Measham Outfitting – 22nd. February – More Interior “Finishing”, Light Units Fitted, Engine Working, etc.
I would now say it is the beginning of the end of the fitting out of the narrowboat Measham.
Major steps have been achieved with the engine now fully fitted and working, and
the central heating system tested and working well.
This means that the final items of “boxing in” can take place to provide a beautifully finished boat, but constructed in such a manner that ready access is available to any part should it be necessary.
I will provide a few words of description when I am able, but I am learning what is involved in the fitting out of a narrowboat just as you may be.
Generally I will let the images supply the information.
The propeller shaft is now aligned and all engine mounting bolts are fully tightened down.
The array of batteries are now fixed and connected up appropriately.
I believe in such a way that three batteries are dedicated to powering appliances, and systems in the boat, when the engine is not running.
With two of the batteries being assigned to the engine, so that there is always power to start the engine.
This may not be totally right but I believe the principle of it not being possible to run down batteries so that you cannot start the boat is correct.
The control panel showing the “state” of the engine while it is running, i.e. engine temperature, oil pressure and voltage being produced by the alternator.
To the left lower part of the image you can see the control lever.
Upright for neutral, forward for forward, backwards for reverse.
And the degree that you push it forwards or backwards determines engine speed and hence the speed of the boat.
The side opening doors/hatch.
A close up of a light unit, these have high efficiency halogen light bulbs, that provide high light output for low consumption of power.
The toilet and wash hand basin compartment being fitted out.
The door edging and surround to the toilet door frame is now finished.
The gunnel, purists may call it the gunwale, (both terms correct in the dictionary, but not your Microsoft spell checker) has now been capped in most parts of the boat.
If you remember back to the early pages this is where the lower wiring loams are positioned, and it is where the outer foot way is positioned to allow you to walk around the outside of the boat, with care, and when the boat is in a position that it is safe to do so.
Fundamentally it is the “join” between the upper half and lower half of the boat.
You will see the that the standard of finish is the same, even in areas of the boat that are not readily noticeable, i.e. where you have to lie on the floor and look upwards, the things I do to obtain good images for the website, I am not fully appreciated, or daft.
The black and red “box” is the 240 volt transverter, meaning that it can transform a 12 volt supply of electrical power into 240 volt electrical power to enable the use of “normal” low consumption appliances.
The transverter is only capable of supplying about 1 kilowatt, 1000 watts, of power.
This is capable of running a low power hair drying, but not an electric kettle or iron.
It will power lap tops, mobile telephone chargers, electric razors, etc. without a problem, unless you plug them all in at the same time.
And with the cabinet door shut everything is tidy.
There is still some more “boxing in ” to be done, in areas to the side and below.
The circular “hole” in the bulkhead to the right of this image is where the “master” isolation switch is located to be able to switch off all electrical power to the interior of the boat.
If you remember, earlier on this page I mentioned “dangly” wires and light fitting.
Well when you have different men responsible for different functions, it is perhaps not always safe to assume that where there is a hole in the paneling with wires protruding, quite long wires , that you need to fix a light to it.
Especially flush to a bulkhead.
“Big Col’ ” who fits out the boat did say that he had “explained” the error to the electrician responsible.
The good news is that the “break down in communications” has not resulted in a serious problem.
There is a vanity shelf to be fitted here over the fixed double bed and the shelf will have individual bedside “reading lights” fixed beneath it.
Somebody just needs to attach some more “dangly” wires.
I am afraid I am unable to match the literary quality of “Big Col’s ” explanation of the incident in this text.