230. Diamonds, Blacking and illumination on the Narrowboat

[@quebot1111]

Wow. I like it. All of it inside and out

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Cheers - it’s getting there - one coat at a time

[@stephenglendenning1475]

It lok nice and make great 👍have a good week be safe at work. From the Glendenning family kitchener Ontario Canada Thank you 😊

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Thanks Stephen - hope you guys are all well 👍🏼

[@shanegreen2583]

Nice touch with the Perspex. Centre piece to the origins of the boat

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yep - good talking point too about her journey

[@GavinMorris1]

Looks beautiful.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Thanks 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@aj_bovangles_adventures4430]

Excellent choice of pud 👌

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Oh it was. It really was. Actually the best thing I did today was order that pud

[@paulhallissey676]

A single small green triangle within the each cream triangle would look lovely, bit more colour and vibrant..just putting it out there...

[@stevearchtoe7039]

Nice to see that bilge working.

[@RagtimeMikeinSD]

Basement wine and beer cooler night light. The latest in below floor storage.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yep that would work - I’ll need some rests for them so they don’t roll about in transit

[@DesdomonaChild]

Hi, Ive been following your vlogs for last few weeks. So impressed with how you cope with all the skills needed for your fantastic project. Please keep well and all the best in your mission for completion x

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Thanks so much - hope you are well - keep watching - good to have you on board 👍🏼

[@kevinfarrell5778]

Will look superb when all the illumination is finished ..great idea james well done m8..👍👍🍻🍻

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Cheers Kevin. The engine is next to be illuminated !!

[@rlt422]

I LOVE how the paint job is coming together! Looks really good!

[@robg3545]

Love that perspex floor panel, it'll look great once its tideid up down there. You could have a model narrowboat painted as Sloe Patrol in there, sailing along on the hull of the boat ! If the perspex scuffs with foot traffic, you could try a thinner pane of toughened glass over the top.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Now that’s an idea !!! Like it !!

[@sarkybugger5009]

Agreed. That Perspex is going to get scratched to hell in no time flat. Warm white lights would look better, too, or LED strip.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

@@sarkybugger5009 No. There is one rule of Sloe Patrol. “Don’t touch the f’ing Perspex”

[@sarkybugger5009]

@@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt Glass won't scratch as easily... Trust me, I pretend to be a Doctor on the internet. ;o)

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

@@sarkybugger5009 LOL!!

[@glennpeters7384]

Hi james I'm liking the diamonds mate looks really good. The perspex with the light in is a nice feature. The blacking is coming on.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Cheers Glenn - progress was made today - glad you like my illuminated show galley beer cooler

[@soomay9855]

The pleasure & excitement in your voice was palpable when the panel was illuminated, so lovely to hear. It looked like there were stars twinkling off the blacking under the Perspex I especially like that, hope that effect won’t be lost if you put more lights under it. Yup, the diamonds look great you were absolutely right. Good work James, very well done 👏🏻👏🏻

[@weasleizerc4739]

keep up the good work

[@suecox2308]

Diamonds are a boy's best friend--nicely done James. She's looking lovely. I love the idea of the light-up transparent panel--very Studio 54! Throw some glitter down there when you paint the space!

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Glitter!! Yes Sue - excellent shout !!

[@suecox2308]

@@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt On further thought, leaving it au naturel would give it a slightly creepy, priests' hole vibe. Very handy for Halloween and Guy Fawkes such. ;-)

[@sa9861]

@@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt Nah, no, n Nyet to the Glitter - I’m still picking up stuff from 5 yrs ago lol

[@peterblakey576]

Looking Good James. As for the engine lever it would be very simple to move it to the side. The lever needs cutting down below the deck and another pole welding or linked to it and a channel made into your new deck. This will support the lever from being slack. Then a couple of brackets to support underneath the deck and it will work perfectly. I have seen this done and it is simple and wouldn't break the bank to do. Enjoying your build mate. Looking forward to seeing you back in the water sailing along the canals. You've done a great job and luckily you've had a good boat yard to help you along the way. Look forward to the next one. All the best 👍

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

good up date on the boat stay safe lee

[@rubberdc]

The perspex block was an excellent stroke of design genius James ! plus it puts your mind at ease .

