319. My boat - the FULL TOUR! 

what happened to the Beaver plan?

I can see a couple of years of refit videos ahead. Very "boaty" indeed.

Is the boat youtube user "A little bit of alsorts" has, the doppelganger of your boat?

David, don’t fix cracking gel coat with epoxy. Even in the UK the Sun’s UV will cause epoxy to degrade and crumble. Use flow coat instead. Gel coat only cures properly in the absence of air. Flow coat is gel coat with wax added. The wax moves to the surface of the flow coat protecting it from air and allows it to cure. If you need to add an extra coating to flow coat sand of the wax first. You probably know all this and maybe when you mentioned gel epoxy you did not mean expect? Anyway hope this helps. 😊

These were hire boats originally, yes? Those bow rails are stainless mate, not aluminium and so are the ones amidships and on the stern. A cute little jigger but that ancient Honda would drive me nuts. I think I'd get a small electric outboard (8 to 10 HP should do for the canals), a couple of 200ah AGM batteries and a Honda 4-stroke genset + Vitron 30 amp charger to keep them charged. The little 1000-watt one (EU10i) should do it and be enough for your induction hotplate and a small microwave (just not both at once). They use maybe half a litre an hour, fuel-wise. And yes, I know that lot will cost what that boat may have but it's all stuff that is very resaleable and doesn't lose much value wise. For a water tank, get a flexible bladder as those will fit almost anywhere. Yes, those batteries are somewhat unsuitable for purpose, you really need deep cycle AGMs or the more expensive Lithium (which last many times longer and are 1/3 of the weight). At least one of the current ones appears to be an automotive starting battery. As Lorna will no doubt soon tell you, that fuel tank should not be in an enclosed cabin, that's a really bad idea as well as being against regulations. All petrol must be stored in a well-ventilated area and above deck level with a floor that does not drain to the bilge. If that does not apply to pleasure craft in the UK it damn well should (it most certainly does for commercial vessels.

That's extremely lovely of you to say; thank you :-)

One hundred per cent!!

He is wonderful and always a pleasure to watch. 👍

Amen to this

If the world was full of Davids....I suppose the price of tea and Cheddar might go up, but... what price peace?

Many thanks!

Thank you! 😊

Thank you!

@@CruisingTheCutit’s a great little cruiser and you have some work to do which I’m sure you will prioritise and manage to fix perfectly well👍👍

Thanks! 😃

Thanks so much!

Definitely a surprising number of naysayers in the comments but thankfully well outweighed by those like yourself who can see the positives! Thank you :-)

I'm just hoping for warmish weather so I can get on with refurbishment without freezing!

Or even across the Channel, might need a bigger engine though !

@@garrymartin6474somebody has crossed to france in a 501 which is smaller. Easy enough if weather is ok.

@@garrymartin6474 Microplus have a reputation for being tough little boats and, given some judicious repairs and a reasonable forecast, I wouldn't discount the possibility of a Channel crossing though I'm not sure I would chance my life on a 40 year old outboard, even if it is a Honda 🙂

Now that’s commitment 👍

Just check that Honda over, perhaps replace the impellor, check the right prop is on it for higher speed work... new spark plugs, oil and filter.... and away you go. (It's a Honda mate!_) @@jamesrichardson476

A disaster waiting to happen!!

@@CruisingTheCutNoooo a wonderful little project that puts you comfortably back on the water, whenever you wish 😊 Ooo I just realised, you could hire a trailer and tow this little one around to rivers and canals as well.

​@@Sally-nse2top suggestion !

You saved me organising my thoughts lol

a good point this.

Thank you, it's very gratifying to have someone appreciate the sponsorship which is money I'll need to re-do the boat! I suspect it'll have to be a petrol outboard though, for reasons of range.

@@CruisingTheCut If you are thinking of replacing the motor possibly a trolling motor would be better as they are tunned more for slow speeds.

glass boats condensate, heat and venting are essential

@@johnclapperton5556 Gosh, I was wracking my brain trying to remember the name of the motors built to run at slower speeds - thank you for filling in the blank ! 😄

​@@CruisingTheCut This is where you ("we") need the TV outfits, commercial for preference, to step in and offer you an eyewateringly ludicrous sum of cash to film you cobbling up the boat and advertising the products ... featuring yourself in the adverts as well as. A marine Barry Bucknell if you will ... and on MSM to boot. Perhaps you might consider/bite the arm off an approach from a supplier of lithium cells (the safe ones), together with an outboard trolling motor with control gear ... presuming you could get the range before recharging from shore power or topping up with solar. You wouldn't be pushing 15+ tons of steel after all said and done. And, possibly, a supplier of "stick on" solar panels which might not be affected by the heat of a hot tin roof sort of thing. And possibly one of those mad car detailing outfits for whom matching the yellow would be but a moment's work. And lets not forget an induction hob either. Will presume you won't be cruising with kids so the rear stateroom becomes a battery cupboard/utility room/"bathroom". Seriously, what TV outfit could refuse that?! Lastly, if Hugh FW can get Roku as a sponsor then yourself being an English Gentleman who practically baths in the stuff then it's practically a given you'll be the English Face of Roku amongst the salarymen! I wouldn't be surprised if you were obliged to tour Japan swigging Roku at every opportunity. I'd even go so far as to predict Twiggy will be Photo Shopped into the "Wave" together with a an obliging crane/heron on the side. Altogether another excellent episode "David san". Thanks again.

That's the plan!

Thanks 👍😀

Yes, that's exactly what I'll do with the electrics and water!

I'll take that info to the paint store ;-)

@@CruisingTheCut SIG!

Hang on - that stands for Spectrum is GREEN which is not only the wrong colour but the wrong series... Try FAB

Yes its a good colour match with Thunderbird 4 but I hope that is the only thing it as in common as T4 was meant to go underwater

When I've refurbished it. I reckon that'll be some time in 2026 given the current list of jobs 🤣

It's a bit baffling, isn't it?!

Cheers Chris!

@@CruisingTheCut also Nikki & Jason, S/V Curiosity, Winn's put those flexible solar panels on their new boat boat all over it too. I look stick too, check it out when you get a chance too. Yeah, those things are so neat too, have a great weekend & God bless you, Chris from Missouri

Awwww thank you 😊

I might wait til Spring when it's warmer so we'll have to warm some other way 🤣🤣🤣

Yes probably a good idea. You could do more book readings! 😊

There's so much to do! But you're right, it feels cosy but not cramped inside.

Thanks 👍 😀😀

Good info, thank you!

interesting, have a link?

Thank you very much!

Hahahahahaha that's exactly the kind of thing I was thinking of!!

Cheers

😀😀

I like that plan

Cheers. Yes, it's going to come out of the water and be worked on. Just a note though, CO alarms don't need to be placed high.

@@CruisingTheCut Glad you pointed out that the gas alarms do not need to be placed high. CO is heavier than air and will settle in the lower area first.

No, it isn't - it's almost exactly the same density as air and floats around just mixed in with air. You're likely thinking of propane / butane which are certainly heavier and need their alarms at the lowest point.

@@CruisingTheCut My mistake ,I was thinking of CO2, which is 53% denser than air. Or have I got that wrong as well?😃

Keep it!

You and me both!

Hahaha now that is going back a long way!!!

Definitely a project hahaha!!

On further thought since making this video, I agree with that suggestion and it's what I intend to do!

True!

I think that's certainly a good possibility...

Escape hatch should be easily opened in case of fire

Oh, it's an escape hatch 🤦‍♂️ That makes sense

Yes, i's definitely the case that the table forms part of the bed infill. I've seen those twist ones you mention, I'll try to get one.