Boat time needed.

The weather has been been much more spring like, at least up here in Hull, and we have been out tidying in the garden, the neighbour has been out and actually reinstated their fence that had all but fallen down two years ago and was being held up by the shrubs next to it, and our thoughts have turned to the start of our cruising. The main job we have to do is waterproof the shower cubicle.

I had been thinking of using water proof panels but in the end my confidence in fitting them was not good and once the water got behind we would be in the same position. The current set up is waterproofed faced board. The water has got behind and the waterproof veneer is lifting.

Waterproof sheets for showers etc.

Currently the boards are butted up against the shower tray and so there is an easy route for water between the tray and the boards, especially as a boat will flex at list a little and make sealing this gap more difficult to maintain. We have decided that we will tile the area as this means that the bottom of the tiles will overlap the shower tray so even if the seal is defective the water should go into the tray. I have done lots of tiling previously so have confidence that I will be able to do a good job of it, despite the intricacies of the shape. I have taken advice about the type of adhesive and being told to apply a bonding first. Both the adhesive and grout will have to be flexible to allow for any movement of the panels. I just now have to arrange a few days to live on the boat and get the work done. That is something to look forward to. We have chosen just plain white tiles to keep the area as light as possible.

The current arrangement in the shower. We will be able to do away with the black silicon and the blue boards.

The latest C&RT reservoir watch report is out  and as you would expect everywhere is just about full. The exceptions are the Kennet and Avon and the Huddersfield Canal. On the K&A the reservoirs are 80% which is surprising as this area seems to have had a lot of rain. It seems that the reservoirs in this area don't fill until the aquifers are full so I would expect any more rain to go straight into the reservoirs then! It is still more than 10% above the level of last year though.

Crofton pumping station from the Crofton reservoir dam.

The Huddersfield Canal reservoirs are still at 21% of full. This is because of  the reservoir is being kept low. I expect that this is for maintenance or repair work to the dam or other parts but I can't find any information regarding this. As it is the lowest recorded level for February it would seem unlikely 

that it will be full by the time of the boating peaks come about. That is unless the weather stays as it has been for a couple of months now!

Slaithwaite reservoir. The Canal is just off bottom right.