A Black Bottom for Christmas

And dont she look good. A nice thick layer of bitumen all round. Its been a good year for Wildrose, and she has kept me fit doing it....

Going for a break for a couple of months now to get the workshop sorted and practice on some woodwork , that will be fun ha ha.....
wish I could remember how to use the router though, want to be able to cut out circles .... portholes.
I have to say that Utube has been great for finding out how to do stuff, hasn't failed me yet

"Come on Rosie, Light my Fire" ... said Wildrose on a cold and frosty morning

Now whilst the boys were doing the front deck, I was building up the hearth ready to fit the stove.....having looked a lots of others, I decided once again to do it my own way and so have had a go at a small version of the one I did at home .......... so here goes and wacha think?

Base plate is a non-combustable sheet resting on ballast and floor supports. On top is a layer of small 10x10x5 cms concrete brickets supporting two 2ftx1ft welsh slate floor tiles, left over from my kitchen and bathroom update ha ( I just knew they would fit in somewhere special)

And the sweetest little stove you ever did see, now fitted, what a treat to light it and feel the warmth ... mmmm

a bit of a milesone too and well celebrates this years efforts.......

And thats what I call proper central heating ha ha
and the rather large looking hearth will show its purpose when I try out a bit of griddled chicken, stir fry & jacket potato yum yum
but need a floor in first...arriving on monday...

Meanwhile -------- the smoke goes up the chimley just the same ... Howzat Ha

Arghhhhhh .. now I remember choking on the smoke when sailing with the fire lit....harrumph......We did get a taller chimney, but when I checked them out at a brilliant little chandlers at Compton, I found them to be too heavy for me (any chimney is too tall to get under the bridge at the entrance to Bumble Hole arm !!!!!, it was my job to stear whilst Jim removed the chimney and dodged the bridge !!! ....)

So this is a medium sized chimney and the reason why I intend to fit an exhaust gas heat exchanger to pump hot water round the boat when travelling ... yeh baby ya gotta be cosy, "its the law" said Jim.