Home sweet home - part 35

Hello pals. Well we have moved again! Atlantis is now moored it what we hope will be her home for the next year at least. The funny fing about it is it is where we started off in 2010! 

Here we are heading off up the river to our new home, under our own steam I might add! This is view from the port side (the left). If you wants to remember that port is left, we use a little phrase - no port left (as in the drink). 

Here's the view from the starboard side. Not much in it I guess!

Here's our little tender following along behind.

 

Here's some pals helping us more up in our new exciting surrounds. The view is not great, but at least we know we can do all the noisy messy work and no-one will complain. We also are able to get on and off when we like and don't need the tender any more. Bet we can get a few quid for that!

Dad moves her into her new spot, nice and slow. You can't see it but mum is waiting wiv fenders (in this case some classy large tyres) to fend off from the wall.

A neighbour in the dock over the way. A Loyal Class Fleet Tender having some work done.

A view from astern.

Our new gangway across to land. I'm summoning up the courage to go first.

Nope! Decided to send mum over first so I could make sure it would hold me weight ;). Seems ok.

Here she is safely moored up in her new home. We have shut up shop for the winter and waiting for Spring. Dad will then finish off the wheelhouse inside and out (think I've said that before) and there is talk of a new galley and bathroom for 2013.

Well it's been slow progress for the last few years as you can tell but 2013 looks to be fun. Not least of all because dad has another slave helper in the form of his son!

Thi has been Lexie, signing off for now.

I know wot you dun last summer - part 34

Hello ma pals! I fort I give you a summin up of 2012 and get you in da mood for 2013 when we'll be doin more work on Atlantis again! Yes, I know is 2013 already but we gots to wait for Spring before commencin wiv any of dat!

We didn't get as much done on our lady as we ad oped, mainly because of her still bein stuck in the middle of the river! Well, all that has changed now and we has a new moorin up-river where we can get on and off wifout too much trubble now.

Mum an dad decided not much to be done so we spent most time on board gettin the engine in tip top shape for the move and sprucin her up a bit wif some paint!  Here's a pic of the starboard main deck wiv a nice coat of erm ... well .. battleship grey! 

Bein on the uvva side of the river wif no real piles to moor up again (ooh err obviously) so sometimes we was avin a bit of an angle goin on! As you can see dad demonstratin very well ere:

Hmm more lovely paintin by the mum .. on the port side this time. Err sooooo ... more battleship grey then! 

Oooo ere's mum undercoating ... wif .. yes you guess it, battleship grey, wiv a top coat of battleship grey!! Heehee, maybe she tryin to match her hair colour *runs under table*.

Course there's nuffink like a sunbathe on the deck. Even I managed to get involved wiv the paintin! Yep, you guessed it! Battleship Grey is the new look for Borders! heehee.

It is me or is it hot our there! I fink I'll just close my eyes and fink about how much I love battleship grey paint! Av you seen the mess in ere mum!!? Do you like my dog flap?

Looks like someone found the white and blue paint then! Makes a nice change ;).

Because it's a challenge to get on and off Atlantis, we were spending weekends on board. This mum's little stock cupboard (coz we ain't got no galley - aka kitchen - yet) but that is on da list for 2013! Mum very excited about that! Ahhh bless, look at her little cupboard heehee.

Looks like mum is tryin to sneak off downstairs probably for a lay down! I'm watchin er!

When the tide goes out, it really goes! Then we is on board for da night. Even if we wanted to get off we cuddnt. So best not run out of ma dog food or there be trububble!

Hmmmm our lovely cosy (half finished) bedroom. Nice place to relax. It's below decks too so nice and cool in the summer. Room for all free of us heehee.

Relaxin as night falls over the river. I'm cosy on my sofa thank you! We as a little radio wot we can play for entertainment and dad has rigged up batteries so we as some power to run the lights. 

Well, that's a little update on our Summer last year. More about our trip to Scotland and a few pics in our new moorin next time. Bye!

Wordless Wednesday: Lexie in Wonderland

I found a cake ... it said "EAT ME" ..................

Waiting for news - part 33

The last two years has been very slow progress for Atlantis but we are lookin forward to 2013 an the work ahead. Mum say the nearer we get to the end, the harder it seems to get.

Because dad is such an accommodatin man when the landlord asked if we'd move our boat again so they could do work on another boat that would only fit in our mooring, he said ok.

So Atlantis was moved across the river to our old mooring. This meant we had to use a little boat to get to her each time. An we could only go when the tides was right! Oh what a palaver! Very nice on a warm, sunny day but not so nice in the rain and wind!

