I'm embarrassed to be so late with this blog entry;  to keep in chronological order I'll just report on the delivery and launch at Caversham's Thames & Kennet Marina.  We had some pix from the boatbuilder of Archangel's departure, where you will notice it has just the steel part of the wheelhouse in place (the higher wooden parts are stowed in the saloon) as you can see:

We had seen her outside with her wheeelhouse when we stayed aboard her a week before:

So then on to the launch:

That crane has a 50 tonne capacity, just as well !
Next into the water:

So that's Archangel's first experience of being afloat, and she did, and no leaks (not that we know of!).  The next step was for the boatbuilder team to fully erect the wheelhouse, and then motor her around to the mooring I'd just booked.  First the wheelhouse:

Then later, we took Burdock to view Archangel.  In our haste we forgot to take the keys, so he only saw the outside but soon settled down (more than can be said for the weather):

How beautiful?  Which one I hear you ask, well, everything of course!

That's all for now.

What we chiefly need now are pictures, so I won't disappoint.  The following ones are how we saw it on Thursday 28th June '12, indoors still, when it was due to be completed and we were due to pay our final large payment (apart from the Extras and the 'Sea' or rather river trial following delivery).  We deemed it completed.  The poor guys at the sharp end had laboured to 9pm and returned to complete and tidy from 5am, so we could see it at its best, and we did!:

Okay, so it's just a bedroom with some nice Tiffany style lights, but it's cosy, even with the plastic cover on the king size mattress!  So, turning around and around the corner takes us into the corridoor:

Nice feeling of anticipation?  Well, good, so enter the saloon and look back at this point, you see:

What a lovely view, gorgeous rich wood grain, corner stove & fireplace, elegant & marine-style bookcases with golden grills and yet very light and airy (not so obvious here, but we are in the construction hanger still!)
Then behind me is the galley:

The partition you see is demountable, the wall light has a decorate opaque glass in a box on the shelf to the left, and the wooden kitchen surface has yet to be toned down using Danish Oil.  Even so, it's very pretty.  Another view? (I know people like kitchens!) Okay:

Even the stainless microwave, and fridge/freezer, and gas cooker (full size, under the glass cover on the right) all blend in and reflect the wood colours everywhere.  There's masses of cupboard and especially drawer space.  One cupboard has plumbing & electrics for a dishwasher, wait a minute, this sounds like a brochure.  It's not for sale, and I'm not on commission.  And you can't copy our boat!  I know plageurism is the greatest form of compliment, but we want Archangel to be unique.  Oh well, so long as you don't tell us or go to the same marina.

But why do you want to see the smallest rooms now?  Oh well, here goes.  The shower on the left and the basin & usual utility on the right are the main bathroom.  The other one (en suite off the main bedroom) is lovely too, but rather small to photograph well!  Use your imagination.  It's like the usual one apart from also having a lovely porthole in, which has to open upwards for obvious reasons.  Lukily it has a poweful extract fan so opening the window should be scarcely of value, and also luckily the windows are very still on their hinges so it stays up without danger of coming down and braining the occupant!

There's also a small bedroom or side cabin:

Also hard to picture, and the lamp is missing its glass funnel and brass cowl, which make it far more elegant.  There's a wardrobe and drawers on the right, oh, all right:

So this is a sitting room, with a bed that pulls out to a small double.  I forgot this visit to open it up, but the bifold doors behind me make it form part of the saloon.  Next time I'll show you.  That's enough for this entry, of pictures.   We returned home thrilled and very happy, barely able to wait for the rather bizarre experience of staying 'aboard' for the weekend (Sat & Sun nights) Archangel while 'moored' in the boatbuilder's yard!  This gave us the chance to find anything we wanted adding, fixing or ask questions on any equipment we'd managed to use (not the engine, navigation, generator or aircon!).  We only had a list of about 2 dozen, and some of those were just our misunderstanding and others were easily fixed.  Only two remain as I write, and these are promised in a fortnight.  We took delivery on Tuesday 4th July as planned, and have been aboard since on Sat & Sunday, loading it with clothes, furnishings, clocks, and other essentials.  Lots more to do, but mustn't make it cluttered.  Next blog will show her on the trailer leaving and then arriving, but it's late and lazing in the sun (and rain), eating and drinking, well it takes it out of you!

The previous visit was last Thursday 21st June, the longest (but not quite the wettest) day!  Our task was to deliver to fireplace tiles which we'd picked up the day before from near Henley.  These have Delft style galleons on plus similar style Archangel/mermaids created by Nicola's imaginings.  They look just perfect, and we only went into the saloon that day to go over with the tiler-man how they could be laid out, the fit, and how to ensure the stove didn't hide the best pictures.  It was harder than we thought, but the result is great, as you may be able to see (imagine a little black stove in front of the plainer ones!):

You can see the larger portholes, open on the right, and the lamp (without glass) in centre, also the TV and HiFi unit below.  The bookshelves above the fireplace will have some doors with brass grid in to stop them falling out (no glass) in nautical style!  Next the side cabin:

Here there's a large bookcase (doors to come), a smaller porthole and a sidelight you can't see!  The wardrobe is on the right (doorless).  It's cosy, but all space is useful!
So what does the saloon look like?

