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THE FITTING OUT OF THE BOAT HAWKESBURY - KEEPING YOU UP TO DATE

This will not be the detailed coverage of the boat building process as was the coverage of Carlton and Measham, and if you wish the full information on the fitting out a narrowboat, please view the pages covering their respective builds.

This is just to keep hirers and potential hirers of the new boat Hawkesbury up to date with the progress of their boat.

16th. November 2009 The bare interior of the shell, with the stainless steel water tank present but not yet to be fitted.	16th. November 2009 Inside the poly-tunnel Hawkesbury is being completely painted up to and including the first top coat. The final top coat and any minor remedial work will take place when the boat has been completely fitted out. The steel of the hull is now totally weather proofed.

19th. November 2009 With the windows still absent the ballast is placed into the hull, I believe approximately eight tonnes. Engineering grade "blue" bricks are used as these bricks will not absorb any water.	19th. November 2009 The ballast (bricks) being tightly placed on the top of bitumastic felt.

21st. November 2009 Now that the convenience of the windows being absent while placing the ballast has past they are quickly installed to make the interior of the boat weather proof. Work can now proceed on the interior of the boat without it being in the poly-tunnel, freeing it up for the painting of the fleet during the Winter period.	1st. December 2009 The stainless steel water tank has been fitted along with the water pump and constant pressure cylinder.

1st. December 2009 The final section of the floor being fitted showing the battening to the floor strengthening steel cross members. The floor panels are then fixed to the wooden batens. All floor battening and the flooring grade ply is treated with "cuprinol" wood preserver.	1st. December 2009 The fitting of the floor panels is finished and the wooden battening of sides and roof of the boat has begun. You will see later that the battening is required to be able to fix the finished side panels, as well as piping, wiring, and other fixtures and fittings. You rarely fix straight into the steel of the boat. The wooden battening is used as an intermediary fixing.

29th. January 2010 All the battening is finished and the shell has been swept out ready for the foam insulation to be applied to the inside of the boat.	30th. January 2010 Here we have a picture of the foam insulation almost, but not quite finished, showing before and after areas of the boat. Below the gunnels on the right hand side is still to be sprayed. The excess foam on top of the wooden battens has already been removed in most areas.

7th. February 2010 The foam insualtion has been completed and all the battening has been exposed and excess foam trimmed back to the height of the battens.	6th. March 2010 The engine, calorifier, prop shaft and other engine room items have been fitted.

6th. March 2010 Close up of the propeller shaft and stern tube greaser, the green "box" to the left is the weed hatch, this is above the actual propeller, for daily inspection purposes.	6th. March 2010 The fixing of the internal cladding has begun.