Baxter Boatyard

This week we've been blacking Jules Fuels boats 'Bletchley & 'Lactodorum'. we both have fond memories of 'Bletchley' from when Pete Hawker owned it for 27yrs. Beck remembers her niece, Molly having a swing Pete had made her in the hold...Bob's memories...I made that dent! Beck told Molly 'Bletchley' was here and she said her book about farmyard animals was probably still in the wall as Daddy couldn't get it out....

Bob's challenge....to make a new hatch on a boat which, like many, is not square.

Just a thought...how many of you have seen your boat out of the water and know where any steps have been put on the hull to help you get out of the water if you fell in? This one has 3.

You can see this one!

Ha Ha! Just a hint of the other boat....that's all they're getting!

We'd like to show you more on the current paint job......but if we do the owners of the boats won't get the full impact when they come to collect their boats so.......just can't do it.

Undercoats going on...

Todays progress...

Painting season once again. Interesting how the sign writing had stained through to the undercoats of the last job.

Just to wish you all a Happy Easter! We are open our usual hours. 9-5 Friday, 10-4pm Saturday, closed Sunday, 11- 5pm Monday.

We've had a few boats which have needed a bit of overplating, recently. So here's some pics of Bob re-plating at the bow. Signed off by surveyor, Trevor Whitling. Very happy customer, too. Rust beneath the rubbing strakes (guard rails). New plates welded onto both sides, new strakes added, anodes, black. All good.

Baxter, with his colour co-ordinated ball, overseeing the maintenance to Cosgrove Narrowboats...

Bobs boat update. He's been hard at it, removing the curve from the cabin (whilst keeping the beading strip to re-bend), made a deck for the bow, cratch (using part of the old front door), painted the steelwork on the inside, moved ballast, re fabricated a doorway & painted the outside with some leftover blue....

Happy New Year everyone! So, you may have thought we'd had a nice, relaxing 'holiday'.....or....Bob chopped his boat up! All back in the water by the 7th Jan, phew! It's still on going with the 'small improvements'. We'll keep you posted...

Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy Christmas! Thank you to all our customers. Enjoy a bit of boating if you get the chance. Bob & Beck.

Yay! Dock now has doors at both ends so we should be able to control temperature etc more easily now. Well done Bob!

So, Bob can't keep still for 2 minutes without considering how he can improve the place....He's right,again....New doors on the dry dock will help us to create a better temperature, control humidity (with the de-humidifiers- also new this year), keep out the weather & Spring catkin fluff in the middle of re-painting boats (which has not caused any stress at all in the past....). Also gives him a chance to practice welding.