2 days into the build the cabin sides are being fabricated

The roof is ready to go on later

Looking down into the engine bay

Weedhatch to the right and engine bed rails to the left

The engine keel cooling tank is on the left hand side.

Battery tray above and to the right

Looking foward along the hull

The fastest Richard has moved recently (blur)

The stern

The stern is taking shape

Katie can't hold back her enthusiasm

The bow looks a little bare without its rubbing strakes, etc.

Water tank outlet beneath the bow doors

The water tank inspection cover

It really is starting to look like a narrowboat !

It is amazing how different the bow looks one week on and the rubbing strakes, etc. are fitted

The bow door and side windows cutouts

Note the two loops to the side of the side windows, these are to allow a security bar to be fitted across the bow doors.

The side doors into the galley

This is the first time I saw the inside and thought, "It's a narrowboat!"

It was spray foam insulated the next day

View forward across the roof complete with cutouts for the mushroom vents, Houdini hatch and chimney collar.

A nice feature to stop the roof draining back into the semi-trad stern. I wish the hire boats we've had had his feature.

The control level will be easy to use located rear and high

The rudder is fitted

Blue moon IS a boat !

The hull is finished, primed and she is in the water

The interior is spray foamed

Looking forward to the bow doors

Spray foamed interior

Looking aftwards

The 105 gallon stainless steel waste tank

She is in the bubble and has been given a coat of blue.

The windows are ready on the side to be fitted

Pump out toilet points on the port gunwhale and the vent pont and bathroon basin outlet

It is amazing how a coat of blue make her look so much better

Another view of the stern

On the water with the mushroom vents, etc. fitted

The first picture where Blue Moon could be finished

Ready for lining out. All the windows and vents are fitted

Worcester SX 42" window in the saloon

Trust Richard to stick his nose up the pump-out fitting.

He won't be doing that later !!!

The ballast will be the next job

The balast is in and the floor is down

Lining up to the gunwhales is all but completed

Lining out well under way

First fix lighting cables are in

The foul waste tank is in situ and waiting !

230v Electrics and Gas supply is in

Note the pipe clips for water supply

View to stern, Bulkhead is bathroom / bedroom

Basic roof is now lined with wiring tails hanging through

Bedroom showing under bed waste tank

Cabin side linng is in with the port hole above the bed

Time to discuss the finer points of the electrical installation

Fuel stop cocks and lines

Engine bay, fuel filter feeding engine and Mikuni heater

The calorifier in situ in the utility room

The Mikuni central heating unit is mounted on the bulkhead at the front of the engine bay

In the water and in the sun

Barrus Shire 40 Engine with Aquadrive

It is nice and clean for now !

The exhaust is a standard silencer exiting via the port hull

A whole load of batteries ...

White battery is for the engine and the five orange batteries are our vain attempt to keep the lights on !!

Looking aft throught the dinette and galley to the bathroom bulkhead

Looking forward from the galley

The radiators in the bedroom and utility room

Blue Moon is back in the "Bubble" and getting rady for the propoer paint job.

Bow doors are fitted and the top coats of paint are applied

The plumbing for the calorifier is completed ready for the firing up of the engine and Mikuni heating

Herself checking out the side hatch

I hope that we have no leaks after I've boxed this lot in

Another rats nest of pipe work, The foul pipe is so stiff that the bends are enormous

Tracey is starting her week as a varnisher, she is so pleased, only this and three more coats to go......

Even managed to rope the heavy metal daughter into varnishing

Steve wearing his knees out fitting the hand crafted galley units

Steve is NOT playing Peek-a-Boo

First part of the galley units are fitted

The Stoves cooker units took a bit of working out, but it is fitted and connected up, Hot food is available..

Cold beer is also available as long as we don't leave the mooring for too long as the shore line is not that long. Must get the inverter wiring comple

Basin and stand is inplace and the plumbing just needs finishing off.

Help I might fall off. Hang on in there Tom...

Ships, ships I see no ships

The start of the bed frame around the poo tank

The foot of the bed is over the pipes to the tank

Worktop over the fridge is in place and Tracey is tiling away

The control cabinet is built and most of the instruments fitted

Barrus Engine panel, 230v change-over, Inverter control and Mikuni heating main switch

Easy access to the breakers, central heating header tank and the wiring. If I need to get to the calorifier then the cabinet "easily" dismantles...

Sterling 2500W inverter as close to batteries as practical. This will be in a cupboard eventually

Quick answer to steps, buy a cheap set of steps (£15 B&Q) and cut up..These will do for the moment

There I was fitting the control panel and our local duck starts pecking my head.

Matilda at home on the hatch

We have cleared out the the tools from the saloon and laid a offcut of carpet. With the two leather recliner chairs its looking homely

View forward through the saloon

The bed is finished (nearly). The base pulls out by six inches to provide a 4ft 6inch bed

Two 800mm wide drawers go over the poo tank

Underbed draw open

50Amp Sterling battery charger under the inverter

At Last we got our registration through

Two expensive bits of paper

The side doors are lined and the trim around them uses hockey stick moulding

The ceiling is trimmed with white hardwood

Quadrant moulding run the lenght and "D" moulding cover the joints between the sheets

Readed moulding is used to finish the cabin sides above the gunwhales

The bathroom has a full sized shower cubical using Wetwall

Three doors provide privacy

The electrics cupboard is filling up

Additional controls appear every week !

Madam is happy Blue Moon sprouts a TV Aerial

The Aerial uses the security bar braket and 2 Terry clips for quick fitting and removal

15" LCD Television is mounted beneath the gunwhales, taking up no room. The only downside is the number of people who can see it

The Stovax Brunel is fitted in the front of the saloon and sits ontop of a cubby hole for storing kindling

Great fun trying to sort out the angles and filling wood around the flue pipe and collar

Now the Stove is installed, thought we better fit one of these. I placed it about 500mm above floor level, we have had no false triggers.

After the first hard frost of the winter, I found a wet floor by the calorifier (Bugger!). At least I made the cupboard "easily" removable.

So much for "easy access"

The culprit was a leak from the engine circuit !! The coupling was loose