We took "Hazel" out of service after Christmas to do some improvements. It was slow going to start with because of shortage of volunteers and me being a bit poorly. Nevertheless, Nessie got to work renewing the damaged floor in the kitchen. Danny renewed some of the cabinside in the back bedroom where it had been leaking. We refitted the stove that has a back boiler and I spent ages doing extra plumbing around it to get extra heat into the central heating (all the radiators actually get hot now).
Helen Sherry came up from Leicester to paint and signwrite the back cabin sides. I resealed the leaky window in the forward cabin.
Meanwhile new volunteer Tony Ellams has taken on sorting out the mess that was "Forget me Not". The engine 'ole is no longer repugnant and the rotting bulkheads have been repaired. Tony has sorted out the electrics so that we now have a reliable starter and alternator circuit and soon we'll have a proper headlight. I'm just starting to clear out the pigsty of a back cabin.
We've a new volunteer just started who wants to learn painting, he's been sorting out our paint stock, and throwing out lots of useless tins of paint.
At the shop we have several new volunteers too, so I no longer have to do the deliveries. I might even start having a regular day off soon.
In the last couple of weeks we've been painting inside and out. There will still be jobs unfinished by the time we set out for Lymm next week, but we're getting there. Things are definitely picking up after the last few years of getting by with a skeleton crew.
"Forget me Not" back cabin bulkhead stripped down.
New kitchen floor
Stove middle pipe being modified.
"Forget me Not" cabin bulkhead under repair.
New floor by stove. New stainless steel stove base on right.
