A quick reassurance that we survived storm Eunice – we were touched to have messages asking if we are ok so I thought letting you know via the blog was the easiest way to do this. More importantly I hope everyone reading this was not too affected by the storm. Via our home road WhatsApp group I realise there were power cuts to contend with and I heard that quite a few trees fell, one very tragically killing a young man from a nearby town. I am always struck by the power of devastation that the weather can reek and then how quickly the storm passess, the rain or snow ceases and the sun comes out, the sky turns blue and all is calm once again. Yet the aftermath of the inclement weather can change lives permanently and in an instant nothing is ever the same.
So as I write this the rain is pouring down outside but the wind has died down and the boat gently rocks. Yesterday, my third and final day of preparing the water tank for painting (managed to fill two carrier bags of rust from the inside of the tank!), we then rinsed the surfaces with clean water and have to wait for the cavity to dry out. We put an oil filled radiator inside the tank overnight to help with this but during the afternoon we made great use of the wind by opening the fabric bow sides of Naomhòg and air drying the cavity. The only downside was the noise – it was very unsettling hearing the constant howling of the wind. It especially unnerved R as it reminded him of the days when he was landlord of a light industrial site with some pre fab buildings dating back to just after the war. He was always anxious as to how they would survive the inclement weather and how many roofs he would have to fix at the end of a storm!
Today we were going to start the process of painting the tank, firstly with the anti rust coating. By the time we had finished reading the instructions we decided to wait for drier weather and for a clear couple of days so that we can get all the coats applied together. I keep waking up at night anxious about the task ahead. Part A and Part B of the resin needs to be mixed together thoroughly but fast because once mixed there is a window of about 20-30 minutes to apply the coating before it hardens. It’s one thing moving around a small cavity knowing you can touch the sides and get covered in rust. It’s quite another working out how to work fast without touching sides that are now wet with drying epoxy resin. You have to be a bit of a contortionist. For once I wish I was even smaller than I am or had an accomplice who likes painting and is under 5ft!
We’ve entertained, or should I say educated ourselves this week by watching a four part series on BBC iPlayer called ‘The Victim’ (2019) which we found thought provoking but also a little unsettling. I am also in the process of reading a book about the life of a German man called Dietrich Bonhoeffer, which is heavy going but well worth persevering with partly as it explains the history of WWII from a German perspective. It is also helping me to understand where the persecution of the Jews originated from, something that I always found baffling.
Peace – the rain has stopped so I can venture forth to the shower block! Alternatively I could probably get just as wet by putting on my swimming costume and standing in the rain as more is forecast later! Even the sun is now shining – so British, when there’s not alot to say to end up talking about the weather!
NarrowboatTLC 