New Ceiling, Decks and more....

Amo Barge - Ash Ceiling

 Work continued inside and out this week. A new Ash ceiling was completed giving the main cabin a solid bright feel. 

The old ceiling wasn't in bad condition, but looked a bit tatty when viewed against the new Mahogany seating and lower walls. So the main cabin area was re-clad with 8 x 4 feet Ash veneered plywood sheets.

Mahogany Trim 

Throughout the barge there is a lot of trim required to tie in ceilings to walls, corners and any small gaps. About 40 meters of trim in total. For most of this 19mm mahogany slips are being used. For the ceiling 45mm slips were used to give extra strength ensuring that it keeps its curved shape.

12 volt Fuse Board

Good progress has been made on the 12 volt electric system. Throughout its 23 year life various add-on's were made to the electric system and and we had to go through a process of checking every wire to determine its use and compliance with safety. I am very fortunate to have Ray, skipper of the Celtic Count, looking after this. His attention to detail and safety is second to none. About half of the old wires were removed and a new 12 volt fuse board installed. The Amo will also be wired for 220 volt sockets, but all essential systems will operate off a 12 volt battery bank.

Bow Deck Seating

Back Deck

Outside work is also ongoing and this week we replaced to old hatches and seating on the stern and bow decks. The old wood had lasted pretty well, but after 23 years it was time to renew. We used marine plywood that has been given 2 coats of primer to protect them from the elements and they will be painted to tie in with the overall exterior colour scheme.

Hull painting

The hull has been blackened down to the waterline. We are 4 days by canal from the nearest dry dock so it wont be possible to do the whole hull this year. The hull was surveyed last year using an ultra-sound sensor to determine the steel thickness. The hull is in excellent condition and is a testament to the standard and quality of craftsmanship of the original boat builder, Dartline UK. The pic shows a blow-torch been used to get it completely dry at the waterline to ensure adhesion.