The gas locker received its first coat of fresh paint this morning after I'd rinsed off the Fertan dust and allowed it to dry. With the boat facing the sun it dried very quickly - the canal water must be warm.
I rinsed off the well deck too and gave it a second coat of the rust converter. I'm glad I bought a large bottle (at Crick a couple of years ago). I'm now expecting tomorrow morning's rain to do the next rinse for me. I just hope it will dry in time for me to paint it - and that the paint can dry before the next rain comes. I have decided not to replace the "Versatile" matting, at least, not in high use areas.
I borrowed Ben's vibrating power tool to cut a slot in the panel behind the fridge. It looks neat with the brass ventilator over it. It would look even neater without my pencil marks (at the last minute I decided to move the slot); we don't seem to have a rubber on board.
I have also spent a considerable amount of time reading the requirements of the
Boat Safety Scheme. (If you click on the link it will download a PDF of - I think - almost 1Mb.) It's 87 pages long and is surprisingly easy to read, but I keep finding things to worry about. I have got as far as the gas section and now need to check that the regulator can't be damaged when lifting the gas cylinders into or out of the gas locker(see top photo). Also that every gas pipe connector in the boat is accessible for inspection.
There were other concerns earlier about the electrics; I think I will need to wire up a changeover switch to select between shoreline and inverter - or use a clumsy plug-and-sockets arrangement.
It must take hours for the BSS examiner to check a boat. Our first safety exam is due next spring so there's still time to fettle. I don't know how it all works, though. What happens if it fails? How long will I have to fix any faults? Does the same examiner come back to do a retest? Would I have to pay the full fee? What is the fee for a BSS test? The CRT licence is due at the same time as the BSC; if it fails I will presumably not be able to licence the boat - then what happens?
4 comments:
Hi Halfie, you can have the BSS done the month before and you don't lose a month, just like a car MOT. This gives you the time to get it sorted before your licence is due.Don't worry.......life's too short to spend it worrying. Elsie
actually crt send you a renewal reminder two months before its due so that you can have it done two months before and keep the same renewal date. I had 2 guys spend 1 1/2 hours inspecting the boat and they failed it on 2 small things but he gave me the certificate and said text him when I had done them and he then put it onto the computer system. cost £150
clive
Starcross failed its first BSS test spectacularly and costs us well over £500 in remedial works before the re-test. Four years later, and the boat now 20 years old, we knew what to expect, and having done a lot more preparatory work (including painting the gas locker) she sailed through.
Good Luck to Jubilee!
Elsie, "worry" was too strong a word. I meant that I was mildly concerned, especially after wading through some of the finely detailed BSS requirements!
Clive, that's very useful, thanks.
Jim, ouch! And then, well done! I think I'll be spending a lot of time going through the BSS list, effectively doing the MOT myself, between now and April.
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