This Blog has Moved

Now we finally have a name, from here on I will be posting on the Humdinger blog, at www.nbhumdinger.blogspot.com.

Finally, We Have a Name!

After some considerable time, and much discussion and to-ing and fro-ing, we now have a name for our new boat. It will be called NB Humdinger.

This actually comes from a trip to Tesco this afternoon, which is an unlikely place to come up with a name. Himself was in the beer aisle, selecting some bottles of beer which were 3 for 2. One of these was called Humdinger, made by Joseph Holt of Manchester. The bottle declares it to be "Ale with a hint of Honey". Time will tell on that front.

According to Jim Shead's boat list, there is only one other Humdinger, which is a fibreglass cruiser, so that doesn't really count. I will be creating a new Humdinger blog shortly.

Stuff you need and the Bicycle Pump!

As our build slot approaches, it has occurred to me that in order to live full time on a boat (and actually travel around this time), there is a whole collection of stuff that you need to have that you wouldn’t normally have when you live in a house.  These include a blog (obviously!!), a set of books, so that you know where you’re going, waterproofs, various keys, pins and a large hammer, etc, etc.

Compulsory, of course, is one of those little cork balls you put on your keys.  I am not sure if they actually work, never having been brave enough to chuck my keys in the canal for testing purposes.   The only ones I have seen in use were on very large bunches of keys which probably wouldn’t float anyway due to the weight, and when I did have one, it lasted about a week before I took it off, on the basis that it took up too much room in my handbag.

So, I am starting to consider what we need.  I got very excited last week when I saw a collapsable bucket, and yesterday I had to be led away from the torch display where I was comparing candle powers. 

So, my newest purchase is this, a Ridgeback Stowaway Folding Bicycle, purchased from Ebay from a very nice man in Dundee, which arrived in a very large box which caused considerable consternation at the Post Office.

It is in almost brand new condition, and came complete with a little tool kit and a carrying bag.  That said, I am eyeing the saddle with some trepidation, as I may need a pair of those pants with the gel inserts!!  Having worked out how to get it assembled, Himself proclaimed that the tyres needed pumping up, so off we went to Halfords, and purchased a bicycle pump. 

Back home, Himself set about putting some air in the tyres, as he was keen for a ride round the car park just to test it out.  This is when the problems started.  The air would go in the tyre OK, but when he tried to remove the pump, it just came back out again.  It was the same on both tyres, so we deduced that the pump must be faulty, and set off for Halfords again, where we explained the situation to the spotty youth behind the counter.  “Oh yes, he says, they all do that” .  Himself was a bit taken aback at this, and asked him to clarify.  “All those pumps are the same, the pin stays in when you take off the bendy bit, so all the air comes out.  If you had bigger wheels, you might be able to get it off quick enough”.   Himself asked what the point was in selling them, if they didn’t work.  Spotty Youth replied that they did work, as they did pump up the tyres!   What he said we needed was the next pump up, which cost £24.99 (as opposed to £4.99), and he would, of course, exchange the one we had.  Himself left the shop at that point, in disbelief, and before he got very cross.

So, I am now awaiting delivery of a new £24.99 pump, again purchased on Ebay for a fraction of that.  We will probably exchange the other one for some little tool that will be boaty-friendly!

Test Post from Windows Live Writer

I read somewhere that you can update your blog using Windows Live Writer.  I find the blogger interface a little tricky, especially when adding photos, and usually have to upload any posts two or three times to get the spacing right, so thought I would give this a try.  The other added bonus is that you can compose your posts offline, which is useful, especially when you are using a mobile dongle.

Was trying to find a new picture to test it with, but this is the best I can come up with - fun and games at Bradford on Avon Lock.

It all seems simple enough, you can do all the things you can with Blogger, but the box you type in is much bigger, which in my opinion makes things much easier.   Now, to push the Publish button and see what happens!

Shell

Today we are off to visit Alexander Boatbuilders (http://www.alexanderboatbuilders.co.uk). Ben, our boat builder, has advised us that a change of shell builder would be prudent from what we had originally planned. Obviously we will go with his recommendations. The other news is that if we decided to go with them, apparently they can start next week, which is some 2 months early, which is exciting in itself. I am not sure, however, if that means Ben can finish the boat early - stands back as Ben falls off his chair!!

Crick

We spent an enjoyable day at the Crick Show last Sunday. The weather was lovely, as you can see from the people enjoying the sunshine.

It was also good to meet up with Ben and Kelly (our boat builders) again. Our build slot is for August, which sounds like a long time away, but in reality, it isn't very long at all, and we really should be thinking about finalising the layout, etc. The shell for their current build, a Narrow Dutch Barge (if that's the correct term) is due to arrive this week, and you can follow the progress here - http://trudy-ann.blogspot.com/.

