fergyguy

hi mike i have been around boats before for some years but my reason for asking so many questions on here is not because i have a bottomless pit of cash to throw at a luxury apartment on water..far from it...i ask many questions (sometimes i already know the answer) simply because forums like this educate others through advise and comments being given..there will be other people reading these posts who are considering buying a wb and maybe not wishing to get into the pros and cons directly so they gather information freely given by more seasoned boaters on here like yourself.I always take onboard the comments on here even those i do not always agree with as sometimes its good to get other peoples slant on a subject raised as it can make the poster (me) stop and re think future plans. We have not ruled out buying a finished boat but think at this stage its keep your options open time..Adam i have already spoken to tyler wilson and we will be visiting him soon to discuss options and yes i actually do like the sheffield keel so its not been ruled out either. The great thing about this forum is you guys ..always freely offering opinions and always able to keep a topic alive and fresh and for that i really do thank you all.

must say as someone looking in the not too distant future to have a wb built when we visited mercia marina a few weeks ago we found most of the wb for sale there very similar in design some had great feature but big square bums others had nice bums and terrible layout inside. the one thing for sure I'm guessing is there is only so many ways you can layout a nb or wb but with habit more thought in how the owner intends living/using the end product and the use of new materials on the fit out surely more alternatives can be made possible. that said maybe for the builders of such boats its a safe easier way of producing the end product by using the same layout and the same interior products their team once they have built one should be able to produce the following ones quicker as they learn all the ways to do the job on the first one so can avoid hours of head scratching on every other build. We liked the fact that burscough boats said they wanted our input so they would build what WE wanted but already i have heard from a member of this forum that he was told the same so he drew out his rough plans and headed for the yard only to find that by the time they had CAD his plans they were no longer what he drew but more what what the builder was pushing towards so its very much a case of finding a true bespoke builder who will build what YOU want.

Pd thanks for that I may see if I can track them down and see what they think of their build experience. Hi Loddon I'm guessing it's really a case of what floats your boat lol I love Nbs but just not enough space for what I'm wanting a boat for. Hi Loddon I'm guessing it's really a case of what floats your boat lol I love Nbs but just not enough space for what I'm wanting a boat for.

We are leaning towards burscough boats and I have asked for any forum members to comment on their experience with this builder but as yet no real feedback with exception of Keith who has brought one issue to my attention.pd the build may be commissioned sooner than later all be it we originally thought it would be in 3 years . The one thing I am finding a little strange is when I also asked for forum members views on Nottingham boat company again everyone goes quiet....yet if I said I think a wb is a great boat most members are happy to have a say...now I'm sure there must be people on here who are living on a burscough or Nottingham boats boat so either they are not reading the posts or they have had so many issues they don't want to admit they bought a poor quality boat...I really not sure which.so again any experience good or bad with either of these builders please let me know either through the forum or pm me.thanks

Pd that's the reason I asked the question....I'm happy to keep an eye on the build as best I can but having read somewhere about having someone in a more professional position project manage it all. I will not simply be plucking a builder from mid air and am taking time to research everything I can about each builder I'm considering. As we intend paying a large sum and wanting our boat to be our home it's a case of trying to keep issues to a minimum.

pd im not sure your getting the point of my post....the builder I'm considering has actually invited us to employ someone to oversee the work and he is happy for us to get involved at all stages...i was simply asking if having a surveyor keeping an eye on things when we can not always get to the yard was the way to go.

loddon if only it was that simple...we have looked at barges and as yet not found one that ticks enough boxes. i must say its funny how so many people on here are quick to call a wide beam but i have not read a simple comment from a wb owner saying anything against a nb...i don't see why people feel a wide beam is cause for comment..its just an overgrown narrowboat..lol

not saying i do or don't have faith in a surveyor over watching the build, i was more curious as to if its worth having one. sounds like you have had issues with a surveyor or two? sorry to hear that.

go on youtube and search compost toilets and you will soon realise they are the way to go and are not the smelly messy things you first thought they would be.

lol i know what your saying alan..we had considered a square back wb but have decided the round backs are far more pleasing to the eye for sure. I'm guessing 60x12 is difficult to disguise into a thing of beauty but if the pointed bit and the bum looks nice i can live with the slab sides .

i will take a look at them as was not aware of him. we just did not fancy dragging a black tank full of sewage around with us lol and we are trying to keep out of marinas other than fuelling up etc.

i have research composting loos too and at first they seem bit yuk but the more you research into them they really do seem to be the way to go and will be in our boat once built for sure.

hi alan not 100% as yet to be honest as i did post on here regarding burscough boats but as yet no one has made a comment regarding them be it good or bad but from the way they dealt with us at crick we are drawn to them as they were none pushy did not try and sell us anything and seemed to understand what we were looking for in a builder. we looked at the wb they were displaying and got to talk to the lady who had it built (not fully finished but as good as) she seemed very happy with so many areas of the build..quality of the fit out regular communication willingness to adapt to her ideas the price of the build etc etc..now yes we realise it looked fantastic but could have been built on a crap hull (not that it seemed like it to us) so hence my post asking if anyone on here had dealings with these guys. so still early days. Nottingham boat co are also on our list and we went to crick to see Neptune but to be honest not that impressed with it but again we still have plenty of researching to do.

