Thursday 20 February 2014

Build days 81 and 82

We're away from the building of Still Rockin' just now, on our way to Scotland via Wolverhampton.  These pictures have been very kindly taken by Pete on behalf of Barnowl Boats ...
 
Wednesday ...
 
 
Stuart of Barnowl Boats is away this week too so Pete is in sole charge and has started the battening inside ...
 
 
 
 
 
... and Steve (Lambon Boats) has fixed on the beautiful stainless steel cleats 
Thursday ...
 
 Lambon Boats cannot keep Still Rockin' in their unit any longer as they have completed their input into her build so now she's outside ...
 Here Steve is lifting the bow of Still Rockin' to remove the wheel trolley ...
... and Pete continues with the battening ... nearly ready for the spray foam now.


Wednesday 19 February 2014

Build day 80

Back in Lambon Boats for a few days ...





The towing plate and wheels are still in place
One side of windows have been fitted - bedroom, bathroom, lounge and dining area at the rear.






The hand rail is beautifully shaped and fitted
Pete makes a start on the port side windows
Windows waiting in the wings to be fitted
Handrail nearly finished, the brackets are for solar panels and aerial mountings
Working side by side
Pete and Steve on the gunwale, George disappearing round the stern, but who’s the ‘other’ body?
Any guesses?
A bit of a clue here!
David Moore, sign writer extraodinair!




The red really sets it off - I love it!
I left them all to it for a few hours whilst I went back to Rock ’n’ Roll to continue packing ... and when I returned ...
George has at last got a handle on things!
The port side windows are all in - galley window with slider
Looking good!
Pete checks that the bow door windows fit ok and ...
... gotcha Steve! fitting the handles to assist us oldies to climb in and out.

Tuesday 18 February 2014

Build days 77-79


Inside the paint shed on Saturday (build day 77), Still Rockin’ is now midnight blue (photos kindly supplied by Stuart) ...
... and inside Lambon Boats, Steve has made a start on the stainless steel handrail.

Half past eight yesterday morning and she was being towed out of the shed by Steve and back around the corner into Lambon Boats - watch this space for the video, hopefully!





This is Steve very soon after lying on a trolley under Still Rockin’ ...






... seam welding the bottom plate - good man!




Steve then starts to fix on the handrail ... and it looks really neat ...
In the meantime Pete and George are starting to insert the windows - not an easy job (22 screws on each one, all to the drilled, tapped and fixed) ...
 ... but will look real good (once the rubber surrounds are inserted to cover the fixings).

Saturday 15 February 2014

Build day 76

Yesterday dawned very wet, very cold and very windy ...
but no matter ... Still Rockin’ is on the move!
 09:45 and we were at Lambon Boats where Still Rockin’ was up on chocks ...
 ... and the towing plate is on the big forklift truck; there’s a post on the underside of the plate which fits snugly into a hole on the metal bar to enable the tow ...
 Steve drives the truck to the boat
(sorry about the picture quality but you can see the stair-rod rain!)

He’s putting temporary welds onto the towing wheels and and welds the towing plate to Still Rockin’s hull at the bow (front)

 Whoo ... she’s in the air!






and away she goes! 
 Needs a slight adjustment on the corner ...

What do you think?  We love her ... our forever home!

Outside the door of the paint shed at Rushock Commercial Body Repairs


Steve - Lambon Boats swings Still Rockin’ round to reverse her into the shed ...


... where Stuart and Pete are ready with direction since Steve can’t see the stern of Still Rockin’ from the drivers seat of the forklift.

 A problem?
 Cooo ... a wee bit too close for comfort!


So out she goes again, the angle is changed slightly and back in she comes.  With a bit of forwards and backwards she’s in, not quite straight on though ...

Steve needs to swing the bow of Still Rockin’ slightly to the right within the paint bay so the chocks are placed under the bow which is then lowered to enable him to detach the forklift from the towing plate and attach it once again from a better angle and she’s in.

 The forklift truck reverses out, job done ... for today!







Perfect!






Plenty of room ...





... down the sides to enable the spraying ...

... but Still Rockin is 62’ long and protrudes from the paint bay by a good 10’.  A discussion takes place on how to cover her using the open doors, planks of wood, a tall gantry ladder and a tarpaulin to prevent the spray paint escaping into the shed.

This job took Stuart, Pete and George the rest of the afternoon together with drying the boat off, flatting the blue and masking up the bits up that will not be painted here (the roof is already finished)

Still Rockin’ will be painted tomorrow (Saturday) and be brought out on Monday - we’re hoping for a dryer day then!

I videoed her journey today but I can’t put it on the blog until I get to grips with the new update of iMovie - so watch this space