Things are really happening now!

On Friday 22 March, we made the trek to Leicester to see the latest progress on Muleless.

The first thing we noticed as we drove through the gates was that Muleless was moored outside!

After a quick cuppa in the office with Martin discussing the build we were desperate to climb aboard and see the progress - we were not disappointed!

The ash at the bottom and cream wall and roof panels are coming along nicely! Martin had tacked up the oak trim so that we could see the full effect.

The workmate in the picture is positioned to represent the far end of the dinette.

The view in the other direction shows the "dinette" and galley.

The galley is still at the template stage, but everything is fitting in nicely.

Looking through to the walk through shower room - the calorifier will fit next to the shower, with cupboards above.

Despite the freezing conditions, we had to stand on the stern to take advantage of the magnificent view of the roof - this time complete with hatch!

We left the yard with instructions to choose our tiles, worktop, sinks, taps, kitchen appliances etc - phew!!!

We spent the rest of the weekend, and this weekend doing as we were told!!!

Things have already started arriving at the boat yard, so we cant wait to see it all next week.

This boating lark is exhausting!!

All systems go!!

At last, after putting the house up for sale in January 2012, and agreeing an offer at the end of September 2012, We have finally sold the house!

On a very damp and rainy, but not cold, Friday 8 March we moved out of our house and into a flat – stage 1 of downsizing to live on the boat.

The house sale was a long drawn out affair, the sale chain collapsed twice – the second time just days before exchange was due in December!

We were lucky that the third time round the sale chain had shortened to just three houses and all seemed to be going to schedule, but again various hiccups at the last minute left us thinking that exchange which had been due on 22 February was not going to happen! We were right – last minute negotiations with the new buyers of the bottom house in the chain meant that paperwork was not ready for that day.

We were told that everything would be sorted for Tuesday 26^th, so I went out flat hunting! As we were only looking to rent, I couldn’t start looking until exchange was imminent!

Whilst out flat hunting on the 26^th (anticipating exchange that day) a phone call from the solicitor dashed our hopes as the document signing by the bottom buyers wouldn’t be until too late in the day to exchange!

With completion still set as 8 March, things were getting tight to arrange a flat to move into, and we had to decide whether to move the date and whether to put a deposit on the lovely flat I had just seen.

The letting agent was extremely understanding and helpful, so not even knowing if the sale was definitely going to happen (well, we had been let down so many times already), we bit the bullet and put a deposit down.

True to form, on Wednesday morning the solicitor rang to say that cleared funds were not available from the bottom buyers, and they had to wait for them to arrive, so the exchange might not happen until Friday! By this stage we were pulling our hair out! Would we be able to move in to the flat with only 1 weeks notice – or should we move completion yet again!

Just as total despair was setting in, at about 2pm our solicitor rang to say the funds had cleared and exchange could go ahead and were we still happy to complete on 8 March!

I almost screamed down the phone at the poor man! YES – just get it done! At last, no turning back, no changing dates – oh god, just a lot of organising and arranging to move. I phoned Gary at work and virtually yelled down the phone before he had chance to say hello – ITS HAPPENED – WE HAVE EXCHANGED!!! 

So this is it, no more going slow on the boat build. We have been so lucky that MGM have been so understanding, and although they have been working on other boats at their yard, they have not had another new boat to build, so ours can now be put into full time build.

So on Saturday 9 March, with the flat still in chaos and boxes everywhere, we just had to visit MGM to see Muleless and discuss the way forward with Martin.

We had visited on 9 February, but as the only change at that point had been the bulkheads being in place, we hadn’t updated the blog – so here are those pictures.

Bedroom – looking to stern and utility room.

Bedroom – looking to bow and bathroom.

Bathroom – looking to bow and galley.

 Looking to stern saloon, dinette, and galley to bathroom.

This visit the windows had been fitted to make the boat watertight in case the house sale had stalled again and we hadn’t had chance to see them yet, so were really excited – and we weren’t disappointed.

We have chosen Caldwell double glazed windows and are very pleased with them.

And a couple more pictures of the paint work.

Now we will be visiting the boat fortnightly – as such a lot will be happening and so many decisions have to be made.

The plan is for Gary to retire from work and for us to move onto the boat within 6 months, so keep checking back to see our progress.

Looking Good

Due to the house sale fiasco (long story - details later), we decided to take a well earned break to Scotland for a week.

When we booked it, the weather had been stable - but by the time we left the snow had arrived!

We left home at 7am on Friday 18 Jan just as the blizzard hit the south coast. We slithered up to Oxford with the snow, and then luckily started to get in front of it.

We had decided to drop in to MGM on the way to check on progress (just a small detour!)

At Leicester there had only been a small flurry of snow that day, but Muleless still caught some, as she has been moved back into the poly tunnel whilst another boat was in the paint shed.

The colours are just as we had imagined - we are very pleased with the work so far.

There is still work being done, but you can see she is coming along nicely.



We then left Leicester and made the rest of our journey to Scotland without seeing any more snow until just past Stirling.

We were lucky to make it to our accommodation in Aberfeldy, as we then got caught in the blizzard that started a week of almost continuous snow.

This was the view from our front door when we looked out next morning!

We did manage to get the car parked outside, but it kept disappearing under a snow blanket!
So mostly we just walked.

