Narrowboat Gladys in her true colour at last! My 3rd visit to Aintree Boats, February 2024
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.พ. 2024
- Monday 12th February 2024:
This was my third visit to Aintree Boats, and the first since Gladys was moved inside - into the fit-out area. Great to see her again, and she's looking gorgeous in her bright red paint - which contrasts nicely with the matt black of the hull.
Nice to see some progress inside the boat since I last went in November too. Still no firm idea of a completion date but I plan on going there again in 4 to 6 weeks and will continue to pester Aintree Boats for updates. It's all very frustrating - I mean, having to wait for her to be finished, so I can FINALLY get onto the canals. But other owners / buyers are in the same 'boat' there too, so that's some consolation. I'll update you when I have more news, of course.
So, do enjoy the video and please think of subscribing if you haven't yet - I'm inching closer to 600 subscribers now, but my goal is to reach the magic 1,000 figure! And many thanks to those who have already subscribed - you're wonderful - stay with me!
Thanks for watching,
Jeff
By the way, if you do enjoy the video, then please consider subscribing - it really helps me to grow the channel!
You can see more of my videos, including my journeys along the canals, and of my Brompton bike at:
/ @gladysthenarrowboat - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Hi Jeff, thanks for the update on Gladys. looking good so far, like you can't wait to see the
finished job.
Thanks again and as always take care and stay safe.😉
Cheers John. Yeah, she's gonna look tremendous after the final coat, coach-lining and sign-writing have been done. Thanks as always for the comment 👍😊
Gladys is going to be very smart and a gorgeous colour. Will be the worth the wait!
Thanks Sally!!! Glad you approve of the colour 👍
The red and the black colors of Gladys are looking quite fine 😊. I’m sure the interior will be finished quite soon 🤞❤🤞
Thanks Angela. Yes, they contrast really well and I am so glad I stuck with this red colour... at one point a few months ago, I had changed my mind, for a darker red, but upon reflection, changed my mind back to the brighter shade she is now in! Oh and yes, please do keep those fingers crossed! 😊
Liking the colour Jeff, and the video of course!
Thanks Cheryl! It'll look even nicer once the final coat of glossy paint is on! The signwriter is hoping to visit Aintree Boats very soon, so he can get on with writing the name then. 👍😊
Hi Jeff, thanks for the update on Gladys, like you I would have expected more progress to date. Looks like Aintree Boats may be a bit under resourced ? I suppose it it a sign of the times and a lot of boatyards will be in the same boat 🙄 Hopefully your next visit will be less disappointing for you Jeff and the final build will justify the wait 🤞
Thanks Iain. Yeah, it was a little disappointing - perhaps mostly due to the paint having been sanded down. I wanted to see her nice and shiny! From what Ive heard, the end product is very good, but it seems that having to wait longer than hoped, is usual with Aintree Boats 😒
Love the colours Jeff. Red and black work well together I had a car like that once. Also it’s start to look like a narrow boat very exciting.
Thanks Gerald 👍Yes, red and black go together really well. It's actually a very similar colour to my car - by coincidence!
It is worth it in the end Jeff. Our completion date was Nov 22, delivered August 23, but we're really happy with it and looking forward to getting out and about
Thanks Helen, thats nice of you to tell me! A few others have also said they've been pleased with their boat after having a longer wait than promised . Fingers crossed we get a decent summer and maybe I'll see you when we're both out and about! 😊
Great choice of colours Jeff, looks great ❤️
Thanks so much Liv👍!
Fantastic video Jeff! Love the red
Thanks Jon! Yes, so do I!!😊
Gladys is looking great, love the colour. Considering how many boats they're building I think she's coming along nicely.
I think in the absence of a fixed date for completion I'd rather wait patiently as if a job is rushed things go badly wrong.
