Decking

Mike began the day by writing another short piece of work for the diocese before turning his hand to a task that has been on hold for some while. The back deck has been a bit of a problem for a while. Left just as painted metal it quickly becomes quite a hazard in the wet. For a while we have had a spare piece of the material we put into the foredeck which allows water to run through it. However there was insufficient to do the job properly at the back and what we did have moved around too readily. however, it did work as a non-slip surface and show its benefit.

So, back when we were leaving Mercia Marine we bought a roll of Treadmaster – it is quite expensive – but had not had time to fit it until now. Mike was a little nervous as cutting to the right shape did not feel like an easy task. In addition, there is a lifting centre section of the rear deck which is used to gain access to the engine compartment and the weed hatch.

It took most of the remainder of the morning to prepare the two pieces to fit with a lot of careful making of paper templates, measuring and eventually cutting. The deck pint was also sanded down ready for some adhesive.

When we bought the material originally we were advised that we could get some suitable adhesive that was not quite as expensive as the special stuff supplied by Treadmaster. Now was the time to find something!

So, after lunch we set off to Screwfix in West Drayton and a helpful lady served us but she was not confident that the product in stock was correct and it did seem rather a small pack for almost £30! This is a job one does not want to strat and run out of adhesive part way through! She, instead, directed us to Wickes, up the road in Uxbridge. Although they were not as full with their advice we did come away with a couple of tubes of something that promises to do the trick.

Back at the boat Mike began to stick the decking down. By now the sun was well down and what had been a very warm day earlier was now becoming definitely chilly. Hence there was not a moment to lose.

As the adhesive was not an impact type there was a little more leeway in adjusting the positioning. It is supposed to cure overnight and weighting down any key edges is also recommended. So some pieces of ballast were retrieved from under the cabin bench and put into action. All we can do now is wait until the morning when a couple of small side pieces remain to be cut and fixed. There may also be enough left over to put on the steps up onto the roof.