Ella Outside

On 2nd February we went to see Ella again.  We were very excited to see that she had been moved from the workshop to a space in the yard.  She now has the undercoat on and the first of the blacking for the hull.  It is possible now to get a better view of her length and depth.

Ella

The boarding is covering where the windows will be and the doors in the bow will be wooden with glazed panels in order to let in as much light as possible.

Ella's Stern

This is the semi-traditional stern on Ella.  It is a compromise between the traditional stern and the cruiser stern style narrow boat.  It has an extended deck which provides both shelter and storage.  It also has more room, thereby allowing two or more people to be with the person steering the boat.  The engine compartment is still outside the main accommodation of the boat and is easily accessible via the deck boards just in front of the tiller.

Ella's Interior

Inside the boat so far the tongue and groove oak roofing has been put in place.  Holes have been left through out the boat for wiring for LED lighting and the Houdini hatch and pigeon box. The houdini hatch will be above the galley and allows a good degree of ventilation and light whilst cooking. The pigeon box is again for condensation, but is also a decorative feature on the roofline and will be decorated in traditional canalboat style.

Site of the houdini hatch.

Stepping inside Ella!!

On 19th January we were allowed to step inside Ella for the first time.  It was very exciting to be able to stand inside the space that will eventually become our second home.

Insulation on the gunwhales.

This is the interior of the boat showing the insulation being attached to the gunwhales.  The batons across the boat are there to allow the adhesive to dry.

Mark

Daniel

Here are part of the team working on Ella, they have been working on her since the start and will see the work through until she is finished and in the water.

Another Daniel

 An important consideration for me is that I have a clear and uninterrupted view along the top of the boat when we are cruising.  Being of less than average height it can be a problem if the deck is too low or the roof too high.  I have spent many hours standing on a step, with the added problem of falling off!!!!

View along the roof.

As you can see here, I have a clear view along the roof with plenty of height to spare!

Two seats at the rear of the boat.

Sometimes, if the weather is good and the cruising is quiet and straight forward, there is nothing better than sitting at the rear of the boat and watching the world go by....slowly!

Insulation

The whole of the interior of the boat is insulated with this foam insulation.  It is placed against the steel and then the wooden interior is attached to it.  The depth of the insulation means that the boat will stay nice and warm during the colder months and help to keep the interior cool during the warmer months.

Storage for gas bottles.

At the front of the boat there is space to store 2 gas bottles.  It is always a good idea to carry a spare bottle of gas so that you can change it over when the bottle runs out.  We find that the gas bottle always runs out in the middle of the night or during a deluge of rain.  Ella will only use gas for the cooker, as we have chosen for the central heating to run off the diesel.











On our next visit, Ella will be outside the workshop with its undercoat of paint on and its first coat of blacking on the hull.