My original plan had been to rebuild this mighty engine (and I still will) and get a boat 'new built' to fit around it.
Well the rebuild has/is going well and it was getting near (I felt) the time to get my selected, prospective, builders to re-quote on the cost of the steel work etc.
Well... the cost of steel has been increasing, and the cost of new builds had risen quite considerably. In contrast, the second hand market was stable.
I had always kept my eye on the second hand market. You often see 'abandoned projects' and the like up for sale at knock down prices. The main problem was find a suitable second hand shell that would do the National justice.
It was during one of these random browsing sessions that I came across an Ad' for Ocelot.
Anyway.... to cut a long story short, I made arrangements to view her, fell in love, and subsequently (after some minor negotiations) bought her.
Contracts have been exchanged and I am hoping to take formal ownership at the end of the month.
So, that a brief history. Now I had better introduce the boat.
NB Ocelot
Built by S M Hudson (http://www.smhudson.co.uk/) in 2000.
56' long in traditional style.
From the bow:
A small cockpit leads down in to the lounge. A couple of free standing arm chairs and foot stools are for the weary bodies to rest in front of the fire.
Then follows the galley. Incorporating a 12 volt fridge, full sized cooker, various cupboards and drawers and, of course, the sink (allegedly this is for washing up).
After the galley is the bathroom. I've no pictures of it but, it consists of toilet, sink and shower. Pretty much the usual that you would find in a narrowboat.
Next is the engine room. Pride of place in the engine room is a Lister JP3. 3 cylinders, 4.2 litres, 27hp @ 1000rpm. Originally built by Lister as a marine unit. It was 're-manufactured' by the Royal Navy in 1954, and then believed to have been crated from then until it was fitted to the boat. Since then it has run approx 350 hours. Transmission is via a PRM 260 gearbox with 2:1 reduction to a 26" x 12" prop.
Last but by no means least. After the engine room is the bedroom. The back cabin is not of a traditional style, but has a modern slant to it. ie. a fixed double bed.
Well, that's the brief tour.
Hopefully you'll join me in my tours of the waterways, reporting on the events, incidents and people I meet along the way.
First job is to get her from her current mooring in Nottingham to her new home ground of Oxford.
