NB Hazel Grace - Grace goes Boating

NB Hazel Grace - Grace goes Boating Narrowboat Hazel Grace - Grace goes Boating is a record for family, friends and those who come along for the ride.

18/05/2022

It’s been a while since we posted, so a quick update. NBHG is sat in Crick Marina. We have been out on her three times for a few days each time. We are still trying to get used to her, and I would not say she is the easiest boat to handle.

Anyway we have footage of the launch and our fist trip out and a walkthrough which we will edit and post a few snippets before uploading them on YouTube.

We are also aboard when the show is on, so looking forward to that trip, though Grace is not exactly good on a lead in generally so she will be murder in crowds. Hoping she will get tired and calm down.

25/11/2021

Well, the morning will bring handover and final payment for narrowboat Hazel Grace, and we will load her up with the heavy stuff, leaving a car load left for Friday. It appears that the transport is almost sorted, the only hurdle being craning her off at Crick. Because the haulage company is not known at Crick they need copies of all relevant paperwork for the crane and driver, which hopefully will get sorted before she gets there. If not she will have to stay on the lorry until the paperwork and risk assessments are completed, which is in our interest as much as the marinas, so fingers crossed.

19/11/2021

Been a bit quite but I'm happy to announce that the waiting game is almost over. The long awaited hatches arrived about a week ago and are fitted. Wednesday next week is I guess handover day as we will be paying the last instalment when we go over. That just leaves launch day and that depends on when the hauliers can move her...

We are trying to set it up for Thursday 25th and are waiting for confirmation, but unless it comes tomorrow I'm not hopeful, but will be pleasantly surprised if it does go ahead next week. It will be a bright and early start whatever day it happens as we have to get things onboard before she leaves the yard. So all I have to do is get everything over to Nottingham Wednesday, about two car loads just for the essentials and a third car load the day we move her.

13/10/2021

Ok lets have a quick update.....

Been over to the boat a couple of times this week, with my step father and his partner in crime who are doing the sign writing, really want to show you the picture I took but it's not finished yet and so you will have to wait until next week.

Still waiting for the Houdini hatches to arrive, which is really annoying, they are in the country, but I guess they are stuck at the docks like everything else in the world. Apart from that she's almost ready, just the shower screen to fit, which is going to be the last job and the hydraulic hoses to the bow thruster.

Today the 14/10/21, she is being moved from the work shed into the open, I thought about driving over and watching her being craned but I have been over twice this week and back again on Monday so I'm giving it a miss. The important moment will be the day she gets lowered into the water.

Monday most of the sign writing will be done and we will be in day light so a good photo opportunity there I think. So check back with us next week.

Quick trip over to the boat today to pick up a colour sample for the sign writing. The upper part of the painting is co...
15/09/2021

Quick trip over to the boat today to pick up a colour sample for the sign writing. The upper part of the painting is complete and the windows have gone in, glass and doors still to go in the side hatch.
The bit below the gunnels will be painted the dark green over the next couple of weeks, 3 coats about 9 days work.

The other wall of the shower was finished and all the kitchen cupboard doors are on which I must say looks really nice. Gas work completed and tested for the cooker, and the diesel stove should be fitted soon, they are just waiting for the bubble flue to arrive.

The real reason for going today was to drop off Roddy's birthday present that arrived from Germany on Monday. He does not know what it is yet and I have told him he will have to wait because it's going to be delayed at customs 😁 He's going to love it when he see's it, oh and you will have to wait until that update to find out what it is.

Ok this epic build time is starting to smell of the end, the boat will have to come out of the shed in about two weeks as there is another boat waiting to go in. I suspect that a fair bit of the remaining work will finished by then, there is really only the engine to drop in, the stove to fit and the last bit of painting. The biggest problem is the Houdini hatches, that could still take another 3-4 weeks to get here.... 😠

04/09/2021

Another month has almost past by and we are still moving on slowly.

Master cabin complete, bathroom nearly complete, just the shower screen to go in and some cosmetic work. Dinette/saloon finished apart from window trim and the stove flue. Galley just needs a few doors fitting when the temporary steps are removed and a bit of trim needed.

Outside we show the last of the base coats on the sides, you now get to see the colour scheme, the cream coach line is covered in masking tape so it looks yellow. Final coat of paint is going on as we speak, but then I think I have said that before :)

The two things that are holding us up are the engine bay, that has now had all the hydraulics fitted and the actual engine will be craned in to the bay in the next two weeks.

The second thing still missing are the Houdini hatches, still waiting for them to come with no date of arrival yet.

All being well we should be finished at the end of this month, and hopefully Roddy's birthday present will arrive in a couple of weeks and I will be able to show you that on the next update.

09/08/2021

Quick update.
Well a few more weeks have passed and we are still waiting for launch day.

Well after the wait for the suppliers of the engine hydraulics to send specs and installation paperwork, we can now say that an engineer has been over to plan out the engine bay and to sort out what brackets and fixings that will be required to fit the hydraulics etc.

I know that this week will see the final coat of paint on the boat, so looking forward to seeing that, but you will have to wait until launch day.

The Houdini hatches are still missing, I am told that they have been sourced and we are just waiting for them to come from abroad, India to be precise. They are coming curtesy of another bigger boat builder who has a bulk order, so we are grateful to them for that. Covid has caused the delay for the Houdini hatches and thankfully they have been the only major delay due to epidemic.

We are going over again in about 10 days time to measure up for the signwriting, so I will have a few more pictures then all being well. The design for the name has been chosen and is probably not what anybody is expecting, it's quite old fashioned and should stand out nicely. So excited to show you all, but that's another one for launch day, so you will have to wait and see.

Looking at the cost of steel the other day we are glad that we had the hull built last year, steel has almost doubled in price.

Anyway enough said for today we will catch up with you in about 10 days with more pics and a bit of an update I hope on handover and launch day.

A quick visit to the boat yesterday as we headed off to Ikea. No real surprise that it won't be ready at the end of Jul...
23/07/2021

A quick visit to the boat yesterday as we headed off to Ikea. No real surprise that it won't be ready at the end of July. Did not take a lot of pictures but have added a few.

Seen the paint finish on parts of the boat, but we are going to keep that under wraps until launch day, when the boat is in full day light.

No luck with ordering two Houdini hatches which come from India, they are in short supply due to covid. That said, the fitters have been in contact with a wide beam builder/fitter who has promised us a couple from their order when they arrive from India.

The specs have arrived for the engine and hydraulics at last, so an engineer is going over on the 27th, to plan the engine bay and to look at what fittings need to be manufactured for the install.

So realistically we are looking mid to late August before launch.

Had a trip a couple of weeks back to see the boat, coming along nicely. Wondering how they are going to get all the wor...
20/07/2021

Had a trip a couple of weeks back to see the boat, coming along nicely. Wondering how they are going to get all the work done before the end of the month, but we shall see in a couple of days when we go back for another visit, hopefully I will take a few more photos than I did last time.

10th of June and a visit to NB Hazel Grace, slow but sure progress and I suspect the interior will be almost finished in...
10/06/2021

10th of June and a visit to NB Hazel Grace, slow but sure progress and I suspect the interior will be almost finished in three or four weeks time.

The major headache at this time is the hydraulics for the bow thruster and propulsion. The fitters have had to have a few discussions with the hydraulic company with issues regarding the parts sent. It seems to have be a problem regarding the supplier and I believe they have agreed to rectify the issue at there cost. This may be an issue with our end of July deadline, but fingers crossed we should be good.

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