Wand'ring Bark refit

Wand'ring Bark refit

December 2015

There have been no boat movements to report for the last couple of months for the simple reason that both boats have been moored up at Longwood Boat Club undergoing a serious refit before we set off on out six month cruise next year.

During that time there have been some coming and goings at the club which has meant that the butty has ended up moored immediately behind the motor, just as it should be.

The last two months have focused on the motor with the galley being stripped out along with the saloon, leaving just the fire I installed last winter and a couple of drawers opposite. 

It was rather sad seeing the entire main cabin stripped back to the paneling, which has grown old and dark, a sharp contrast to the light airy feel it had when we bought it 10 years ago. The panels above the gunnels were sanded back and then painted an off white with new oak strip added to give it renewed freshness.

Then the work started in earnest with a new kitchen from Ikea being installed. Of course, there were not many actual units, just the base for the sink and a thin one on the other side. All the rest was bespoke made out of end panels and other odds and ends which fitted the space available. One significant change has been to raise the work surfaces by about 4 inches, which make them just the right height for us - a real novelty!

All the pipes were a challenge as standard fittings had to be adapted to fit the boat plumbing. The greatest challenge was to reduce a huge waste outlet from the sink to a 1 inch pipe through the skin fitting. With a bit of help from a plumber friend involving a bung, some 22mm pipe, some silicone and some jubilee clips I managed to achieve a water tight fit.

The project includes a 36 litre 12 v freezer from Webasto which fits under the new L shaped settee. Its all in place sitting on the base plate but as yet its not wired in. That will have to wait till I have added two more batteries to give us greater power reserves and a couple of solar panels to keep them charged up.

The next task is to fit an oak floor and then we will be ready to order the cushions and blinds.

All this haste is necessary because we have an extension being started on our house in a few weeks and we need somewhere to go when the kitchen is taken out of service.

The countdown to next season is well underway with just 50 working days to go before I leave on 12th April.

More photos as things progress.