Mike Stevens' UK Inland Waterways Pages

ABOUT ME

OUR CURRENT BOAT

FELIS CATUS III : THE STORY OF HER BUILDING
PART 2 - BUILDING THE SHELL

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[Start on the cabin] [It looks like our boat] [Last stage in the shed]

THE HULL BUILD

Early in February Richard rang to say that the hull was nearly finished and he needed another meeting with us. So I went up to the yard on 10 February. To my delight the hull was structurally complete, and showing all the beautiful lines (based on a Bantock BCN tug, but with shallower draught) that had been one of Orion's big attractions to us.

	By 21 January the midships hull was taking shape.		And a few days later, so were the bows.
			By the time I visited on 10 February, both ends of the boat had their proper shape.

I had a long meeting with Richard and Steve, the welder/fabricator, about such details as the exact design of the seat-lockers in the well-deck, and my plan for the semi-trad/full-trad convertible back end. Richard had come up with a couple of excellent ideas for improving the design of this to make it more practical.

Richard and I then went on to discuss sizes of the fridge, washing machine etc and to finalise the decision on what options we wanted on the engine. We decided to do without the manufacturer's sound-cocoon, as Richard reckoned he could gain most of the same effect much more cheaply, and listening to what he's achieved in that respect on his own boat we were inclined to believe him.

The steel for the cabin was due to be delivered next day, so on my next visit in just over a week's time I expected to see a lot more progress.

[The hull is built] [It looks like our boat] [Last stage in the shed]

A START ON THE CABIN

My next visit to the yard was on 28^th February, a bit later than planned because of bad weather & 'flu. By this time the stern-gear had been fitted, the well-deck with is lockers was complete and about two-thirds of the cabin was constructed. The engine and bow-thruster were on order, and the windows had already been delivered.

Richard and I did some more planning of details, including the interior cladding. The cabin sides will be done in ash-faced ply and the deck-head is ash tongue-&-groove boarding, with a light silk varnish in the forward half of the boat where there are large windows, and white-painted further aft where there are portholes.

Then we went off to see Phil Speight and talk about paint. Phil and Richard between them persuaded me that my wish for a completely matt finish to the paint job wasn't very practical, then we chose the colours. The cabin sides will be in Phil's Classic Green, the panels for the signwriting in Alpha Red and the coach-lines in Golden Yellow. The roof and decks will be in a matt grey-green whose name escapes me. The hull, apart from the decorative bits at bow and stern, will be black right up to the gunnels (which Richard persuaded me looks best on a low-freeboard tug-style boat). The fore and aft deck cants will match the green of the cabin sides.

[The hull is built] [Start on the cabin] [Last stage in the shed]

NOW IT LOOKS LIKE OUR BOAT

My next visit was on 14 March. The cabin shell was now complete and the door and window holes cut (but not yet the top openings for the side hatches), which is the first magic turning point where the vessel stops looking simply "like a boat" and starts looking "like our boat".

	Steve at work	Internal bracing	This will be the rear hatch

Richard asked me to check that the way he'd marked out the slightly complex shape of the aperture for the semi-trad part of the stern corresponded with what we'd agreed. Of course it did. Then he and I took to drawing chalk lines on the cabin side to help us decide the widths and proportions of the painted panels and coach-lines. He told me that he had booked a crane for putting the boat in the water on 11 April.

Just before I left, our engine was delivered to the boatyard.

[The hull is built] [Start on the cabin] [It looks like our boat]

THE LAST STAGE IN THE FABRICATING SHED

My next visit was on 30^th March. The steel-work was finished all but the final completion of the large back hatch and a few details - I had to remind Richard that we wanted the front cabin doors half-glazed. It was the first time I'd been able to see "in the flesh" how my idea for a demi-semi-trad stern was coming along (see middle picture in the bottom row). It seems to work!

Painting had begun. On the morning I visited they'd finished rubbing down the undercoat and were about to start applying the first gloss coat.

My next visit was due to be in about ten days time, for the launch.