Tipping point

Picture first.....

I guess there comes a time when acquiring is replaced by disposal. Sometimes slowly, other times like now for us with some focus. Moving homes or to boats focusses the mind and so it was today the first batch of charity boxes and loaned out furniture was loaded into CRV. We called it the tipping point in our lives. From now on in the house will become less a home and the changes come thick and fast, we wanted an adventure!

It's 'less is more' - a good strapline for a 5' 6" boater I guess !!

One good think about having the boat already is much of what is needed is there, just clothes to sort, so there may be more disposal in the coming weeks. All to the charity shops, paying it forward a little bit as well as we have 'been there done that' for car boots and not too enamoured with the expectations of the Ebay buyers out there. We have been lucky to have been able to acquire so much 'stuff' so let someone else have the benefit of our stuff?

Keeping a home in bricks and mortar helps as there is not a complete disposal challenge, I doubt we could do that, too many memories.

...Call that a boat lift

Just sorting through some old pics and video and I found a video I took last year when we called by the Strepy - Thieu boat lift on the bikes on the way back from Luxembourg

Click below for the Wiki info on it

Click here....

I took a three minute video of it taking numerous boats up, it is worth watching or fast forwarding to the lifting bit.

We have yet to do the Anderton, I am not being disrespectful as the Anderton was built for doing a specific job as the Strepy was. Just many year before so respect for the builder of both lifts.

The Anderton lift is on the list of things to do in my own boat, alongside the Ponty aqueduct and the river Thames by the houses of Parliament.

For now just enjoy the engineering involved in this lift.

Boat painting.... suggestions encouraged

Lat year I booked Percy in to have a complete repaint. (gulp)

We did this as I blogged about for our last boat Waterlily and were very happy with the job Justin at Mercia did. However when talking to him months after he admitted it would have been easier for him to give me £500 and not bring the boat in. Honest and now he does not offer boat painting !!

So I did a trawl of the forums and got some good reviews of John Sandersons work. He was with Phil Speight and took over Phil's business when Phil semi retired.

Link to his web pages here....Click me

We had to book year and a bit in advance which gave me some confidence there was a good demand for Johns work.

Last year I went over to meet John and look at his work in progress, plus talk options on colours. Now we still have no great idea on what colour we should opt for. In some ways we would like to keep with the maroon but its a real fader.... John advises he has a much darker red that  might appeal. We like the green we had Waterlily painted in, not sure with Percy's portholes and smaller windows it would look the same.... some thinking for sure.

One thing we will do is replace the five windows (we will leave the portholes as they are but polish them up as they come out) I have an appointment with a window company who are visiting next week to measure up so I can be sure I have the windows that fit and have them in time to refit after the paint job.

I would prefer a hopper type as the sliders are good but not for leaving open overnight (if it rains while asleep the water pours in !!) I like to sleep with the windows open and go to sleep listening to the night.

I just might have to find somewhere to live in the autumn while Percy is being painted !!