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

That was my thinking - glad you like it

[@alanglass8161]

The new wine cellar.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Defo

[@loisthenarrowboat221]

looking good my friend..

[@gary.lee.galbusera.butcher]

That inspection port looks fantastic and adds a nice talking point. Have you considered using either some of the space available inside it as a wine chiller, or maybe you could use the others you plan to install as cool larders! The bow doors are looking great with the cream decoration... so now you might become known as 'Diamond Geezer!' Bling on James and have fun!

[@johnklenzak1001]

James, have you considered putting a bilge pump float switch in the bilge that would turn on when water got into the bilge? I have one on my fiberglass boat. The float switch transfers whenever the water get more than 1" and the pump pumps all of the water out. I hear the pump turning on and off and I know to check the bilge to see what is happening.

[@stewartrogers494]

Also a baby blue in the gunnel with sea shells and starfish would appear asteticly pleasing to the eye ....S

[@AndyJenkins999]

Looks great mate. Aside from the visual checks and given your worry about water ingress, would it be worth considering some form of small bilge alarm slid in under that low point section out of sight of course? Love the diamonds. Cheers

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yes I’ll be putting water alarms everywhere mate !! Thanks - glad you like the diamonds

[@floatybyboaty]

Hi James, Someone may have already commented, but why not use the perspex Offcuts to support the main lid?. This way you won't see the wooden supports.

[@Andy_Bailey]

Row of your colour change led strips on the underside of the 4 edges would look great and not visible from above. All these fancy lights you’re gonna need to get Alexa turning them on for you 😉

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

OMG that’s a damn good idea. Although the bilge would need to be white to benefit from colour range

[@crudburgerwithfries3614]

@@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt Or a lava lamp on its side maybe? Would be like having an ever changing illuminated spirit level

[@Andy_Bailey]

@@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt yeah would def enhance the brightness of the colours, but if a subtle glow is all you want it might be fine black. Worth a look/try. Boat is coming along nicely shame things like work keep getting in the way of it.

[@simondalton1298]

James the Perspex floor is awesome.

[@philrusling4617]

Nice one mate. Shame it didn't work out with the engine guy.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Cheers Phil - these things happen 👍🏼👍🏼

[@JourneysByNarrowboat]

Hi James, recently discovered your channel and enjoying watching your progress. Regarding the gear lever, have you thought about swapping the gearbox for a LH150? Many Lister owners do with good success. Nice job with the overplate too. One thing to be aware of when the boat goes back in the water, which im sure the yard is aware of is the height of the water in the weed hatch. Many surveyors now like to see 6inches from water level to top of the hatch. Brilliant Vlogs btw.

[@maxmillion7007]

On the other floor "windows", even if you had to leave ballast in, seeing bricks lit up inside the floor would still look cool, I think. As for the one you have just done... once the blacking is done, a bottle of Sloe Gin on display in the floor. (full or empty is optional.. hehe)

[@MarcelEling]

It looks like new

[@sarkybugger5009]

Hi James. Pointy end is looking good. Arse end (engine bay) wants to be white, or a light grey, and well lit. You know it makes sense. As suggested by Rob G, replace the Perspex with toughened glass, and some of that coloured LED strip. All the best, mate. Drive safe.

[@brianrees3697]

Love the floor light, but have you thought of putting something like you see a piece of kitchen work top with sparkly pieces in to give it that extra sparkle all you will have to do is just place it inside no fixing. Your NB is looking great

[@garyiles3755]

Maybe a couple of table tennis balls dropped into the bilge. They will roll to the lowest part of the bilge but if water ever gets into the bilge you will see them bobbing around.

[@lewismeyer4452]

The Lister SL2 engine is 9.5hp engine @ 2000 rpm. Its upgraded cousin is the SR2. A slightly larger bore (same stroke) and ran at a higher (2,500 rpm) to produce 15.5hp. Does your engine have an identification number stamped on it? Typically connected to a SL3 or LM100 gearbox with or without reduction gears.

