Right...due to popular demand I'm going to try and fill in the blanks from the last time I posted to now :) The reason the blogging stopped, was that the family moved on board, so where previous photos would show empty bed bases, those now have mattresses, sheets, duvets. Floors which had carpets, now have computers, waste baskets, kids toys. Walls have picture frames. Empty cupboards have plates, cups, cutlery. Empty floors, have sofas, tv tables, rugs. The point is...it's very easy to live in a boat, and furnish it, without everythings being "ready for cruising". My initial goal was to make the boat functional to live in. We've achieved that with flying colours. The coal/stove went in...cutting a hole in the roof with a jigsaw was simple...much simpler than I thought it would be...and "anyone can do it". I decided to install the coal stove in the centre of the boat, so the flue went straight up, and didnt need any bends to accommodate the curvature of the roof. Pics will follow. We've put up curtain rails on the windows, and the curtains are being sewn by a friend. The shower cubicle has been tiled with ceramic tiles. I've running the toilet flush, the shower waste pump, and the boat water pump (the only 12V circuits currently running), using a battery stored near the bathroom, and permanently on charge using a 220V battery charger. Before Feb, to turn the boat into a cruising boat, I'm going to have to: 1. Connect up the 3 leisure batteries I've got lying in the engine bay. 2. Connect up the leisure alternator. 3. Install a 12V fusebox. 4. Install the 12V drop lights and wiring. 5. Buy/install an invertor. You dont need any of those things if you are on elec hookup. Right now the challenge has been to keep the boat warm as the temps begin to drop. We're using coal in the fire permanently, with a small elec fan blowing the warm air down the boat passage. We have 2 elec heaters which we use very occassionally on cold mornings. The kids cabins are warm enough because their pcs generate quite a bit of heat. The boat shower is wonderful. Instant hot water from a gas heater. We have no need to run the boat engine for the next 3 months. Hopefully it'll start in Feb/March when we need it to. Even a new boat has condensation. Every morning the windows have droplits. Where I cut away insulation under the gunnel to run gas piping, condensation forms. (I'll use some sprayfoam soon to stop it.) I'll try and keep the blog up to date and add some pics soon. :)