Narrowboat Alacrity

Having had an easy drive up and luckily found a parking place ( as it was the Braunston Historic Boat Rally) Jo and I moved the tools and bits needed to start the flooring over to Alacrity. It still took three trips even with the trolley.

As posted before we had decided to fit a fully floating solid oak floor as this will allow the wood to expand and contract in the varying temperatures and humidity levels found on a narrowboat. So having sorted out the original floor removing the gripper rod and staples and added many more screws to hold it down we laid a thin foam plastic underlay, this is to allow the new floor to move and acts as cushion.

The oak tongue and grove planks are supplied in in varying lengths from 300 mm to 1200 mm so you have to be a bit good at jigsaws to get away without much wastage and to get a decent random effect. Once we had glued and layed the first two rows work went on a pace helped by the use of a pair of ratchet clamps, ( Screwfix £4.99 cheaper than B&Q £12.99) these really pull the boards together far better than just tapping them with a soft faced hammer.

Even with only half the boards laid the effect was stunning. So with my back and knees complaining we decided to stop and give the glue chance to set………ok  ok  a weak excuse but I needed a beer.

Having had Alacrity for 19 years now Jo and I have decided to refit the saloon.

The saloon has a fixed “L” shape dinette which converts to a double bed since there are just the two of us and the dinette isn’t that comfortable. We were thinking of stripping it out in favour of free standing furniture. I was also thinking along the lines of a real wood floor with rugs.

We have been looking at The Ikea “Poang” armchairs with footstools,  we first saw them in a cottage we rented in York, and after a day doing touristy things they were great to relax in. Ikea give them a 25 Year Guarantee and they are a flat pack item so no worries about getting them in (embarrassing moment with the new fridge and door saga necessitating removal of door frame and some skin).

We would also need a table possibly a folding one or one that hinges out from the side. anyone got any ideas?

As to the floor I’m torn between a fully real wood floor or one with an engineered core and a 5mm real wood veneer given the changes in humidity and temperature I’m not sure which, more research needed.