The roof and the box
Another weekend has rolled around and we are feeling fairly satisfied with our work. The weather has been cooler with one morning of heavy fog, but with no rain our work on the roof could continue. We were able to apply the epoxy as planned then the next day the fibreglass matting and another coat of epoxy. Unfortunately by the time it was finished the weather had cooled and it did not harden properly. We waited an extra 24 hours before applying the third coat then the final coat on Friday to finish the week off well. We will paint it later when we are sure it is watertight. Meanwhile the work continues on two other fronts: installing the engine which came in "The Box" (David) and scraping off some rust in the bilge (Penny).
There was some preparation to do within the engine room to install the engine, as David had to enlarge the hole for the exhaust pipe, instal the box itelf so that the engine was enclosed, and then connect up various wires. Before all of this, the box and contents had to be completely dismantled on the ground and the various bits and pieces carried up the ladder and then down to the engine room. The engine was lifted onto the deck by forklift then gingerly down into the engine room, with the help of one of the workmen here at the Migennes boatyard.
The big moment was when the engine started and after some tinkering with wires and adjustments it started to put power into the batteries. Later David put insulation around the exhaust pipe and when first heated it gave off an overpowering smell and choking fumes. David had to hold his breath, descend the ladder into the engine room, open the 6 lid latches, open the top of the generator box and turn off the engine. This was a bit like the emergency ascent he had to do when taking his Scuba diving exam a few years ago. Removing the insulation and applying a blowtorch burnt off the smell.
The rust in the bilge had resulted from a previous leaky shower. The area is now dry but how much damage had been done already? Fortunately with the worst of the rust flakes gone the metal looks intact. We will finish it with a thorough sanding with a wire brush, then some rustproof paint. This will have to wait too. It looks as though we will be busy finishing off these jobs well after we get back onto the water.
Chantal and Christian continue to be excellent hosts and to help us get in touch with the Burgundy and French way of life. Chantal offered to sew some external curtains which we needed to keep the sun out of the front windows. Penny had been going to finish them by hand but gladly accepted. Penny is not renowned for the delicacy of her hand sewing. Chantal did an excellent job and they fit perfectly. Meanwhile Christian provides accurate and helpful information about where to buy specialist products and also keeps us up to date with the weather forecasts and the news of the day. We restricted ourselves to just two dinners at Les Chouettes this week; both were of the same high standard and beautiful presentation that we have become accustomed to.
It is great also to have the chance to practice our French with the limited words we know while Christian translates where necessary.
Christian and Chantal and Vaubon, their very undemanding and friendly small dog, surprised us on Saturday afternoon when they arrived to visit us at the boatyard, bringing flowers and wine to celebrate. This was Chantal's first time on a boat, quite a difficult introduction as she had to climb the ladder to get aboard. We hope they will be able to come once we are in the water and everything is cleaned and tidied. We enjoyed showing then around as they have become so familiar with the ups and downs of the work.
The photo below shows Penny, Chantal and Christian.
All the best, Dave and Penny