Thanks Annie! Yes, patience is the name of the game! 😊
Hi Jeff, thanks for the update I've found it and I have subscribed to your channel. Boat looking good 👍
Brilliant! Yes, I can't wait to see her in the finished paintwork with her name on! Thank you for subscribing Simon! I publish a new video each Saturday morning - sadly this week's won't be anything to do with narrowboats - but hopefully you'll take a look (mind you, it's a load of old rubbish mostly!) 😊
@Gladysthenarrowboat Hi Jeff, you couldn't be more wrong.😁Thanks for the updates, I will look forward to your next vlog as they call it these days🙂 Plus us beetle boat owners must stick together and bounce off ideas and places of interest to boot.👍
Thanks Simon!😊 I started the vlog about a year ago, believing that Gladys was only about 6 months away from completion... but with the delays, have had to broaden my horizons and make videos of lots of other stuff, not just canals - but have walked/cycled along several canals over the last 12 months. Looking forward to taking Gladys on them! Thanks again - much appreciated. And you're right, we must stick together!👍
Hi Jeff, I sense your frustration but the wait will be worth it and she's coming along nicely albeit slowly. However, you can be sure of a high quality build, I'm sure. So is the delay caused by just a case of a limited workforce, or is it just that they have so many boats to be working on at the same time? It does look like their order book is in fine fettle. Anyway, the interior is looking really good even in it's unfinished state and you've definitely made a good choice with the colour as others have said in the comments. We enjoyed the video as always Jeff and looking forward to the updates 👍 Take care mate.
Hi Dave, thanks as always for commenting 👍My sense is that their business model is to take on more work than they can reasonably cope with further down the line. Building the hulls, (or shells as they are sometimes called), seems to be no problem - but that's when everything slows down. I have been contacted by a number of people whose boats are also up there, in various stages of build. The finished boats are by all accounts, worth the wait, so that's a consolation! Cheers 😊
When you’re standing on the ground and tap the stern, there’s an arc of steel welding to the deck. What is its purpose; is it functional outside or stiffening for something inside?
Excellent question DC. I'm not sure.
I don't think its stiffening - when I have a minute I'll mail Aintree and ask them - there's bound to be a specific purpose!
Hi DC, I asked Aintree Boats and the answer is that this is where they will fit the diesel cap. They haven't cut out the hole yet in the steel. Oddly enough, I hadn't even noticed the lack of a diesel cap - even though I mentioned the water filler cap in the video (at the front of the boat)!
@@Gladysthenarrowboat- Thank you. Great choice of colour.
Thanks DC - yes I am very happy that I chose that colour 👍
Hi Jeff,
Do be patient with Aintree as they do good work and in the end you will be pleased with things.
Why did you go with a 40 footer and why the name Gladys? Do you plan to live on her full time and will you be a continuous cruiser?
Mark
Alberta, Canada
Hi Mark, thanks for the comment and thank you for subscribing too! Well, Gladys was my mother's name - she never liked the name actually, but I wanted something a bit different and it seems kind of fitting somehow. There are only a few other Gladys's on the canals, so she'll be fairly unique.
Why 40 feet? Well, initially I was looking for a 2nd hand boat around 45 feet, but there was so much competition that I never got to see any nice ones before someone else had got there and snapped it up. I had seen Beetles when we were on hire boat holidays and looked at Aintree's website out of interest. 40 feet is the longest of the Beetle range and they are very good value for money - so I thought I'd go for it.
I'll be registering as a continuous cruiser although I will also spend periods back here at home (Christmas etc). A 40 footer is a nice compromise, - mostly there will just be me onboard but my partner will also spend time with me when she can - she's still working full time whereas I'm semi retired (and looking to do less and less work!), but 40 feet is maybe too small to move on entirely - so if I/we ever did that, I'd have to change to 57 feet or more.
Most of my videos are boat/canal related but not all - because I don't have a boat on the water yet! So I hope you'll still enjoy the other stuff I publish - new videos every Saturday.👍
WOW thank you for the reply Jeff, very informative. I'll be around and excited for you to.
Mark
Alberta, Canada@@Gladysthenarrowboat
Great - thanks very much Mark! Best wishes, Jeff 😊