Fun on the farm last week…
…with the help of this bad boy.
A total of seven lifts scheduled, the sequence carefully planned and starting with a move for none other than…
…the little boat.
Here goes…
Up…
up…
around…
and away…
To her new spot…
And John wasn’t at all worried…
As you can see from his relaxed demeanour.
Space now…
…for two narrows to be inserted.
First…
Over…
And down.
Next up…
Not without a scary moment…
But on the ground…
Safe and sound.
One for the back of the truck…
…and away to the field.
It was getting late as the dutch barge was lifted…
The full moon showed up…
Here she comes…
Pretty eh?
A wide beam was due out too but was getting dark…
And cold.
So the fat boat slept in the slip and BB headed for Hobo and the removals were completed the next day.
Thirsty work…
The little boat is now shored up…
In her new, bigger, more open spot. With garden…
And – allegedly – the best blackberries for miles around.
There’s now lots of grinding and scraping going on and many new faces about. It’s good to get to know these new folk, all with their own stories, and watch the progress made on the boats.
In two or three weeks the crane will be back to lift in those who are heading off – back to their former lives or, in some cases, pastures new.
Which has concentrated John’s mind somewhat. As in trying to get the little boat to a stage where it will be ready for the water, thus sharing the cost of the crane-in. This mainly involves making sure the hull is watertight and the engine runs.
He’s almost there with the exhaust now…
Just needs to connect up inside.
Ideally would like to get a coat or two of paint on and fit the lovely old rope he’s sourced, by way of a bumper strip. Thinking this will look the business.
Everything else can be done when she’s afloat – assuming she does float. Indeed will probably be a better way to work on the interior; only then will we really know how she sits and therefore how stuff needs to be. She looks level as she sits on the hard but, judging from the ghost of the waterline that can be seen, it will be a very different picture when afloat: the sharp end will sit way up in the air while the stern lies low in the water…
A bit like this, only more so. We think.
You may remember that some time ago we invited suggestions for a new name for the little boat here. Thanks to all those who offered alternatives, even if we never really made a decision.
I, for no real reason, googled her original name the other day and was asked if I’d like the page to be translated. I said yes and what do you know…the Dutch Ijsvogel translates to Kingfisher, which we didn’t know – but like – so seems we’ll be sticking with that.
In English or Dutch?
I favour one language on one side and the other on the other but we shall see. It’s all up to the John of course – as is whether or not she’s ready for the splash when the time comes. There’s a bit to do before then and, when one has to go out to work, time may be tight.
John is keen to get her in the water though. And what a day that will be..!
PS: For the plane spotters among you, this is a McDonnell Douglas MD11F…
Bought and upgraded by Boeing.
The farm is under Stansted’s flightpath and we always know when one of these cargo planes, often FedEx, is coming as they are very low and noisy hand-flown and have a very distinctive sound. Screechy I’d call it.
Boatbird
Boatbird 
The name makes sense – Kingfisher Blue. Quite exciting to find out whether she will actually float and become a useful vessel. Keep the instalments coming.
Yes,isn’t it!
And I will – all to be recorded here, come what may…..