You join us on the edge. On the edge of major change. On the edge of a major quadrennial event.
We are at last, after a long journey to get here, heading into dry dock tomorrow. We will cruise in, straps will be attached, water will be drained from underneath us, and the boat sides below the waterline will be cleaned and a protective coating will be applied to the hull to shield the steel below the waterline from rust, pitting or wear and tear.
We choose to have two pack epoxy (an epoxy resin and a hardener). This lasts longer than the traditional blacking with bitumen. Blacking lasts 2-3 years and two-pack epoxy can last between 5 and 10 years.
As we are being blacked in a dry dock that is enclosed on 3 sides we have made the decision not to spend more than one night aboard in the fumes. We have also opted for experts to conduct the blacking for us – that way if the weather causes delays in the blacking setting it doesn’t give us a problem.
We choose to have Preaux blacked quadrennially at the same time as the BSS – boat safety survey – which needs to happen every 4 years. We had sacrificial anodes replaced last time she was blacked and haven’t been in a marina since then so we should be fine with those we have.
The BSS has some people panicking. It’s a bit like an MOT. The boat has to demonstrate that it meets the minimum safety requirements before being allowed to moor or cruise on most of the Uk’s inland waterways. Insurance and the annual Canal and River Trust licence demand BSS certification details as do many marinas.
The Survey looks at how dangerous the boat is to others in terms of fire, explosion, carbon monoxide poisoning, electrocution or pollution risks. Examiners check batteries are secure, that gas systems are free of leaks (that’s fine for us – we got rid of gas onboard two years ago).
Talking of batteries- while the Skipper was on Mum duty this week our starter battery went flat and this is how Superman arrives to the rescue on the cut! Wonderful and now we have replaced that very elderly battery.
BSS examiners also check fire extinguishers – the Skipper has been checking ours for the right kind of extinguisher and that they are in date. Examiners check the carbon monoxide alarms – which we also check most weeks – and also monitor the ventilation across the boat. Battery isolators and electrical cables all get checked by examiners too.
While the examiner is doing the BSS he (in this instance) will also conduct a survey for the insurers who are requiring out of water surveys when a boat is over a certain age. Bless her, Preaux’s like us – getting older every year!
We think we’ve checked everything but on the day the BSS survey is happening we are likely to be a little twitchy until we get the call to say all is well. Last time we were caught out by the ventilation requirement but just removing the ventilation grills below the mushroom vents on the roof resolved that instantly.
We are going in early too as we managed to get here with our major detour going to Birmingham to circumvent lock closures and meet lock usage restrictions due to low water. Other boats haven’t made their slots, so we are heading in tomorrow, 10 days earlier than our original booking. That is a big bonus – we have gained an extra day’s holiday so after one night in the shadowy environs of the dry dock we are off to stay with friends in Derbyshire before heading to the North Yorkshire coast and a hired cottage. Boatdog had a seriously extreme and much needed hairdo this week so she is perfect for a lot of joyous beach running without bringing most of the sand back with her!
After plenty of inhaling sea air, it’s back to Derbyshire for a very special party for the Skipper before we return to Preaux and begin to work out where we can head with water levels and winter works. That should demand attendance at the Dept of Beer and Social Affairs.
As far as the insurance survey and the BSS and the blacking – will they all happen without issue?
Watch this space for another week!
