Saturday 17^th November 2018

Brenda fixed the lacework in the front cratch window. It looks really good from both inside and out. The lace has been starched and had beads sown on the bottom for display and to weight it down.

I started to paint the brush and mop stales but there has been black paint dribbled in with the grey white spirit tub so it will all have to be done another day.

I removed the rear sliding hatch cover to investigate it becoming harder to slide and the ingress of water whenever it rains.

The water ingress was easily identifiable and remedied. The rain is able to run along the angle iron bracket that the hatch slides on, and the wood work around the internal frame is below the level of the bracket. A slot was made in the bracket so the rain can only run so far and then drip through the slot onto the roof. The gaps between the metal frame and the wood has been filled with silicone, so hopefully now, rain should not be able to enter the boat.

The reason for the difficulty in sliding the hatch was also easily identified. During the build Graeme had a lot of bother getting the hatch to slide properly. The hatch cover itself has round brass bar with slots cut in them, screwed to the hatch, two each side. The bracket that the cover sits on has brass strips on the edge that the slots on the brass bar engage on to act as a bearing strip for sliding the hatch cover. The trouble with the arrangement is that the outside diameter of the brass bar is bigger that the space it fits in such that, when the bar is tightened, it tilts, so jamming on the brass strip. Also the brass strip does not sit properly on the bracket right at the end such that the hatch jams towards the end of its travel. This is a bigger job to sort and one that I do not have the tools to fix.  

We went for a walk to the Napton Cidery just a few hundred yards from where we are moored. It is a small business run by a young couple who started to brew their own cider and it has gone from there. They now operate in a range of farm buildings and are in the process of further expansion. Last year they produced 2000ltrs and next year are aiming for 4500. They do a very interesting range of ciders. One matured in whiskey casks, a few mulled and spiced ciders amongst many others. Of course we bought a few.

While there Charlotte, who used to be a dog groomer commented on Harvey’s cut and was surprised to find Brenda had done it herself. She reckoned a few bits needed tidying and so promptly came out with her clippers and gave us a lesson. Much appreciated.

We called into the Folly again to check on the world map on the ceiling. It looks really good and already has a number of labels stuck in it from people from around the world calling in. He is putting a UK map in another ceiling panel and promises to put labels for the Wirral and Cornwall for us.

We had Braunston butcher wild boar, pork and apple sausages for dinner. Full of meat and absolutely delicious.

Weather: a mild day. The winter has to hit sometime. I was reading that the Met Office consider the 1^st December to be the official start to winter.