It was all planned for Helen to take me over to the boat on Monday and leave me there to get on with a few jobs.As I was getting stuff ready the day before I found everything I may possibly need in the way of tools etc but I couldn't find the MIFI for the internet on the boat. We both hunted high and low but it never turned up so off I went internet deficient and unable to use the computer. How bereft can you feel with out stuff like that? The mobile signal in the area is very poor too so I had to make an effort to find a signal just to text! Still I was there to work and not to fritter my time away.
The main job was to tile the shower as small leaks had meant that the waterproof facing veneer had come away from the boards making up the shower. I had thought of sheeting but decided my skills were good enough to ensure a good water tight fit so we opted for tiles as the cement and grout would cover a multitude of sins. There was about 54 sq feet of bulkhead so how long could it take? I had given myself until Wednesday evening.
Firstly my Mum had had a new carpet fitted so I found a use for the off cuts around the boat, and the cutting and fitting of those took up a few early hours. Once Helen had gone after our lunch of sandwiches I set too cleaning the shower properly and then covering bare patches with bonding and sanding the rest hoping that it would assist in the adhesive sticking. That was the last early night I had. Mind you it was good to be back sleeping on a boat.
I never realised how hard tiles are. I had done tiling before, but using the small tiles. Current fashion is for much larger tiles and as this reduces the amount of grouting to go mouldy I approved. I am not competent enough just to quickly score the face of the tile and snap it with a nonchalant ease so I heavily scored the tile to ensure it broke in the correct place. I actually didn't waste very many at all and all in all it has turned out quite a nice job. On the outer side where is the slope of the cabin side I left untiled as there had been no problem with water there and the board was much thinner there and I had doubts that any tiles I managed to persuade to stick on wouldn't stay very long as the thin ply panted.
The main job was to tile the shower as small leaks had meant that the waterproof facing veneer had come away from the boards making up the shower. I had thought of sheeting but decided my skills were good enough to ensure a good water tight fit so we opted for tiles as the cement and grout would cover a multitude of sins. There was about 54 sq feet of bulkhead so how long could it take? I had given myself until Wednesday evening.
Firstly my Mum had had a new carpet fitted so I found a use for the off cuts around the boat, and the cutting and fitting of those took up a few early hours. Once Helen had gone after our lunch of sandwiches I set too cleaning the shower properly and then covering bare patches with bonding and sanding the rest hoping that it would assist in the adhesive sticking. That was the last early night I had. Mind you it was good to be back sleeping on a boat.
I never realised how hard tiles are. I had done tiling before, but using the small tiles. Current fashion is for much larger tiles and as this reduces the amount of grouting to go mouldy I approved. I am not competent enough just to quickly score the face of the tile and snap it with a nonchalant ease so I heavily scored the tile to ensure it broke in the correct place. I actually didn't waste very many at all and all in all it has turned out quite a nice job. On the outer side where is the slope of the cabin side I left untiled as there had been no problem with water there and the board was much thinner there and I had doubts that any tiles I managed to persuade to stick on wouldn't stay very long as the thin ply panted.
Just about to start the tiling.
The first bulkhead completed.
All done and dusted, I hope.
I'm hoping that when we go back next the tiles are still on the walls and the grout is in place. I have used flexible adhesive and grout so hope that the variations in temperature and the vibrations will all be shrugged off and they are there a long time now. Plus there are no further leaks!
This shows why it wouldn't have been practical to do the job with Helen in residence at the same time.
I was very glad to see her when she arrived to pick me up on Wednesday teatime. I was about done in. Who would have thought that getting up and down so many times would give you piles, and I had blister all over my right hand through the scoring of the tiles etc, and my elbows and shoulders are aching so much they are still keeping me up at night. I am definitely out of condition, or maybe just getting old. I will definitely pay somebody the next time.
I was talking to a bloke in the marina about this and that. I asked him about going down to Sheffield and out on the Trent, both close to where the boat is moored. He had had a bad experience on the Trent with 3' waves, wind over tide and put him off for life. He told me not to listen to the lock keepers as they had never been on the Trent themselves. Now talking to most other folk they say that the lock keepers word is gospel and they help you no end. Who is right? I have seen this many times before, somebody has had a bad experience, like on the Trent, mooring in Leicester, weed on the Chesterfield or rubbish and yobs around Birmingham/Manchester and swearing they would never go there or do it again and warning you to keep clear. Who to believe as most people, most of the time never have any trouble. My theory is that you should do you own research, listen to everybody, make your own plans and take sensible precautions and then weigh it all up, and then just go for it.
I forgot to post this up last month when my friend and work colleague and his wife came up to stay with us. On the way again we popped in at 'Holderness' to show her off. It is a bit different to the boat Mark and I sailed on together out of Singapore.
L to R daughter Amy, Tul (the wife)and Mark.
I hope that I wont be in so much pain when I am typing for my next blog. Elbows you know. Home makers elbow, not housemaids these days.
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