Luckily the nearest distillery was only a mile and a half away - any easy walk!

When it was time to leave, on Friday 25 January, we were again caught in a blizzard as we drove towards Stirling!

But once we passed into England, although the snow was on the fields, the roads were clear.

By 8pm the M6 through Lanarkshire was a different story and had been closed due to heavy snow!

We had a really lucky escape - by then we were safely home in Gosport - having seen no more snow!

The Start of the Paint Job!

During a christmas visit to family, we found time to pop over the MGM to see how Muleless was coming along. Martin kindly popped over just to show us round, as the yard was closed for xmas.

Most of the lineout has been completed now.

Mark has been busy painting. All the cream bits have been done - the roof . . .

the stern deck area . . .

the bow deck area . . .

the coach line areas . . .

and the bow flashes.

It is so nice to see the grey disappearing!

The next time we visit Muleless should be in her full colours!!!

Coming along slowly

On Friday 7 December we drove up to MGM to check on progress.

The spray foaming had been completed and as the river levels had dropped Muleless has now been moved into the floating dock/paint shed that had just been vacated.

At last we can visit and see Muleless in the water as she should be!

Spray foam complete and lineout started - looking to rear of boat.

Looking to front of boat - note full height door through to lowered well deck.

Outside, you can see the non slip surface has been added to the roof, ready to be painted over.

We spent some time going round the boat with Mark from MGM discussing the colour scheme. Muleless will be burgundy, black and cream.

And at long last, we were able to get a proper look at our bespoke pigeon boxes that Nick Thorpe built for us - we hadnt been able to see the roof of the boat very well whilst she was out of the water!

We will pop up to MGM again over Christmas to see how the painting is coming along.

In the meantime, hope everyone out there has a very merry christmas and happy new year and no-one gets washed away in floods (or frozen in if the weather suddenly changes!).

See you next year!!

Nearly washed away!!

Sorry for the delay in updates - house sale/moving is playing on our minds at the moment, as we almost had a moving day - but not quite!!!

Anyway, back on Saturday 24 November, we drove up to MGM to see how Muleless was doing.

She had been booked for sprayfoaming on the 23rd, but this had to be changed to the 26th at the last minute, so there wasnt quite so much to look at as we had expected.

The engine bay has been painted - and looks huge at the moment.

Pipes have been fitted under the floor, and wires for electrical points put into place.

The wiring for the 12volt lights have been run along the ceiling.

All the ballast is in and the floor is laid.

Muleless was still on the slipway - due to the floodwaters on the River Soar at the time. The water had started to recede but you can see on the picture below how high it got!

Much higher and she might have floated off!

Here are some pictures of the river showing the level then - just imagine what it would have been like at the peak!!

The spray foaming has now been completed, Martin from MGM took some pictures for us - so when we have those I will post them.  Muleless was also able to move into the floating dock after the river level dropped, so at least the next time we see her she will be in the water as she should be!!

We are now working towards the house sale completing after Christmas, so at least we can relax a bit now, and we should manage another visit to MGM before Christmas.

She is afloat! - but not for long!

At 10 am on Tuesday 6 November we arrived at MGB Boats in Thurmaston, to see our boat shell arrive.

The crane arrived and set up ready.

Although people had been warned of a boat being craned in there were still quite a few cars around.

At 11.30 we had the call from the driver that he was in the village, so we rushed out to the road to get the first glimpse, and of course, it had to start raining.

The entrance to MGM's yard is down a narrow lane, so the driver first has to maneuvre the vehicle so he can drive straight into it. This he does by reversing down the road to the industrial estate opposite the lane.

Then, when he has lined himself up, and waited for a gap in the traffic, off he goes!

Whilst I was behind the lorry, Gary was in front - so between us we documented this momentous occasion!

You could really tell that the driver had done this before! Not one brick was disturbed, but several branches were pushed aside - but weren't big enough to need chopping back first.

We were glad when he emerged into the open and lined himself up by the crane.

Then, after the fastest journey that Muleless will ever take, she also had to fly!!

Up ...

up ...

and away!

Then she was flown over the fence and lowered down into the water!

After a bit of maneuvering away from the mud, the straps were removed - and she was floating on her own!

As you can see, the rain had not let up - in fact it just got harder!

The next phase was to move her around to the poly tunnel, so Gary joined Rachel and Mark on board to "punt" her around. Of course this was not going to be easy as the flow from the river, although helping to begin with, would hinder later.

MGM Boatyard is on an "island", so having gone down river to start with, then a tricky turning at the end to go up river back towards the poly tunnel. Here of course the river flow really did not help!

Momentarily stuck during the turn

Struggling against the flow!

Eventually the bow was at the entrance to the poly tunnel.

Then it was just the "easy job" of getting the stern around (against the flow) to line up fully!

Then she was pulled up and out of the water into the poly tunnel.

And of course, once she was under cover and the hard work was done - it stopped raining! By now everyone was soaked!

There are a couple of jobs to do before she can be moved into the floating dock to be fitted out. There hadn't been time for a second coat of blacking before she was moved from Nick Thorpes yard, and also the prop has to be fitted, which is easier here.

In two weeks time she will be moved into the floating dock when it has been relinquished by the previous occupant! Various other jobs can be started whilst she is waiting in the tunnel such as painting the engine bay, ballasting and battening out, so she wont be idle!!!