We lifted all the ballast blocks, cleaned up all the sawdust and sprayfoam dust (which would have held any water or damp down there, stopping it from evaporating off easily), then used a wire brush to clean up patches of rogue sprayfoam and rust. The base of the boat had been sprayed with a layer … Read more
Most narrowboats have a base of treated 18mm marine plywood laid across the boat’s steel transverse bearers or “ribs” as I like to refer to them. However, we’re all about longevity, sustainability, cost-saving, time-saving, materials reuse and insulation in our rebuild… a tall order! Firstly, let’s look at why we had to rebuild the floor … Read more
Once the floor was up and the cladding was off the bow wall, I could see the insulated stainless steel water tank in the alcove at the bow end. The ceiling and walls of the alcove were covered in spray foam insulation, but the floor had been left as bare metal, which was attracting condensation. … Read more
After the 400+ days trying to get Thames Solar Electric to do the right thing, at the end of 2022 we committed to stripping out the boat and refitting it ourselves. This presented a number of challenges; Funding The funding was secured from family, not something we’re happy about but it was the only way, … Read more
The full horror Buckle in for the ride as I describe a list of screw-ups normally only see on an episode of Rogue Traders. If you’re considering buying a boat from Thames Solar Electric I’d suggest you read this first, and then make your decision. To illustrate the faults and the repeated failure to fix … Read more
