A float on Miracle - 20ft narrowboat

Yeah I'll split some wood for you!

that was a type-o.. i meant does anyone want some wood (so we can save buy buying in bulk).
HOWEVER I'm happy to have any help spitting wood, or finding it or cutting it. Splittting via "split o matic" if fucking ace and really easy.

You have Narrow boat! Great stuff.

This mildew problem is most likely caused by condensation which in turn is caused by the warm air inside your boat coming into contact with a cold steel hull. Running a heater constantly and installing fans will only ever provide a mediocre and band-aid solution to what will be a constant menace. What I am about to suggest would be a long term solution but you need to cover the entire inside of the hull with some kind of insulation and a vapour barrier.

I don't have a boating backgroud but I work in the construction industry and the same problem you have happens in old uninsulated houses with solid brick walls. Infact, the idea of insulation combined with vapour barriers is probably one of the least understood concepts within construction.

On my travels I have found an amazing insulation that is flexible, thin (around 10mm) and outperforms everything else by a factor of better than 5:1 for insulation performance. Link here:

http://www.proctorgroup.com/products/thermal-insulation/spacetherm

It's not cheap compared with other insulations but given you will have a relatively small area to cover the cost wouldn't be too extortionate. It also resists mould growth. Above the insulation layer you need a vapour barrier - basically a plastic sheet fully sealed and taped everywhere to prevent the water vapour suspended in the warm air inside your boat coming into contact with the insulation (which is not air tight) and in turn the hull and condensing on the hulls inner surface and creating a wet zone under the insulation.

If you wanted to try this concept first without spending much cash you could use regular frost blanket - flexible foam sheet used for protecting newly poured concrete in winter from freezing whilst setting - available from most builders merchants. Even using this stuff you will see an immediate improvement.

Pm me if you want.

^ sounds like good advice. What kind of finish would you use over such a treatment? Or would it look a bit internally lagged?

you can and would put whatever you like over the top - timber most likely being a boat. I should add this would be a big undertaking, but can be done section by section which is the only realistic option given Jacqui is living in it. Apart from sorting the mildew issues it will make the boat noticeably warmer and reduce heating costs. Any other Steel sections above the water line will also benefit - in fact the outside air temp may be colder than the water temp at times.

I do not know how these insulations are affected by large quantities of water - i.e. a leak situation.

Spray foam insulation is often used on the inside of steel hulls for insulation. My folk's humberkeel has it throughout, and it is generally warm and toasty inside.

just be aware that many insulation types are now banned on boats due to their flammability, and will fail a boat safety certificate with them fitted (and hence be unable to get insurance).
the spray foam stuff is the standard and it is fire retardant also.

i think most stuff now is fire resistant but just thought to double check when getting stuff from builders merchants which is designed for other uses.

hey hoonz, I would love to do what you said on my next boat. Miracle is already insulated with Rock wool, not the best for damp but I do think that I was living on her with no means of drying anything, only a gas burner which actually ADDS moisture to the air was the main issue. She was mildew free for 20 odd years before my adventure... it was my bad. I've a lovely little burner now so I hope that's all behind me.

Dec 5.
Witches Ware and Lights.

I was starting to get very unsure about the boating world when i was sick last week and this week. It's hard to feel positive when you feel in over your head and useless to boot.

But right now, I am feeling pretty positive.

Paddy sorted half of my lights today. (eh, in geek that means tripple the amount of visability for 1/2 of the watts used from just one of my old lights - pretty cool, right?)

It's 7.30pm and I am sitting in a much brighter, cosy boat. I'm airing my foam mattress. It has recovered signifigantly from the first time. having learned my lesson all the cushions are now on daily rotation and heating rota. So long as I remain vigilant I'm fairly confident that I won't have this issue again.

I do blame most of it on the three weeks of sleeping here without any heating.

I have a few days wood in the store and although I know I need more, I have a plan.

Mostly, tonight I am watching my new Canadian made Eco Fan as it humms along quietly pushing warm air into the rest of Miracle. Surprisingly this is filling me with a YAY CANADA feeling each time I look at it.