with our builder being a fair distance away we thought the expense would be worth it to have an experienced set of eyes watching over things..of course we realise he/she would need a clear brief as to what was agreed between ourselves and the builder as to how things should look but as newbies at least we would have some safeguard against things being done wrong. There has to be some element of trust between us and our builder but if we can not just keep popping in to see how things are doing then having a surveyor available to do this makes sense..im guessing he for example would be ensuring the build specifications are correct and as agreed with the builder?

some great looking boats on that link..nice to see some fat ones too lol

Im not too sure where i read this so forgive me if i got it wrong. if our builder is several hours drive away is it advisable to have an independent surveyor to oversee the build of our boat? or is this just throwing money in the air? whats your opinion guys?

rlwp then we will be having 2 wine chiller on board...one powerless under the floor and one powered in the galley you can never have too much of a good thing lol rlwp on a serious note we have already advised the builder we wanted underfloor storage for bottles and cans etc..seems to make sense with such a big boat to create where possible plenty of cool storage areas.

good point chalky

pd1964...the specification i started the post with is whats in the builders leaflet NOT what we have decided we want...i prefer gas to cook being a chef for many years of my life i find gas far better..im happy to have a simple engine and simple electrics...yes the boat will come with the toys..washing machine/fridge/freezer and of course most importantly wine chiller lol but then many of you nb guys have all these on board so we are not aiming at something above and beyond what most folk want on board for a comfortable life. yes we will be living on a wide beam and yes we will be cc at a pace and distance which suits us...are we bothered if as dmr put it we don't have a lot in common with our neighbours...really to be frank NO the way we see it if our neighbours choose to live on a nb then thats fine if like us they choose a wb then fine too but surely its the people who live on the boats that matter? if it all comes down to being liked because you choose to live on a nb and not liked because you choose a wb then there is some sad folk living on the water. will we ba able to adapt to life on the water YES without doubt as this is not a flight of fancy for us but something we have wanted to do for many years and something we have allowed plenty of time to research the pros and cons of such a life before getting a builder to start welding the metal. this forum offers a great window into life on the water and we welcome ALL opinions even if its against wbs lol the technical advise you guys offer is brilliant and is a great source of sensible and practical thinking which is what we are looking for.

hi paul c to be fair to the builder he did not try to sell us anything..the specification i have shown is whats in his paperwork as an option not cast in stone..the crick boat did not have the hybrid and it did have gas cooking etc...to be honest he was the ONLY builder at the show who actually LISTENED to what we wanted and he made it very clear that he would build to what we wanted (unless it was beyond doing) and then he would offer suggestions on alternatives.

i must confess the hybrid bit did bother me but to be fair to the builder he did say without issue he would be happy to install the engine we wanted so i was swayed towards a more robust unit without the toys...in my mind a well tried and tested power unit has to be a less risk option plus if its a straight forward lump then I'm guessing most marine engineers would have come across it before so less hassle fixing faults. I was considering Ventus? unit fitted with high output alternators supply a large battery bank supported by solar. There will be room to install a diesel gennie in the engine compartment they have said not sure what size yet but i must confess being out on the water 365 i like the fact that if ever the engine fails and the sun decides not to shine then at least all those power hungry goodies on board can be kept working. I like the sound of fitting hybrid engine but like mike says they are still in early days and no doubt they will become the way to go once reliability has been sorted and the marine engineers get used to working on them.

just browsing through one of the catalogues i picked up at crick from one of my short listed builders and the specifications listed below is what he is suggesting we would be best to use if cc and living abroad 365 days a year. can you take a look and tell me what you think? I'm still of the opinion i would want solar fitted but how much??this is for a 60 x 12.5 wb boat packed with all the goodies so need a good power source...would i still need a separate gennie?? what do you guys think? specification Beta marine 90hp green line engine with pro 500 gearbox twin motor hybrid and a power station alternator. Provides 20 kw of quiet electric drive and 13 kw of generation capability. Battery bank is 800 ah at 48v providing 30k of stored energy and a centralised watering and venting system. 5kva (10kva peak) charger inverter allowing electric cooking (fan oven and induction hob) which in hand allows you to have a non gas boat. Radio controlled hybrid motor and bow thruster from a small hand held unit. This is how its printed in their paperwork but i would appreciate if you seasoned guys can tell me in plain english is this good bad or indifferent??? thanks.

Hey just noticed you got a big chair and windows in your cardboard box too....think it's a penthouse box you bought? That's the cardboard box version of a wb isn't it? Lol...love the trailer and what a very sensible thing to have for the supplies run...Mrs Fergyguy will be impressed when I show her.

You can get a bike and a trailer in your cardboard box? Lol thanks guys your advice as always very helpful Does trailer fold down?

As part of my pre build research I am looking at additional transport options for when moored up should we need to get to a shop/chippy etc. I was considering a crane lift on/off small motorbike on a slightly extended bow deck on a wb but along with the initial cost of a Honda c90 type bike we would need larger bow deck plus purchase and installation of a swing arm crane which even when folded down would not be easy to disguise. Our other option would be a fold down electric bike...light and easy to get on board and stow away securely and there for them emergencies like when we are a few miles from shops and no milk for Mrs fergyguys cereals lol...so which bike? What do we need to be aware of when buying? Battery size? Help please.