Heading out of the river onto the Middle Level, I was able to test the boat at a range of speeds. I was pleased that she handles well and steers a straight course when you let go of the tiller. I was also pleased that even at higher speeds (for a narrowboat), she produces little bow wave and no stern wake at all.
For a maiden voyage, it was really quite uneventful - everything worked as it should. I took the boat to Floods Ferry, about an hour away, turned and came back.
The next job I got on with was the framework for the engine room walkway. For months, I've been stumbling over wobbly concrete blocks, so it will be great to get this bit of floor finished.
The floor is made in sections, to allow access to the bilge and starter batteries.
Today, the plumbers arrived to commission the cooker. After me answering lots of questions about the installation, they were able to get on with installing a fire valve and the fuel connections. With the electricity connected, they were soon able to do a test run on the cooker burner.
Success! The burner fired up and the cooker started to heat. After a bit of tweaking, it was declared operational. The cooker is remarkable - it runs on diesel and after about 10 minutes, you could boil a kettle. After 20 minutes, you could be roasting in the oven. It also gives off a lovely cosy warmth.
Getting the cooker working is a massive step towards having a usable boat!