The irony of owning this little fan tickles me. It is from 90 mins away from my home but has come half way around the world via Ware (?) to become mine. It was made in Wireton, which up until the invention of the Eco Fan, only claim to fame was Wireton Willy, a ground hog who each year forcasts whether we'll have early spring or suffer longer; sound familliar? The movie GROUNDHOG DAY was based on Wireton.

In short, its brilliant.

Thing finally seem to be coming to a close here.

*I am so relieved. *

Wedneday, my new and beautifully painted top hatch will be installed. I anticipate my Calor arriving Thursday by which time, my flue and "witches hat" (thats the conical lid thingy that keeps rain out of the flue) and new steel toed boots should have also arrived.

The last thing I need is the wood; but like I said, I have a plan.

Back when I was a kid living in a country cottage with wood burners we used to get all of our wood for free from a repro furniture factory called Period Oak Reproductions. Their scrap bits were free to anyone who saved them the bother of taking it away

Hackney's got a lot of furniture factories hasn't it? Perhaps you can come to a similar arrangement with someone.

It used to have a lot of furniture factories. I don't think that there are many left.

^^^^ you will struggle to get on the feed out of a factory like that, as oil/gas/coal prices just keep going up more people are turning to wood. Anyone anywhere in the UK who has wood waste, no longer has to pay to take it away, people will happily que up for it!

Up here I forage for offcuts from forestry operations, they leave some bits & the flak to rott down to feed new growth etc, but where they load them onto wagons the machines leave hundreds of 2" to 30" discs of wood (mostly evergreen, but increasingly often, deciduous). evergreen's aren't great for burning as you need to season the hell out of them, and they tar up the stove & chim much more quickly. But its free and PLENTIFUL! Often even after I've been back to a location more times than I need to, I've barely made a dent in the piles of junk they leave :)

There is some well seasoned ash down the river from a tree surgery that's been left. When I mentioned buying wood, Gavin specifically warned against it. He said it often wasn't very good. He's been foraging for 3 years, sucessfully.

I'm going to buy wood, I've decided. I'll take my chances. I've found someone who has a cubic meter of seasoned ash and oak. It's all cut to size as well, which is a huge bonus in my mind. I can't even imagine how scary using a band saw would be for some one as clumsy as myself.

I wouldn't worry about running a bandsaw, regardless of how clumsy you are! My dad gave me a free run of his wood collection and bandsaw when I was ten, and I knocked up pretty realistic Uzis for all my mates so we could raid and re-raid the Libyan Embassy throughout that Summer.
Cut the wood in big chunks and those pinkies don't need to go anywhere near the whirry blade!

if you need a supply of kindling,look out for businesses that package things for overseas shipping in wooden crates.i`ve been getting some locally,and sharing it along our moorings for years now.they generally cut it to size as well.
are you enjoying the wind?all my lamps,pots and pans are swinging around and clanging.lovely:)

@beardie, Miracle and I are being tossed about quite a bit right now!! This morning the wind took my 2/3 empty milk and my 2/3 empty wine bottle and donated them to the lee.

Today I cut loads of mahogany from the wood pile scrap heap. i felt really bad cutting up all these lovely frames that were discarded BUT DAMN I'm really clear on the difference hard and soft wood make in the burner right now. It's roasting in here for the first time in a week or more and I am LOVING IT.

My boat is now complete. So friday I'll be making my way down the river. First though I am going to cut as much of that mahogany framing up as I can and stock pile it.

My boat is now complete. .

This is WIN.

a good supply of free wood,and boat ready to go,sounds like you've cracked it!

Yup!!

I wouldn't worry about running a bandsaw, regardless of how clumsy you are! !

Luci, I smashed the prespex with the saw 3 times today. I got tons of dirty looks from both Paddy and Al, I'm terrified of the table saw and I sucked at it. I have to buy them a new prespex sheet too. . . but the wood I cut is awesome.

There's nothing like a roaring fire to brighten the mood :)

Oh Jacqui...

facepalm

At least you're not maimed!

Be careful out there, and whatever you do, don't start doing Canadian Goose impressions...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16158610

^that was just hippy

they were talking about that at the dock yard. Crocs are cold blooded, i don't think they could survive in britian.

Woah hang on a minute... who hates tea???