31st August 2013

Well this week has had mixed feelings. The excitement of seeing our boat and concerns about the build.

We came home last Saturday and had ideas, oh dear changes, well only slightly! With the EU wanting to change the duty on red diesel to full road rate, even on the proportion you use for heating and generating electricity, we'd been considering having a diesel tank solely for the heating. But it's looking likely that you won't be able to even buy red diesel if they get their way. So Mick spent time last weekend looking at alternatives, maybe a gas boiler. A few years ago we had a fortnight on a hire boat that had gas heating and we got through gas quite quickly as it was chilly.

But when we were out on Winding Down in March we had the stove going all the time and just occasionally used the heating . Boy it was cold outside, but toasty inside. So our thought is to go for an Alde boiler 3010 which can also be run off electric if we are hooked up. Just need to find somewhere for it. So on Thursday evening we sent Richard info about the boiler and our thoughts on the windows ready for when the cabin sides are done. Our email passed his in the ether as he was sending us an invoice for the next stage payment.


Mick last Saturday had asked if there was anything unique about the hull that we were shown that meant that it was definitely Oleanna. But at that stage there wasn't, the Brompton locker was their normal size. So after receiving the invoice Mick asked if they could show us that the locker had been enlarged or any other sign that meant it was Oleanna before we sent them the next wadge of money.

After a pleasant evening out with a friend in York last night we got on the train to come home and Mick checked his emails. There were two from Richard with photos. The first photos were of the Brompton locker which is now bigger and the others were of the weed hatch where they have welded my name onto it. Well Richard said Leckenby was easier to weld than Geraghty, but they have got my initials the wrong way round!
It actually says M & P Leckenby, so Mick is now Mr Leckenby. We were ecstatic and the other people on the train thought we were a bit strange as we guffawed and grinned at the photos.Yep that is our boat, we have been reassured that all is as it should be and Micks concerns have gone away.

So this morning payment 2A has been made. They have split the payments down, each into three, so that we are handing over smaller amounts at a time also helping with their cash flow.

We are happy even though our chimney stack on the house is having to be repaired by a builder who requires fewer cups of tea than Ron does as he brought his own mug, but they are three times the size!