Yes, you're right, it's still work in progress, but not as much of a mess as our own house (in process of sorting, storing, painting, packing, etc.).  The little black stove on the left goes on the right in that little corner of tiles which we grandly call a fireplace!  The central corridor is, well, in the centre.  I've said enough on the obvious.  Next the master bedroom (!):

The Tiffany wall lights would be nicer lit, but they look good to me.  The bow window is pretty and quite small considering it is our escape route in case of emergency!  The centre shelves double as the exit steps.  I'd like to show you the "wet room" but none of my pix were much good (it is small!) and Nik's were sideways on.  I'll try tho':

I told you it was small, but bijou.  That's quite enough for now.  The outside doesn't look too great yet because the cabin walls are covered in brown paper to protect them from the blue painting of the hull.   But it will look great, we had a peek and the portholes look soooo good from outside too!  We're up again on Thursday 28th June, then staying the weekend in the boatbuilder's yard (odd, or what!) to test out most things (not the engine or steering they say) and give them any tasks needed before it is transported on Tuesday night and 'launched' into the Thames on Independence Day (that's a coincidence right?)

Wow, a lot has changed since the last visit.  We've been twice in quick succession, but first I'll try a picture as the last time I tried it failed to insert it!  Here goes:

So you can see the wheelhouse is now in place and the steel is painted shiny Flag Blue, just awaiting a white line above the rubbing strip.  This was how it looked yesterday (Monday 25th June) when we visited;  we went to meet the signwriter, to ask him to make it like Marius's design (font and letter A).  I'd attach his Photoshop image (which looks lovely) but it's a bit large and might just not load!  The deck is blue now, but it will be done in non-slip grey.  The oak floor in the wheelhouse is good, so we have to keep it that way.  I'll post this now, but just add a picture of the inside of the wheelhouse, from the outside!

Our visit on 13th June to view Archangel was also to bring up the bathroom flooring, and the sound & TV system for installation;  these last helped clear a little bit of space in our crowded and confused house!  We were again very pleased with the lovely work they have done to realise our dream.  The pictures a bit messy because of lighting (big fluorescent tubes!) and all the parts, wires, etc., but I hope you can see through that to the beautiful interior emerging:

The portholes are not in place yet, but just look at the lovely wood colour and how it goes with the white panelling!  It keeps looking better.  This is our bedroom;  the other way is a bit less tidy and I had to put my hand in the way of the light tube!

The saloon is harder to see, but the view from the side-cabin gives an idea of how much move feeling of space is given by Tad's idea of opening it up into the saloon-galley:

and the view the other way, from the galley, is a bit better, showing two of the bookcases in place (but awaiting doors):

The engine and generator are now in place, which is comforting!:

The outside is similar to before, with a bit of wood inside it;  the hinges for the fold-down wooden wheelhouse are there.  They have fitted it apparently, but keeping it apart keeps it from harm while there are so many trades on the boat in the last minute rush.  It is supposed to launch at Caversham on Independence Day, 4th July, assuming all is done.  We have to inspect it before and are supposed even to spend a weekend 'aboard' in the boatbuilders back yard (not on water) which would be very odd.  That way they can deal with all the snagging issues in their workshop rather than a long way off!  Good idea when you put it like that.  Watch this space!

Our next visit was on 29th May, as the builder needed the wall lights we'd bought.  The inside has advanced, as you can see:

Not very sharp, but you can see the bookcase they've nicely built above the steel oil tank;  it will have nice doors on it later.  Then here's some work done on the seating which pulls out to make the side cabin's double bed.

The engine is not installed yet so not a lot more to see of interest to publish;  we took lots of pictures of engineering details like the bow thruster and cupboards.

We visited the boatbuilder on 14th May to view progress;  the outside looks similar but a lot has changed inside, as you can see:

We really like the wood grain and colour;  the little nook in the corner is our bijou wet-room (shower, sink, loo!)  Then there's lounge, sorry Saloon:

I'm at the end of the corridor leading to the bedroom, passing the main bathroom on the right.  The big opening on the left is into the Side-Cabin which will have folding doors so they can be opened when no-one's using it as a second bedroom, so it can be used as living space.  Nice idea from Tad.  The big white-edged pink thing to my left is the diesel tank for our coal-effect fire/stove.  I should mention that our portholes are not really made of paper!  Then behind the camera is the next view:

So we have stairs from the Wheelhouse, then on the right is the space for the fridge-freezer with a microwave on top, eventually. I looked for the engine in the engine room, but found it at the front, in its box: