Peppers

Firstly, that's super super kind - thanks Folly! We'll be a bit north of London for a while, as we're going to put the boat on hardstanding to try and get a decent chunk of work done in the next couple of months so we can be in the best position possible for CCing as we head into winter - but if you're interested to look (or hold up a wall for example) and happen to be ever in the Milton Keynes-ish area then great! As for sprayfoam, I would definitely have rather have paid someone properly to do it, I wouldn't have liked to do it myself and imagine it's actually more cost effective to get someone with the proper equipment to just do it in one go - but alternatively... ...as Jono said he wishes he'd been there to oversee and I would feel the same.

I'm working away at the minute, with the other half focusing on the boat so I can neither measure the foam exactly or get the paperwork - when I'm home in a couple of weeks I'll try to DM you my agreement @Folly As for insulation foam all I can say was it was bloody loads, easily more than 15mm!! It was in most places about 200mm away from the battens in massive bulges and we had to absolutely hack it off. It took us 4 days and was a real pig of a job.

Thanks Alan - It was very remiss of me to forget to update the other thread, so thank you for prompting me to do so.

Sorry! Yes this really is inconsiderate of me, I'm totally sorry! With one hectic thing and another I forgot that I did not mention on this thread. I really didn't mean to cause any inconvenience to anyone - please do accept my sincere apologies... Yes, I can only speak for new and used boats but I was satisfied, as it shows that they state they are liable for their compliance with HMRC on my invoice, and that they have signed to say the boat is compliant with HMRC's qualifying ship issue - and I have signed to say that I am compliant (and therefore liable) for my status as a liveaboard.

Ah - yes - we each signed something to say that it's my responsibility that I liveaboard and theirs if its a qualifying ship query. And on my final invoice it states that the vessel is in compliance of HMRC rules, therefore placing the liability with them for stating this. I was satisfied at least. I just realised as this is my build blog, I should probably upload a picture! It's not a good one, but hints towards the messy boring bit that we're currently at...

That's really helpful, as always. I had forgotten the bolts in the hatch, despite having thought of it in the past - cheers @WotEver for that one.

This is great stuff - WBP ply bought and cut to size today (I couldn't find Marine Ply without waiting days for it). Our next challenge is the locks - we were thinking a yale (at the top into the roof hatch) and bolts, but considered an extra mortice lock through the centre for added security...any thoughts on the ideal lock set up

Yeah but as I'm currently of no fixed abode I'm struggling with the whole posting thing and was hoping to purchase from a real life shop, which seems to be more of an ask

Ooo I'm glad you've mentioned Marineflex! I can't find anywhere to buy it - will this do do you think? http://www.screwfix.com/p/sika-sikaflex-ebt-all-weather-sealant-white-300ml/87344# ps. thank you for resolving our domestic thus far

Brilliant - I will search for marine ply as I'd rather have the proper stuff, but if not will go WBP. And if we go marine ply does that need sealing too? Finally if they sell sheets in 18mm and 6mm depths - will it matter that I'm 1mm off the depth of the steel of my door?

Brilliant, thank you WotEver and rusty69 Ok - so this http://www.jewson.co.uk/timber/sheet-materials/plywood/softwood-plywood/products/PLYFCE18/coniferous-wbp-plywood-18-x-1200-x-2440mm/ - sealed to prevent any moisture getting in? Or how do I tell the difference between proper hardwood marine ply or so-called marine ply? Will any of the national brands/timber yards be any good? Or I'm in Derby atm if someone can recommend a shop.

The depth we seem to need to cover is 25mm - so this would justify some 7mm tarting I assume?

Hi all, I'm hoping you might be able to help us regarding our door fit so that it is not only cladded, but we can also fit the locks, vents and handles. As I've mentioned on other threads I'm new and might get some terminology wrong so apologies in advance... We are trying to fit our door as it is currently just steel - the door and roof hatch to the stern, but we completely can't work out what material to use? My other half thought MDF would be fine, but I'm suspicious of this. He also seems to think that it being one clean sheet will make it more sturdy. I had somewhere in my head that birch ply would be better, as this will probably be what we use for the walls also - and that fitting it like a panelled door would be more attractive. Now after a brief argument in B & Q, followed by a brief sulk in Wickes we don't know what we think about anything anymore... To fit with our decor plans we will likely paint it white and grey, so getting something lovely like oak seems a bit of a waste. Any advice on the general fit of the doors/hatch is really greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Hi, I was just looking through this with interest, and about to head in for a quote with Craftinsure - but it's not for liveaboards - any liveaboard insurance suggestions?

We're starting to think about the next stage - which we think is our first fix electrics. We're making plans for the 8000th time about exactly where each plug point should go and exactly what we need power for - so here is our electrical usage wishlist: General plug points for: phone charging, laptop charging, iPad charging, musical equipment charging, power tool charging Kitchen: Washing machine (potentially washer dryer), fridge with icebox, toasty maker thing (other half is obsessed by them), hoover (if I must) Office: Printer Throughout: Speakers LEDs in the ceiling Outside: Light Other: Macerator, Pumps We are currently scouring this forum and other sites for advice on which solar panels, solar charger, batteries and inverter we should get. We want to future proof as much as possible - I'd rather go much bigger than we might initially need, just in case. Also as we both work primarily from home laptop charging during the day might be quite heavy duty.

Thanks for your concern but you would not believe the amount of surplus that we had to get it down to the battens, hence why we used knives, hammers and and yes even a sander in some places. No care had been taken in applying the sprayfoam and we had far far far too much rather than not enough. On the ceiling in some places it was bulging nearly half a foot away from the battens. There are also a few holes in places which we'll now fill in with fire retardant sprayfoam, but in general we had to cut off absolutely enormous bubbles and bulges - as did the very helpful Jono in the youtube video offered above. No wooden battens had been placed below the gunwale so we need to put them on now, and will be putting sheet insulation between the steel and the wood (also as suggested in the above mentioned youtube video). And ahh yes...autocorrect strikes again. Vetus it is!

We've bought ours off the shelf as it were so it already has the 150 tank and the bowthruster in it. We might actually add two external water tanks to the bow. This might sound strange, but this is a part of our idea to make the boat look slightly less new and less attention-grabbing. I know this seems like the completely wrong thing to do with a nice new boat, but it seems to suggest a dual purpose of fulfilling our water needs and as a few people have suggested to us recently "s**tting the boat up a bit". Although then all the water will be at the front - is this a problem for weight distribution? We've pretty much finished the sprayfoam removal now! It took 3 days and in the end we employed a hammer and a sander to best effect! If I ever fit out another boat I'll certainly not let them sprayfoam it! We must have 16 massive bin bags of wasted material. Tomorrow we'll start adding wooden battens to the steel uprights and the bulkheads. I'm hoping to grow some new hands overnight as that insulation is pretty unforgiving.

Great sprayfoam help already! Thanks all. We're going to the boat tomorrow to start a 4 day stint of sprayfoam culling. An electric knife sounds like a good idea... And yes! We definitely want a bigger water tank. How have you managed to get a bigger one in the bow - we haven't been able to work it out yet. We did see a boat where they had just given up the bow to extra plastic bag tanks and then shoved a bit of tarp over it - but that doesn't really seem like a solution to me. Is it a case of getting a bespoke one built?

As we're just starting the journey of fitting out our new widebeam sailaway, we wanted to start a blog so we can hopefully get some sage advice along the way and we can look back and have a laugh at our cock ups in a few months time... General purchase details: Orchard Marine eurocruiser stern 60 x 12 Canalline 70 engine - isuzu 4 cylinder 65 with pro hydraulic gearbox and twin alternators Venus 95 kgf bow thruster 150 gallon water tank 2 bedroom reverse layout We're starting with just the sprayfoam insulation and have just bought a rather suspicious looking knife haul to begin the insulation shaving process on Sunday. We're very very very much learning as we go...

Hi, they said they will write something up that says I'm liable if I'm found to be not living aboard and they're liable if its a sizing issue. It's being written up on Monday so I can share more information then.

I'm going to have a chat with new & used boats about this tomorrow - I've put an offer on a sailaway and if I can get it in writing that they will be liable for tax in the event of HMRC disputing the tax rate (and in the same vein I'll be liable should HMRC take query with it not being my main residence) then I'm happy. Also thanks to everyone so far for everything on this topic and others. I'm about to go head first into the drink with boat fitting on a sailaway so I'm sure continued support and a fair bit of mockery at my cock ups from this forum will get us through the process eventually! Thanks all.

I just did a sneaky phone call to n&u bc - fake accent and all - and they said the walkround on the gunnel is narrower so the first deck equation is from the roof (hoping I sound like I know what I'm talking about). I'm assuming this would make the depth much greater for calculation purposes. He also said the liability would lie with the retailer and that their boats have been categorised by a surveyor and checked by HMRC. Would this make sense?

Oh no!! So am I best to stay clear of these sellers then? I've been trying to find out online what the depth is but can't find it anywhere - but would assume it is not 15 gross tons. I could definitely do without a HMRC investigation on my hands!! Yeah I was thinking about this...what is the way round it? Is there an allowance calculation one can do?

We've asked a friend who is a land based tradesperson we trust, so any advice you might have for him he will greatly receive. I'm going to work through the forum topics and make a little information pack for him. He's starting his own research too so hopefully the mistakes we inevitably make along the way won't be disastrous ones!

We went to new and used boat company today and they said it would be VAT exempt because we'd be living on it. Tbh they said all widebeams would be VAT exempt if we live aboard. Is this a bit of a myth then? How do you know which ones are ex VAT and which ones aren't?