This site will show the progress of the conversion from the hopper barge number 3 shown below from start to finish.
Hull Purchased 1st.October 2015
Hull Purchased 1st.October 2015
Jo and I made a snap decision after looking at pictures of the inside of a large barge moored in Woodbridge, Suffolk with a minimum of furniture in a very large saloon area. Taylor made to convert into an Art Gallery to show our art. That was on 27th.September. After looking online at various sized barges where the space is totally devoted to living we decided it would be good to start from a basic hull and design our interior. We keep a small sailing boat in Leigh Marina and on the 1st October viewed one of two 71 x 12 foot steel hulls in the Marina. Thus we purchased Hull No. 3 from the helpful staff at Leigh Marina.
In the hull was a hopper ( an inner metal lining) for the goods the barges carried and above can be seen telegraph poles in the hopper of barge no.3. This central section had to be cut out and I marked where Brian the welder would be cutting prior to the interior being lifted out. 12-10-15
The first section is lifted out
Steve directs the hopper lifting operation
At last free of the mud berth and towed into the vast reaches of the Thames Estuary and then round to the slipway where work will begin
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Looks like Its going to be full of water and mud beneath that hopper.
Starting to remove the tons of mud and sludge. Someone said it looks like compo is back. Can't see it myself.
Not a job for the fainthearted, pressure washing the interior was a very wet arm aching job.
The towboat from my precarious position on the front of the barge. 28-10-15
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2 Barges. Ours is Number 3 and Peter owns the identical barge next to us. He is converting to a live aboard home whereas we want to incorporate an art gallery within the hull. The barges are waiting to be brought onto the slipway.
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Wire brushing the rust,loose paint and mud off the hull sides. A muscle testing dusty exercise with the resulting face on the right
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A quick break. Thanks for the photography Peter
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One side cleaned and painted with red oxide paint. 5-11-15
The first roof supports are welded on to the hull. With thanks to Sam for supporting the support with his head. Or is it just bad photography.
I might be a bit previous with hanging the art as there's a little bit more work to do yet