The Amis workmen had been progressing the new Harnser quay heading
The Amis workmen had been progressing the new Harnser quay heading

This was a nice and hot and sunny day, after an early heavy shower that caught the girls waking to the school bus stop. There was double good news in the mail this morning to go to Norfolk with, the approval for my Horning building control consent, and the original Vat receipt from Barnes Brinkcraft.

After turning the compost heap first thing at Paxton, I set off for Norfolk to find the Amis workmen had been progressing the new Harnser quay heading. A make-shift evening meal of seafood that I had collected on my way through Wroxham after which I relaxed a while to listen to the radio and rest after today's exertion.

There was a certain reluctance on my part to get going this morning after last night's drinking and late night, but I was just about down to breakfast in time in the end. The girls went off to school and walked immediately into the only heavy shower of the morning and I just got the barbecue set out of the rain and under the balcony in time. I caught up on the mail and my journal before doing some Hayling View chores that had to be done before I could leave for Norfolk. Good news in the mail this morning: The approval arrived for my building control consent which was a great relief and then Barnes Brinkcraft had eventually sent me the original VAT agreement for the construction of the Paxton Princess that I had been awaiting.

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The boat had originally been built for £47,150 before having another £15,000 spent on it over the first two winters by way of fitting out. In all, the costs had been some £65-70K including my work which price would probably still be recoverable today, despite the recession. Diana went off shopping this morning and so I had to get myself packed up and out of the door. Before I went, I tackled the compost heaps again and forked them over and moved more of the material from by my summer house to mix with the other. An uneventful journey to Norfolk, arriving with the late afternoon and evening to spare. I unloaded and then chatted to the Amis workman for some time. He had got on well these last few days, finishing the vertical timbers of the quay heading and was now putting on the capping and waling and chiselling the rebates ready for the tie rods to be secured. I asked him to make sure that there was a good depth in the new dyke and under the boat-house when he came to do the dredging as that meant more to me than them spending their time levelling the spoil.

After he had gone, and I had eaten an early tea, I spent the rest of the evening clearing away the old pieces of wood and sorting them. These timbers had been parts of the former bank protection which had been removed as being in the way and it was strange to see how they had weathered. The section at water level was completely rotted away but the lower section that had been immersed in the mud was virtually as good as new. Evidently, one boat-yard client once asked them to repair his quay-heading by pulling up the planks, turning them round, and re-using them upside down which is perfectly possible if they are long enough to immerse the rotting bits! It made me wonder again about Heronshaw and its rotted piles and Mr Howlett's idea of getting on to the sound section of old pile beneath and jacking up off of there. I trimmed off all of the rotten bits, removed the nails and then stacked the timber that I had saved which was quite a bit.

Some fun and games opposite as first a great pall of black smoke seemed to indicate a fire and then an explosion sent tracer into the air and it became apparent that a digger had caught fire at a nearby building site and eventually its fuel tank had exploded. The Dunhams came by and took a look as well before they took off in their boat for a cruise to South Walsham where they have another place to moor. The weather was nice and hot and sunny today and I was sweating when I went inside at dusk, even though it had cooled down considerably by then. A make-shift meal of seafood that I had collected on my way through Wroxham and then I relaxed a while to listen to the radio and rest after today's exertion.