So, we wandered about, and considered various things for our own build - engines and toilets, mainly, granite vs corian for the worktops, stoves, etc, etc. We saw the perfect hob, although there was no model number so I am hopeful that I can find it again. I also think we have finally decided on the colours for the outside. The next really big decision is the name, then we can have a proper title for this blog. We have been talking about this for months now, and still can't reach a decision.

It would have been nice to have been able to view more of the boats, but most were by appointment only, and we didn't think it was right to take a slot that could have been used by a really serious buyer, when we were just basically nosing.

All in all, it was well worth the 3 hour drive, as we came away with things a lot clearer. I know now that what I had planned for the kitchen layout won't work, but it's only a little tweak to fix it.

Finally, in the spirit of "Pictures of Other Blogger's Boats that I have seen", here is a picture of Derwent6 (http://derwent6.blogspot.com/), looking extremely shiney in the sunshine!!

The Saga of the Washing Machine

So, I ordered a new washing machine for my little flat, on the basis that things were getting a bit desperate on the knicker front. I only ordered a basic machine, as we really have no need for a load of fancy functions, as all I want it to do is wash the clothes. Plus, the more things it does, the more stuff there is to go wrong.

So here it is. Not very exciting I know. Curiously, it doesn't seem to use very much water, as you can't see any level inside when it's washing, unlike my last machine. I think I may have been a bit over zealous with the washing powder though - there is some washing in there, honest.

The other thing I really like is the fabric conditioner, which is really expensive in Goa so no-one buys it. Now everything smells lovely.

Because I am a worldly woman, I decided that I wasn't going to pay £28.99 for some bloke to connect everything up for me. Firstly, it seemed an extortionate amount of money to pay for someone to plug it in, connect one water pipe to the tap and stick the waste pipe down a hole. How hard could it be?? The delivery men humped it up the stairs, and then one of them asked me if I was going to plumb it in myself, with the kind of look on his face that I was a mere girly and couldn't possibly manage it, which made me all the more resolved.

As soon as they left, I removed all the packaging, and eyed the transit bolts - the 4 big long screws in the back that stop everything moving about during delivery. You would think that like a lot of other items, they would supply a little tool to help you remove these, like they sometimes do when you buy flatpack furniture, but no. So, off to the town I went, to purchase a spanner. 45 minutes later, armed with an adjustable spanner, I set about the bolts. It only took me an hour to get all 4 ou as they were so tightly done up. The spanner I bought was also rubbish, and I am, I have to admit, extremely cack-handed! Finally, all 4 bolts are removed, and I push the machine back into place between the units. Pipe in hand, I approach the water connection. However, this has been installed so close to the wall that you can't actually screw the connection on.

I call the letting agents, and ask that someone come to adjust the plumbing, unless they want me to start undoing pipes, etc. Of course, this is Friday afternoon, too late to get anyone out now, then Monday is a bank holiday, so no-one can come until Tuesday. Luckily, I have enough clean knickers to last until then. Tuesday lunchtime comes, but no-one else does. I call the Agents again, and explain the whole thing again, twice, in words of one syllable. Finally, mid-afternoon, a nice young plumber chap comes, and pokes his head behind the machine. "Ah", he says, "I see the problem". He makes two trips to his van, fiddles about a bit, and before he has had time to finish his coffee, the machine is plumbed in.

Apparently the pipes were something called click fittings, which means that you can move them once connected, so that all I really needed to do was unscrew the fittings holding the pipe to the wall, which would then mean you could swing it out far enough to be able to connect the washer (sorry, girly explanation!). I am not sure that this is something I should have been attempting, it not being my house and also being on the first floor with someone underneath me. He agrees that it is a bit above and beyond what could be construed as "normal plumbing", as if there had been a leak, it would have done a fair bit of damage. He sets the machine on a rinse cycle, advises keeping an eye on it for leaks, just in case, and leaves.

The washer rinses itself for what seems like ages, and then just stops, still half full of water. I twiddle the knobs and set it running again, several times, but it refuses to empty itself. I remember from a previous machine that sometimes they put a blanking disc inside the pipes, so haul the machine out again, disconnect all the pipes, take the top off, take the back off, but with no luck, the bloody thing is still full of water. I re-read the instructions, and fiddle about with the height of waste hose, which makes no difference. Then I turn my attention to underneath the sink - not my favourite place. I take off the end of the waste hose, which isn't even wet. Maybe the u-bend is blocked? I poke about in there, not the nicest place to be, but that seems OK. There is like a little spout that comes out of the u-bend, that the waste pipe is connected to. It is a fairly new flat, and apparently the previous tenants (the first ones) didn't have a washer. Seems the end of the little spouty bit is blanked off, to stop the smell. I curse, somewhat, and go back to the town for a A bit of sawing later, and everything is working perfectly.

It would probably have been easier to pay the £28.99 in the first place, but at least I have plenty of clean knickers now!