Dad prefers the gondola approach to rowing - must be his mediterranean blood! heehee

She can look a long way away when you are waiting for the tide to come in. We would tend to leave as soon as we could so we could have maximum time aboard!

I could always av a cool-off on da way over and swim to Atlantis. All part of ma olympic training you see?

Hmmm how dus we gonna get on board? I fink the ladder is in the wrong place!

Phew dussnt worry pals, we got a couple of barges to help us climb over. Course, this requires timin and waiting for the tide. Dad says the one fing he really lookin forward to when we gets settled in the Med is no tides .. or mud!!

I dus ma security checks once we is on board. I fink somfink been hanging around the crane! Smells a bit birdy. I got the feelin they bin nestin around ere!

The neighbours were quiet anyway! heehee I fink dat is wot they calls a fixer-upper opportunity!!

Chillaxin on board on the sofa. It's hard work all this boat conversion stuff you know! A girl has to rest, especially in the heat.

Mum an dad painted the wheelhouse this day. It was a bootiful day, lovely and warm, perfect for painting. The sunset was glorious that night. We took this photo from the riverbank as the sun set.

Course, I had to have a dip! Well, I wouldn't be me if I didn't av a quick swim would I? Any opportunity I says!

Quick ride home in the car. I remember it bein very ot, so dad let me have a windy ride home. That is out of the window, not from ma bum! I has ma harness on for safety ere as you will notice.

Mum an dad was findin it difficult to lift me up onto the barges so ma old life jacket made an appearance. I fink it might of shrunk! Portadog!

Pfftttt. See you next time pals .. when Atlantis gets a new coat of paint ready for her move to Fullbridge.

Shine on you crazy diamond

I've lost my friend Marley. He's gone over the bridge. He was everyfink to us and made everyone laugh, wifout exception. A true gent and a wonderful kind hearted pal. He is irreplaceable.

Here is a photo of Marley wot mum took back in April 2011 when he did us the great honour of coming to Borderfest.

Ahem .. now ... I may have been a little Lexibal to him. I can't possibly comment but I know he didn' t mind, he was above all that sort of high emotion wimmins fings! heehee.

I can't even begin to tell you what was so wonderful about Marley. Everyfink! He was very considerate pal and always asking after you and making sure everyone was all right even when suffering imself!

I know times is tough and money is tight these days but I fort it would be nice if we all made a donashun to one of his favourite charities wot is dear to all our hearts - namely - Terrier Rescue. I've made  a donashun in his name and I'd be blessed if you would fink about doing the same. Even only £1 or $1. Here's the linky to the site:

http://www.terrierrescue.co.uk/?page_id=2028%22

All you has to dus is click the Paypal linky and donate your sum. Doesn't forget to say is for Marley so they can keep tabs on how much we raise in Marley's name.

Marley, shine on my sweet pal, shine on. Oh an sorry I was lexibal at Borderfest!

Love you
Lexie xxxx

On the move again - part 32

Ello! Is me .. Lexie! We are almost caught up on da bloggy now. I fort I just add a few snaps of Atlantis before she ended up being stuck in the middle of the river for 18 munfs! pffttt which we not appy about but fings are about to change. I will tell you more about that next time.

Well we finally got our moorin (only to be moved out of it again but that is annuva story) Ere me checkin everyfink okey dokey on da port side. All seems all right. I see that puddle is still there *tsk* just can't get the staff eh?

Dad relaxin on his luxury seatin on da back deck, enjoying a coffee and contemplatin his next move ;).

Not sure if I like this view. All we can see is a shed. What appened to the river?

Relaxin in the bedroom what was once a fish-hold! I like layin on the bed but it's quite high up. 

This is the steel for our new bulwarks (that is the low wall wot goes round the deck of the boat in case you was wondering). It's surprisingly comfy on there you know.

Dad building our new storage cupboard. it will be accessed only from the back deck and he will put annuva door in the wheelhouse at the back and one at the side.

Comedy spanner (yay!!). Believe it or not that is not the biggest spanner on the boat! We had one twice that size but it fell in the bilge ;).

Atlantis's original plante from Holland showing where and when she was built!

How she looked after a lick of paint following her trip up from Kent.

A view of the river and the dry dock.

Me and ma ball!

Check out ma access plank!

Not sure I like it!

Mmmm .... sunpuddle

Is dad sunbathing too? heehee -- no he's erm ... actually I am not sure what he is doing!

Running in the park nearby

My what a big bow you have! heehee

A photo of the other side of the river .. if only we'd know that was where we'd end up for quite some time.

Noms .... now!

Tune in next time when I will update you wiv the lastest pictures of Atlantis and news on the future -- wot shall remain a sekrit til then!

Ta-ta!