Crossing the rubicon

We brought Percy in 2012... she was 20 years old then and had been lovingly looked after by the builder and owners Tony and Gill Redshaw.  The paint was looking a bit tired into our early years of ownership so we took the plunge and booked in for a full repaint with John Sanderson at Dadford's wharf on the Stourbridge canal and I purchased new windows.

Percy on her way to be repainted piloted by my good friend John. 

We've tried to follow the after care advice of a polish spring and autumn but inevitable scrapes have taken their toll. The most annoying was a scar from trying to get Percy into the silted up moorings here at Shebdon when the plank used to get on and off while mooring up was pushed into the front bulkhead....

So we did something not really done before on any of out boats we started to paint....

Earlier this year I rubbed the scabs back Fertan'd it and primed it and left it.... we came to the boat this time with a nice new orbital sander and mesh disks ( great kit) and dark green Craftmaster undercoat and top coat. I rubbed the scabs back re did the Fertan etc then two coats of undercoat and two top coats with sanding between ever lighter. It looks well not John Sanderson well but passes my satisfaction test... my fail was not properly filling the scabs expecting the paint to do that.... lesson learnt and that's what we do these jobs we learn as we go. 

On the roof over the engine room there has always been a area that was well filled due to at some point a dent being put in there.... it is in one of the top plate welds and has been a persistent problem with cracking of the filler which cracks the paint water gets in and it looks bad. Job 2 was to remove the old filler treat the steel and critically this time as said before I used two pack liquid metal that I hope will be a stronger more permanent surface. It took a lot but again sanding between coats of this stuff with some filled to get the last few lows filled and we are getting there. It needs more work a bit more rubbing back and some final filler then a couple of coats of paint.... it's all overkill as we have a 200w flexible panel that is going to be bonded over this area which will give it total protection in the future and will not be seen until the panel is replaced.... more than likely by future owners. But I wanted to at least give it the right finish and protection even if its the wrong colour - I'll use up the small bit of dark green undercoat and top coat  - not be seen but apologies to the next owners as and when they find it ... hopefully it'll be understood what and why it was done  - especially if they read this !!

Pleasing work, painting is not the bogey man job I always thought and I have more areas I will go at next year... the rear around the tiller needs some paint as does the well deck. 

Top tip a tarp and some rubber magnets with m6 threads and bolts that go thru the eyelets on the tarp to protect the new paint from wind and insects... worked well for us and I'll use it again for those two areas....

Eventually the roof will get done but that will be a dry dock job coinciding with blacking the hull.

We did a bit of walking and relaxing and ate well .... I do like the Shroppie and our mooring 

Community which I like

Ok so the last post was a bit negative, just how I was feeling but the C&RT sentiment is baked in. In contrast we have been on the moorings here for a while now and its nice to feel part of a micro community of people with all different stories to tell as to why they have a boat and are moored here. Not my stories to tell but nice that I get to chat boats and  life.

The painting is progressing, due to us facing due East we have to wait until the afternoon for the work to start.... but there are other bits and bobs I have been doing. 

We've always struggled with a cracking of the paint  in the roof where the steel joints over the engine room. There is some filler that does not help. many years ago I was talking to a boaty neighbour  - Kev at Fradley, again stories to tell but not mine but the bottom line was he ended up painting his own boat on the mooring, then got a job in the paint dock at Streethay then eventually took the painting dry dock on at Fradley junction. Impressive approach, anyhow he advised using metal epoxy rather than normal external filler.... so that has been my other job this week, removing the old cracked filler, a good sanding back and then Fertan. Today it got its first coat of said liquid metal ( I've just used the same on my bike for  a small repair and was impressed. ) I need some more that Amazon are delivering to the garage in Newport I'll add that let it sety and sand and paint on Monday.

It does not have to be too pretty as I have invested in a flexible solar panel to replace the old 145w one that was on Waterlilty then Percy. It fits nicely looks much nicer and will cover the repair and protect it in the future as I intent using sealant to stick it to the roof. Not as efficient as the panels get hotter but in my thinking unless it's a decent air gap water is going to get trapped and that will never be good for the paint or the roof. 

No photos must get some of the painting and the roof repair and solar panel. 

Painting which I hate

My last entry was detailing our return from the failed Chester cruise. Things went from bad to worse with Rachel leaving the boat to get an uber from Market Drayton to Royal Stoke to get her neck checked out leaving me to ascend the not favourite Tyrley flight solo. 

The bottom lock can be a pig with a nasty bywash that likes to direct entering boats into the rock face opposite. A lot depends on whats coming down the flight, a busy flight with boaters emptying the locks sends a lot of water through that bywash. 

I managed it on my own with no drama as the flight was only just waking up  -when i did meet a boater they understood the advice about not trying to moor in the last pound. Bizarrely there was one boater who was walking his cruiser down the flight not wishing to start the engine . 

Woodseaves cutting had a couple of boats in it and they held in the passing places allowing me to plod on through 

I was soon back at the mooring and as per normal is was a pig to get into  - no way can we motor in from the north we have to pass and reverse in ... 

I had to leave Percy on loose ropes to slowly settle back into the silt that is the 'well kept canal real value for money licence experience'. I loaded the van and cleaned the boat and headed home to meet the patient who'd got a taxi home from hospital wth checks done and advice and drugs given 

Next day I was back as the grass needed a cut  - you can see the painting project.... ironically a couple of scars from when trying to get the boat into the silt when the gang plank ran into the bulkhead. 

A bit disillusioned to be honest, the canals are in a poor state and we are every more restricted as to where we can go or rather risk where we go in case there is a failure on the infrastructure or as is the recent case navigation restrictions due to poor water supply. A good example of the stupidity ( I can't think of another description) of C&RT spending policy is this ....

They call them accessible bollards ffs... I did have to check the date in case we'd dropped back to the 1st April. They are closing rubbish points all over the system, the Elsan's just never see a cleaner ... Market Drayton on our recent cruise was appalling  - yes some boaters don't respect it but its hard to use and stay 'clean' 

and showers and toilets are being locked off but we have these ....nothing more than C&RT virtue signalling.

Yes there is a sense of complete disillusionment of the once lovely and well cared for system. I have been on it for many years and have seen the rapid decline under C&RT watch and they knew it was coming but like current politics just kicked the can down the cut.

I did appear in July to once again cut the grass.

So we are back on board, not moving the boat just maintenance. Its a nice mooring once the boat is tied up. We had a walk to the Anchor the other evening for a pint and the canals made sense again or rather our continued ownership of a boat on the canals did... but like many others   - and I'm sure it's an age thing the clock it ticking .....