway he got stuck in and completed all the frame work ready for boarding tomorrow.
We was looking for one to go on the back to illuminate the deck area. I could not resist them so I bought them. I then had the idea of the other one going on the ceiling between the shower and toilet at mid ships. I ran down the yard to see Phil before he paneled the ceiling. I caught him just in time as you can see in the photo. Phil luckily thought it was a great idea an soon put this extra timber board in, so the light can be securely screwed to it cuz it being bronze it may be a fair weight. Also Phil ran a conduit pipe to the back for the wire... that's what the string is for to feed the wire thought the pipe.
Then bunged them back up with insulation inserted as well, you can see Phil was wise enough to wear his overalls rubber gloves and a face mask, I stayed outside.
Oh the bit of string he had through the conduit earlier fell out just after he had finished, he was NOT going to take down the cladding again, he had a right game to thread the red wire back through. Finally he succeeded after quite a few naughty words were said!
The rear section..... Fridays mission.
Friday.. no measuring, no cutting... apart from the plastic holding the packs of cladding together, no pre drilling and no pre installation, just the topside painted.
BOB ON!
He did have to shape the joining ends a little to match the slightly not straight (as I pointed out yesterday) boards of the mid section, at the most he trimmed off about 10mm, anyway his gamble paid off, nice one mate.
You can't even slide a sheet of paper up at the end!
Going back to when Phil made the door frame, he had planed for the cladding to run into the channel above the door....
Well they did perfectly.
MY BEST MATE PROUD OF HIS WORK, AS I AM OF HIM!
There are 266 screws holding that lot up, there should of been 267.... shush... don't tell him... I can point out the missing one to friends in the future he he he.
Saturday... Phil took out the the front panel cladding cuz he wasn't happy with it, he then started a fresh. this time he got the angles correct and equally lined up with out any gaps top or bottom. he then went on to get the wood filler out and covered the screws in the front, the joins between the four sections, plus filled in open knot holes.
All in all there is one thing we can both say about this week......
MISSION COMPLETED!
Here it in place, but not welded yet until the stove has been set it the correct position, the dods of wood are there for now, because it would be too ruddy heavy to shunt it about with that slab in place.
Ahh well a great holiday, cuz I did nowt apart from read my copy of Gary Numan's Autobiography (R)evolution and drink gallons of tea.
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Phil though, has worked long and hard to complete I think an excellent job of that ceiling. It pays to think about a job first and to take notes from people in the know. Phil... who has not be trained by anybody had a go, and succeeded. He has shot himself in the foot though, I will expect that type of quality job through the rest of Troutbridge he he.
Back on the road Monday!
