Vanity

OMG is that a blackhead pimple on my chin and could the be the beginning of a bald spot on the back of my head.  Maybe I’m not so beautiful these days <worry>.

WAIT…… Rethink!  I’m supposed to be writing about the bathroom vanity on Waiouru.  Phew… that’s a relief!

It rained so heavily today I think ducks and drakes fell from the sky and at least two of the marina staff grew webbing between their toes. 

The first task for the day was to check the small (very small) bilge in Waiouru’s cratch.  It’s only 5”x5”x8” and can quickly fill with water if the cratch isn’t covered.  The cratch bilge can be seen in the following photo taken in December 2011.  It’s the square hole in the top left corner of the foredeck. Joined to it is a 1” horizontal square channel which forms the gutter across the front bulkhead.  Once the bilge and gutter are full of water it will overflow into the cabin.

When Waiouru is finished this bilge will contain an automatic bilge pump which will discharge any water.  There will also be a cratch cover to prevent any rainwater entering the cratch.  However whilst Waiouru is still being built there is a possibility the bilge might overflow and is the sole reason for me covering the bow of Waiouru with a temporary tarpaulin.  This morning I found the bilge full and only a couple of millimetres of clear channel before the water overflowed into Waiouru.  A couple of minutes of quick bailing with the top cut off a soft drink can saw it emptied.

Andy, the marina manager, was concerned about the effect the rain would have on water levels.  Particularly after I mentioned I’d seen three of his hire boats at County Lock during yesterday’s walk from Reading.  They will be well onto the River Thames by now!  If the Red Boards (high water warning signal and all traffic to stop) go up on the Thames before they make it back to the canal he will have boats stuck on the Thames.  If that occurs the next group of hirers will not be pleased!

Richard and I then commenced work on the vanity unit.  He had already cut and trimmed the front panel (yesterday’s blog photo).  Together we cut out the side panels and shelves, trimming and assembling as we went.  Neither of us was that keen to keep going to Waiouru in the rain and check the cut panels would fit!

With the unit 80% assembled we took it to Waiouru and fixed it in place.  Richard then cut and fitted the oak floor panel inside the vanity whilst I relocated the hot & cold water pipes so they would be underneath the tower mixing valve.

Richard had to leave early muttering something about an important engagement involving football so I assume there’s a match on TV!

After he left I sanded down the bed footlocker and gave it one coat of varnish before again draining the bilge and then carefully tying the tarpaulin over the bow and cratch in an effort to minimise the volume of water that might leak into the cratch during the night.

Finally, Andy informed me the granite people will be arriving tomorrow afternoon to measure the templates for the galley bench tops and bathroom vanity top. 

Tomorrow we will finish the skeleton of the vanity cabinet and make a start on the last of the formica panelling in the shower and toilet.