We have a stern

Paid another visit to Alexander Boats on Saturday to have a look at progress on AmyJo.  It might look at first glance that not much has been done but looking closer one can see  an awful lot of work has been done as the counter and fuel tank are all fabricated and tested.

We can see the fuel tank and deck are almost complete and the drains for the engine hatch rails are in place as are the fuel supply and return pipes.  The hatch cover is made and will be hinged later.  The weed hatch is also in place with the lid and hold down bar being made as we type.

The counter scroll work almost finished an you can just see the engine hatch channel outlet just below the gunnel.

The smooth lines of the stern are apparent  and the rubbing bands are all fully welded into place.

There is still plenty to be done but all being well AmyJo should be shipping to Fernwoods by end of March if all goes well.

We hope to pay another visit before and work should be well on the way to a completed shell before long.

Its still strange to feel and touch AmyJo's steel and we both still cannot get used to the fact this is our boat and not someone else's.

Bathless

Hi all,
We are having a couple of days of lovely weather here in Chester.  The sun is out and we have our new windows ajar.  It's so lovely to get the feel of fresh air through the house at last and even the central heating is breathing a sigh of relief.

Only problem we have now is we have no bathroom.  Our fitters are here and we have not had a bath since Monday before last.  The house that is!  We, however, are fortunate to have good friends who are allowing us the use of their bathrooms.  Chris is spending time in Essex as her mum has at long last come home from the rehab center so has been using their bathroom.  In the meantime when Chris is home the girls are improvising hair washes in the kitchen sink.  So glad the kitchen is functional.

Was a time Amy was small enough to bath in the sink!

The guys took out the old bathroom suite and to our horror we found the wooden floor absolutely rotten.  In fact it was that bad it was on the verge of collapsing completely.

Looks horrible and it was

Next they took out the floor completely and you can see where it was damp.  We reckon there was a leak and that had been happening for several years.

All cleared out you can see the floor starting to dry out at last by the
light patch in the fore ground

A new floor with beefier beams is now in place and they are well on the way to completing the work

The new floor beams in place

Lagging to keep the floor warm but suspended to allow air flow under.

The tiling is started.

So a few more days and all will be complete.  Can't wait to try the new shower!

Meantime we had another meeting with Fernwoods on Tuesday and met Andy, the new member of the team.  Have to say he will bring another dimension to their designs and I think will make their boats even better than they are.  Ken and Julia made a good choice in Andy and he will be a great asset to them.

We discussed and finalised more details of the build, especially the interior layout and materials we will have on board.  The colour scheme for outside is now set.  I'll not reveal all just yet but will let you know more as the build progresses.

All being well AmyJo will be with Fernwoods end of March so the pace is finally picking up.  We had planned to visit Alexander boats tomorrow but have put this of until next week as its more convenient for Jim and us, what with the bathroom works going on.

Thats all for now, the fitters need their coffee topped up and I'm thinking of going for a stroll as I've not been feeling all that for a while and some fresh air will do me some good.  Hope you are all OK and enjoying this weather.  Take Care

New Windows

Hi all,
We are relieved the weather here in Chester has remained mild and fairly dry.  Since Monday we have had the window fitters in replacing all our windows and doors.

From this, plain and all white.....

and after this......

To this.

The new windows are definitely better and the house now feels much warmer.  Amy has a new door and so does the study

The new study door now means we don't have to disturb Amy to
get outside any more

Not as drafty and now Amy does not get seranaded by the wind
whistling through the gaps, she even had to turn the radiator down.

Now we can get on and decorate the rooms over the summer and give the outside a lick of paint too.  

Its all go again next week as the bathroom makeover is starting so we're looking forward to that.  Think we may be making frequent visits to the sailing club showers for a few weeks.

On the boat front we are going to visit Fernwoods on 12th Feb so may have some more news.  I'm also going to reschedule a visit to Alexander boats when I get a chance, in the mean time I have my hospital appointment tomorrow for my ultrasound on my Liver so hopefully we'll have some answers to why I'm still feeling drained and giddy when standing.