One of the things that Beverley really wanted was a new cooker. The only problem was finding one that would fit. We scoured the internet looking for one that would fit and found a cooker of the right size and dimension at a local retailer on the other side of the river. As it happens our car needed servicing and we had a friend who could service the car just in the village next to where we could find the cooker.
Being able to look at items really helps apart from the fact that the one in the showroom was the bigger size. However, it did reassure us of the build quality, so we went out and bought it.
We got the cooker out of the box and it is reassuring to see that all the measuring and discussing had paid off, as we did have a perfect fit, the only issue was that the gimbals would have to be moved.
Initially we thought that we would be able to fit the gas cooker ourselves, but there was a specialist fitting between the hose on the boat and the gas cooker. These fixtures are especially made for Bavaria by one company and they are really expensive, so we talked to a gas engineer that we know. We had got it all arranged so we cooked up a Lass breakfast ready for the guy to arrive, but he had decided that he wouldn't do the job in the end as he was not really qualified to fit marine gas appliances. I understand his point of view, but sometimes I wish people would just say "No", saying that you will do it and then backing out just wastes my time. So it was a case of looking in the yellow pages and getting a specialist gas engineer.
So a few days later the specialist engineer arrive with his manometer and other assorted equipment. We got him to replace the specialist fitting with a standard fitting. This means that if there is a problem then Beverley and I will be able to fix it. He showed us a neat trick where he put the gas hose in really hot water. This makes the hose pliable and allows you to put the hose onto the fitting. As the hose cools, the gas pipe shrinks and makes a gas proof seal. A single jubilee clip is then added as a precaution. Only one clip is added as the fitting is not really long enough to have two.
He added a gas test point to the back of the cooker. This allowed him to put a manometer in the circuit and test the system. Ours was tested to 117millibar and held. The correct test level is just 45milibar, so our pipes were in good shape. Having a gas safety certificate at the end of the process was reassuring.
We fitted the cooker, while he was there and with the gas cooker on top of the current gimbals, it swung fine and for Beverley, the worktop still went down which was an added bonus
Once we measured where the gimbals should be mounted, Beverley got on with the job of widening the slot so that the gimbal would be fitted correctly. Beverley got the gimbals sorted while I cleaned all around where the cooker was going to be. I tell you it was dirty, the grease from all the meals that had been cooked was like tar, but with a bit, okay a lot of elbow grease, soon the space was gleaming. All that needed to be done now was for the gimbals to be put into the new position and the job would be complete.
It was quite a struggle to lift the cooker into place, but with the use of ropes we did it. Beverley was so pleased to light the cooker for the first time. She was even more proud when we lit the grill. We christened the cooker with making a round of toast. It might be simple but it is these simple pleasures that make us happy.
When we were getting the grill pan out, we found the correct gimbal mounts, which made us laugh,
