Something's cooking aboard Wand'ring Bark

Fitting the new cooker

19th January 2011

I started fitting the new cooker, bought from Moore 2 Life, way back in November. I stated by stripping out the old Vanette hob and oven and opening up the cavity ready to receive the new, bigger cooker.

Whilst the old one works well enough, Belle has been complaining about the diminutive size of the old oven for years, and been angling for something better. The trouble is that new boat cookers are really expensive and we never seem to have the money to spare. We were therefore delighted to acquire a used Stoves cooker - it just needed fitting.

The course of carpentry never runs smoothly and whilst I crafted a suitable sized recess for it to sit in, Belle's accident and the ice caused a total cessation of work. It just lay there for two months and I have only now started to get it fitted in. Reverse engineering something into a existing kitchen is always problematic and this is no exception. 

The cavity floor had to be altered twice, an electrical supply laid on, the work top cut out, and a new fascia added to fit the front. In and out it went, at times looking like Eeyore putting a burst balloon into his useful pot (you need to know your AA Milne to get that!).

Finally it is in and very nice it looks too, but right now its as much use as a chocolate tea pot. It needs connecting to the gas supply and I cant do that myself. The old cooker used two small pipes and this needs one large one. Time to call in the experts I think!

I may be something of a Handy Andy but I do know when to let someone else take over.