Saturday 28-November-2017 is Sculptor's 82nd birthday

Sculptor - a boat built by boat builders rather than a boat built by ship builders - and so much more elegant for that.

Sculptor is a 'Star' class boat named for the Sculptor Constellation
Sculptor on ITV Anglia - 22-September-2014
Sculptor on BBC Look East 16-October-2014
Sculptor on Narrowboatworld

Monday 25 August 2014

A 'Red Letter' day for Blisworth

Sculptor at the Red Wheel event (RWW)
I need to back track a little first.

Mike Gardner finished off the electrics on 19-August and then stripped the lagging off the exhaust prior to rubbing it down and painting it with a suitable paint.  Next time Mike comes he will re-lag the exhaust with the lagging recently purchased from Midland Chandlers.

The VIPs at the Red Wheel event
On Friday 22-August (30th anniversary of the reopening of the Blisworth tunnel) the tunnel was awarded a Red Wheel by the Transport Trust.  Stoke Bruerne Boat Co provided a trip through the tunnel for the VIPs whilst Rob Westlake and Kathryn took Sculptor up to the forge (where the Red Wheel is positioned) to add to the atmosphere.

It was a wonderful event with the Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire (David Laing), the president of the Transport Trust the Hon Sir William McAlpine BT, CRT Head of Heritage Dr Nigel Crowe  and various other people (about 50 in total) watched the unveiling and then headed to the museum green for tea, cake and biscuits.

Sculptor was taken down to the A508 and winded by Steve Dean and Kathryn on the Saturday morning.


Volunteer hours 12 (total 369 to date).

Saturday 2 August 2014

Electrics Update

Mike Gardner beavered away yesterday (Friday) with the electrics and made some excellent progress (helped a little by his goafer - Kathryn).

The fuse box is in and working but not everything is connected but the bilge pump now works from a switch just behind what I understand is called the Castle panel on the right hand side of the steering position.

There are two switches on the back of the 'Castle' panel which face forward.  The top one is the headlight (not yet connected), the second one is not yet connected; the bilge pump is on the square switch just above the top cupboard on the right hand side.  There's no need to switch the battery isolator switch on to use the bilge pump - it is wired in such a way as to not need the isolator switch being in the 'On' position.

On the fuse box the top fuse on the left hand side when looking at the fuse box has a blue fuse and operates the bilge pump, the next fuse down is red (trying to maintain the correct colours!) and operates the headlight (when the wiring is finished).

Well done Mike.

A note from Mike (head electrickery man) as follows:

Head Light - Switch on right hand side of cabin entrance
Bilge Pump - Square switch inside cabin below cupboard
Socket Outlet - Below Bilge Pump Switch ( 10Amp only for low power appliances )
Over Bed Light - Switch in Cabin bed area adjacent forward / reverse rod.


An update from Mike as follows:


Just to let you know that the electrical installation is now complete and tested and commissioned . I had headlight , cabin light and bilge pump running simultaneously yesterday and nothing went bang and no fish got electrocuted !

All we need is a few 12 volt Bus bulbs as we currently have only one for cabin. We also need a 12 volt car type bulb for engine room light fitting as this a smaller diameter bayonet fitting than the cabin ones. Some spares would be handy too. I can source them if you wish.

All that remains to be done on the wiring front is to make and fit a timber panel under the bed base by the side of the drawer to contain and protect the cables and connector blocks where they pass through the bulk head to engine room. I have the dimensions and some spare MDF so will make it up at home , hopefully on Friday so I can fit next week.



Next job then will be to sort out the exhaust with the new collar and insulation .

Volunteer hours 31 (total 357 to date).