DandV

Endorse the wet cupboard adjacent to the stern companionway. Minimal time needed to retrieve a raincoat, when the threat of rain quickly materialises to actual rain. Ours was heated by the eberspecher, mounted on the opposite side of the bulkhead, and the heating pipes passing through at low level. We had a conventional layout and did enjoy the immediacy of access to outside space from the saloon to the well deck. The Ultimate in indoor outdoor flow. And sitting there was reminiscent of being in a dinghy, sharing your life with the water life. Sitting outside on the cruiser deck, and you shared your life with those ashore. So different spaces with different outlooks. We would not be keen on a walk through bathroom if you ever have somebody on board, that bathroom time is a time consuming ritual. Thus obstructing access from one end of the boat to the other. For reverse layout a Galley midships or adjacent to the access way? Midships facilitates the indoor outdoor flow between the saloon and the outdoors, but adjacent to the access way is central to catering in both directions. The previous owners, and designers of our boat spent at least a couple of weeks a year hiring for a few years whilst they refined their specification. Hence the Wyvern Shipping bin lockers for mooring hardware , that doubled as seats on the cruiser stern. Not so much for seating while underway, one person each side could sit forward of the tiller swing, but really most times they were too low to sit while steering. But they provided both seating and bench space when moored up. A good feature on our boat was the deck house was extended back over engine bay about 400mm either side of the central companioway to provide a locker each side. One side the paint locker, and the other storage for those cheap, but comfortable folding camping arm chairs.

It seems to me that layout preference is very dependent on the intended type of boating. Solo, or just the two of you, or family boating? This dictates the space and arrangements for bedding, And this heavily influences the required bathroom, galley, and dining area, size and configuration. Heavily summer season dominated? Don't need a stove, oil fired central heating will suffice. But easy access and provision of outside spaces becomes very advantageous for a high proportion of outside living time. Outside time in well deck or cruiser stern or both? Intended extended stays? Then laundry arrangements become a consideration. Washing machine? And drying arrangements, both indoors, and perhaps outdoors in a covered cratch. Intended 12 months a year on board? Then heating and heat retention, and fuel storage are very major considerations. Solid fuel stove, where in the boat? Differening layouts provide differing advantages to the intended modes of boat use. Our boat was designed by the previous owner for six months continuous summer season on board, and six months winter lay up for 2, plus occasional 5 days max for an additional two people. We had exactly the same use regime and it worked extremly well. But this was a comparatively narrow operating regime. It may also have worked, as a year round liveaboard, provided in winter it was on shore power, when electric heaters could provide the necessary, considerable heating.

Canal sides, and river banks seem to be ideal habitats and feeding grounds for vermin. It actually amazed us, how little they seemed to venture on, and into moored boats seeing how accessible they must be to them. Given they still manage to get onboard dockside ships via mooring lines.

As a historic wooden boat enthusiast I wish them well in their endeavours to restore this boat, that has done so much work in it's life, carried so many people, and partook in such an internationally significant event. Restoring the boat though is only half the battle, as it's sad history after it's last restoration attests. So what next? To remain viable she needs a continuing purpose in her life, the more the better. Just being old is far from sufficient. And a context. In this she's blessed already, but her value requires in keeping her story being told. And an appropriate form ownership structure. The more durable the better. A structure that enables, and encourages an ongoing continuation of people to love her, and more importantly, provide the frightening amount of care, and money she will actually require. Overall Britain seems to accomplish these things well, testament the many historic watercraft turning up to the many organised historic boat festivals, and being quayside in so many picturesque locations. Seeing all of those historic watercraft afloat, and doing something, was an important facit of our visits to Britain. They are both an intrinsic part of your historic landscape, and your social heritage. Too good to loose through neglect. Good luck

We had to screw our cat door closed. It was one with a very stiff sliding mechanism to select, locked, outwards only, inwards only or fully open. The male sibling was fine, but his sister worked out that the settings could be changed to suit her, and was prepared to spend the time clawing at the setting lever, and the multitude of mechanisms we devised to lock the setting lever in place, and the obstructions we placed in front of the cat door to effect an escape. Could not manage a screwdriver though. Now the alternative access is through the upstairs bathroom window via the pergola, and the outside unit of the heat pump.

If the OP is a self learning AI bot, then the replies on this thread will provide an interesting iterative learning experience for the bot. Perhaps commissioned by the RCR as a first step towards them RCR replacing their human variable diagnosis abilities, with a more consistent AI diagnosis ability? Uniformly hopeless, instead of being sometimes hopeless. But at least more consistent.

During the hot 2013 summer I did consider buying a plastic water butt to put on the roof as far forward as possible and connecting a cabin top length of irrigation soaker hose via a valve, to dribble water onto the crown of the roof to shed heat by evaporation and flow off the sides. Perhaps aided by laying towels on the roof. A variation on the Australian Coolgardie safe. Would though have needed constantly refilling by a bucket from the canal. Decided instead, like every one else, just to seek out moorings under trees. But I did try gently bucketing water over the roof at times. It was surprising how hot the water that flowed off got. But the discernable heat gain by heaving water over the roof more then offset any discernable change in cabin temperature.

Where unique local conditions exist unique local designs have developed. In England the recreational steel narrowboat is the latest iteration of the former canal transport craft designed around the unique, and tiny, limiting dimensions , and the working arrangements, particularly lock working of the English waterways network. This is the same for the recreational Dutch Barge, but designed, around their local conditions which are markedly different. (Except for some rivers, and some northern canals). Limiting dimensions are much more generous, but encountered waves higher, and encountered flow rates higher. There is a need for much enhanced emergency anchoring provision, and even lock working favours different placement and accessibility of deck hardware for line handling. Implanting features from a craft optimised for markably different conditions ignores the centuries of evolution of the local watercraft, and results in a comprimised kitch bodge. Bow fender or anchor dangling from a hawsepipe?

You think you want perhaps a wide beam. So you would like to see some? And you think the Llangollen and Coventry Basins would be good places for such viewing? There is a problem. The width of access canal limits both to narrowboats only. The presence of the narrowboat only network in the middle dictates that wide beams for sale are much more dispersed. Getting the right boat for your needs is far far more important then who the seller is, private, or a broker. With brokerage rates of about 6-7% inc VAT , and presumably a private seller having an expectation of obtaining a higher yield selling that way , an even split of the saved brokerage fee only amounts to a discount of about 3%. You have to wonder if it is worth it, from both parties point of view.

When you have very active microbial corrosion you need nothing more aggressive then the pad of your thumb to wipe off the black scunge, ( an Australasian term, for dirty sludge), to reveal, more intense white, then polished silver, metal, that would almost instantly start dulling and turning iron oxide orange. You and I have seen the same stuff.

Your time will come!