Some boat details

Today, in rather less rain than yesterday, we cruised Jubilee from Shardlow to just beyond Willington, meeting up with fellow bloggers Nev of Waterlily and Heth and Dave from Takey Tezey. We plied them with tea and proudly showed them our new toy. Before that we'd stopped for a fry-up on board, and I discovered the shortcomings of a saw from Poundland. (Note to self: get a proper bow saw, and soon.)

Tomorrow we'll be making a dawn start (that'll surprise her) as we want to get to Fazeley by 1900. By my calculation there are 24 miles and 11 locks.

(By the way, I hate the new Blogger system. Does anyone like it?)

I promised some details about Jubilee. Where shall I start? Well, outside first.

The shell is a 2003 Liverpool Boat Co. 10/6/4 with sprayfoam insulation.

The paintwork is excellent, looking as though it has just had a full repaint. The colour scheme is predominantly light bluish grey, with blue borders and cream coach lines. Jubilee has just been blacked, and the tunnel bands were painted at the same time. It has a mix of portholes and rectangular windows, with one smallish side hatch. There are two pigeon boxes, one over the galley and one directly over the shower cubicle.

Inside, from the trad stern, steel doors and a steel slide lead into the engine "room" with cupboards for the inverter, electrics and calorifier. The engine itself is under a deck board which can be removed together with side panels to reveal a 41HP Isuzu.

Then there is a utility room with washing machine and storage; followed by the bedroom with full-size double bed with storage underneath, a small chest of drawers and a wardrobe with sliding doors.

Forward of that is the bathroom with quadrant shower cubicle, sink and electrically flushing Thetford cassette loo.
Next comes the galley: Stoves cooker, circular stainless steel sink and matching drainer, 230V fridge, solid beech worktop.

A table and bench seat convert into a cross double bed, and the saloon has a leather settee, shelves and Morso Squirrel stove.

The floor throughout is oak tongue & groove, which is one of the things which attracted me to the boat.

The panelling is a light coloured wood (ash?) with mirror graining (if that's the expression), and tongue & groove boards on the ceiling. Lighting is mostly by a multitude of halogen spotlights:  there are 10 in the open-plan saloon and galley, with three more under high-level cupboards and shelves. There are four in the bathroom, which creates a very bright space!

There seems to be lots of storage, which will be very handy for Ally and Ben when they live aboard from July.

The standard of joinery seems to me to be mostly very high.

I'll post more photos when I get round to it.