[@Transit_Biker]

Got some bee gees going on there, i see.. :D

[@chazzyb8660]

Re: Ben, ouch! The pump out of the engine bay, double-ouch! That was quite a lot of water. The diamond detail, nice. Definitely better at towpath level, than duck eye level! Blacking, "Proper Job". Transparent floor 'hatch' excellent. Maybe put in some goldfish?

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

I think the time to have fish in the bilge is behind us now thank goodness !!

[@chazzyb8660]

I was thinking a plastic one! My parents lived on a 'house boat' outside Loughborough when they got married. They claimed the could see fish swimming under the loo, but they may have been pulling my leg, hmm.

[@NarrowboatWill]

That perspex is a great idea sir James

[@DEmma1972]

A moisture sensor in the bilge that turned the light on might be useful. I still think the black square 'windows' would look awesome as triangles

[@markphillips2076]

Different colours under the perspex? How about green, yellow and red indicating the seriousness of the water level? A bit like CRT river levels.. 😁

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Haha!! Maybe different colours - I’ll try them and see how it looks

[@marinussnijder7941]

Excellent inspection Window, you could put something in there to entertain your daughters like a tresure maybe, no halloween stuf 😱 The dimonds are Looking great, it is a creatieve challenge to stand out and Keeping it traditional at the same time👍

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

I really wanted to get something traditional on the bow and for it to somehow look ok - glad you think it does 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@stevemumbling7720]

Could you make up a steel cable control to your gearbox? That way you could have a much smaller control lever mounted pretty much anywhere you like.

[@lucillefuller7820]

Hi James have you not got any sacraficel anodes for your boat

[@markoevo]

i would have to put a white skeleton sticker under that

[@jamesdecross1035]

I was expecting cream and green diamonds, as per some suggestions.

[@letsbefrank6269]

Hi James, the lintel above the diamond door, will that stay red or perhaps painted cream?

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

It will need to stay red otherwise there isn’t enough red on the angles - it doesn’t look right

[@letsbefrank6269]

@@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt I wish I was there to give you a hand, especially as I’m in lockdown! Lol

[@sa9861]

Cool, very Cool James….. definitely worth waiting for. What’s that circular thingy on the upper-port bow - the Aussies will love that!

[@robinl.a.matheson1838]

Perhaps consider painting a card suit in each diamond? Club, Spade, Heart, Diamond?

[@PinkLittleElephant]

So what is "plan C" for the gear lever?

[@bivers4399]

How about Painting a fish onto the black so it looks like your looking into the water under the boat😁😁

[@choccysprinklies6030]

So glad you didn't go ahead with Ben Frost.. he's notorious for letting people down and he owes my friend several thousand for promised engine work, which never happened. He changes his company name regularly... lucky escape. Boat is looking fab btw 👌

[@ursfricker6634]

Attention pitting corrosion James did your experts explain the reason for the pitting corrosion?

[@davejarvis5279]

Hang on wasn't it John who said he knew "this guy" whilst having a beer in the RV so obviously something has happened or been said off camera!!

[@crudburgerwithfries3614]

This is what everyone is wanting to know

[@vicinglis3736]

@@crudburgerwithfries3614 ...agree. all a bit of a mystery !

[@randoneur]

I'll give no details, but if you frequent any of the narrowboat FB groups or forums, you'd know that Ben's reputation precedes him. I'm not saying there's anything in it or whether it's justified, but it won't take you more than 20 seconds searching the groups to see some history... He may be a genuinely likable, reliable guy, but as they say, "caveat emptor".

[@michaelbottomley2520]

Put some tiles in the hole

[@BatGuanno]

I would paint it silver to reflect the light better, after blacking it of Corse.

[@MsVanorak]

I feel confident now that the whole lot has been overplated. Otherwise you would have been patching it up ev ery couple of years or so and it just wouldn't have been any fun. But the perspex peep 'ole will add extra peace of mind.

[@TairnKA]

I just had a thought; why not add Chinese characters for Happiness, Prosperity, Good Luck, Long Life? On second thought, they would be too small to recognize what they are, let alone their meaning (if you understood Chinese).